Chicago Independent Bookstore Day Scavenger Hunt
by Allison Yates
Ready for a challenge? If Independent Bookstore Day wasn’t fun enough already, we gamified it for you.
Each year, Read & Run Chicago celebrates Independent Bookstore Day with run crawls to over 25+ indie bookstores in the Windy City. Readers & runner can expect a day of bookstore hopping, photo opportunities, miles, and the greatest challenge of all—trying not to buy every book in sight. We welcome all readers & runners, and if running isn’t your jam, join our crawls by bike, scooter, skateboard, or roller blade—whatever gets you moving with the pack.
For readers & runners who prefer to explore on their own, Read & Run Chicago volunteer Sarita Muley crafted this scavenger hunt to four Chicago indie bookstores. Once you decipher the clues and determine the bookstores, you’ve built your own self-guided route to enjoy on Independent Bookstore Day.
Hint: This 4.1-mile point-to-point route begins in the Loop and ends in Lincoln Park close to the CTA Brown Line.
Bookstore One
Clues:
1) Name is a nod to Liz Phair’s 1993 album
2) Customers have been married inside the store
3) Co-owners backgrounds include former criminal justice professor and long time bookseller staple in Chicago who has judged National Book award
4) Overlooks one of the most famous parks in Chicago
Bookstore Two
Clues:
1) Sells used and new books in its two-floor location
2) One of the last independent bookstores in downtown Chicago
3) Has a huge coffee table book selection in their downstairs location
4) The owner worked in her first bookshop when she was 15
Bookstore Three
Clues:
1) Founded by a former English teacher
2) Name is also a line in an Emily Dickson poem
3) Is an underground bookstore
4) The first indie bookstore in Old Town since Barbara’s Bookstore closed in 1989
Bookstore Four
Clues:
1) Hosts yoga and books events
2) Owner worked in digital marketing prior to starting bookstore
3) Book selections include Pakistani authors that speak to owner’s own roots
4) Has mural on the back wall of its store