Blogs

We are so full of love over here at City Lit Books! Check out these books from our Pride table to keep you in the pride spirit, today and all days.

“And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees,

just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was

beginning over again with the summer.” 

--F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The Great Gatsby"

Whether your summer goal is to build a treehouse, travel to Europe, or find "the next Gone Girl," City Lit has you covered.  We'll point you towards the cookbooks, where you'll find a great selection of recipes for grilling, mixing cocktails, and making ice cream.  We can help you find the perfect series for your kiddos to read while you drive to your lake house.  Our shelves boast titles like Where to Bike Chicago and Backyard Beekeeper.  Need a gift for a summer birthday party?  Check.  Need to spruce your garden?  Check.  Want to learn the constellations with your 7-year-old?  Check.  Don't forget: reading isn't just for the school year.  City Lit is here all summer long to help with all your book (and journal and greeting card and bookmark) needs! 

Who says you have to buy chocolate for your Valentine?  We think books are as romantic as diamonds!  Grab a copy of Pride & Prejudice for your crush and watch them swoon.  The Time Traveler's Wife says "I love you" better than champagne.  And we would certainly fall head over heels for the person who picked up Pablo Neruda's Love Poems.  If you're looking for a romantic read beyond Fifty Shades of Gray, stop by for some excellent suggestions.  We love classics, cookbooks, and contemporary love stories!

"New Year's Day: Now is the accepted time to make your regular annual good resolutions.  Next week

you can begin paving hell with them as usual."

--Mark Twain 

Do you make New Year's Resolutions?  We have one that we make every year: to read more books!  But collectively, we have several others.  Some of our staff wants to learn to like Sci-Fi.  Some of our staff wants to learn to read books that aren't Sci-Fi.  Some of us want to eat more vegetables, and some of us want to perfect our cookie baking.  If you want to start meditation, we have books for you.  If you want to learn British history, we have books for you.  If you want to sell your crafts on Etsy, we have books for you.  No matter what your goals are for 2015, we'd be happy to help you acheive them.  

City Lit is returning to our pre-holiday hours.  We will, however, be closing at 6pm on New Year's Eve, and will be closed on New Year's Day.  Happy 2015!

"One can never have enough socks," said Dumbledore.  "Another

Christmas has come and gone and I didn't get a single pair.  People

will insist on giving me books."

--Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone 

We confess: we buy books for Dumbledore, too.  If you're like us and prefer giving books, why not stop by City Lit?  We have loads of titles in store; we can special order most books for you (and have them in 2 or 3 days!); and we can recommend great reads for the most stubborn people on your shopping list.  Every bookseller here has personal favorites, and we have a gift guide containing all our favorite 2014 releases.  We've also enjoyed browsing this year's New York Times' 100 Notable Books.  Most of their favorites are in stock at City Lit, and we can share our own opinions about them, too!  Check out some of their favorites below (then stop by to see them in person):

After your Thanksgiving food coma comes Black Friday and Cyber Monday.  Don't forget the "holiday" inbetween: Small Business Saturday!  We've prepared our 2014 Gift Guide, and we're ready to steer you towards some awesome purchases.  We have books for everyone on your list.  Seriously.  Even that person who swears they don't read.  We also have staff picks all over the store, so you won't want for suggestions.  To give you a head start, here are some of our favorite titles from 2014.

We just got nominated for Time Out Chicago's "Love Chicago Awards," and we couldn't be more thrilled!  If you love City Lit, we'd love to have you vote for us!  It's very quick and clickable.  Promise.  If you visit the voting site, make sure to select "Northwest Side" as your neighborhood, and you'll find us listed under "Shops."  We wouldn't have received a nomination without your support, so we already feel like big winners!

Voting is open until November 11th.  Winners will be announced the week of December 4th.  Thanks for your love!