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Contrary to what you may expect given the atmosphere and impression Naperville can leave, this Barnes & Noble is a quiet, laid back place where chairs and relaxing patrons just beckon you to flop...
Contrary to what you may expect given the atmosphere and impression Naperville can leave, this Barnes & Noble is a quiet, laid back place where chairs and relaxing patrons just beckon you to flop down and peruse through a book. It never ceases to make me wonder, do they ever buy what they read or do they just finish it and move on to another book? This B&N has a very good selection but they can sell out fast of more popular titles, not surprising given it's the nearest B&N to two of Chicagoland's largest 'burbs. The two story setup is also very nice, since you can wander around the music section or flip through the newest offering from your favourite author and just watch the world go by. The situation is great too, the previous reviewer's statements of ending a walk here being oh so true.
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Anderson's Bookstore really deserves credit for a friendly, upbeat atmosphere. You know they're passionate about their books, and when you walk in, there's always some display announcing a new title...
Anderson's Bookstore really deserves credit for a friendly, upbeat atmosphere. You know they're passionate about their books, and when you walk in, there's always some display announcing a new title or author due to visit. Anderson's in Naperville hosts a constant schedule of events, and they're great about informing customers on their website and in the store itself! For example, they've had Christopher Paolini signing for "Eragon" and "Eldest" (popular with my kid brother's set) and Neil Gaiman for "Anansi Boys". The service here is great, especially if you're after a hard to find title or you can't recall who wrote that book about the girl in the green dress looking for her dog... Selection in areas isn't expansive, but they carry a good variety of some of the better options in a given genre, so you usually walk away with a good product. The handwritten recommendations in many sections are a welcome personalizing touch, especially to procrastinators. For parents, the child/family oriented events are worth checking out, and anyone walking through Naperville (maybe taking a bite at Lou Malnati's or enjoying the Riverwalk) should pop in to browse.
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Bookzeller was the first bookstore I located in Naperville, and one I visit with relative frequency when the Nichols Library just up the road doesn't have a treasured title, and Anderson's or Barnes...
Bookzeller was the first bookstore I located in Naperville, and one I visit with relative frequency when the Nichols Library just up the road doesn't have a treasured title, and Anderson's or Barnes & Noble is either out of stock or it's a book I'm not sure I want to pay full price for. A few notes about Bookzeller: if you can't find it, ask (the employees may now); expect to spend a while; and don't expect everything to be inexpensive. The fiction paperbacks here are pretty pricy at half cover price for new unless marked, and the majority of them will run you about $5. Maybe I'm naive but that was a surprise, as my local home city bookstore sold paperbacks between $2-4 for mass produced paperbacks. Hardcovers are usually a better bet. I find the nonfiction section more entertaining to peruse through, because hidden amongst all the requisite dusty, slightly mildewy-smelling content circulating from the 1970s and 1980s, you can find real gems on somewhat eclectic topics that won't run you more than $10. To get them, though, you will definitely require a great deal of patience and rummaging through musty piles that teeter precariously on the cramped shelves while you try very carefully to extract that single copy of Tacitus from betwixt a heavy tome of college poetry and the 1989 Best of Cooking hardcover that threatens to crunch your fingers. Parking outside Bookzeller isn't easy, as a warning, because it's right along the main strip of downtown Naperville. Park up a few blocks at the Nichol Library or in one of the free lots scattered behind Wolf Camera/Eddie Bauer or behind Anderson's. I encountered the same lack of service from the employees as other reviewers did on several recent visits. I swear, the lady didn't seem at all interested in ringing me up at the register, which seemed a bit odd.
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Bargain Books is a place I thought I would frequent a great deal more, being the "libersaurus" that I am. Sometimes you'll come across a marked down gem, like the paperbook copy of a just released,...
Bargain Books is a place I thought I would frequent a great deal more, being the "libersaurus" that I am. Sometimes you'll come across a marked down gem, like the paperbook copy of a just released, popular fantasy novel, but more often than not I don't find a great deal to interest me. Prices tend to be unusually high for products that out of date or replaced by newer versions; this is especially true for "dated" non-fiction, like travel and history. I get the sense a lot of the stock sits on the tables for quite some time because turn over is rather low. Unfortunately this was a disappointment for me and I check it out every few weeks while visiting JoAnn's or Plato's Closet (in the same complex), but don't hold your breath for a favourite novel or cherished tabletop book to show up.
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