LINCOLN SQUARE — Books can transport readers to far-flung places from the comfort of their own armchair but on Saturday, Chicago's indie bookstores are asking book lovers to get out and about in the real world — and will reward them for their efforts.
In celebration of Independent Bookstore Day, booksellers throughout the city and suburbs are uniting for the #MyChicagoBookstore Challenge, which encourages readers to become bookstore "tourists."
It works like this: Make a minimum $25 purchase at any one of the two dozen participating bookstores and receive a carabiner and "luggage tag" from the shop. Visit nine more bookstores and collect their tags (no purchase necessary), and the reward is a 10 percent discount at all 24 bookstores for an entire year.
Visit 15 bookstores and get 15 percent off at all of the participating shops for a year.
In addition to the challenge, individual shops are also hosting a variety of events Saturday.
Participating bookstores in Chicago (for complete list, click here):
• 57th Street Books, 1301 E. 57th St.
• The Book Cellar, 4736-38 N. Lincoln Ave.
• Bookie’s, 2419 W. 103rd St.
• Newberry Library Bookshop, 60 W. Walton St.
• Open Books, 905 W. 19th St. and 651 W. Lake St.
• Powell’s Books Chicago, 1501 E. 57th St.
• Quimby’s, 1854 W. North Ave.
• Read It & Eat, 2142 N. Halsted St.
• RoscoeBooks, 2142 W. Roscoe St.
• Sandmeyer's Bookstore, 714 S. Dearborn St.
• Seminary Co-op Bookstore, 5751 S. Woodlawn Ave.
•Volumes Bookcafe, 1474 N. Milwaukee Ave.
• Wicker Park Secret Agent Supply Co./826CHI, 1276 N. Milwaukee Ave.
• Women & Children First, 5233 N. Clark St.
