After-Words, River North
15 people recommendvia r/AskChicago15 comments cited below
What people say, in short
Most visitors recommend After-Words, a River North bookstore on Illinois Street, and several say it carries both new and used books. Several mention the downstairs section, which one visitor calls a cool basement and another says holds a large mix of stock despite the shop looking small. One visitor finds the shop calm rather than overstimulating.
Address
after-words bookstore, 23 E Illinois St, Chicago, IL 60611
At a glance
- Best for
- Browsing, Second hand
- Known for
- New and used books, Downstairs used book section
Nearby on this map
Other places on this map closest to After-Words, River North, as the crow flies.
The evidence
Every point below is paraphrased from a real public comment, ordered by how much the community engaged with it. Caveats and negatives are kept in — follow any link to read the original for yourself.
- Recommendsu/Own_Win_6762 in r/AskChicago · Dec 2024variety
Visitor finds the selection decent, mostly downstairs, and suggests pairing a visit with a nearby meal.
- Recommendsu/eamesa in r/AskChicago · Dec 2024
Visitor lists this River North shop among recommended options within walking distance of the Loop.
- Recommendsu/browsingtheproduce in r/AskChicago · May 2025
Visitor suggests this shop as one the teen might enjoy.
- Recommendsu/lemonricottalover in r/AskChicago · May 2025variety
Visitor agrees with the suggestion and notes it carries both new and secondhand titles.
- Recommendsu/hotsauceandburrito in r/AskChicago · Jul 2026ambience
Visitor likes AfterWords, especially its cool basement book area.
- Recommendsu/PeggysPonytail in r/AskChicago · Sep 2026variety
Likes the blend of new and secondhand titles across two floors and says the people are pleasant.
- Recommendsu/LatinoInfluenza in r/AskChicago · Sep 2026service
Visitor says this shop stocks both new and used titles and offers helpful guidance toward what you want.
- Recommendsu/its-diggler in r/AskChicago · Jul 2026
Visitor lists this among favorites.
Show all 15 cited comments
- Recommendsu/Lemurian_Lemur34 in r/AskChicago · Jul 2025
This visitor also suggests Afterwords as a bookshop to visit.
- Recommendsu/ginghampantsdance in r/AskChicago · Sep 2026
Recently visited for the first time, loved it, and admits they never knew it existed.
- Recommendsu/kisae in r/AskChicago · Aug 2026variety
Visitor says they have always left this shop with something interesting to read.
- Recommendsu/gauriemma in r/AskChicago · Dec 2024variety
Visitor says it looks small inside but holds a large mix of new and used stock downstairs.
- Recommendsu/a-very-creative_name in r/AskChicago · Sep 2026ambience
Finds the shop tidy and pleasing to look at, calm rather than overstimulating.
- Recommendsu/dekdekwho in r/AskChicago · Sep 2026
Visitor says they like this shop, agreeing with the earlier suggestion.
- Recommendsu/LepetitMoj in r/AskChicago · Aug 2026
Visitor suggests this shop as a bookstore pick.
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Freshness
Details last checked 11 Nov 2026. Recommendations reflect what people said at the time; confirm current details before you go.