Have you always wondered what it would be like to work in a bookstore? Do you know someone with a terrific demeanor who loves adult and kids' books alike? Well, then we want to hear from you! Check out our job listing here, and don't forget to tell all your book-loving friends and family, too!
We are OPEN for in-store browsing, and can't wait to see you! But we have a few rules in place:
Max capacity: 4 customers at a time. Masks are required for anyone over age 2.
Please limit your browsing to 15 minutes.
No cash - please be ready with a credit/debit card, check, or mobile payment method.
We look forward to the day when we can accommodate a packed store once again. Until then, thank you kindly for your understanding and compliance!
Classics in Brief Book Club: All the classics you meant to read...kept short!
What we're reading: A Separate Peace by John Knowles
Next Meeting is Thursday, April 8th at 7:30pm
Want to join? Email Tom for Zoom info!
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Contemporary Fiction Book Club: Just your regular ol' fiction book club with discussion, opinions, and wine!
What we're reading: Long Bright River by Liz Moore
Next Meeting is Wednesday, April 14th at 7:30pm
Want to join? Email Julie for Zoom info!
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Nonfiction Book Club. Thought-provoking conversation about non-fiction books.
What we're reading: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin, AND The Fire This Time, edited by Jesmyn Ward
Next Meeting is Tuesday, April 27th at 7:30pm
Want to join? Email Jess for Zoom info!
Jess Recommends
Having and Being Had, by Eula Biss: I have always loved Eula Biss, and I will always love Eula Biss. Her writing does the exact thing I am drawn to: Interrogating a topic from every single angle, in a way that is memorable but not overwhelming. For this book, Biss is interrogating what it means to be a wealthy white woman buying a house, and what that means. And when I say "what that means," I mean: She asks what capitalism even is, what the purpose of capitalism is, what does having a gravy boat mean for her class, what is class, what defines the middle class, and what is the relationship between time, money, play, and art. This book feels timely and purposeful in the way that money is always timely and purposeful -- but also, an important book to read if you want to re-examine the system we live in, and maybe for some of us, a system we also reject.
Christy Recommends
Open Book, by Jessica Simpson: Well that was seriously fun to read. Self-deprecating, warm, funny, personal. And dishy without ever veering into meanness.
Chelka Recommends
Time Travel for Love and Profit, by Sarah Lariviere: I can't say enough good things about this book. It made me LOL when I really needed it. It doesn't read like a kids' book at all. You'll love it, too, if you were a nerdy kid, you understand Star Trek jokes, and you're really good at suspending disbelief.
Erika Recommends
All Girls, by Emily Layden: I'll admit, Layden's lovely debut novel -- which follows a handful of students at an all-girls boarding school over the course of a scandal-plagued schoolyear -- is VERY much in my wheelhouse. But in addition to illuminating the complex feelings the girls have about school, sex, their friends and families, etc., Layden does a great job showing how an institution that's built on tradition is forced to confront some very modern problems. There's a lot going on here (I mean that in the best way), and it all adds up to a really compelling picture.
Greg Recommends
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Klara And The Sun, by Kazuo Ishiguro: This novel is an absolute master class in empathy! Ishiguro's singular genius is making incredibly complex human emotions seem easily relatable. He does there in this parable told from the perspective of an Artificial Friend -- a robot. But this novel is SO human -- about how we love, hope, and connect to others. Rich with symbolism, allusion, and allegory, this is just a stunning work of art. Easily a favorite of the year!
January Favorites
With the holidays behind us, we've all found more time to read. Here are some books we've read and loved lately.
Mother To Son: Letters to a Black Boy on Identity and Hope, by Jasmine L . Holmes
Light for the World to See: A Thousand Words on Race and Hope, by Kwame Alexander
Homeland Elegies, by Ayad Akhtar
This Will Be Funny Someday, by Katie Henry
The Prophets, by Robert Jones, Jr.
A Promised Land, by Barack Obama
Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder, by T.A. Willberg
The Orchard, by David Hopen
No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality, by Michael J. Fox
Greg's Favorites of 2020
A Promised Land, by Barack Obama
Hollywood Park, by Mikel Jollett
Cher Ami and Major Whittlesey, by Kathleen Rooney
Deacon King Kong, by James McBride
Transcendent Kingdom, by Yaa Gyasi
Christy's Favorites of 2020
From The Desk of Zoe Washington, by Janae Marks
Interior Chinatown, by Charles Yu
Is This Anything?, by Jerry Seinfeld
Dragon Hoops, by Gene Luen Yang
Superman Smashes The Klan, by Gene Luen Yang
Monday — Saturday: 10am - 7pm
Sunday: 11am - 6pm
Please Note: our website updates stock once per day, so the book quantities indicated on our site may not be an accurate representation of what we actually have in stock at the store. But please know we very much appreciate your order and will do everything we can to get you your books as quickly as humanly possible!
RoscoeBooks hosts a weekly Story Time at the store Tuesdays and Saturdays at 11:00 am. All are welcome!
We're proud to carry a range of local goods including cards and prints by Chicago Artists, Dmitry Samarov, Steve Musgrave and Eliza Rosen. Also, be sure to check out our monthly collaboration with Alex's Music Studio for our Children's Story Time!