Bookends & Beginnings

Bookends & Beginnings Located in the heart of downtown Evanston, Bookends & Beginnings features new, used, and remaindered
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Bookends & Beginnings is the independent bookstore Nina Barrett dreamed of opening when she moved to Evanston in the late 1980s, but for a while both she and Evanston went in other directions. During the period when two large chain bookstores faced off downtown, Nina was raising two children and freelancing articles, essays, and reviews to Chicago and national publications. She published three boo

ks with Simon & Schuster, the first of which—I Wish Someone Had Told Me: A Realistic Guide to Early Motherhood—remains in print with Chicago Review Press. When she briefly tried to escape the world of words by getting a professional chef’s degree in 2007, she still wound up as a food reporter. Her “Fear of Frying” series for Chicago NPR affiliate WBEZ earned three James Beard Award nominations and two actual awards, in 2012 and 2013. Nina opened Bookends & Beginnings in June of 2014 with the help of her husband Jeff Garrett, an internationally recognized expert on rare and specialized library collections, as well as global children's literature. Jeff's early involvement with the store is reflected in its unique collection of children's books in 48 foreign languages, including Kurdish, Maori, and Basque. In 2017, Jeff returned to librarianship and library consulting. In July of 2018, Nina published The Leopold and Loeb Files: An Intimate Look at One of America's Most Infamous Crimes (Agate Publishing), a book that was praised by Rick Kogan in the Chicago Tribune for its "astonishing and compelling detail." Nina often gives talks about the case and its ongoing relevance and fascination to a 21st-century audience. You can find out more about the book by visiting www.leopoldandloebfiles.com. And come visit Bookends & Beginnings--the store that loyal customers love to call "the speakeasy for books":

It's our 12th birthday!!! Come join us, Evanston's "speakeasy for books," to celebrate the occasion. We'll have a raffle...
06/13/2026

It's our 12th birthday!!! Come join us, Evanston's "speakeasy for books," to celebrate the occasion. We'll have a raffle going all day, and the party will culminate in cake and records on the Victrola at 4 PM. We can't wait to see you 🎂🎉

NEW at Bookends & Beginnings: We are BEYOND excited to host Jess Walter this evening tornado watch not withstanding!). H...
06/11/2026

NEW at Bookends & Beginnings: We are BEYOND excited to host Jess Walter this evening tornado watch not withstanding!). He’ll talk about SO FAR GONE - who among us hasn’t felt SO FAR GONE this past year we wanted to follow Rhys Kinnick off-grid????

Keep on swiping to see two more books we’re so happy are on our shelves this week…

The past two weeks with more to share in the weeks ahead!Julie Schumacher with Cheryl Lu-Lien TanRonnie Frey with Trope...
06/04/2026

The past two weeks with more to share in the weeks ahead!
Julie Schumacher with Cheryl Lu-Lien Tan
Ronnie Frey with Trope Publishing
Zayd Ayers Dohrn with Alex Kotkowitz
Elizabeth Margulis with Daniel Shanahan

Happy publish day to Maggie O’Farrell, Ann Patchett, Ruth Ozeki, and Jill Biden! 📚💃🏻🥳 LANDWHISTLERTHE TYPING LADYVIEW FR...
06/02/2026

Happy publish day to Maggie O’Farrell, Ann Patchett, Ruth Ozeki, and Jill Biden! 📚💃🏻🥳

LAND
WHISTLER
THE TYPING LADY
VIEW FROM THE EAST WING

Did you know our used bookstore, Middles, sometimes has book collections?Right now we’ve got two: PARIS, FRANCE and ELVI...
05/30/2026

Did you know our used bookstore, Middles, sometimes has book collections?

Right now we’ve got two: PARIS, FRANCE and ELVIS

Stop by to shop these quirky and romantic collections! 📚💃🏻📚💃🏽🎸

05/23/2026

20% OFF ALL IN-STORE BOOKS TODAY, SATURDAY, MAY 23RD!!! Book up your summer!!! ✨️📚
*no other discounts can be applied
*books only
*in-stock items only

New chalk board at Middles! Swipe to see some bookish puns by our staff member Phaedra ✨️📚
05/16/2026

New chalk board at Middles! Swipe to see some bookish puns by our staff member Phaedra ✨️📚

05/16/2026

Whether you're in Evanston for the farmer's market, Dillo Day, or the Young Evanston Artists festival, enjoy this gorgeous weather with a walk down to our store!!

Veteran journalist JUSTIN BAER will discuss his new book THE HOUSE OF FIDELTY An excerpt from this saga about the Johns...
05/12/2026

Veteran journalist JUSTIN BAER will discuss his new book THE HOUSE OF FIDELTY

An excerpt from this saga about the Johnson family dynasty: “The mantle was now hers to wear. She still had to prove she was ready. Abby was not her father, as Reynolds had reminded her when the two battled over Fidelity’s future.”

Join us this evening to listen to Justin in conversation with—fittingly—his brother Nick, about the work that went into telling this story!

Still looking for that perfect Mother’s Day gift? We’ve got you covered! BOOKS, wine, chocolate, journals, stickers, pe...
05/08/2026

Still looking for that perfect Mother’s Day gift? We’ve got you covered! BOOKS, wine, chocolate, journals, stickers, pens, and more…

We are open Saturday and Sunday 10:30 AM - 6:00 PM

Come on through! 💐📚

Address

1620 Orrington Avenue
Evanston, IL
60201

Opening Hours

Monday 11am - 6pm
Tuesday 11am - 6pm
Wednesday 11am - 6pm
Thursday 11am - 6pm
Friday 11am - 6pm
Saturday 11am - 6pm
Sunday 11am - 6pm

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