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p a p e r m u s t a c h e ~ Exploring Chicago’s Independent Bookstores ~ » Under the Table Books

Under the Table Books

NOTE: Unfortunately, Under The Table Books had to close its doors. It was a great store and it will be missed.

1443 W. Jarvis
Chicago, IL 60626 (map)
773.743.3728
hours: Wed-Fri 1-8pm, Sat-Sun 12-6pm

“For most Chicagoans, Rogers Park has a mysterious air,” says bookstore owner Julie Marcus. “People are unsure about what’s going on up here so it is difficult to get them to come just a few El stops up to the store.” If this is in fact the case, then people who are reluctant to travel to the Jarvis Red Line stop are missing out on a wonderful little store.

Opening a bookstore was always a dream of Julie’s but it wasn’t until after several years as a corporate lawyer that she decided to make a change. When she saw an ad in the Chicago Reader that a bookstore, Open Brain Books, was for sale, she left the corporate life and isn’t looking back. The store reopened in December of 2004 with the new moniker, Under the Table Books, named for her favorite place to read as a child (under the dinning room table).

The store is extremely well organized with a large fiction section as well as sections devoted to history, biography, philosophy, sociology, sci-fi, romance, Chicago, cooking, and a growing children’s section to supply the many families that live in the residential neighborhood around the store. There is also a shelf dedicated to books by local independent publisher Charles H. Kerr.

Of course, one of the biggest draws to Under The Table is the chance to visit store mascot and permanent employee of the month, Rocky the dog. Rocky is an extremely friendly, well-read, mixed-breed dog that Julie adopted from Chicago Canine Rescue. He is in the store with Julie everyday and sometimes, she admitted, he gets more visitors than she does.

In addition to running the storefront, Julie also has about 1,500 books of her collection available on sites like Alibris and Half.com. Julie explained that selling books online was necessary in order to keep the store open. Though not ideal, she felt that it was good to find new buyers online. “Like all booklovers,” Julie said, “I just want the books to find a good home.”

Under The Table Books is a terrifically charming bookshop that is definitely worth checking out. As an added insentive, Julie will be offering papermustache readers a special discount:

Buy 3 books and get a 4th book (of equal or lesser value) FREE.
Also, petting Rocky is free.


Books Purchased:

  1. Second Skin, by John Hawkes. New Direction Paperback; 2nd Printing, paperback, 1964. ($3.00)
  2. The Magic Kingdom, by Stanley Elkin. Dutton Oblesik; paperback, 1986. ($3.00)
bookstores Thursday June 1, 2006

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