Howard’s Books

I was in the area and had 15 minutes to spare, so I checked out Howard’s Books. I navigated my way through the small space, and in this short amount of time, I walked away with four books (including a hardcover novel I wanted that had just been published this year, and a paperback by one of my favorite Latin American authors!), for only $ 16! Howard the owner told me that I had received the Buy 2, Get 1 Free deal. He also offers ½ price on titles that are there a year from the date that’s written on the insides. With deals, and prices like this, I will definitely be back!
They don’t offer much in the way of children’s or young adults books, yet there’s a lot of reference, classics, various genres, and they’re all neatly categorized and shelved. A great find for sure.

My fav bookstore in Evanston, and especially since the closure of Bookman’s Alley (haven’t yet visited the bookstore, that succeeded them). Great selection, and almost as many books as Armadillow’s Pillow has, if not equal. Pricing is great, and I’m a big fan of their buy 2 get 1 book rule, and that after 12 months books are half price. Neither of these 2 things, you’ll ever see at Myopic.
No bookstore dog or cat, but the staff and owner have always been really friendly. Note that they’re closed on Mondays.

As I mentioned on the book den review. they were closed on an open day. I came to Howard’s books and they were open on a closed day. Not the largest selection but definitely enough to peak your interest. They have a very great deal… buy 2 get 1 free and if the book is a year or more older than the date written by the price… it’s half off. (If that makes sense). I highly recommend this place. Great used book store.

I love used book stores, and Howard’s is no exception. There are some great deals here, and the place is nicely organized into categorizes. Even though small, I can amuse myself for hours at Howard’s.

I was here a few weeks ago. I am from this hood. What I mean to say is that I grew up near Evanston and spent many a Sunday here in the last ten years because I dig the quiet vibe and the chance to meet people who are not in the city… But enough about me :)
I was bumming around with my sister and brother in law and we came upon this place. It’s not at big as The Strand Bookstore in Manhattan. But Alas, Bigger is not always better. Just ask Boeing and Malaysian Airlines.
They have just the right amount of books on a wide variety of subjects. I remembered reading half of a book on the Ottoman empire not to be confused with a history of Ottomans like the stuff you have in your living room and low and behold the book was there. It was like $ 6 so I picked it up and now I am reading the rest of it.
I will be back in the next few weeks.
One of the reasons you should go back is that they treat people well here, they wont assume you dont know why you are there and keep asking you if they can «help» you, and they have books that are not sold anywhere else for cheaper.
Total Gem

I enjoy coming here periodically. The selection is pretty decent, although why, oh why, isn’t there a biography section?! I usually find a few things I like, even if I don’t come out with armfuls of books.
The real thing that I love about this place is that they move inventory. Any book over a year old is half price and if you buy two books, you get a third free!

I stopped here for the first time just a few days ago. I’ve been meaning to, since I live literally right down the street from it, but I rarely have the time to stop and browse — and this store was made for browsing.
I picked up three books for about $ 8, and the owner was incredible. He let me browse at my own pace (very, very slow) and, after asking me if I needed help, just left me alone. I realized I forgot my wallet at home when I went up to the checkout, and when I asked him if I could hold the books there for a few minutes, he actually offered to just let me take them and come back later to pay! I didn’t take him up on it, but it was pretty incredible that he offered.
Definitely coming back here once I’m done with my books!

So, not being from here and traveling alone can prove to be quite difficult. I was looking for a bookstore because I had just finished mine. I went to Howard’s because of the great reviews around here and let me tell you. This bookstore is just wonderful. Howard himself greeted me from his desk interrupting a conversation he was already in. I felt like he knew me already. I wandered the whole stole before settling on a couple books. He noticed by my (southern) accent that I wasn’t from here and offered up some places I should visit. It was the nicest thing. We ended up talking for about thirty minutes and I ended up with a full piece of paper filled with his favorite places here and in Chicago. Needless to say, I can’t wait to read my books, explore his recommendations and come back to tell Howard all about it.

A great bookshop with a great owner!

Howard’s may be off the beaten path for most, but it is a convenient stop on my evening commute. I was recently looking for a specific Evelyn Waugh title and committed to scouring every bookstore in Chicagoland if necessary. Howard’s was my second stop, and BAM – a nice, compact hardback 1993 edition with the author’s original line drawings, in very good condition, for a mere four bucks. How fortuitous.
If you can find several that you want, this may be the cheapest used bookstore around.
1. Pricing in general is very favorable (see above)
2. Books dated more than 12 months ago are half price
3. BUY TWO, GET ONE FREE
They have a solid selection of old-​timey children’s books; I bought a 1939 volume of Uncle Wiggily stories for my nephew. Good lord, why don’t I come here more often.

I hope you read these reviews Howard. You sent me a book recently that I ordered through Amazon. You notice a small amount of damage to the cover and sent a $ 10.00 bill along with a kind note. It’s nice to be reminded that there are still business owners who care about customers.
Thank you Howard.
Nate.

Went to Howard’s looking for a few specific titles which I do not find.
No fear! The store was still five stars.
As other reviewers have said, Howard himself is very friendly. He pointed me in the right direction of titles or authors I was interested in on more than one occasion and explained the pricing system. Prices were fair and all the books were in great condition.
I’ve been in only twice but each time I stayed for a long while just perusing the shelves which was fine by Howard and easy to do since the place isn’t packed (though it should be!).
Go get your read on here!

The man working there, who I will assume is Howard, was incredibly friendly and made sure I knew how the pricing system worked. All books over one year old are 50% off! What a great deal.
Top quality books in the way that they are used but not bent, excessively worn, or damaged in any way. And very reasonable prices for being great quality.
I will be be back!

Clean, warm, inviting, and well organized used bookstore.
The selection is not outstanding but they have some really nice books.
Worth stopping by if you are in the neighborhood.

Been here several times, and Howard’s consistently one of the nicest bookstore owners you’ll find anywhere — if you feel like conversation with your used books, this is the place to go.
Currently (Oct ’09) the shelves are somewhat bare, because he was apparently almost forced out by the landlord but then got a last-​minute reprieve. To make up for that, he’s continuing the 3-​for-​the-​price-​of-​2 sale. If you’re feeling lucky, give Howard’s a try.

I’ll be returning to this used bookstore.
On a day when threatening rains canceled my fishing trip, I took a friend on a tour of a few used book stores in Evanston. Glad we came to Howard’s Books first.
A very quiet street with lots of parking without meters minutes away from downtown Evanston.
Don’t look for Abraham Lincoln books for a while, I picked the shelves clean. Howard has wonderful books that are, well, literate. Does that make sense?
My friend and I purchased 12 books but could have purchased more. The prices are very fair, and Howard has book special prices that go beyond his good prices.
This is a wonderful, bright place that gives all used bookstores a good name. If you’re real nice, ask Howard for his favorite inexpensive restaurant that’s close.
You have to visit Howard’s Books to ask about his «closeby» restaurant. While you’re there, you’ll certainly find some wonderful books.

I happened to be in Evanston this morning and had some time to kill, so I dropped by Howard’s Books. I was incredibly impressed… it’s a small store, but the selection of titles is impeccable and the prices are very, very reasonable.
Plus, the store offers a «Buy Two, Get One Free» deal. That’s something I’ve never encountered in any used bookstore anywhere. I was going to only buy two books, but the owner specifically suggested that I take advantage of the deal, and of course I did. I may be a fool, but I’m not a total idiot!
As a final note, the owner is a genuinely knowledgeable, helpful, and intelligent guy. This is why you go to real stores instead of just ordering online — it’s a personal experience that you can’t get at chains or over the internet, and honestly, at Howard’s, you’ll save money over online purchasing any day. I’ll definitely be going back here soon.

I have been going to Howard’s off and on for three years to buy used books. I’ve never been in there without coming out with a book. The owner was typically personable and knowledgeable.
After today, I’ve decided not to patronize Howard’s Books any more. Howard’s has a special pricing structure – if the book has been on the shelf for one year or more, you can buy it for one-​half of the marked price. Today, I found a book I wanted, but saw that it was checked in in November of 2007. When I asked the owner if he was going to make me wait 12 days (after the book having been on the shelf for almost a year without selling) to come back to buy the book for three dollars (it was marked $ 5.95), he hemmed and hawed about marking books at the beginning of the month and, well, you know.. .
I had no idea what he was saying so I repeated my question: was I going to have to wait 12 days to come back to save three dollars? He said, yes.
Considering my regular patronage, the amount of the money involved and the fact that I was buying other books today, I found his rigid attitude very off-​putting.
There are plenty of other used bookstores out there, like Bookman’s Alley in Evanston, for example. I suggest you go to those instead.

When I was an NU student, this used book store was called Booknook Parnassus. After the then-​proprietor died of lung cancer, her friend and mentor Howard took over the ownership — and maintained much the same feel and stock.
He removed about half of the shelves, so it’s much more open, airy, and light than I remember it – and much cleaner. There might still be a cat living there, but I’m not sure if it was there earlier this year.
But the selection — the selection! Every time I went as an undergrad, I found something. Something poetic, something political, something countercultural… something. And because the former owner learned from the current owner, the sensibility — and smart selection — is still much the same.
I left this spring with a book by Leroi Jones, an Amok-​like zine/​counterculture collection, and something else I’m sure. And the pricing is giving. If a book has been in stock since before a certain date, you get a cut on the price.
I’ve spent a lot of money in this store. You should, too. It’s worth going out of your usual way for!

This store is well organized and doesn’t seem picked over.