Seminary Co-op Bookstores & 57th Street Books

Voting is still open for our first couple of rounds...

Staff Rec Sweet 16

This book is not for everyone, but if it is for you, you will cherish it for life as a fountain of near-infinite wisdom and absurdity."

Vote at our poll here! docs.google.com/forms/d/1eOa...

ANATOMY OF MELANCHOLY by Robert Burton:
"Are you looking for a real page-turner, or a great beach read? Try one of our many books that are not this one. Are you hoping to become a weirder, harder-to-talk-to, less well-adjusted person? Look no further...

First up, YOU WERE BORN FOR THIS by Chani Nichols:
"A great introductory astrology book that breaks the complex jargon of the stars into simple terms and parts. Chani's amazing astro-guide is perfect for that friend always asking everyone for their 'Big Three'"
Next up, we have...

Continuing our staff rec bracket, we have a matchup of esoteric knowledge! Look to the stars, or ask a 17th century oddball

Did you know there are dolphins in the Black Sea? What Russia is doing in Ukraine is not just genocide but ecocide. My colleague @daryatsymbalyuk.bsky.social documents all the ways the war has affected the environment in her urgent new book. Here, in conversation at @seminarycoopbooks.bsky.social.

57th Street was recently joined by a very important dog. Cooper is pictured here mere seconds after spotting the book of his dreams

“*No one* writes like Oyeyemi. Kaleidoscopic, incomparable, and unputdownable.”
Comment to vote! Or go to Instagram 57thstreetbooks.

PARASOL AGAINST THE AXE by HELEN OYEYEMI
“Hero arrived in a trickster city on an invitation she was never meant to accept, and now her book won’t stop speaking to he, uninvited friends, does, and strangers abound, and the only thing changing faster than the present is the past…

NIGHTWOOD by DJUNA BARNES
“I love this book so much that I named my cat Djuna. It’s as strange as it is stylish, peopled with textured characters who are as lonely when they’re together as when they’re apart. A brilliant piece of Modernist fiction, and ‘a hymn to the dispossessed’”

ROUND 3 of our Staff Rec Sweet Sixteen! We’ve got dreams on dreams! Shifting identities! Lush language! First up…

Join Allyson Nadia Field @allyfield.bsky.social and me tomorrow at the Seminary Co-op @seminarycoopbooks.bsky.social in Chicago!

Thanks for voting!

Comment to vote or go to our Instagram at 57thstreetbooks!

THUS WAS ADONIS MURDERED by SARAH CAULDWELL
“A totally charming mystery about, oddly enough, tax lawyers. Cauldwell homages the Golden Age mysteries of Christie et al, but the effervescent humor and playful approach to narration are all her own.”

THE CASE OF THE MISSING MAID by ROB OSLER!
“Journey back with this award-winning author to Chicago in the late 1800s. Join Harriet as she explores her personal and professional identities while solving the mystery - or is it a love story?”

Round two of STAFF REC SWEET SIXTEEN continues with a mystery matchup! Atmosphere! Crime solving! Queer identity! First up, we have…

Vote by commenting! Or follow us on Instagram at 57thstreetbooks and vote there!

THINGS WE LOST IN THE FIRE, Mariana Enriquez
“These stories are surreal, supernatural, and quite scary - and, collected, they make for a fast-paced and memorable read. Enriquez’s ability to examine contemporary Argentinian culture through horror never fails to impress.”

TITUS GROAN, Mervyn Peake
“The definitive Gothic castle books, eerie & mazelike & sumptuous. Fever dream (affectionate!) Play dungeon synth tapes and devote a snow day to it!”

Welcome to our first round of our first-ever STAFF REC SWEET SIXTEEN!! Vote all throughout March to determine the winner! First up, we have books with Gothic/horror elements, social commentary, and FIRE…

We’re down to two blind dates with a book at 57th Street - who will bring them home before the end of February?

The International Booker Prize 2026 | The Booker Prizes The longlist for the International Booker Prize 2026, supported by Bukhman Philanthropies, has been announced, featuring stories of witchcraft, warfare, trauma, transformation and more

It’s International Booker Longlist Day! I’m putting odds on The Witch by Marie NDiaye - preorder it today, or buy one of the contestants we’ve got on hand at Co-op or 57th Street!

Advertisement for a Bradley Morgan U2 book event at Seminary Books Coop on February 28th. The event is at 3 pm and takes place at 5751 S Woodlawn Ave

On Saturday I’ll be at @seminarycoopbooks.bsky.social to talk about my book "U2: Until the End of the World, which celebrates the band’s 50th anniversary. I’ll also be chatting about their new surprise politically-charged EP.

Hope to see you there!

Full details: www.semcoop.com/event/bradle...

We are hiring two Assistant Managers! Visit semcoop.com/careers-co-op for more information and how to apply. Applications are due Nov. 2nd.

We can't wait for you to meet our new Executive Director, Kevin Bendle!

Please join us for a Meet & Greet with Kevin on Saturday, September 20th from noon-2pm at the Co-op, and from 2pm-4pm at 57th Street Books.

Join us for light refreshments, conversation, and 50% off on all sale books!

Join our team as a Seasonal Event Bookseller!

The Seasonal Event Bookseller is a team member who primarily assists with offsite events while also supporting in-store staffing when needed.

Apply by emailing mgmt@semcoop.com by Sept. 13th

Find out more at www.semcoop.com/careers-co-op

Congratulations to our partners on the Cundill History Prize Longlist! 🎉

@harvardpress.bsky.social
@princetonupress.bsky.social
@yalepress.bsky.social
@uchicagopress.bsky.social

We're proud to support the work these presses do in bringing essential scholarship to the libraries across the globe!

We are thrilled to welcome Kevin Bendle as the Executive Director of the Seminary Co-op Bookstores!

For more information, please visit: www.semcoop.com/welcoming-ke...

QOTD: What's a book that re-programmed your brain or gave you a new perspective? Jina's pick is "The Year of Magical Thinking" by Joan Didion. Let us know in the comments! #booksky