Weaving through the shelves of The Book Cellar, you’ll find classics, cookbooks, crime and — as corny as it may be — some comfort. You can browse merchandise and board books with one hand and swirl...

It was late April but snow was pouring down in Chicago. Undeterred, though, by unseasonal cold weather or gray slush beneath their feet, an influx of Chicago book lovers scoured the city for Chicago’s...