A Chicago establishment described as “so much more than a bookstore” was named among America’s “nicest” places by a nationwide magazine.
Reader’s Digest unveiled the five winners of its “Nicest Places in America 2025,” and among them was Semicolon Books in the city’s West Town neighborhood. Founded by art curator and book lover, DL Moore, the bookstore “was created as a safe space for readers who enjoy stories by and about minority authors,” according to its website.
According to a Reader’s Digest article about the bookshop, Moore hopes customers will consider the store a “third space” — some place that’s not home or work that “still feels like a place for belonging.”
Through her work, the bookstore’s owner has focused on both providing a welcoming space for the community and giving back.
As part of the shop’s #ClearTheShelves program, Moore welcomes classes and allows students to pick out whatever they would like – for free. Since its founding, Semicolon has given 13,000 books to Chicago Public Schools students.
Moore came up with the name “Semicolon,” after she was diagnosed with ocular melanoma in 2019.
According to the article, Moore was a museum curator at the time, constantly flying for work, and chemo would keep her grounded.
“A semicolon is where an author could stop the sentence but chooses not to. So it was kind of a space for me to figure out a way to still make life enjoyable,” she explained.
Moore has faced other setbacks as well.
Her car was stolen on Labor Day weekend of last year, the bookshop’s checkbook was taken, and her account was hacked. Moore had to shut down the store four months later.
She shared the news on Instagram, which prompted an outpouring of support.
“Your work and impact on your community will stand for generations,” one stated.
“I owe so much of my inspiration, dream and aspirations to y’all,” another said.
To her customers’ delight, Moore’s bookshop held its grand reopening on Juneteenth.
You might be wondering – what makes the bookstore one of the “Nicest Places in America?”
The annual list is defined by “communities where kindness thrives, differences are embraced and people come together to make life better for everyone.” This year, Asheville, North Carolina, claimed the top spot for its “extraordinary resilience and unwavering commitment to community.”