There are some businesses that feel so classically “Lakeview East” that it’s hard to imagine the neighborhood without them. Unabridged Bookstore is one of those places.

For decades, we’ve sent neighbors there for holiday gifts, summer reading, Pride picks, children’s books, travel inspiration, and the kind of recommendation you only get from someone who has actually read the book. Their handwritten staff notes have become part of the experience, and generations of Lakeview East residents have wandered those shelves looking for one thing and walked out with three.

Now, as Unabridged celebrates its 46th anniversary, the beloved Broadway bookstore is beginning a new chapter of its own. Founder Ed Devereux is officially retiring and selling the store to longtime employee and store manager Shane Khosropour.

Ed opened Unabridged at 3251 N Broadway on November 1, 1980, with a vision for a neighborhood bookstore that paired an excellent general selection with a strong focus on LGBTQ literature. Through enormous changes in both bookselling and Lakeview itself, that vision has endured. Unabridged has grown into one of Chicago’s best-known independent bookstores and a longtime literary home for the LGBTQ community.

“It’s been a dream come true for me, an amazing journey, a joy and a privilege to be such a part of a large, diverse, inclusive, literary community. Thank you. I’m so proud of what we’ve accomplished at Unabridged, and I am forever grateful for the outpouring of support shown to the store over the years by the staff, our sales reps, our amazing customers, and the wider indie bookselling community here in Chicago. It’s been the thrill of a lifetime, and I feel so fortunate to have been a part of this grand experiment for 46 years! I remain passionate about books and bookselling, and that’s why I’m thrilled that Shane, with his keen sense of what it takes to operate a bookstore, is now at the helm, guiding the store into the future.”

Shane has been part of Unabridged for more than 20 years, serving as store manager and book buyer and helping guide the store through some of its most challenging years. For anyone worried that this means Unabridged is becoming something entirely different, this is about as reassuring a transition as you could ask for: someone who knows the store, its customers, its history, and what makes it special taking the reins.

And Ed isn’t disappearing completely. While he’ll be stepping away from day-to-day operations, he’ll still be reading and recommending books, which means those familiar little yellow recommendation cards aren’t going anywhere.

We’ve been lucky to celebrate Unabridged in our holiday guides, Pride guides, neighborhood events, Small Business Saturdays and just about every “where should I find a great book?” list we’ve ever put together. Seeing the store enter its next era while staying in the hands of someone who has helped shape it for decades feels pretty special.

Congratulations to Ed on an extraordinary 46 years, and congratulations to Shane on what comes next.

Here’s to many, many more years of wandering the stacks at 3251 N Broadway.