As Centuries & Sleuths owner prepares to retire after 30 years, a look at the joys of running an independent bookstore

After more than 30 years of reading books, loving books, selling books, and hosting authors and readers at his pleasant Forest Park bookstore named Centuries & Sleuths, Augie Aleksy is preparing to call it quits.

“It’s time,” he said, and though this news will certainly alarm the many people (writers and readers) for whom Augie and his store have become vital parts of their lives, it’s not going to happen overnight. “I want this store to go to someone who understands the importance of traditions and loves books and writers,” he says.

And so a search is on because Augie and his wife Tracy, a retired nurse, are now in their 70s and would like to enjoy the rest of their lives unburdened by the considerable pressures of running an independent bookstore. They will be exploring offers over the next few weeks and are hopeful that they will be able to retire soon.

“People think all I do is sit around and read,” he said. “I am so busy with business that I am usually reading three books at a time, juggling them and trying to find a quiet booth in [nearby] Louie’s Diner when I am able to escape for lunch.”

His decision to retire is not prompted by any pandemic-related business troubles. “It was surprising, but 2021 was one of the best years we’ve ever had,” he says. “A lot of customers bought gift certificates for family and friends. A lot of people were cooped up and doing more reading. There was a real hunger for reading.”

Years ago, I asked in print, “Why do we even bother going to bookstores?

It seemed then that these oases might be a vanishing species because it was becoming so easy to just flip open your iPad or smartphone and have a book delivered to your device as if it was some sort of fast food item.

One of the people I asked to answer that question was Aleksy, who then told me, “It’s good to speak to a human being when you’re searching for a book recommendation for yourself or as a gift; you get the chance to look at a variety of books with words, pictures, photos, maps; you don’t have to buy the book to look it over and see if it’s what you might want; the store’s atmosphere can enhance your love of books and provide a setting that encourages intelligent discussion of both fiction and nonfiction.”

He has been doing that first in Oak Park and, since 2000, at 7419 Madison St. in Forest Park, amid a few blocks’ stretch of stores, restaurants and saloons. Most are independently owned, giving the street a charming small-town feel.

Centuries & Sleuths is packed with books, naturally, but you’ll also find there such distinctive items as a bust of Sherlock Holmes; a church pew peppered with plaques with the names of people who have been good customers and friends; some items from an antique store, such as a pipe rack and captain’s chairs; teddy bears; plaques and various awards; oak bookcases filled with bestsellers and surprises; two Windsor chairs and a rocking chair. It feels like the home of some very literate person.

Of course, people who own bookstores are energetically pro bookstores but I’ve always liked what Jerry Seinfeld had to say: “A bookstore is one of the many pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.”

The Aleksys have always been energetic in hosting events. They are especially proud of their “Meeting of the Minds” programs, inspired by television’s Steve Allen, who visited the store for a few such gatherings. Other nationally known bestselling authors as Erik “The Devil in the White City” Larson and Karen “Sin in the Second City” Abbott make Centuries & Sleuths stops on their book tours.

There are store events scheduled into the summer and beyond. Like the best of independent bookstores, Centuries & Sleuths is really something of a community center, a place for lively gatherings, hosted by the Aleksys, as affable a pair as you are likely ever to meet. Augie’s laugh is an unforgettably joyful noise.

“Here we have conversations, not lectures,” he says. “I know so many authors who are decent people, always eager to meet their readers and to support one another.”

I know nothing about real estate, even less about running a business. But I do know Augie and Tracy and I know a good bookstore when I see one and hope this one can survive in capable hands.

I’m not the only one who thinks so.

Paul Teodo, author of the novel “Pastaman,” and, with Tom Myers, the story collection “South of Cermak,” are relatively new fans and collaborated on an email to me, writing, “Vintage is what comes to mind when you enter Centuries & Sleuths. It’s incredibly comfortable, welcoming and vintage. Augie and Tracy are too. Vintage. You’re back in a time when things were slower and kinder. It’s a living room whose hosts’ singular goal is to make you feel special. Ask a question about Chicago and you’ll get a knowledgeable (and occasionally lengthy) answer, especially concerning history and mystery. Stop in, sit down, and open up a book. You’ll get that peaceful, vintage feeling.”

Robert Goldsborough, a former Tribune editor, has crafted a fine post-newspaper career as a novelist, with nearly 20 Nero Wolfe mysteries. He’s a longtime fan, saying, “Augie is the consummate bookseller. When a potential customer drops in, he is the opposite of the high-pressure salesman. Rather, he asks about the reader’s interests. And then he makes some gentle suggestions, in many cases giving some specifics about an author’s style and strengths. I’ve been in the store when a first-time visitor pops in, he or she eventually leaves with a bag full of books and a promise to return.”

Interested? You can call the store and talk to Augie. Better yet, drop in. Have a look, buy a book.