J.H. Gordon Books

That’s EXACTLY the impression I got from visiting this store too (re: Julia’s comment)! The first time I visited this store, I vowed not to return. Basically because I thought the owner Julie was stuck-​up and snotty. I thought she might be having an «off» day too. So I visited the store a few more times; And it turns out she is! She’s about as warm and friendly as the Artic Tundra. That’s the current mindset now– when creepy out of town people set up shop in Hamilton. They invest some money in a property (gentrification), and don’t take ANY time at all to learn about their surroundings (and the people who live there and their history). So they alienate themselves from the people they claim to serve and «care» about. I gave this review 2 stars (and not 1.5), because, as commenter Julia mentioned, the bookstore does have a fine selection of books– with a diverse range of genres. I agree that second hand books SHOULD NOT be sold at full price! That kind of defeats the purpose doesn’t it?

Always something fantastic on the shelves! I found a gorgeous vintage set of «Mastering the Art of French Cooking» which I’d been looking for for ages. My next visit, several interesting literary biographies. Next time, a children’s book I’d been searching for at least a year. A Hamilton gem.

I really wanted to like this store, but I had a really bad experience when I first visited.
I had been wanting to visit for a long time but never got the chance until a Saturday around noon. I was so excited to visit but I was disappointed once I arrived.
I should be more specific and say there’s nothing wrong with the store, they have an amazing selection of fiction and nonfiction, and a lot of books by local authors. The only downside about the products was that the clearly used books did not have any price on them other than whatever the publisher had printed (used books shouldn’t be being sold at full price), but rather the main problem I had was with the woman who was working there.
My mother and I walked into the store, which was completely empty, and didn’t even get a «hello» from the woman working. I don’t think she even looked up from whatever she was doing. I understand that some tasks are important but a simple «hello» is easy. I even tried to get her to say something by commenting on the (totally adorable) cat that was in the store. But still, nothing.
I was really under the impression that the staff would be friendly and kind, as they seemed that way based on their Facebook page and with the fanbase they have on there, but it was dreadful. As I walked out, I turned and said thank you (I’m not sure why, I guess it is habit), and still did not get a response. As soon as my mother and I were out of the store we both looked at each other and commented about how uncomfortable we were in the store.
Maybe the woman was having an off day, but it seemed more like she was just being rude.