On the Second Day of Christmas ...

My true love gave to me, a list of the best places in #HamOnt to buy books.

Hamilton offers dozens of reasons not to shop at big-box stores over the holidays. We've got independent record stores, a handful of craft fairs, neighbourhoods like James Street North and the International Village that boast stores of all kinds. We also have some of the best independent bookstores I've been to.

It's probably no surprise that I spend a lot of time in Hamilton bookstores, constantly adding to the pile of books that I'll never get through before I inevitably die. Despite the obvious commonality of books, books, and more books, each store offers something unique.

J.H. Gordon Books
314 King Street East
(905) 522-1862

I'll start with J.H. Gordon Books in the International Village because it's where I bought my most recent haul (pictured above) on an evening when I was supposed to be shopping for others. If you're not familiar with J.H. Gordon Books, you can't miss its bright blue exterior. There are a few things you should know about the shop. Firstly, it's perfectly curated. Owner Julie carries new (mostly local and independent books) and used books: "We pride ourselves on carrying only the very best in gently used literary fiction, classic literature, award-winning Science Fiction and Fantasy, and scholarly and general non-fiction titles. Secondly, the store will trade store credit for your gently used books. And finally (though I could go on), Julie is currently blogging through the recipes in one of my favourite local books this year, In Grace's Kitchen by Vince Agro. In related news, now I really want pasta.

Epic Books

226 Locke Street South

(905) 525-6538

Maybe it's because I edit kid's books for a living, but I'm a gigantic snob when it comes to picture books. My go-to place to buy children's books is Epic Books on Locke Street. Despite being a small store, it has a huge collection to choose from. And let's face it, I'm 31, so I pretty much have a baby shower to go to every other weekend these days. Epic also has a section devoted to books written by local authors, so it's a great place to get some of the books I will highlight in this 12 Days of #HamOnt #ReadLocal series. And to state the obvious, Epic is located on Locke Street, where you can find something for everyone on your list (unless you're buying for somebody who hates books, cheese, chocolate, music, and antiques).

Bryan Prince Bookseller
1060 King Street West
(905) 528-4508

One day, I want my entire house to look like the inside of Bryan Prince Bookseller. I want to have books from floor to ceiling, and I want to need a ladder to reach the top shelf. I don't make it to Westdale often, therefore I'm not at Bryan Prince Bookseller as much as I would like; however, the shop occupies a big place in my heart because of its support of local authors and the city's literary festival, gritLIT, which I am happily a part of. The staff at Bryan Prince Bookseller are friendly and helpful, and I desperately need to spend more time there. The shop is responsible for so many of #HamOnt's literary events. Expect announcements about their 2015 events in January.

James Street Bookseller & Gallery

134 James Street South

(905) 296-1251

I'm biased, but James Street South is one of Hamilton's most unique neighbourhoods. It's a tiny stretch, but it's home to some of my favourite places, including House of Java and James Street Bookseller & Gallery. I lived seconds away from James Street South until recently, and I miss calling Durand my home. (Sorry, Stinson. I love you, but change and I aren't always on the best of terms.) Each day, multiple times a day, I walked past James Street Bookseller & Gallery, sneaking in whenever I had the chance. Like J.H. Gordon Books, this shop offers a wonderfully curated collection of second-hand books. I've always been most successful in the shop's biography and memoir section. Recently, James Street Bookseller became James Street Bookseller & Gallery, showcasing the work of visual artists. Learn more on the Artist Gallery section of their website. 

The Bookworm
852 King Street West
(905) 523-4345

It's confession time. This is embarrassing to admit as somebody who spends a lot of time writing about local books and reading local, but I've never been to The Bookworm in Westdale. I do, however, know it's a go-to shop for many people in Hamilton's literary scene whom I trust. Be a better citizen of #HamOnt than I am, and go browse the store's 27,000 second-hand books, among them many that are difficult to find and/or out of print.


Speaking of stores I haven't visited, I'm sure there are bookstores on the Mountain that I'm missing, among them Mountain Books on Concession Street. Let me know which stores I'm missing, and I'll happily visit them (and blog about them) in the New Year. 

Don't forget there are also many stores in Hamilton that don't specialize only in books, but do carry them, including Mixed Media (154 James Street North) and the newly opened STORE (in the old Leon Furs building on James Street North).

Happy shopping.

Hamilton Author Series

Bryan Prince Bookseller and the Hamilton Public Library launched the Hamilton Author Series on Thursday at Gallery on the Bay (231 Bay Street North). This first installment welcomed the incredibly witty and charming Stephen Leacock Medal winner Terry Fallis, who read from his latest book, Up and Down. The next installment of the series, Men of Mystery Night, takes place on Friday, September 28 at 7 p.m., featuring Ian Hamilton (Ava Lee: Red Pole of Macau), Scott Thornley (The Ambitious City), Brad Smith (Crow's Landing), and John Lawrence Reynolds (Beach Strip).

Erin Morgenstern and Brian Francis at the Staircase

Erin Morgenstern's short, perfect sentences had me hooked just seconds after she began reading from her debut novel, The Night Circus, at the Staircase tonight. The book has everyone talking, and though I haven't read it yet, I'm not surprised. Erin's enthusiasm while talking to the small, but attentive crowd, was infectious, and I can only imagine how that translates into her writing.

Equally as infectious was Brian Francis, who is probably best known for his Canada Reads selected novel, Fruit. Tonight he read from his second book, Natural Order. Despite both of their success, both seemed remarkably humble. The reading also gave me the chance to rediscover one of my favourite places in Hamilton, which once housed Tapestry Bistro.

I'm not quite sure when this blog turned into a photo blog, but that seems to be the case as of late. I blame it on lack of time due to work and class and my attempt to squeeze as much into these last warm days as possible. I'll return to longer posts and reviews soon, but in the meantime, a few of my favourite photos from tonight.

Review: You Know Who You Are by Ian Williams

Kristen den Hartog and Ian Williams will read from their new novels at Bryan Prince Bookseller (Hamilton) on Tuesday, June 28 at 7:00 p.m. In anticipation, I'm posting a review from 2010, which was originally published in H Mag.

Even before cracking the spine of Ian Williams’ debut book of poetry, You Know Who You Are, a reader can conjure up images of what the collection might be about. Two letters on the front cover, highlighted in red, stand out from the others, “U” and “I.”

As predicted, many of the poems in You Know Who You Are explore relationships, but not in the flowery voice of many poets who idealize them as two people becoming unified as one. Williams’ poems on the subject are often about the way relationships divide or polarize two distinct beings. “If you won’t say, I won’t say,” writes Williams.

Williams excels at using poetry to express the often-unspoken conversations that exist between two people as they resist saying the things that they need or want to say. “Just your throat moves as you drink back everything left to say,” he writes in a poem called “Notwithstanding.” At times, sentences in You Know Who You Are trail off, unfinished, as though Williams himself has more to say.

While Williams has been published in many literary magazines, such as Fiddlehead, Arc, The Antigonish Review, and Descant, You Know Who You Are is his first collection of poetry. It has been published by Hamilton’s Wolsak and Wynn Publishers Ltd. In 2011, he will release his first collection of short stories, called Not Anyone’s Anything. Ian Williams divides his time between Ontario and Massachusetts, where he is a professor at Fitchburg State College.

While romantic relationships are common in the pages of You Know Who You Are, they are not the only theme Williams explores in depth. He also dissects and challenges stereotypes, in particularly those involving young, black men in urban settings, and the societal expectations of masculinity placed upon them.

“Folks like us, we don’t get assassinated, we get shot,” writes Williams in one of his grittiest poems, called “Code Blue: Medical Emergency (Adult).” Readers can’t help but be drawn in by William’s abrupt, stark language, laced with words that make readers uncomfortable: punk, visceral, machete, gansta. Luckily, for readers, these grim tales are infused with humour, spotlighting Williams’ obvious wit.

Williams’ ability to easily transition between scenes of gloom and pessimism to scenes of hope, makes You Know Who You Are a diverse collection, rooted in authenticity and powerful words. It is an especially good read for those living in Ontario, as many of Williams’ settings are familiar, from the shores of Lake Ontario to the Don Valley Parkway.

Ian Williams read from You Know Who You Are on Sunday, November 7 as part of the Lit Live Reading Series at The Sky Dragon Centre.