Montreal is close enough to Hamilton that it’s fairly easy to get to by plane but far enough away that a car ride seems daunting. Keeping those factors in mind, a couple of months ago a friend and I planned a trip (opting for the quick 45-minute flight) for mid-July.

We’re both avid readers so I knew this would be a wonderful opportunity to read in a new place while checking some books off my TBR list. I didn’t know, however, that we would stumble across some very influential bookstores.

I finished Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, and Q’s Legacy: A Delightful Account of a Lifelong Love Affair with Books by Helene Hanff.

The first store we found ourselves in was Librairie Bertrand, located in Old Montreal – it’s been around since 1952. We walked inside partly to browse and partly to escape the light rain outside. Who doesn’t love a good bookstore on a rainy day? I was a bit nervous moments before entering as I wasn’t sure if the store would carry books in both French and English but my nerves were quickly put to ease after realizing they do (embarrassingly enough the Canadian French education system didn’t get me very far).

Librairie Bertrand carries a seemingly endless list of genres – I was most impressed with their extensive romance collection. The cashier at the front was also incredibly welcoming – they were reading a book which is always a good sign to me as I love coming into a bookstore to find the staff reading!

We browsed around until the rain eased a bit, but I could have spent the entire day inside. I ended up leaving with a collection of Emily Dickinson poems.

A few days later we found ourselves in The Word Bookstore – a second-hand bookstore that’s been welcoming readers since 1975. Entering this store felt like entering the bookstore of my dreams. It was an incredibly hot day, but the store was cozy and welcoming – the atmosphere was amazing. I had never been before, but it felt like I was visiting a friend.

The selection at The Word Bookstore was also incredible and I ended up leaving with a copy of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson – a novel I have been trying to find for years.

We had a wonderful time in Montreal – it was a great trip filled with good food, lots of walking, and discovering new places. It also reignited my love for and reminded me of the importance of second-hand bookstores.

Books Travel Book Blog Books Literature Reading Travel