Great store, so many gifts and books to look at. They have some date with a book mystery options which are SO fun, and they had a large selection of discounted and used books as well. Was also pleased to see they sell bottled water for $2, considering it is an impulse buy. Usually stores like this charge $5. Overall I was very happy with my purchases, and getting to explore the store. read more

Massive, block-long Indy bookstore with nice wide aisles for wheelchairs and strollers that has been holding down the bookstore scene since 1898 or so. I guarantee they'll have whatever you're looking for, be it book, toy, or random silly sticker. Enthusiastic bibliophiles run the page, as it should be. read more

Two years ago I stopped by the cafe here while visiting town, and I had the best caprese panini of my life. Today I went back and ordered it again, and it was still the best caprese panini I've ever had. The bread, pesto, and everything else about it was just awesome. I never expected to find such great food at a bookstore cafe, but it truly was exceptional. Coffee was great too, and the service was friendly. Definitely worth the stop! read more

Gibson's is large, clean, and well-stocked. I can't put my finger on it, but it's just not an inviting place to shop. It has something to do with how sterile the place is. It could just as well be an autoparts store for all the character it offers. Prices are a bit on the high side but not unreasonable. Staff is friendly enough. The selection is a strong point, though you won't find many surprises. All in all, a fairly good bookstore, which is still better than any other kind of store. read more

5 stars, 6 if I could, possibly the best bookstore we have EVER visited, and bookstores are our thing. Great gift items, great book arrangements and placement, nice staff as well as super safe with covid. Tremendous children's section, great all around, wish this was closer to home. Rewards card at the register. read more

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WONDERFUL selection and very helpful employes. Feels a bit like a library, but they also have a nice selection of childrens toys.

Stopped in for a coffee and a breakfast sandwich and had their breakfast burrito....everything was fresh and service was beyond courteous! Highly recommend it if you're ever in the area! read more

Wonderful book store! They have a children's section complete with a plethora of books, unique, well made toys including many European brands and Montessori/ Waldorf inspired, Legos, Playmobile, high quality children's art supplies (Faber Castell) lots of coloring books, Dollhouses, Breyer Horses, Schleich, puzzles and games. The children's section is by far, better than the adults section. There is also a wonderful cafe and barista True Brew- attached to the bookstore that offers an array of teas and coffees including Expresso, French press, cappachino, and other high end drinks. The staff are personable and always remember you. I love stopping in here a few times a week. Great place to bring children. read more

Oh my goodness!! This place is too cute. My oldest son loved the YA section and we thought it was one of the biggest YA sections that we had ever seen at a bookstore. My youngest was in heaven with all of the fidgets and toys galore in the kiddos section. We stayed in there for hours! Definitely worth a visit, and I love supporting independent bookstores. read more

Ok so yesterday and today I went here for breakfast; (yesterday I got a ham, egg, and cheese on an English muffin, and a large iced coffee), and today I got a large hot coffee, and an English muffin toasted with butter and cheese. I would highly recommend going here- being used to fast food (aka dunkins) I was surprised at how flavorful and delicious everything is here. For me, I like the iced coffee better, but the hot coffee is good too. They have a little counter where you can put in your own sweetener and creamer/milk or whatever into your own coffee :) (I always put liquid sugar and half and half into mine). The bookstore is litterally a few feet away, in the same building- which I am planning on going to as well. There is some music going on a bit quietly, super nice cafe vibes. There are multiple chairs and tables here, and there's a good amount of people either reading in here or doing work on their computers- :) but yeah I would definetly recommend going here- if it's for breakfast/lunch or just to chill :) read more

Gibson's Bookstore - Large 20 ounce iced coffee, ham egg and cheese on an English muffin- amazing!!!! - Bookstores Near Me - Concord, New Hampshire

Was just asked to leave the store because my 2-year-old refuses to wear a mask. I had something under my arm that I needed to purchase so I quickly made my purchase and happily left. That will be the last purchase I ever make from that store again in my entire life. The worker told me I needed to do curbside pickup if my son refused to wear a mask. I'm absolutely appalled that this has come to this in the world. The Concord New Hampshire mandate says 5 years and older need to wear a mask. My son is not even 3 years old yet. Never go there if you have children or never go there in general. read more

Love the staff. They are always friendly and extremely helpful. If they don't have a book you want they will get it for you. I live out of state and recently ordered only. Easy shipping is reasonable and was shipped in a timely manner. Love Gibson's!!!! read more

I've always loved Gibson's so it feels silly to even write a review but I really want to give them credit during COVID! Mask policies are enforced in the store, employees are always wearing them. Good books, good people. I walked in, asked for recs for a very specific genre of book and walked into out thrilled. Going back ASAP to pick up the second in the series. (Kelso is also rly cool so if you need a good book rec she's got your back but so does literally any of the employees because they're all rad.) read more

worst breakfast sandwich I've had in years. mushy english muffin, eggs so watered down they were barely yellow and tasteless. Mcdonald's is 10 times better and 1/3 the cost. read more

Great location, in the heart of downtown Concord. Great selection of books - and a zillion toys for the kids to play with. Lots of bargain books to choose from, both new and used. Excellent book-signing events (Hillary Clinton stopped in a few months back). Every single purchase of $10 or more will get you a stamp on a "Books Plus" frequent buyer card. Ten stamps grants cardholder 20% off on next purchase - no limit - and they add up quickly. Twice a year, Gibson's holds a Customer Appreciation weekend where all purchases are 25% off - can't beat it with a stick! There's an indoor/outdoor cafe attached to this bookstore. Only downside to this excellent, customer-friendly establishment is they are never open past 7:00 pm. I think 9:00 pm could be justified on perhaps Thursday, Friday &/or Saturday nights. But, again - when that's the worst thing one can say about a bookstore, then they are doing an awful lot right. I'd give them ten (10) stars, if I could. read more

Everyone in my family dreads coming here, because none of us can get out again in less than half a day. Great lighting, the way the books are presented, & a perfect layout with nice wide aisles make it easy to lose yourself for hours. When you start flagging, there's always the great snacks & coffee to keep you going. And if you tire of books (is that possible?), there's the small but mighty selection of gifts for literary people... As for the books! There's a fabulous variety, curated perfectly. The genius of the independent bookstore is on proud display. The only down side is that it's almost impossible to just run in & grab a book. Expect to emerge hours later, somewhat poorer, & with groaning arms. read more

This bookstore is amazing!! The cafe is closed indefinitely because of COVID-19. I got 3 new books but I could've bought 100. There are books that you wouldn't find at your local library. The staff is amazing and they went to extra measures to stay safe. read more

Gibson's is my happy place. I live dangerously close, and have been known to wander the aisles for hours. It's so bright, friendly, and clean, and makes a phenomenal book-lovers haven. The staff is comprised of fellow book worms that are happy to make recommendations, or geek out about a series you love. There is a cafe attached which has great tea options (I'm not a coffee drinker, so this makes me happy) where you can sit and read your just-purchased book. It's expansive and lovely. And that's just the store! They are a vital part of the arts and creative community in Concord, and are constantly hosting amazing events on a BROAD range of topics. I can't say enough good things. Please support the amazing bookstore rather than order your books online. We need to protect places like Gibson's. read more

My 15 year old daughters and I were doing some Christmas shopping yesterday and thought it might be fun to visit local shops in downtown, since we'd never been (we just moved to Concord in April). We kept meaning to pop in to this book store before and we finally got our chance. This place is HUGE! My daughters were excited to find books they were looking for and we also found some unique little gifts in there, as well. The cashier was knowledgeable and friendly. We visited the adjoining cafe after our purchases and the staff there were also pleasant, helpful and made our order perfectly. I can't wait for an opportunity to visit this place again! read more

Fresh coffee and delicious breakfast sandwich on a croissant with thick cheddar cheese was delicious. Highly recommended read more

Gibson's Bookstore - Croissant breakfast sandwich - Bookstores Near Me - Concord, New Hampshire

Tried returning an Xmas gift from relatives but the staff made it a point to let us know we couldn't get the full refund amount because it was after Xmas and were now running a 20% off deal. They made us feel really awful like we were trying to steal something by trying to get a full refund. It was such a small toy and because they made such a big deal out of this we won't be shopping here in the future. read more

I was part of a book reading group last night and the staff at Gibson's were amazing. They took wonderful care of us, helping with the snacks and setting up the room for the chat. They also advertised for us and there was a very nice group of over twenty people. Beautiful bookstore with easy to reach titles and plenty of floor space and places to sit. This store is a gem in a vibrant main Street of the State capital. Thanks to all the staff. read more

I cannot express how much I love Gibson's! First, I love being able to support a local bookstore. Second, I love how large their store is and how they have pretty much anything you could possibly need. The only other large bookstore in Concord is BAM, and Gibson's outranks them by a mile when it comes to organization, customer assistance, and overall atmosphere. My mom and I especially love browsing their children's section when shopping for nieces and nephews. Third, since COVID, I've become especially appreciative of their online ordering system. You can order pretty much any book you would order on Amazon, usually for the same price, and then you can choose to either have it delivered to you or to pick it up curbside or in store. It's so convenient, they adhere to COVID guidance wonderfully, and I feel so much better ordering from them than from some huge online retailer. This year, I've ordered books for practically my entire family for Christmas! I love Gibson's and highly recommend them for all of your reading needs! read more

Nice stuff in there, but very snooty customer service. I was unlucky enough to walk in close to when they were closing (6pm cause it was Sunday) and I got more stares of discontent then I could shake a fist at. I understand you have been working all day, but don't make rude body language to remind me you're closing soon. Lastly, I know it's a book store but their barista was rude and needs to learn how to make an iced latte. read more

I live in Massachusetts but often have to visit the Concord area and I always make a point of stopping into Gibson's. I LOVE this book store. They moved recently to a much larger space and I thought it was great. I enjoyed a leisurely lap around the store to check out everything they have to offer. The kids section is fantastic. They have exactly what I find missing in big chain stores which is books that I have not heard of before, books that someone clearly did some research beyond the NY times best seller list to find. So often I will read a lovely book to one of my kids from the library and when I go to a chain store to buy it they do not carry that great book. They say they will be happy to order it for me but I think if you walked into Gibson's they would already have that great book on the shelf. Their selection of calendars, cards, magazines, fiction, non-fiction etc. is all a pleasure to peruse. I find plenty of chairs around where you can take a pile of books and sit for a bit to narrow down your choices. The building is bright and spacious with a nice cafe up front. read more

Eclectic book store and great place to grab some chai tea! I really enjoyed being able to browse around and grab a few expansions of Cards Against Humanity! read more

I have since returned and found the staff to be much more pleasant than my previous visit... .

I finally took the time to find the store & stop to check it out. As other's have noted, it's a fairly small store with a fairly small selection of book's (especially sci-fi/ fantasy). I'm sure i'll be back when i'm in the area though. read more

Wonderful old time small town bookstore, friendly, on main street. Ample parking and adjacent to a fantastic bakery called Bread and Chocolate .. across the street from the local Organic Coop: Concord Coop where hot meals and sandwiches can be enjoyed in their small cafe as well. Wheelchair accessible. read more

Some reviews refer to Gibson's as a small shop, but they moved to a much larger space in 2013 and teamed up with a toy store. There's also space for a cafe and seating. Wonderful place to get lost for an afternoon, and I was happy to see a good selection of Shirley Jackson :) read more

I love it here! The staff are friendly but not overbearing and I always find what I'm looking for. They have a great selection of books and I love going over to the True Brew café and having a cup of tea while I read! read more

A fairly small but well organized independent bookstore ; friendly and helpful staff that really seems to care about books and reading, and sharing that passion. They are limited to the amount they can stock, but will order anything and can get it pretty quickly. Well worth stopping in...especially if you go to the bakery next door afterward! read more

Love this bookstore! Everyone is really helpful and kind. Enjoy going there with my son.

I was here for an event with Joyce Maynard and will definitely be back. They have so many titles for any genre, the staff eager to please, cafe with beer/wine, wonderful children's section and a place to get the greatest, unique gifts. This is a gem of an independent bookstore and well worth a visit. read more

I was worried when I heard that they had moved to a larger location, but my worries were unfounded. This is still a definite stop when I drive up to Concord - great place with a very friendly staff. read more

I received a gift card for my birthday. Went in with a few books in mind but they did not have them. Settled on something just to use the gift card and as I was browsing was approached by an employee who asked if he could help and then immediately told me they were closing and I needed to finish it up and walked away! Independent bookstores have an uphill battle as it is with internet sales... having rude jerks for employees certainly doesn't make me want to support my local bookstore . I still have a credit on my gift card I doubt I will ever go back in there again. read more

Enjoyed my first visit to this independently owned bookstore which seems much larger than many similar stores. The store is located in downtown Concord which seem to have a vibrant retail district. The staff was friendly and the selection of books and gift items was extensive. The store has a coffee cafe too. read more

Gibson's is a rare and special bookstore that shows a lot of excellent management. The book selection is very good. The travel section in particular is excellent. It is connected to a small bakery - so it's not just a bookstore - it's a destination. The help is professional and informed. Flaws? Magazines are few. They carry maybe twenty or so of these. If you are in Concord - you should stop in. It's also next to the Red River Theaters - another great stop when you are in town. Cheers! read more

Visited this store for the first time yesterday and I have to say, A++!! The location is great right on main street and the store has a warm cozy feeling that makes you want to roam around and look for the perfect book. It was nice having True Brew right there so I could enjoy a coffee as well! As an avid reader and writer I will visit often! They had a great selection of books, journals and even cards. For the longest time I didn't know Gibson's existed which goes to show their new store front is working because now it is hard to miss. I used to go to Boarders and hated how every time I went to the counter they would ask if you wanted a "premium rewards card" which costed $20 but "would make up the price with the coupons in only a couple purchases". I finally got it and then they went out of business a month later. When I called corporate for a refund they said they didn't care to make me happy because they were going under. The new BAM place is just as bad. When I go to the counter I say up front "please don't tell me about a rewards card" and what do they do? Go ahead and ramble on about it! Very rude. When I checked out at Gibson's the clerk asked if I wanted a stamp card, only when I asked about it did she explain it and guess what? It is free and will still give a discount after a certain amount of purchases. I will never go to a box store again. Gibson's is the perfect local book store. Highly recommend it. read more

Let me preface this by noting my bias, as I was an employee here for nearly five years until I moved out West. That said, the first great thing to note about Gibson's is that they are absolutely fantastic to their employees, and that is worth supporting. This is a fabulous independent bookstore right in downtown Concord. It is one of the oldest retail stores in the area, having been established in 1898. They have a great selection and you can find almost anything you would want. If you need to order a book you will also usually receive it within a couple days, much quicker than at the big boxes. By far the best thing about Gibson's is the staff (even without me working there anymore!). You would be hard-pressed to find a more knowledgeable collection of book fanatics in any other one location in the entire state. Because they are reluctant to toot their own horns, I will: the owner, Michael, is a Harvard literature grad and despite being crazy busy (emphasis on crazy) running the store still seems to manage to read half a dozen books a week; and John, the handsome fellow often found sitting at the back desk, is a repository of information on all things literary-minded and not (he is also a five-time Jeopardy champion). Other employees from when I was there included a retired lawyer, an accomplished children's book author, and a head librarian. And for a cherry on top, literally, there is the wonderful bakery Bread & Chocolate accessible by the indoor ramp. read more