First time visit to this used bookstore located on Congress after visiting Uncharted Tea. Which you will even find books from here inside Uncharted as well as some other local spots. Don't mind the scaffolding outside and make your way in to explore if you are close by exploring when they are open. The store goes a lot further back than you would expect and the huge amount of books here means you could spend a long time browsing. Despite the narrow spaces and books being everywhere it is organized well and you will find lots of signs listing the current genre you are looking at. Which speaking of they offer so much I think everyone will find some books that catch your eyes here. Being a used bookstore they did have a good mix of older books while appearing to have more fresh and modern titles available as well. Prices seemed reasonable for the few I looked at. My wife almost bought a couple books but in the end just browsed but would highly recommend coming here for any book lovers. I would even say one of the better used bookshops we have visited! You may just find your next unexpected book you have to read. read more

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Ok, this place is amazing. It would make The Strand very proud. The selection of unexpected treasures is incredible. A perfect mix of contemporary and classic books, Green Hand is a magical bookstore. The staff is friendly and welcoming. On the day we visited, we took the number 1 bus along Congress Street, but it's also easily accessible on foot. We almost missed it because of the scaffolding outside, but we were so happy we didn't lose the chance to visit this local treasure. And it IS a treasure. It was recommended to us by the kind folks at Print, a Bookstore. I highly recommend it. read more

Green Hand Bookshop is like the best kind of treasure hunt. I can (and have) spent hours here perusing the stacks for my next favorite read. It's excellent! read more

A used bookstore with a whole lotta character, narrow walkways, and a ton of dust. Need to re-purchase the Warrior Cats books you stupidly gave away when you thought you were too cool for your middle school self? Me neither. Great selection, awesome staff, and stellar books. Solid prices for the most part. Want to explore a unique bookstore with fair prices? This is the place to you. Large groups, beware. read more

Closed before 4pm. On a nice fall day this small corner shop is under construction. The hours are the worst. Consider staying open until 7pm! Not open after 5pm. Irregular hours. read more

Really nice bookstore with a wide selection of fiction and non-fiction. The shelves are packed to the brim. The condition of books is stated on inner front page of each book, and often read "lovely copy." There is also a decent Maine travel, history section, and in there are sections specifically marked AAPI interest. Impressive stuff! read more

I have been meaning to stop in for some time. So while doing shopping for the holidays, all local, thought I would stop by. I do know the owner and know opening this bookshop has been a dream and passion. So many books to choose from and I mean any genre. I am not a huge reader but felt the urge to try something and expand my horizons for personal reading instead of just work. I asked for suggestions and after a few questions, fiction, sci-fi, and adventure she went down and aisle and grabbed a book on top of a stack. Suggested it would fit my request. So I trusted the suggestion and started reading. So far so good. Met my requirements and being a collection of short stories, each chapter is a new adventure. Thanks! Check out this incredible bookshop! read more

Green Hand Bookshop - Bookstores Near Me - Portland, Maine

Wow, just wow! Order came quickly, packaged well,extra nicely wrapped and with a very lovely note from Michelle. Long live small independent businesses!! read more

There is a vast selection of books with a wide variety of genres. I did notice that the books were overpriced for being a used book store. It was highly disorganized. I asked for guidance due to the disorganization and I was met with attitude from one of the workers. It's a great vibe but I would save my money. read more

Great place to look around for obscure books. Spent hours in here found the staff to be very knowledgeable and friendly

Best bookshop I've ever been in! Sweet staff and I have never seen a better selection of horror/fantasy/sci-fi. So well-organized. I wanted to get a dolly cart and roll away with this one stand-alone shelf in the middle of the store that I found that literally seemed to have been handpicked for my ghosty tastes. A great mix of well-known authors and rare/less known gems. So hype that they have a website since I live in Boston. Excited to recommend this place. read more

Green Hand Bookshop - Bookstores Near Me - Portland, Maine

Really great used book store with sweet lady owner/manager who let me do my own thing while I was browsing. They have a great selection of all genres, but especially fiction/lit, sci fi, horror, and thrillers. Store was neat and orderly but perfectly lovely with stacks overflowing to the floors and the occasional display of random and curated cards and postcards. I came in looking for some specific titles as well as anything else that appealed to me, and left with exactly what I came for. Would recommend this shop to any book-lover. (It also provides some new and newly released books.) read more

A true gem of a bookstore. Amazing finds and the owner is the sweetest person ever. I can't wait for my next trip back to Portland to visit again!! read more

One of the best book stores I've ever been to. The selection there is completely insane. Easily the best in New England.

Oh my gosh, we fell in love with Green Hand as soon as we stepped inside. Packed with an amazing selection of books (though not so packed that it was impossible to browse), and with little touches here and there like boxes of old French postcards, it was a joy to browse here for what was probably an hour but felt like several languorous days. What was the best part? Was it the shelf entirely devoted to movie novelizations? (I don't think I have ever seen my partner so ecstatic as when he found that shelf.) Was it finding an old Slovak dictionary to replace the one on our shelves that's falling apart, and for half the cost of eBay? Was it finding my favorite edition of my favorite fantasy novel, and buying it just so I could finally have a lending copy? Ahhhh, I could go on and on. We adored our trip to Green Hand, and had a brief but lovely conversation with Michelle before we left. I hope this amazing shop prospers and is a Portland staple for many, many years to come! read more

Used bookstores tend to fall into one of a few categories: 1) jammed with everything to the point where it's hard to find things; 2) oversupplied with crap, undersupplied with content; or 3) moldy. The Green Hand hits that sweet spot, avoiding all of these traits with an inventory that includes a lot of unusual books but also enough more mainstream material that there's regular turnover, and it's densely packed without being overwhelming. The space is clean and organized, and the shelving categories make sense. It's easy to drop in and lose time browsing, and there's more than enough weird stuff to check out. The fiction and science fiction sections are particularly good, but also the art books and the Maine section. The owner has a fondness for Philip K. Dick (authors you can't talk about using just their last names) and H.P. Lovecraft, and the selection is influenced by this in a positive way. Best bookstore in town. read more

The Green Hand Bookshop, comparatively the most recent of secondhand Bookshops in Portland to open, have carved out a niche by carrying an eclectic mix of fiction. They have managed to build an impressive stock in almost every literary genre as well as an interesting collection of literary biographies. I didn't search the non-fiction section on the past few trips, but that was due to being short on time...the bookcases and shelves are well marked and it's very easy to navigate through such a well organized shop. I'm always running late for everything, the effect being that I try to cut errands short. I tend to frantically call shops for a specific product in advance of my arrival. It's no doubt a pain for the many staff workers I encounter and I know many businesses are far from making me patron of the year. However, I must point out the helpful nature of this store owner by putting books aside for me and doing it in such a good manner. She is as well versed in the written word as she is patient and is a true bibliophile. Standard literature and fiction aside, other areas of note for book collectors is the selection of multi-volume book sets, priced fairly and to sell in good condition. I also like the poetry section which is fairly small yet I still seem to always leave with a great copy of Ezra Pound, Auden, H.D. or a hard to find anthology. Book prices are commensurate with the type of book...paperback, hardcover or rare and out of print. read more

Packed full of novels! I think it's taken over the Cryptozoology Space, as that museum has now moved down the street. Large, variable collection of reasonably priced books. Scored some great SCI FI finds and an owl pin! read more

Wish I could give this gem of a store a 10 star rating! Owner was beyond helpful and knowledgeable, wonderful selection and reasonable prices. Lots of interesting finds other than books; postcards, photos and more. Perhaps the best selection of horror, monster, ghosts, sci-if books I've ever encountered. read more

Best used bookstore for sf that I've ever visited. The curated selection is amazing. The prices may seem high to some, but when you think of the fact that you can walk in off the street and grab exactly what you are looking for, it's worth it. You can go anywhere and get Asimov, Heinlein, or Clarke. But if you're hoping to find a rare cover of a Thomas Disch novel, you might find it on the shelf at the Green Hand which is what you are paying for. And while you're looking for what you had in mind, you'll find so much more that you didn't know you wanted. read more

Great shop, great selection, great location! The staff was very kind to our children and very helpful with recommendations.

A little cramped at the moment. If you're ready to dig into the shelves and stacks, you will find that treasure you were looking for, or one you never thought of. 100% worth it. read more

I had a lovely experience purchasing a book (from afar) from The Green Hand Bookshop. Michelle was quick to respond and took care in sharing photos of the book and noting any marks of wear and tear (which I could barely perceive). The book arrived quickly and was wrapped nicely (which I wasn't expecting and was a bonus as I was giving the book as a gift). I wish I could give more stars. I will definitely purchase more books from The Green Hand and I hope to visit whenever I'm in Portland. Thank you again! read more

This is the used book store you've been looking for. Michelle is the bomb! We love stopping in for one book... and leaving with five.

Stellar horror section, and knowledgeable ownership. The stacks of Arkham House books alone are worth a pilgrimage. Treasure hidden in every corner. Thanks for existing! I'll be back... read more

This great independently owned bookstore is well sorted and offers books of all kinds tucked away in its narrow aisles. The owner is friendly and quick to answer questions and offer help. Come to support an independent small business and feel good doing so. read more

I had a great time browsing through the books. I found many out of print books I didn't know exist. Lots of sci-fi. It's worth the trip.

Five stars. Obviously. I mean it's a great used bookstore and it's also a cryptozoology museum. All editions are in good shape. Not just reading copies. Reasonable prices for higher quality used novels. read more

Came here on a cold and rainy Saturday last weekend to visit the museum in the back, but found out it moved. Decided to look around and spent an hour or so browsing and reading messages sent on old postcards and perusing the selection of old books. I even bought an Alexander Hamilton and an Aaron Burr biography. After their duel, they are reunited on my bookshelf in Brooklyn. read more

Pretty great selection, though you may be surprised at some of the prices. Definitely worth a visit for the avid reader. Great help finding books, too! read more

A great place to spend the day browsing books! The owner is as nice as can be, and a complete pleasure to chat with. The store is packed wall-to-wall with books, which might sound daunting, but the place is very well organized, and the owner might well be a human card catalog for her ability to always find what you're looking for if she has it.--and always at a reasonable price! read more

I visited this shop on my last day in Portland and am so glad I did! The owner was beyond helpful in finding the titles I was "sure" weren't there after I perused the shelves... but indeed they were there. She is super knowledgable about a wide range of authors, title, and the whole book business shebang. I am wishing I didn't live a bazillion miles away! read more

When I go to new places, the first thing I search for above all else is used bookstores. I hit a few before heading to the absolute cream of the crop! This store, for an avid book buyer/reader is a godsend. If you have a particular interest for science fiction then LOOK NO FURTHER. A beautiful, expansive selection. I'm just flabbergasted. read more

Huge selection of books, owner is incredibly helpful. If you're looking for something specific and they don't have it, she'll suggest books similar to it (not sure if there's anything she HASN'T read) - I've found some awesome books that way I never would've known about. Wish I could give more stars! read more

This is the way I always want a used book store to be (but most aren't). It's cozy and friendly, has a big selection, and is super reasonably priced. read more

LOTS of books. Friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful staff. They prefer cash but will definitely accept cards.