The Book Review, Rochester's oldest comic and card shop, is closing for good
ROCHESTER — The Book Review, Rochester's oldest comic and collectible card shop, is closing for good later this month.
Jack Moore, the owner of The Book Review in Rochester's Hillcrest Shopping Center at 1618 U.S. Highway 52 North, delivered the news on social media on Friday.
"We are officially announcing the closure of the Book Review. We want to thank the community for all of the support and love over the past 20 years of business," he wrote. "Our last official day of business will be Friday, Nov. 22 and we will be hosting a goodbye and thank you social on Saturday, Nov. 23 11-3 pm."
Moore took over the shop in 2022 following the sudden death of his uncle Craig Cotten. Cotten had owned and operated the shop mostly by himself since he purchased it in 2008. Prior to buying it from Terry Lauth, Cotten had long worked at the Book Review. The store moved from its longtime home at 115 N. Broadway to the Hillcrest Shopping Center in 2005.
"I grew up hanging out inside of the Book Review and many of my own personal hobbies developed as a result," wrote Moore 2022 when he re-launched the shop. "I am very excited and honored to continue Craig's legacy with the Book Review and I look forward to making many new friends and connections!"
In the days that followed Cotten's sudden death from pneumonia and leukemia, his family held a "Celebration of Life" at the store for the many customers who became friends with him over the years. The event attracted a large crowd that reminisced, after reverently walking through the store to remember Cotten. His ashes were stored in a comic book short box display in the countercase that he stood behind for so many years.
In 2016, Cotten wrote about the experience of running his own business for an in the Post Bulletin. He estimated that he often worked more than 60 hours a week to keep the business going.
When he was asked about the hardest aspects of owning a business, Cotten wrote, "Long hours, low pay and high stress." However, he also answered the question of what is the best aspect of being self-employed and staffing his own store.
"Being your own boss. You look forward to going to work each day. It's a challenge. It is all on you, if you make it or not," he wrote.
