Job Discussion Forums

Cole Katz · Joined: 15 Jan 2012 Posts: 15

Hello all,

I am brand new to these forums, but an ESL teacher of long-standing in seven or eight countries. Like many English teachers I also happen to be an avid reader. So with no particular region or nation in mind I mean to ask with this posting for all you other Dave's ESL Cafe members to share with us your knowledge of the availability of English books (fiction/non-fiction, etc.).

I mean what English-language bookstores, or book exchanges, do you know of throughout the world? If one of us is in, say Conakry or Kucing, where would we go for new or second-hand books? What are the prices like? What sort of quality is available?

Thank you for your participation.

contented · Joined: 17 Oct 2011 Posts: 136 Location: اسطنبول

I don't buy English language books abroad. If I stumble across a bookstore that carries books in English then I'll jot down the prices and compare to what Amazon.com is selling it for. Usually there is a big difference. I know that one of my friends or family members will come to visit me during the year and so I'll just order what I want off of Amazon.com and they can bring it when they come. And I go home to visit once a year, so I can get what I want then and stock up.

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

The book depository has free shipping to many countries. You might find English bookstores in some countries. I found two right next to each other in Cambodia. There's also book exchanges that you can set up easily enough with FB. And amazon.

MotherF · Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2012 3:56 pm Post subject:

There is a great little English language bookstore in Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico. It specializes in Latin American Studies type books, but has other topics as well. The list prices are expensive, but they have good sales. Otherwise I do contented said, order from Amazon, when someone is coming, family or friend. Or going from here for a visit to the US and back. That way I save myself the shipping which is usually as much as the book.
I know other people in Mexico who buy books off ebay, and just have the shipped to Mexico.
Kindle is also now an option in most of the world.

Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

In Mexico City, The American Bookstore (Calle Bol�var, downtown)

Glenski · Joined: 15 Jan 2003 Posts: 12844 Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

Online you can find free books at www.gutenberg.org .

Cole Katz · Joined: 15 Jan 2012 Posts: 15

My friends, I think there is a little misunderstanding. I know very well that I can get books from Amazon or the Gutenberg Project. What I am interested in is adding a bookshop to this ESL cafe - in the sense that it seems a likely receptacle to help English teachers and others to locate something (anything) to read in places that are not likely to be well supplied with immediately available English-language reading material.

My other aim is to help out the small-time book seller a bit. As the large chain stores take over, independent booksellers are increasingly rare. Granted that this may not be a problem in an obscure Chinese or Honduran city, but nonetheless...

So much like the admirable Sasha's Poetry corner (if I remember the name correctly) here on the general forum, I hope that we can together come up with a list of all the world's most obscure, but life-saving, bookshops.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 7:10 am Post subject:

Here is information which was posted on the Russia forum about Moscow bookshops. Not definitive, by any means. Just the ones I use for ELT, but also for general book shopping. Surprisingly good for Russian poetry, which then transmigrates to Sasha's Poetry Corner : )

http://www.relod.ru/

http://www.librarything.com/venue/17894/Britannia-ELT-Moscow-at-Pavelitskaya-

http://www.moscowbooks.ru/

http://www.bookhunter.ru/index.php?flag=contact

http://www.dom-knigi.ru/

http://www.biblio-globus.ru/