Getting books...in English!

[Huxley1234]

Hey Expats - what are your favourite source for getting real, paper books in BA?

Are there any great stores? You buy from Amazon? Is shipping them in even possible?

Is having access to a source of English books (like a second hand bookstore) something you miss? How much?

I am moving to BA in a bit and trying to get a feel for how much books to bring to stay satisfied I was also wondering if perhaps there'd be a good business in providing expats with English reading material. (of coure there's always e-books - but lots of people still love real books).

 

[el_expatriado]

Best place is KEL. But they don't have much. Best bet is still e-books.

 

[RosaliaLL]

Quaint little used English bookshop in San Telmo called Walrus Books. Estados Unidos between Chacabuco and Perú.

 

[pompeygazza]

I went to KEL for the first time on Sunday, to the Alto Palermo store, and was quite impressed actually. I thought it compared well with other English language sections I've seen in other foreign cities. Anyway it's beyond doubt the best source of NEW books in English in Buenos Aires. Here's a link to their website: http://www.kelediciones.com

I'm with you on the 'real books' thing, but not sure how many other people are now we have ebooks, so am not sure if there'd be a good business opportunity for you here, although I haven't yet seen any used books in English on sale anywhere.

English language schools might be a good source of book exchanges. Most will have a small library of well-thumbed books and will probably be only too happy to get some newer ones, leaving you with the well-thumbed ones

You need to check out very carefully whether you can buy from Amazon. The last I heard you have to go to Ezeiza to pick the books up and pay duty of more than they're worth, but that might have changed.

Hope this helps

 

[La Fleur]

If you are a serious reader and want to keep reading in English, make sure you pack your kindle (or other e-reader) before you come to BsAs. Better still, pack a spare in case of accidents* to the first one. Remember that if you need to buy one and have it sent to you in BsAs you will have to pay 100% duty before it is handed over.

Having said that, I managed to keep myself in English books for some years before I got a kindle - and I am a voracious reader. Very many of the bookshops along Corrientes (say from Obelisco to Junin) have a space where they keep second-hand books in English. Sometimes you have to ask where it is - it may be out of sight. I have found some very interesting books that way.

You should also go to Daniel Zachariah's website (http://www.bookcellarbsas.com) and get yourself on his mailing list. He has a great and ever changing selection. He used to even come to the house if you purchased a decent lot, and would also buy back any that you didn't want any more if they were suitable for his stock. I don't know if he still does that, but you could ask.

The other great source is swapping books with other English readers - mostly expats. So if you are invited to someone's house and they have a bookshelf full, don't be shy about suggesting a swapping arrangement.

Good luck.
La Fleur

* PS Should you be silly enough to spill a drink into your e-reader, many on-line sites suggest you turn it off, dry it as best you can with paper towels, put it in a zip-lock plastic bag filled with dry rice, and rest it in a warm dry place for a few months. So, after a disaster I tried exactly that. And it worked! Just thought you might like to know.

 

[pompeygazza]

PS - here's a link to another thread on this site re book imports:
http://baexpats.org/expat-life/23091-book-imports.html

 

[Crema Americana]

Unfortunately starting any type of import business is going to be a challenge.

 

[ElQueso]

I find that KEL doesn't have a good depth. I've bought there before, but I prefer ebooks on my iPad.

I have bought books from Amazon and had them shipped, with no problem. I've done it two ways. One, I have a USABox account that accepts my mail, including purchase shipments. Once a month I send my mail to me for $32 (the monthly fee). It comes via DHL, and as long as there are no items in the shipment that get the attention of Aduana, it makes it to my house (directly) in 1-2 days usually. There is a 4 pound limit per shipment, you have to pay a little more if it goes over, but I've never had it go over.

The other way was to have Amazon ship directly to me. That took about a week the one time I did it, so I usually just do it via USABox. But it too came straight to me, via Correo. I haven't done it that way in a couple of years.

I don't know about importing books as a business. For private use it's not a problem, but as an example, not too long ago the government put a restriction on the amount of lead a book being imported (in quantity, for resale) could contain and there was a stir about not being to get books in. I don't actually know where that ended up, but it's an example of doing something in the import business here that could cause you problems.

 

[NoseyParker]

There is an English book store on Avenida La Plata and Rivadavia called English Books for Everyone... It has a great selection... Worth a look

 

[davonz]

From my own experience, the selection is not great here for reading material in english, especially modern novels, and what second hand book shops i have seen are very expensive. The last book i purchased here was The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay for a present, it was US$35 new, the same thing back home is no more than NZ$16 (about US$13).

So up until a couple of years ago when i got an e-reader, i would bring a bag of books (10+ books) with me, and then as i read them would swap with other foreigners.

But as mentioned above, the e-reader is the way to go here.