If you’ve been following my content for long enough, then you know that I am a big reader. I read for pleasure, education, and to my kids. Sometimes it feels like the pages of Little House on the Prairie here, where Ma sat and read to the whole family for hours at a time.
In the United States, I was a homeschooler and relied heavily on Charlotte Mason booklists as a way to keep a healthy quantity of high quality literature on our bookshelves. I managed to move numerous of those books with us south to Mexico. From Mexico, I was able to find a good english private library where we lived in Guadalajara, and between that and Amazon, I maintained my supply of books, based almost exclusively on these booklists that I used as reference points. I would also stock up at used bookstores when I visited the USA.
It was in Mexico where I also started to switch over to reading via kindle, although we were still buying and reading 90% hardcopy titles. Guadalajara Mexico did have a public library, but all of the books in English were ancient textbooks, and no book at the library could be “checked out”. They had never even heard of a LIBRARY CARD! In fact, my home because a resource for our local friends. They would bring their kids over to “check out books” from our “library closet”, so that their children could learn what it meant to borrow and return a book to a library ;).
Fast forward to moving to Spain back in 2021, and things just weren’t the same. The resources were more scarce here as far as bookstores carrying english books goes, because the demand was and is a lot lower, but Spain DOES have public libraries with some books in english, and you can check books out with your library card.
I had managed to move multiple suitcases full of many of my books with us from Mexico, and on the few trips that I have made back to the United States from Spain, I have always prioritized “advanced ordering” from Amazon- so that I would have books waiting on me when I arrived, to ensure that I could bring them back home. I would build our whole trip back around used bookstore visits.
Why go to all of the trouble? Because in Spain, it was instantly more difficult than I imagined to get my hands on quality books in english. What we call “living books” in the homeschooling community in the United States. Living books are books with real life scenerios, quality grammar, and solid writing. They are literature, at it’s core. They help build vocabulary, grammar skills, and character, through storytelling.
Over the last five years, used book stores in Spain have becoming more popular and more accepted culturally, but they still do not carry very many english books. In each city that you may live in in Spain, you will find a community of english readers who can share with you where the “best” or “greatest inventory” is locally of english books.
For example, Madrid has many options for finding used books in english. They have a whole street dedicated to used books, and multiple venders are selling books in english there. They also have full bookstores exclusively for books in english, mostly owned by foreigners, who saw a need and met it.
But what if you aren’t in the biggest Spanish cities? Let’s say for example.. what if you are in Zaragoza, Spain? A city renowned for is Spanish, and it’s “lack” of english among the locals (although is increasing). Where does one find books in english, HERE?
I am happy to tell you that the number of bookstores selling books in english has increased since we moved here in 2021, however the inventory and quality, in my opinion, is that that great… especially if you are looking for American English, rather than British English, like me. Likewise for the local public libraries, there is inventory, but it is low quality and low quantity for native english speakers.
How to get a library card in Zaragoza, Spain
Here are some local and online resources, aside from the tried and true Amazon, which we all know about and some of us love. And for the record, Amazon is often overpriced, and also won’t have THE book you are looking for, although it is getting better. Their supply has increased exponentially since I arrived to Spain, but it still has a long way to go.
Cultural Events with Books in English in Zaragoza Spain
Once a year, in April, Zaragoza has a book fair day, which falls on Saint George’s Day and Aragón Day. At this book fair, there is a vendor normally located at Plaza Paraiso Basilio, offering books for free, and/or by donation only. You choose how much you pay (if anything). The money goes towards a cat rescue. I buy from here every year. The books are not always “modern”, but you can find some gems in the realm of “Living Books” there.
El Rastrillo Aragón de la Fundación Federico Ozanam has a yearly market at the Zaragoza Auditorium in CC Los Porches. You have to go down the stairs in order to find it, as it is located in the backside of the Auditorium, facing CC Los Porches. This event normally last for a couple of weeks, starting sometime at the end of Novermber, and carrying over into November. It is good time to get started with Christmas shopping.
Bookstores with Books in English in Zaragoza Spain
- ReRead (Used bookstore)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ZkDFHhRm7ECt9ZUS9
- El Corte Ingles (small selection)
https://maps.app.goo.gl/gx2LHRHLrtKv7bz18
- Librería París
https://maps.app.goo.gl/6QovJN5ZGt4P25ag7
- Half Price at Puerta Venecia
https://maps.app.goo.gl/GYrm6YMJQKgUHTZD6
- Tabook
https://maps.app.goo.gl/1qjadz3RhTSN4AGX7
Online Bookstores that are not Amazon Spain in Zaragoza
These are online venders that ship to Spain.
- AwesomeBooks. As of this writing, this is the only one that I have experience with using from this list. They do take longer to ship than Amazon does, but they have an amazing selection. I am still waiting on delivery (it was timed at around 10 days), so I will have to update you once my order arrives.
- World of Books