Reading is a universal pastime practiced by many cultures and peoples. Nearly every country has public and private libraries, university libraries, bookshops, book stores, book cafe's and of course online platforms to buy books.
And thanks to technology, you can read from a Kindle, listen to books on audible, and download books and short stories.
If you're an expat woman and love to read, but have no clue where to buy books in your native language (or at least English books) and live in a country where Amazon does not ship to or is to expensive to ship, then what do you do?
How To Find Books, Bookshops, and Platforms to Order Books
If there's an expat community, then there's definitely a local bookshop that sells used books, many in the local language and in the English language.
Depending on how established and big the local expat community is, you will definitely find someone that sells used books. It can be an expat that owns a bookshop, Facebook Expat group where people give, exchange, or resell their used books, or a big book chain store that will most likely sell English books.
For example, the expat community in Bangkok, Thailand, has a lot of Americans, and the US has good relations with Thailand, so there are a few used bookshops owned and operated by expats who sell not only just English books but books in a variety of languages: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Finnish, German, Swedish, and in many cases you can exchange your books, for store credit or cash.
Buying books at big chain stores or online can be pricey, because the taxes to import English books and shipping English books eat up the costs, so if you're looking to buy a book that is on the New York Times best seller list, it is best to wait it out, or have a relative from your home country buy the book and ship it to you, but be prepared to pay a tax.
Books To Read As An Expat Woman
Everyone has different taste in books, but as an expat woman reading the stories of woman who bravely moved abroad to live a fabulous life is powerful. Below are a list of books we recommend you to read:
The Black Girl's Guide To Living, Loving, & Traveling Abroad of Life Abroad
Dear Ms Expat: Inspiring Tales From Women Who Built Lives In A New Land
How Does One Dress To Buy Dragon Fruit? True Stories Of Expat Women In Asia
Expat Women: Confessions - 50 Answers to Your Real-Life Questions about Living Abroad
Expat: Women's True Tales omen Who Built New Lives in a New Land
Finding these books may be tricky, but not impossible if you search Facebook Expat Women groups, local bookshops, or ask a relative at home to purchase and ship to you.
Happy reading! And definitely check your Facebook Expat Women groups to ask where to buy or exchange books!
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