Where to Buy English Books in Paris

10 April 2018 by Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey    21679    5
Where to Buy English Books in Paris

Whether you are an expatriate or a visitor, whether your French is superb or still in its infancy, whether your budget stretches to new or used books, there is a time when you just need an English book in Paris. And you are in luck, because the selection is wide, and you are assured of finding a read to your liking and budget.

Shakespeare & Company

Of course, no list of English language bookshops is complete without Paris’ most famous bookstore. Whether you go there for the cherry tree blossoms, for a night’s stay, or indeed for the selection of new and second-hand books, it is always busy. At times so busy that they close the doors and a more or less orderly queue forms outside. So, try and choose a Monday morning in mid-winter or another not-so-popular time when you can roam in peace and quiet through the selection of new releases, perennials and books set-in or written-in Paris. Get a stamp in your new book, a bag, a bookmark, and then start reading next door in their very own café.

37, rue de la Bûcherie, 5th arrondissement

The Abbey Bookshop. Photo: Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

Abbey Bookshop

This is a hidden-away little gem, crammed full of second-hand books and some new-releases, spilling out onto the pavement from its arched entrance. The owner, Brian, is always quick to offer you a free coffee while you are perusing the shelves. It is tight, full to the ceiling, and offers a great selection of travel, novels, classics, Hemingway, Paris, and absolutely everything in between. And, if you have a few books you don’t need anymore, Brian might be willing to take them off your hand for a bit of cash or a voucher to spend in the shop.

29 rue de la Parcheminerie, 5th arrondissement

San Francisco Book Company. Photo: Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

Smith & Son (formerly WHSmith)

The English book and newsagent has a branch right next to the Tuileries, and offers not only a great cuppa, but also a fantastic selection of, yes, books, and also English language magazines. From fashion to travel, gossip to craft, you can get all your favorite magazines from back home here. Their selection of international travel books is good, as is the range of novels and new releases. Often you get three-for-two offers, while upstairs you get a range of English gifts, DVDs, plus some favorite foods from the UK, and English cards for all occasions.

248 Rue de Rivoli, 1st arrrondissement

WHSmith. Photo: Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

Librairie Galignani

Down the road from WHSmith, past the chic Hotel Meurice, is a true gem. The family Galignani has been publishing books since the 1500s, and reportedly opened the first English bookstore on the continent (mainland Europe), in Paris, on rue Vivienne in 1801. This shop continues the tradition and specializes in fine art books, history and literature, with books displayed on beautiful shelves. This is my favorite bookstore if I want to splash out on a new book, or simply want to browse in a beautiful setting. The English section is large and offers a good selection of new releases, Paris-related books, travel, plus fiction and non-fiction. If you want a gift book, a beautiful coffee table book, or just something a little special, this is the place to go.

244 Rue de Rivoli, 1st arrondissement

Librairie Galignani. Photo: Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

San Francisco Book Company

Another lovely second-hand book store, crammed full to the brim, and spilling out onto the pavement. Offering literature, travel, crime, poetry, comics, and everything else you could want, with expert advice, if you are looking for inspiration on what to read next. Located in a side street near Odéon, near the spot where the original Shakespeare and Company was opened and surrounded by other bookstores and art galleries, it’s worth popping in to.

17 Rue Monsieur le Prince, 6th arrondissement

San Francisco Book Company. Photo: Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

Bouquinerie Oxfam

Readers from the UK will know Oxfam bookshops. Relying on gifts and giving back to charity, this is the cheapest of all the bookstores mentioned, but due to the reliance upon donations of books, the selection is eclectic. That said, their English language bookshelf is well stocked and offers a good choice. Popping in regularly guarantees great finds and browsing usually results in some new author discovery. It also has some low-priced French coffee table and non-fiction books, plus a good selection of French fiction. And, if you are traveling and find that your read books are bringing your suitcase close to the weight limit, or your small Paris apartment is bursting with books, this is a good place to drop off your unwanted tomes.

8 Rue Saint-Ambroise, 11th arrondissement

Bouquinerie Oxfam. Photo: Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

Brentano’s

On Avenue de l’Opéra, this bookstore has an English language corner offering Paris books and new and popular reads, with the added bonus of a lovely selection of gifts, calendars, cards and knick-knacks. Not necessarily worth going out of your way for, but if you are there, and as it lies between the Louvre and Palais Garnier chances are you will be, do pop in.

37 Avenue de l’Opéra, 2nd arrondissement

Bill & Rosa’s Book Room

A used book shop, a lending library and a reading room like on the ocean liners of yore. Novels of all genres plus non-fiction, biographies, history, some poetry, cookbooks, cats, books on Paris or France, memoirs and children’s books. Most books are in English, but also in French and other langauges. Prices start at just 2€. Events monthly. Right near metro Porte de Saint Cloud.

42, rue du Chemin Vert, 92100 Boulogne 

Bill & Rosa’s Book Room

Further mentions

Librairie Gourmande is a bookstore specializing on everything to do with cooking and baking, with many books available in English (92-96 Rue Montmartre, 2nd); Le Mots a la Bouche is a cute little book shop, mostly offering French books, with some English ones, but worth a visit for its setting alone (6 Rue Sainte-Croix de la Bretonnerie, 4th). Finally, if you love art and coffee table books, don’t miss TASCHEN Store Paris (2 Rue de Buci, 6th) for its superb selection of very heavy but irresistible books, with plenty of them in English.

San Francisco Book Company. Photo: Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

Librairie Galignani. Photo: Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

Lead photo credit : Shakespeare and Company. Photo: Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

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By Ulrike Lemmin-Woolfrey

Originally from Germany, Ulrike is a freelance journalist who's worked in Oman, the UAE, and Australia for publications like CNN Travel, The Telegraph, The LA Times, and The Australian. She is now based in one of her favorite cities in the world: Paris. She is the author of 'MOON LIVING ABROAD IN AUSTRALIA' plus "Sydney & the Great Barrier Reef," and Spotlight Sydney, published by Moon travel books.

Comments

  • paren arash
    2020-03-03 18:47:28
    paren arash
    can we find educatiol books for english grammer, vocab etc too?

    REPLY

  • Walter Dombrowski
    2019-02-14 16:18:38
    Walter Dombrowski
    Don’t be expecting Sylvia Beach’s original Shakespeare & Company’s location or ambiance. It closed after WWll.

    REPLY

  • jim Carroll
    2018-04-14 08:13:12
    jim Carroll
    Great article..... one small correction you post a photo you label as being in Abbey Books....but it's a photo of San Francisco Books.... you have a similar photo posted further on labelled SF Books. Jim Carroll

    REPLY

  • Michael James
    2018-04-13 03:05:00
    Michael James
    It may be worth noting that these (mostly) fall into two geographic groups, Leftbank and Rightbank, of course. As such they easily fall into two walking tours. There is the Odeon group of SF Book Company, Abbey Books, Berkeley Books of Paris, Nouveau Quartier Latin. Sadly the Village Voice closed in 2012, as did Tea and Tattered Pages (though a bit out of this group and more Montparnasse). Of course Shakespeare & Co used to be in rue de l'Odeon when run by Sylvia Beach re-war, and its modern namesake is over in the 5th and now run by Sylvia Beach Whitman, daughter of George Whitman who claims he had Sylvia Beach's blessing on naming his otherwise unrelated upstart. (Her original was closed by the Nazis and it never reopened.) It is also claimed she was godmother to his daughter. As to whether it is Paris' most famous bookstore, I'd say highly arguable and today a bit of a tourist trap. Rightbank is really the three grand old ladies of English books in Paris, in what I would label the Rivoli/Opera group: WH Smith, Galignani and Brentanos, all centenarians or older. Brentano's was a branch of the famous NYC store but closed in 2009 during the Borders disaster (ie. at the point KMart owned them, which folded in the Brentano's group and for this reason alone brought the venerable stores down with the ship!) but was bought and reopened in 2010 by Iranian businessman Farock Sharifi. I haven't been to the new Brentano's but I understand its resurrection was a matter of love rather than purely commercial. Like Galignani (btw about 50:50 French/English lang. books) it had more upmarket books and was an excellent place to browse, and occasionally splurge on a gorgeous tome. Brentano's was big, more than it might look from the outside because it goes all the way thru to the next street. Indeed on my weekend routine when I lived not far away, I would enter it on that side after walking from Galignani/Smiths on Rivoli thru the backstreets and Place du Marché St Honoré. From a purely practical point of view, one shouldn't forget the substantial Eng. lang. sections of FNAC (at Montparnasse and Chatelet).

    REPLY

  • Kaye Campbell
    2018-04-12 18:34:41
    Kaye Campbell
    Thanks for a great article. Very timely too. Just planning for my next trip to Paris. Can’t wait to check out some of these bookstores. ?????

    REPLY