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Books (livros)
are an unending source of entertainment and if you
are an avid reader, then you will no doubt crave new
titles and new genres. However if you have moved to
Portugal
your book buying habits may have to change a little.
Although
you may never have considered just how many books you
check out at the library, borrow from friends or buy in
the local book store, in your average week and this will
be more apparent than ever, now the majority of your
reading sources have dried up.
Portugal
though does have book shops selling a variety of titles
in both hard and paperback. However if you are not
fluent in Portuguese your favourite author may be a
little hard to follow. In the capital,
Lisbon,
and Porto there are stores which stock a limited number
of titles in English, though outside these cities it can
be hard to come by a retailer who dedicates aisles to
the English speaker.
Libraries in Portugal do hold some English language
titles, though these generally tend to be 'classic'
works for students to study at degree level. So if
Thomas Hardy, William Shakespeare and Jane Austen isn't
your kind of bed time reading, then you may find your
literary sources driving up quickly.
If you
have access to the internet however, you will be able to
access the plethora of online books stores including
Amazon to purchase your reading material. One drawback
though of Amazon and it's contemporaries is the cost of
postage. The actual purchase price of many 'pre-loved'
tomes are inexpensive (starting prices are usually 1p
sterling) postage to Portugal pushes the limit for most
literary lovers.
However,
if like me, you are from a family of book worms and have
an appetite for books, then why not organise regular
book swaps with your neighbours, friends and family where you live in
Portugal. You may not always get the titles or genres
you like, but it will expand your reading list, build
relationships with your neighbours and cement
friendships. |
