Tuesday, February 05, 2008

Goodlight is great news

Books in English are a hot commodity. We brought most of our books with us and have been rereading page after page, because buying new books in English is not in the budget: a $7 paperback in the US goes for $14 here. I crave new reading material and sorely miss trips to the library. When we return to the US, I'll be spending hours poring over all the lit I've missed during our time in CR.

Frustrated with reading the same old stuff, I began the search to borrow books from other Americans. And then, through an Internet group of expats living in CR, I learned about Goodlight Books. This great little shop is unpretentiously sandwiched between typical Tico locales, but it's a true gem for bibliophiles: it's a bookstore selling used books in English at reasonable prices.

Once I'd heard about Goodlight, I’d planned that we'd stop there on the way home from our trip to Poás. The shop is in Alajuela, about a 20-minute drive from our home in Santa Ana.

We found the store with little trouble (not always an easy feat in no-street-signs Costa Rica) and happily plunked down about $50 for at least 30 books (I lost count somewhere along the way). The shop owner was very personable, the selection of material beyond adequate, and I even got to pet the resident cat, Chola, who was hanging out on the top of the computer desk. Wooohoooo! We've got plenty to keep us reading, now!

A book is like a garden carried in the pocket. ~Chinese Proverb

2 comments:

Lisa said...

I just found your blog off another blog. I am in complete awe. I hope to one day travel around the world with my husband and daughters. You have one a new reader of your blog!!

Lisa

Anonymous said...

Sweet! From one addict to another, I know that must have been driving you crazy. You will kiss the library's steps when you get back. :)