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How to Buy Books in Brazil

How to Buy Books in Brazil

posted on May 31, 2012

Reading about the recent US launch of the English translations of Clarice Lispector novels, it got me thinking about how I get my hands on books in Brazil. Like many things in Brazil, consistently scoring good buys is piecemeal detective work. It’s highly unlikely that one store will have everything you want on any particular outing and that means you must hone your discovery skills and be creative in your approach. So, how exactly do I find the books I buy?

Method 1

Do what anyone might do and walk into any bookstore in any mall. On the positive side, enjoy the pristine-looking selection and the pleasurable decor while you browse the shelves. On the other hand, heed the gaze and fine-tune your ears (to the footsteps) of the employee that follows you around while you ponder dishing out a pretty penny for even the thinnest of books. Eventually abort your mission and find solace in pão de queijo and a nice cup of coffee at the in-store cafe.

Method 2

Go on the hunt for the sometimes-illusive used bookstore (aka sebo). Preferred hunting ground consists of tall buildings, lots of foot traffic and an area with plenty of commerce. Spend infinitely more time browsing the overflowing shelves of wallet-pleasing prices and, might I add, more interesting one-of-a-kind finds. Leave feeling far from guilty for having bought five interesting titles for the price of one.

Method 3

Go online. More specifically, to a site called Estante Virtual (Virtual Bookshelf) which is a large network of 9 million books sold by independent sellers and bookstores all throughout (and only within) Brazil. Toggle your preferences, like the shipped-from-state, price-point and payment method, find what you want and complete your order. The only downsides are the payment method (if you’re a foreigner you’ll likely have to make a in-bank deposit) and the shipping method as the book(s) can take up to a month to be delivered.

If you are like me and only read each book once, you can rather easily use methods 2 & 3 to sell your books to the next buyer. Unfortunately, you shouldn’t be expecting much from such endeavors, especially when selling to a sebo.

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About Adam Lee

Adam is a writer and a researcher who has studied Brazilian culture for over a decade and created several Brazil-themed blogs going back to 2008. Having taught himself Portuguese, he put it to practical use by spending three years doing Brazil on a budget (and living in favelas), from Rio de Janeiro to the Amazon.

He now resides in Lisbon, Portugal, developing a startup and dreaming about having a beachside B&B in the Northeast of Brazil.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Christopher Matthew MORGENSTERN

    April 18, 2019 at 7:55 am

    Adam, i have not been succesful with the Estante Virtual Website. It doesn’t seem possible to order a book and have it shipped to the US. have you any suggestions?

    Reply
    • Luciana Lage

      April 23, 2019 at 5:09 pm

      Christopher, try this other website Le Livros: http://lelivros.love/ You can search for books and download for free the PDF or Kindle file.

      Reply
      • Dwight Petersen

        July 23, 2020 at 5:53 am

        Le Livros seems to only deal in current popular books. I would like a copy of Os habitantes do Brazil no século XVI, by Tarcízio Rêgo Quirino. I can put it in my cart at Estate Virtual, but as Christopher found, I cannot figure out how to have it shipped to the United States. Moreover, I am not certain that I will be able to pay for it since I don’t have a CPF. Thank you.

        Reply
        • Luciana Lage

          July 23, 2020 at 10:34 am

          I am sorry you cannot get the book you want.

          Reply
  2. steven

    June 2, 2012 at 5:32 am

    Really great information , i think it will act as one of the best guideline for many peoples all over the world looking to know more about from where and how to buy books online.I m really looking forward to it.

    order book online

     

    Reply

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