English Books in Paris

In Paris, don’t settle for the Dan Brown paperback at the CDG newsstand. Wait until you arrive in the heart of the city to find your reading material.

Paris is known for the quality of its English-language bookstores, which boast better title selections than bookstores in most American cities. English-language bookshops cater to a range of literary tastes and an independently-owned charm absent from chain bookstores.

Two obvious standouts are Shakespeare and Co., in the shadows of the Notre Dame cathedral, which draws bibliophiles with its many readings and author appearances, and Berkeley Books of Paris, in the 6th arrondissment, which offers hard-to-find and out-of-print used books.

Beyond bookshops, the best place to browse is on the docks of the Seine, where countless makeshift bookshelves are run by the ever-present and quintessentially Parisian bouquinistes.