© Zohar Ralt
© Zohar Ralt

A bookworm’s guide to Tel Aviv bookstores (selling English books)

There’s nothing like the smell of a hundred leather bound books to get you in the reading mood

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Once a reader, always a reader. No matter where in the world life takes you, or how uncertain your life may be, there is always one constant you can count on: literature. Nothing can beat lying down in the grass at Park HaYarkon or curling up at Charles Clore on the way to Jaffa for an afternoon read. Explore the never-ending aisles of these Tel Aviv bookstores and come out with a treasure or two; some stores like Halper’s (on Allenby) even do buybacks, so you can keep your brain pumping and fingers page flipping.

5 Tel Aviv bookstores stocking English options

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If you're fiending for the likes of City Lights, Powell's, Tattered Cover, or Shakespeare and Co, Halper's Books is Tel Aviv's answer. Prepare to spend whole afternoons crouched in the shop's narrow, maze-like aisles, amidst the welcome smell of books stationed in a random alleyway off of Allenby Street. Owner Yosef Halper, an American expat, has been buying out collectors and libraries for over 25 years, filling his lovingly well-worn shelves with everything from vintage sci-fi to detective thrillers and travel memoirs. Uncover a whopping 60,000 used books in English, Hebrew and Spanish with a peppering of German, Yiddish and Italian titles, and happily get lost in their printed pages.  

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Sipur Pashut
Sipur Pashut

In addition to a vast selection of books in English and Hebrew, Sipur Pashut has become a leading venue in Israel for literary, cultural and art-oriented events. Hosting monthly readings and discussions, book launches, children’s storybook theater, exhibitions dedicated to art and illustration, writing workshops, book clubs, and a blog, they are dedicated to keeping the literary spirit alive. The shelves house a range of titles including original and translated literature, feminist fiction and poetry, literary theory and criticism, art, music, photography, comics and graphic novels, design and architecture, and a special English language section including novels, children’s books, yoga guides, magazines and periodicals.

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The Little Prince is the perfect literature haven for bookworms. Great for olim, it offers a wide selection of books in Hebrew, Russian, French, and Spanish, as well as an entire room of English literature. With many eclectic, peculiar books, The Little Prince is great for those looking to stray from the typical bookstore selection. The prices are affordable, which has earned this shop a loyal customer base. Get comfortable with a cup of coffee or a glass of cold beer while you browse, or curl up in its dreamy atmosphere to read your latest selection.

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Green Brothers Books is a special, unique shop for book lovers. Specializing in rare and used books, the store contains a large collection of philosophy, psychology, art and history books. They also have an extensive literature collection with themes ranging from socialist literature, Israeli literature, translated works, science fiction, fantasy and Judaism. In addition, Green Brothers Books offers a book search service to find you that treasured volume you’re looking for. Conveniently located on Frishman Street, it is the perfect spot to find a present for the reader in your life or to spoil yourself with a rare cover you’ve been dreaming about.

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Bookworm is the perfect place for lovers of literature and coffee alike. The café, located near Rabin Square, doubles as a bookstore, and serves a selection of tasty breakfast items and pastries. A daily business menu is also available. Vegans will drool over the vegan chocolate chip cookies and brownies. Bookworm’s book selection is varied, with an English section available for those olim and visitors whose Hebrew isn’t quite up to par. Bookworm is the perfect place to spend a rainy day curled up with a cappuccino or wine cider, or escape the summer heat with an iced drink.  

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