The Best Bookstores to Find Books in English in Malaga City

As a newly arrived expat in the city of Malaga, and a self-described book devotee, the first thing I wanted to find was an English-language bookstore. Because the city of Malaga attracts so many tourists and expats from the United Kingdom, I figured I would have no problem locating a bookstore that catered to native English speakers. Sadly, I was wrong. There is no English language bookstore in Malaga city. But that doesn’t mean you can’t find a wide selection of books in English – for adults and children – in this marvelous Spanish city … if you know where to look.

Malaga is a Literary City

As an American who moved to Malaga by choice, I am very aware that this city owes me nothing by way of providing English-language bookstores. What I need to be doing is improving my Spanish reading skills, so, I can take advantage of all of Malaga’s literary charms, because there are many. This city has an abundance of gorgeous independent and chain bookstores, used bookstores, and a super accessible library system. Moreover, like many Spanish cities, Malaga has an annual Feria de Libros (book festival), that brings even more booksellers to the city for a multi-day book bonanza every year. Also, I think it’s worth noting that the city’s central train station was named after one of Spain’s most famous women writers, the poet and essayist, Maria Zambrano.

Clearly, I can’t complain about the lack of bookstores and literary activities here in Malaga, but I’m not going to lie, I still want to read books in English, and my kids do too. So, I made it my mission to find the best Spanish bookstores in Malaga that offer a good selection of books in English.

The Best Bookstores in Malaga to Find Books in English

The truth is, almost every bookstore in Malaga city has some selection of English-language books, but what you’ll often find in a typical Spanish bookstores is an English-language section that offers workbooks or textbooks in English. Maybe a dictionary or two. Some bookstores dedicate half a shelf to English-language paperbacks with a selection that looks like the offerings at an airport bookstore. In other words, very disappointing.

I focused my search on bookstores that offer a good selection of English-language books in Malaga Centro. I was looking for stores where you can find books by authors from the United States and the United Kingdom, as well as books in translation from popular European, African, Asian and Latin American writers. I’m always looking for books by authors of color, so that was a criteria too. Finally, because I have children, ages 11, 18, and 21, who are all voracious readers, I was also looking for books in English for young people as well.

So, without further ado, here’s my list of the best bookstores in the city of Malaga to find really good books in English

Casa del Libro

Casa del Libro (Calle Nueva, 5, 29005 Málaga) was the first bookstore I ever visited in the city and I was thrilled to find an entire, two-sided bookcase on their third floor dedicated to books in English. Even though Casa del Libro is Spain’s largest chain bookstore, I find this location feels like an independent bookstore, but with chainstore resources. I can consistently find a wide selection of fiction in English by diverse authors at their store. Most recently, I noticed they added a brand new shelf on the first floor with the latest bestsellers in English as well!

Whoever is Casa del Libro’s English-language book buyer, has a good eye for ordering the right mix of juicy chick lit, page-turning thrillers, cozy mysteries, and literary fiction from the world’s best writers. Casa del Libro also has a decent but small selection of children’s and middle grade books in English, imbedded in the shelves with the Spanish books for kids. I often have to ask to have the books in English pointed out to me by the staff, because they’re hard to locate and the signage is tiny. The kid selection isn’t as consistent as the adult books, but my 11-year-old daughter can usually find something she wants to read on their shelves.

Tienda Fnac

On the ground floor of the Larios mall is a massive store called Tienda Fnac (Larios Centro Shopping Center Avda de la Aurora, 25. - 29002 Málaga). At first glance it looks like a Best Buy or some other electronics store. But it turns out they also sell books. Lots of books! The store has a massive selection of books of every genre and category in Spanish, including an impressive selection of comics and graphic novels. They also have an entire shelf dedicated to books in English. The selection is quite varied, made up primarily of fiction titles, but they also have a few popular nonfiction options, most of which are celebrity memoirs. The majority of authors represented on their shelves are American, but there are plenty of British authors as well. Unfortunately, Fnac does not have children’s books in English.

Librería Luces

Librería Luces (Alameda Principal, 37, 29001 Málaga) is a beautiful bookstore that uses every inch of available space to showcase their incredible selection of books. This bookstore has an active events calendar with author readings and writing classes, and if you speak and read Spanish, you’ll want to take advantage. But, if you’re only there for the books in English, you have plenty to choose from. Librería Luces has one floor-to-ceiling shelf of books in English on the first floor. Expect to find mostly fiction, with a nice selection of “classic” titles, new releases and YA titles mixed in as well. Liberería Luces also usually has one or two cultural history books in English about Spain and Malaga as well. In the children’s section, Librearía Luces has a well-stocked shelf of children’s picture books in English, but their offerings for early readers up to pre-teens is quite limited.

Honorable Mentions

Re/Read

For people who would rather not spend full price on a book, or perhaps you’re looking for some random book that was published more than 20 years ago, you can check out Re/Read (C. Victoria, 27, 29012 Málaga), a nationwide “chain bookstore” of sorts that only sells used books. Located near the Plaza Merced, most of the books are in Spanish, but they do have a shelf of books in English. The selection is random and rather hit or miss, as their inventory is based on donations. If you go, you may be lucky and you might find exactly what you’re looking for, or you might not, but since all of the books are priced at four Euros, you can buy a different book instead. Or you might just want to buy a Re/Read tote bag because they’re so awesome. (Pro-tip: you can sell your used books to Re/Read for .25Euros.)

The Bookshop

The Bookshop (Centro Comercial La Colonia local 21, 29670 San Pedro Alcántara, Málaga) is not in Malaga City, but it’s getting an honorable mention on this list because they are a fully English language bookstore and they deliver books to Malaga City. The Bookshop is in San Pedro de Alcantara, which is like a suburb of Marbella. If you have a car, it’s a little less than a one-hour drive from Malaga City. Personally, I think it’s worth the drive if you’re craving a small, but well-stocked bookstore to explore, that offers a delightful selection of books in English. They have titles in every genre with a nice mix of British and American authors, not to mention international authors in translation as well. They also boast an amazing selection of books for young people, from baby board books, to the latest YA series and Book Tok sensations. The owners, a husband and wife team, are super friendly and knowledgable, and if they don’t have the book you’re looking for, they can usually order it for you on the spot. Personally, I like browsing the bookstore shelves, but you can also sit in your piso in Malaga City and browse their website and order whatever book you want for delivery, without paying the ridiculous taxes you pay importing books on Amazon from the US or UK.

The English Cemetery

Admittedly, it seems strange to include a cemetery on a list of bookstores, but there is a reasonable explanation. The English Cemetery in Malaga usually hosts one or two used book sales throughout the year, where they sell used books donated by Malagueños whose don’t need them anymore. Sometimes it’s the Cemetery that hosts the book sale, sometimes it’s St. George’s Church, which is located on the same property as the cemetery. Either way, it would make sense to follow the English Cemetery and St. George’s church online in order to know when their next book sale is coming up. The selection is obviously varied, but books are sold at really rock bottom prices, and you can usually find some true literary treasures.

The Library

Finally, I’m not talking about a bookstore called The Library, I’m talking about the actual library system. There are several neighborhood libraries in Malaga City, and although not every branch has books in English, many do, particularly for the little people in your life. It’s really easy to get a library card in Malaga (as a resident) and then you can start browsing all around town to find the best selection of books in English.

Waiting for an English Bookstore Near Me (in Malaga)

I hope you find this list of bookstores useful for your search for books in English in Malaga. Keep in mind, other than The Bookshop, the selection of books in English is limited to what fits on a single bookcase. Rather than going to one of these stores expecting to find a particular book in English, it’s better to go with an attitude that says, ‘I just want to find a good book in English.’

Like I said above, Malaga doesn’t owe me an English-language bookstore, but I wouldn’t be mad if someone decided to open one in this city. I’m thinking something like the Secret Kingdoms bookstore in Madrid or the Come In English bookstore in Barcelona. You never know, it could happen. Ojala!

If you know of a bookstore in Malaga that has a great selection of books in English, leave a note in the comments, and I’ll add it to the list.