But it ain't the same thing. I like to feel the paper in my hand, turn the pages when absorbed mentally, sniff the whiff of ink and glue. Binding and spine. Nothing like cracking a virgin spine. Besides when toilet paper has been exhausted and push comes to shove, well then there ya go, bob's yer uncle! Lotsa usable paper. ! Leaves upon leaves! Onion skin I find to be the best when wiping yer arse, fold it twice at least though, lest one's finger accidentally penetrate places ought not to be penetrated. Boy Scout leaders and some clergymen may have differing opinions.
I recommend Zlibrary. z-lib.orgI go online. With patience, one can a great deal of material for free. The Yandex search engine is far more fruitful than shite venues like Bing.cn
I download and print. For some reason, for me, real reading, thinking and writing, is best done using paper.
*SIGH* Just turn the contrast on your computer to max and paste a sheet of paper over the screen. There. Your online book is on paper now. Read. Enjoy. Damn kids don't know hi-tech from a strumpet holding a pawn.
Where to Find Foreign Language Books in Beijing
Let's say you want to find English and other foreign-language books in the capital, where would one go?
Ever since The Bookworm closed back in 2019 - which boasted not only a large selection of China-related books in foreign Languages, but a large library for borrowing - the options are a little few and far between. That doesn't mean they're nonexistent, though.
PageOne Qianmen
Perhaps the largest of PageOne's many Beijing branches, this one is also the best to visit. On the upper floors you'll find English versions of tomes on art, architecture, film, and travel complimented by views of Zhengyangmen and Tian'anmen Square. There's even a coffee shop you can read in to while away the time as well.
PageOne Bookstore (Qianmen Branch)
Bldg E11, Beijing Fun East, Qianmen Meishi Jie, Xicheng District
西城区前门煤市街北京坊东区E11号楼
Beijing Foreign Languages Bookstore
What once was one of the capital's best known bookshops besides The Bookworm, these have also become worse for wear over the years. BFLB once had a separate shop on the 4th floor replete with secondhand novels that's now long gone.
Now most of the novels, classics, travel guides and the rest have been relegated to a back room to make room for... other great works. There's no telling how long they'll be there, but at least there are still some good reads to be found within.
Beijing Foreign Languages Bookstore 北京外文书店
235 Wangfujing Dajie, Dongcheng District
东城区王府井大街235号
Mac Kids Books
This shop, located in a nondescript office building up in Shunyi, is the most comprehensive kids bookstore in Beijing according to our sister site Jingkids International. Even though it's mainly aimed towards Kids aged 0-18, there are works like the Lord of the Rings to be found here, and the owners can order books to be shipped to Beijing if you can't find what you're looking for.
Mac Kids Books 麦克英文童书店
Golden Landmark Office Bldg 910-911, 32 Liangmaqiao Road, Chaoyang District
朝阳区亮马桥32号高斓大厦910-911号
Roundabout
Although a store for second hand goods all around, Roundabout does have a fair selection of second hand foreign language books on offer. They also have a special WeChat group for sales and exchanges of second hand books (link below).
Roundabout
Cathay View Plaza, 2 Xiangjiang Bei Lu, Shunyi District
顺义区香江北路2号
JD and Taobao
It goes without saying that if you can't find it offline, you can most likely find it online. A number of shops on JD and Taobao offer Foreign and English-language titles for delivery (one of my go-tos on JD is 中华商务进口图书旗舰店 Zhōnghuá Shāngwù Jìnkǒu Túshū Qíjiàn Diàn, China Business Import Flagship Bookstore). Just be sure to check that the Chinese word 预订 yùdìng, meaning "reserve" isn't before the title. That means it'll be shipped from overseas, which generally takes three to four weeks to arrive.
READ: An Interview with New Spittoon Book Club Leader Sean Toland
Images: César Viteri (via Unsplash), Vincent R. Vinci, Vivienne Tseng-Rush
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I recommend Zlibrary. z-lib.orgI go online. With patience, one can a great deal of material for free. The Yandex search engine is far more fruitful than shite venues like Bing.cn
I download and print. For some reason, for me, real reading, thinking and writing, is best done using paper.