(There’s something for everyone at Maadi Used Books)
We moved to Egypt with only twelve bags, bulging with clothes, Legos, and an entire desktop computer and monitor. Tucked into the nooks and crannies of our luggage were a few of our favorite books. We were sad to leave our shelves of books behind in the USA but, as they say, “needs must.”
Imagine, then, our delight when we discovered Maadi Used Books. Thanks to our friends at this handy used bookstore on Road 9, we’ve slowly but surely restocked our family library.
There’s something for everyone at Maadi Used Books. Something you should know about me is that I am a bit of an Arabic junkie. Thanks to Maadi Used Books, I have collected an embarrassingly large number of Arabic to English dictionaries. I am also a homeschooler. I often arrive at the bookstore with a long fiction and non-fiction wishlist for the school year, and I rarely leave disappointed.
My kids are voracious readers. Their ages and interests differ, and yet someone always finds a treasure, whether it be the next book in the Percy Jackson series, a DK reader on dinosaurs, or 1001 jokes about ancient Egypt.
(Maadi Used Books is a booklover’s dream come true)
You need to know that the shop is small and the books are tightly packed in tall, teetering stacks. Toddlers need constant supervision. Also, the English section of the store is located outside the shop. This makes browsing very sweaty work during the summer months. Add to that the fact that the residents of the apartment building next door apparently dislike noise, so the bookstore owners will unapologetically shush your children if their squeals of delight at finding the perfect book get out of hand.
(Watch where you step at Maadi Used Books)
Despite these small inconveniences, it is our go-to place in a country essentially void of “public” libraries. We may have been to Maadi Used Books a hundred times, so often that twice our visits have coincidentally coincided with those of visiting reporters investigating the shop for a story. Here’s one of those reports.
Remember the bulging suitcases? Well, now we have bulging bookshelves. No matter; Maadi Used Books is always willing to exchange books. The exchange rate is determined by the popularity and quality of the books you bring into the shop. My advice: contact the bookstore in advance via FB messenger and ask when Khalid will be there. He always gives the best exchange rate. Tell him Jamila sent you.
Getting to Maadi Used Books is a piece of cake. Parking on Road 9 is a bit tricky, so Uber is the best option if you want to come by car. You may also come by metro; the bookstore is just a short walk from the Sakanet el-Maadi Station. Finally, depending on where you live, you may be able to walk! That is what we always do.
So, grab a bookbag and get on over to Maadi Used Books. I’ll see you there!
