Better Books, the popular used bookshop, has reopened. They shut down their old location last year and I thought they were gone for good, but they’re kinda back now.
I’m saying kinda because the new spot doesn’t have the same large space or cozy charm as their old basement location. Better Books is still in Salmiya but now pretty small and awkwardly located on the first floor of an apartment building. They used to have over 10,000 used books for sale, but now only a fraction are on display while the rest are in storage.
They couldn’t find a larger space within their budget, so for now they’re operating out of this smaller one until they find something better.
Better Books, if you’ve never been, is a great spot to buy used books. They have everything from children’s books to cookbooks, novels, self-help, you name it. They also have a cool buyback policy where you can buy a book and then sell it back when you’re done. If you have books you don’t need, they’ll also take them off you and give you store credit. What I like about them is that you’ll often find old books and magazines from the 80s, like Archie and MAD comics, or Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew books.
If you’re looking to buy used books or donate any books you have, here is their location. Their Instagram account is also @betterbooks.kw.
This is like their third or fourth Instagram account since they lost access to the previous ones. If you happen to know of a larger but still affordable location for them, reach out and let them know.
One reply on “Better Books is Back, Kinda”
The owner had her citizenship stripped in the Article 8 revocation. Anyone wanting to take over lock stock and barrel (twice as many books still in storage) let us know. Businesses previously owned by Article 8ers can still be owned by now ‘treated as Kuwaiti’ people but bureaucratic hurdles have tripled. All reasonable inquiries entertained.