book club Anyone?

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Keith Woolford January 16, 2019 at 7:07pm

The Bookmark in Dolega has the largest selection of English language books in Panama. Say hello to Michael.
- Brian L Garroutte > Keith Woolford January 17, 2019 at 7:55am
  
  Thanks for that information. I think I've seen the place, with a For Sale sign on it, but I didn't know it was still in business.
Brian L Garroutte January 16, 2019 at 1:12pm

I would be interested. I live in David but it's really not all that far. I am also interested in finding a source of books written in English. There is a limited selection at the City Mall here in David, but the cost is quite high.

I did purchase a couple of books through Amazon and had them shipped here... OMG that is not the way to go. I think I paid close to $100 in shipping for $30 worth of books.

I know I should have purchased some sort of electronic reader thing before I left the US, but I don't like reading from a screen and the only one I ever tried was annoying to use and painful to my eyes. There are probably better products... I would appreciate a recommendation if anyone knows about these things.
- Bonnie Williams > Brian L Garroutte January 16, 2019 at 2:58pm
  
  The Fundacion Pro Integracion (Handicap Center) in Boquete sells books every Tuesday at the BCP Market. From time to time the Boquete Library also has book sales. There is an excellent selection.
  
  There is no import tax on books, so I find it hard to understand why you paid such exorbitant shipping fees. If you are a member of Amazon Prime, shipping within the U.S., to the office of your mail forwarder, is free; so you pay only for the shipping to Panama. This is certainly not negligible, but it's not exorbitant.
  
  I have found the best electronic reader to be the iPad, which also, of course, has many other functions. The font, size of type, and lighting is fully adjustible. It is available at the MStore at Plaza Terronal in David. IPads are pricey, but not shipping books would pay for one in a short time.
  - Brian L Garroutte > Bonnie Williams January 17, 2019 at 6:39am
    
    I'm not sure why I paid so much to ship that package. I may not have done it correctly. I had the books shipped by Amazon to a friend in the US who then sent them to a mail forwarder. There were some small items as well as a large pile of used books, and perhaps this triggered a customs duty; I don't know. It was the first time I tried this and I had no idea what I was doing.
    
    Anyway, thanks for the suggestion and I guess I'll check into the iPad. I have an iPhone already, although I don't much like it, and I'm not happy with the company's blatantly predatory activities lately, I suppose it would be good to have a compatible device.
    
    I just hate to give up real books... I will miss the weight of them, the smell, the feel of the pages...
    - Bonnie Williams > Brian L Garroutte January 17, 2019 at 6:55am
      
      I know the feeling of not wanting to give up the physical books. When I moved to Panama 12 years ago, I shipped in my household container boxes and boxes of books. But that was pre-Kindle. Because of shipping costs, I bought a Kindle, then an iPad sometime after I got here. There are two principal things that make me very glad I made the switch--apart from saving shipping costs. First, my old eyes now really need the adjustable font size and lighting of the electronic reader. Secondly, I am now planning a move, and packing up all my books to donate has been a major headache. Books are heavy and therefore require many, many boxes for a collection my size. I've been seeking out boxes and boxing up books for days.
      
      Make the switch. You'll be glad you did (once you get beyond the cost and the learning curve).
Elizabeth Worley January 14, 2019 at 1:31pm

There is a book club meeting tonight at Kathleen Frederick's in Boquete Country Club tonight at 5.00pm. YOu can contact her on Facebook.
Leslie Barranger January 14, 2019 at 10:46am

Hello, I own The CLubhouse at the BCP and would be more than happy to offfer our space for a book club. Please free the contact me at theclubhouseboquete@gmail.com.
Bonnie Williams January 12, 2019 at 2:47pm

There are two book clubs here that I know of, and there may be more. The two I'm familiar with reach out to new members when they have a vacancy based on what the potential member reads. Perhaps if you publish that information here, one of the clubs will have a vacancy and recognize you as a similar reading soul and invite you to join. Of course, you may wish to start your own.
- marlee chym > Bonnie Williams January 16, 2019 at 9:42pm
  
  Thanks Bonnie

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book club Anyone?

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