Avid expat readers around the world will all sympathize with the following problem: finding the book one craves to read in one owns language. Even the best bookstores in town and cities across the world will rarely have a wide range of foreign language books in stock or when they do, prices are often high.

But not to worry, solutions are at hand!

E-books
This is probably the quickest and most economical option to get the book you desire in a mouse click. All you need is to register with the website in question and make your order! Some like e-library.net will require payment but there are also many options out there which offer free downloads. Payment is usually done by credit card. The book is then either directly downloadable from the site or sent to your account within minutes. This makes it even possible to read a book from mobile devises with Internet access. In general e-books are cheaper compared to hard copies; just browse around for the best service providers online. Obviously these versions cannot be printed for copyright reasons. There is also the option of audio books: Both iTunes and Audible.com offer a wide selection.

Snooping online
For those tech-savvy amongst you who, however, still insist on reading the words from a real book – why not try posting an ad on your social networks and profiles? One of your friends or connections is bound to have an interesting book or even our hearts one desire which they would be willing to post to you! Another obvious option for those who enjoy physically turning the pages of a book is purchasing hard copies through online retailers such as Amazon or eBay. The procedure is the same as for the e-book – only that you have to give in a shipping address. The parcel will then be delivered directly to you within a few days depending on the delivery service chosen. Courier companies are obviously faster but more expensive than the normal postal services.

Libraries and second hand book stores
A further step away from technology is the option of going to a traditional library. Many locations will have numerous multilingual libraries or foreign cultural centers that have a wide range of books in several languages.
Another option to bear in mind is that of second hand book stores. With the recent economical recession there has been a boom in this market with on the one hand people trying to make a little extra cash by selling old books and on the other people trying to save the pennies by avoiding buying brand new copies. In Budapest, for instance, Dan Treehuggers Bookstore has even had to open new locations to cater for the volume of books available. Although these may not offer the latest best sellers, you might just find a gem amongst the dusty shelves.

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