Books in Amman

While Arabic-book stocking bookshops are naturally more available than ones that provide an up-to-date title list of English-language books, you can probably find what you need.

Aramex Media stores are scattered all over town, especially in large supermarkets, malls, and points of urban interest. Usually, they sell top-selling titles, and daily publications.

For a better bookshop experience, head to one of these following bookstores:

"The Good Book Shop" in Jabal Amman. From the outside, you see past the glasspanes to the absolutely inviting interior with the cozy wooden floors and beige walls covered with rows and rows of books. Once inside though, as much as their design is cozy, I found that their content is really disappointing. 80% of their books are academic, and by academic I mean those used for the IGSCE and IB systems, 10% are religious scriptures, and the other 10% are nothing I would personally acquire.
The Good Bookshop. Jabal Amman. 06-461-3939.

"Titles" in Abdoun. A bookstore that I prefer a lot more is "Titles", one of Amman's best hidden secrets. I've never left Titles empty handed, even when I don't go with the intention of buying anything. Their book section is quite small in comparison to other bookstores around, but it's always fresh and full of good new content that I hit it before any of the bigger stores.
Titles Bookshop. Abdoun. 06-592-4130.

"Prime Megastore" in Mecca Mall or Barakeh Mall. Ahhh, Prime. I absolutely adore this place although I don't get to visit it as often as I'd like because its unstrategically placed in one of my least favorite places in Amman- Mecca Mall. Their collection of art, photography, architecture and design books is absolutely fantastic- always changing, always brand new, always fresh (and overpriced), and always tantalizingly appealing to me. I don't think I ever feel as much shopping instincts anywhere as much as I do in Prime.
Their novel collection is also wonderful, and I love how they concentrate on books written by Arabs such as the works of Edward Said, Laila Lalami, and Amin Malouf.
Prime Megastore Bookshop. Barakeh Mall, Barakah Mall, Sweifyeh. 06-581-1204.

"Books@Cafe" in Jabal Amman . I like Books@Cafe, it's not as diverse as Prime nor is it as comfortable as Titles, but it's a quite nice book buying experience anyway, and they have a good collection of books. They also have a very cheap used books section, which is usually filled with junk rather than anything else but which I think is a fantastic idea anyway.

The other bookstores around but which I've never bought anything from due to limited, mostly old, and overpriced collections and/or horrible book organizing are "The University Bookshop", "Istiklal Bookshop", and "The Oxford Bookshop". I've never left any of those places with a book.

Readers Bookshop in Cosmo. The newest bookshop in town has a fantastic, constantly up-to-date collection of a wide array of topics. You will enjoy it.

Phone numbers of Bookshops:
1. Readers Bookshop. Cosmo, 7th Circle. 06-581-4142.
2. Prime Megastore Bookshop. Barakeh Mall, Barakah Mall, Sweifyeh. 06-581-1204.
3. Jabal Tareq Bookshop. Mecca Mall, Khalda. 06-551-4679.
4. The Good Bookshop. Jabal Amman. 06-461-3939.
5. Titles Bookshop. Abdoun. 06-592-4130.