FAQ  (a.k.a. Frequently Asked Questions)

Is this a library?

No.  The books are for sale and are not to be read without payment.  However, we do have an excellent collection of current newspapers and relatively new magazines available to read for free. 

Is this a book exchange?

No, No, and No.

Do you buy books?

It depends on the author, the condition of the book, and whether or not we believe it will sell quickly.  We are always looking for novels by distinguished authors such as Tom Robbins, Kurt Vonnegut, and Isabelle Allende.   If we decide to purchase a book, we pay about half (or less) of the resell value. 

Where do you get your books?

We purchase books from publishers, authors, bookstores, online retailers, auctions, and individuals.  Certain friends, family members and customers have generously donated some great titles to the store.  We will gladly accept your book donations.

Why are your books so cheap?

We strive to fill the store with new books at reasonable prices.  If we get a good deal on a book, we try to pass the savings to the customer.  The prices for new books are almost always below the recommended selling price.  We know that many people traveling here are on a limited budget, so we do our best to accommodate everyone’s needs. 

Do you offer discounts?

No.  The prices of the books are not negotiable, so please don’t offer to pay less than the asking price.   This is not like the markets where you haggle over an item without a physical price tag.   Most of the books were purchased with the idea that if they don’t sell, they’ll wind up in our personal collection.  Certain members of this partnership see that as a good thing.  One can never have too many books on Rasputin or Chaos Theory, and as such there is no motivation for us sell below the fair asking price. 

Why are your books so expensive?

See afore-answered question, “Why are your books so cheap?”  We do not feel that $4 or $5 for a once-read paperback on the New York Times’ Bestseller List is expensive.  That equates to four (or less) local cervezas.  On the other hand, a plane ticket back to the United States, Canada or Europe to buy that paperback is rather expensive and might not be the wisest use of funds.  Our bookstore profits will not propel us into the financial stratosphere for a coveted position on the Forbe's List of Individuals with Way Too Much Money.

copies to be distributed amongst the 6 billion people on the planet.  As such, we must reiterate again that this is not a library.  Please don’t be offended if we ask that you return a book to the shelf is you do not have the funds or desire to purchase the book.  We have opened the store as a business.  It is not a charity.  Check out the library or online sources if the books do not fit your budget. 

In the end, people need to realize that this is an English bookstore in Nicaragua.  That bears repeating.  This is an English bookstore in Nicaragua.  You cannot wave a magic wand and fill the shelves with free books.   

What is a Book Nazi?

“No Books for you!”  Book Nazi is a spoof of the infamous "Soup Nazi" episode of the TV sitcom Seinfeld.  The Soup Nazi, a high-strung chef and creator of the best soups in New York City, banned customers with picky attitudes from his restaurant.  

We have poured our hearts into this business, and as such we are particularly sensitive to criticism regarding pricing (hence the lengthy explanation above).  If you feel the need to complain, we may feel the need to send you on your way to all the cheap booksellers in Nicaragua.  Oh, that's right, they don't exist.  Have fun at the book exchanges, where you'll find Nora Roberts and Fern Michaels, but you probably won't find Tom Robbins and Isabel Allende.  

Do you sell magazines?

No.  There are currently no magazine distributors willing to schlep down to San Juan del Sur to deliver two-week old copies of Newsweek at grossly inflated prices.  Even if we could easily access Sports Illustrated or People, the vast majority of our customers would pull a Barnes & Noble deal, spending five hours parked in a chair reading (and destroying) magazines without actually purchasing said magazines.  In the end, we believe it’s easier to purchase periodicals for the store than explain to the distributor why the now-worn magazines haven’t sold. 

Why aren’t you open every day?  Why don’t you have longer evening hours?

The store is open forty hours, five days a week, Wednesday through Sunday.  We moved to Nicaragua to improve our quality of life, not to become slaves to a business.  As the business grows, we may add more personnel and tweak the hours.  Until that time, you’ll have to visit us during our posted hours.  We do make exceptions for book emergencies (as in, “I am flying out of Managua tomorrow morning and I desperately need something good to read and my only other choice is to pay $12 for a slightly worn copy of a poorly written romance novel that has graced the shelf of the misnamed bookstore in the Managua airport for three years” kind of emergency).  If this is the case, ask around town and someone will probably be able to get in touch with us or point you in the right direction.  

Do you take credit cards?

Not at the moment.  We do not have a landline for the telephone and quite honestly, credit cards are a hassle and not worth the cost.  If you have a PayPal account, we can do a transfer over the Internet, but that requires a trip to our house (close by) or an Internet café to access purchase the books.  There are two ATMs in town, including one located one block away from the store.  We take US dollars and cordobas and even Euros.  Sorry, we do not need Central American currencies outside of the Cordoba. 

Is this an Internet café?  Do you have Wi-Fi?

No and No.  This is a bookstore where people read prose on paper as opposed to a text on a computer screen. 

There are several Internet cafes in town, and we feel no desire to spend thousands of dollars on equipment and security to compete with those already providing the service, even if we have better atmosphere.  (And let’s face it, no one expects us to compete for Internet customers- those suggesting we install Wi-Fi want it for free.)

Despite the flood of gringos moving into town, San Juan del Sur has not made it into the 21^st century in terms of Internet service.  High speed DSL and T-1 connections do not exist.  The two main ISPs are grossly over subscribed, and during the day, your connection makes you long for the days of the 28.8K modem, which is faster than the satellite/microwave connections here.  Imagine four people trying to share a Wi-Fi connection with a download speed of 4 Kbs per second.  It’s hardly worth it.  Besides, why surf the Internet when you can read a book?

I am allergic to cats.  Do you have cats lounging on the shelves like other bookstores?

Sadly, no.  Despite our name, there are no cats at El Gato Negro.  We have an open store and are not inclined to allow our housecats the opportunity to wander outside and meet a car or dog or feral cat. 

We are a pet-friendly store, though, and you may bring your pooch in for a bowl of water while you sip your cappuccino.  Your dog can hang out with the regulars like Lunchbox and his new pal Snackpack, as well as Twaney, Taj, Marley, Cash, Moxie, Sal, Dorie, Mick, Little, and Estrella.  

Why did you move to Nicaragua?

We fell in love with this country three years ago. Click here to see our travel blog.  A few years ago we felt the need to escape urban life for an adventure and ultimately decided to move to this wonderful beach town a year later.