by Michelle Harris


Sophie Raphaeline
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Bookshop owner Sophie Raphaeline

About 10 years ago, Sophia Raphaeline was in Berlin with nearly 15,000 books. What started out as a café bookshop has become a favorite stop in Berlin for traveling English speakers. While the shop is an odd mix of store and library, no one seems to mind that some books are for sale while others are meant to be returned. “Berlin is ideal because it is cheap enough so that you can still do all sorts of reasonably experimental things,” she said. Raphaeline hosts a weekly dinner for locals and travelers to convene for food and friendly socializing.