about subjunctive

Question

Hola Inma,I don't understand the use of subjunctive here:  "Nunca hubiera pensado". Why not había pensado ?Un saludo coldialΕλισάβετ

Answer

Hola Ελισάβετ
In this sentence from the dictation:  "Nunca hubiera pensado que una librería tuviese una sección de libros..." we mean "I would have never thought that a bookshop had a section..." - It's using the pluperfect subjunctive as an alternative to "nunca habría pensado...". This use of hubiera is common in this sort of sentences as an alternative. 
You also see this usage in hypothetical sentences of this type:

Si hubieras sido más simpático ella no se hubiera/habría ido. 
If you had been nicer she wouldn't have left.

I hope this helped.
Inma