It isn't tough finding a book store in the city these days. There is a book store in almost every corner, with a new one coming up every other day. We spent a happy day browsing through some of the old, small and popular of the lot. Here's an easy walk through.
Premier Bookstore
46/1 Church Street,
Next to Night Watchman Pub,
Bangalore - 560001.
Tel - 080-25588570
Yes it's tiny and with books piled up to the ceiling it looks like every second book is going to fall off the rack. But that's what makes Premier Bookstore special to generations of booklovers. You get a discount on the marked price and can interact with the now legendary owner T Shanbag, who knows exactly where a book is kept in the entire maze. If not, take your own time and make surprising discoveries. Not however for those who do not like clutter and are claustrophobic. There were rumors of the store closing once upon a time but thankfully it has survived. Be warned however that they shut for lunch between 1.30 PM and 3 PM.
Blossom's Book Store
84/6, Opp. Ameoba, Church Street,
Bangalore - 560001.
Tel - 080-25559733
It's spread over three floors and you can go up the second and third floors for the real hunt. Blossom's as it's popularly called, has books on every possible subject, including a large collection of old and used books. Every subject, from Yoga to War Comics is available here. They also offer a great collection of children's books. The other favorite part of several customers is the (often) whopping discount when you finally present your loot at the billing counter. Books are organized under labels here.
Strand Book Stall
S-113 & 114, Manipal Centre,
Dickenson Road, Bangalore - 560042.
Tel - 080-25580000
Whether it's the Mumbai Strand or its equally famous Bangalore namesake, the discounts are always talked after. You get a minimum 20% discount on every purchase. The Annual Strand Book Fair is quite an event. Books here are quite neatly organized. The store organizes book readings as well. Books on every possible topic are available.
Select Bookshop
71 Brigade Cross Road
Bangalore-560001
Tel -080-25580770
If you are looking for out-of-print editions and rare books, by all means go here. Once again, a very personal experience, as the owner Murthy, runs the store himself and lets you browse in peace. Some lucky souls have even found first editions here. That apart, there are books on science, space, history and even old comic books and those from National Geographics. If you have any book-related-queries, the owner would gladly help you out. It's easy to miss, located as it is in a small alley on the left in the middle of busy Brigade road. It shuts by 6.30 PM and an hour earlier on Sundays.
Sankar's The Book People
BangaloreAirport, Tel - 080-25225633
Ranga Shankara, J P Nagar,
Tel - 080-26494656
They have several outlets across the city. We loved the outlet at Ranga Shankara for its small but offbeat collection of books on drama and theatre. The branch at Bangalore Airport is also quite a good one and has a pretty decent collection of fiction, philosophy, thrillers, biographies, self-help and other titles.
Gangaram's Book Bureau
72, M G Road, Bangalore-560001.
Tel - 080-25581618
It's one of those old sentinels on MG Road. Spread over three floors, the collection is huge. There are separate floors for fiction, non-fiction, travel, humor etc as well as management books and research materials. The books are well-arranged and you can always ask the staff for assistance. You also get stationery items of every kind here.
Variety Book House
48, St. Mark's Road,
Next To KC Das,
Bangalore-560001.
Tel - 080-25559987
If you are magazine buff and love browsing through every publication that's hit the market, then don't forget to visit this one. This is a pavement book stall on Church Street, next to KC Das outlet, run by an ever-smiling and courteous staff. You get a very wonderful variety of Indian as well as foreign magazines (on every topic, from women to auto) and newspapers here. The same people have a spacious outlet called Magazines at the joint of Church Street and Brigade Road. They stock old and new magazines from India and overseas. Some of the older issues of foreign magazines are available at an 80% discount. Apart from the array of magazines, they also have some lovely Persian cats (the owner's pets) lazing around.
Bangalore Books has been written by Reshmi who writes for MetroMela. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Reshmi_Chakraborty |
By Reshmi Chakraborty
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