03 February,2009 07:43 AM IST | | Bang Entertainment
Some bookshops in town can best be described as a labour of love. What's On browses at these delightful marts of books old and new
Blossom Book House
If it's a rare title you're looking for, you are most likely to find it at this three-floor bookstore on Church Street.
Neat cataloguing makes your search quick and easy. The youngsters manning the store are helpful and knowledgeable. Blossom has reader friendly offers where you can return books that you have bought at the store and get a discount on your next purchase. The discounts on books range from 10 per cent to over 90 per cent. And best of all, this is a store that encourages you to browse.
At: Blossom Book House, Church Street
Open: 10.30am to 9pm
Call: 2555 9733u00a0
I am lured by the smell of old books here! Blossom gives you the feeling of walking into a well-stocked library
Neeti Mahesh, 26, Student
Strand Book Stall
The Strand Book Stall is over 60 years old now and was started in Mumbai by TN Shanbag. They were among the first people in the business to offer discounts on books. In Bangalore, Strand is run by Shanbag's savvy daughter Vidya Virkar, who believes in keeping the store reader friendly. Their annual book fair has been a crowd puller for years.
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At: S 113 -114, Manipal Centre, Dickenson Road.
Call: 2558 0000
The discounts they offer are a huge attraction
Monica Bakhle, 33, Software professional
Total Kannada.comu00a0
Totalkannada.com started off as a web site and grew into a brick and mortar bookshop in Jayanagar 4th Block.
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They now have branches in Malleswaram and Balepet. According to Lakshmikanth, the proprietor, "Demand led to the birth of totalkannada.com. We stock a variety of books, CDs and DVDs and merchandise like greeting cards and T-shirts with witty slogans in Kannada. We have 1,700 movie titles and film songs from the '50s."
Laxmikanth points out that film stars like Sridhar, and poets like Y N Gundurao and Sumateendra Nadig are regular visitors to the store. "Some malls have invited us to set up shop on their premises. We may open a store at Gopalan mall on Mysore Road," he added.
For details, visit: www.totalkannada.com / https://shopping.totalkannada.com
Ankita Prakashana
This bookstore in Basavanagudi also sells only Kannada books. Proprietor Prakash Kambattalli says, "We have more than 5000 books. Writers and poets like Jayanth Kaikini, Baraguru Ramachandrappa, G S Shivarudrappa, B R Lakshman Rao, H S Venkatesh Murthy and others frequent our bookshop. Our aim is to offer good Kannada books under one roof. The recession hasn't affected our sales. Almost 10 per cent of our customers are NRIs.
It's encouraging to see that people have not lost interest in the language and the written word."
At: No. 53, Shyam Singh Complex, Gandhi Bazaar Main Road
Call: 2699 2014
The recession hasn't affected our sales. Almost 10 per cent of our customers are NRIs. It's encouraging to see that people have not lost interest in the language and the written word.
Prakash Kambattalli, Proprietor
Odyssey
This one is the new kid on the block. This premium leisure store chain has 31 stores in 13 cities, and stocks books, cards, stationery, gifts, toys and magazines. They offer discounts up to 50 per cent on books and other merchandise.u00a0
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At: Outlets at RT Nagar, Jayanagar, Indiranagar and at Bangalore International Airport.
