Nothing trumps the feeling of entering a bookstore, for a bibliophile. At a time when that may not be feasible for all, we're here to tell you that the experience of walking into a virtual one is just as thrilling. How do we know? Well, we tried it — on WhatsApp (WA). On Sunday morning, we joined the WA group of Bengaluru's iconic Select Bookshop that was established in 1945, and is known for its eclectic collection of second-hand books and rare titles. The bookstore was starting its sale at 10.30 am, as announced by their marketing manager Katitra Debnath, who also laid out the rules: pictures of the books would be posted with details on its price and condition, and claims would be considered on an FFF (Fastest Finger First) basis.

After the pictures rolled in, the group chat was open for claims; it was both startling and heartening to see the rate at which the 200-odd people in the group rushed to grab their titles, albeit in a very organised manner. Debnath tells us that approximately 75 per cent of the stock he put out on Sunday was sold.