Bangalore: A bibliophile’s paradise

"I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book."
----Groucho Marx

Bangalore with bookshops galore is truly the bibliophile’s haven. Small shops packed with paperbacks spilling onto pavements, inspiring second-hand bookstores storing old forgotten gems and snazzy new-age outlets filled with the smell of the printed page make a book-lover’s life truly exciting.

Make an enlightening journey to a great bookshop, pertinently called Oxford Book House. Located at Leela Galleria, inside Leela Palace Hotel, and open from 10 am to 10 pm, this shop has a humongous collection of titles, both paperback and hardback, in every conceivable genre. If all that walking and browsing make you hungry, snuggle with a paperback at the store’s Cha Bar that doles out great beverages and scrumptious snacks.

Premier Book House is greatly cherished by bookworms for its good collection and great discounts. If you have the patience to plough through the haphazard piles you might chance upon a treasure. A favourite haunt of the city’s tome aficionados.

Crossword, the chain of bookstores, is quite a happening place in the city’s book-culture circuit. It regularly organises book launches and reading sessions and, hence, biggies like Arundhati Roy or Vikram Seth animatedly discussing their work with the audience is a common scene here. Done up particularly keeping in mind the casual browser, this place will have you keep coming back for more.

Gangarams on MG Road has served the city folks through generations and many a Bangalorean has fond memories associated with this shop. For second-hand books and huge discounts Blossoms wins hands down.

With over 40,000 sq ft of area, displaying over 200,000 titles on a variety of subjects, Sapna Book House is perhaps the country's largest bookstore. Lose yourself in this maze of books, and you'll have the friendly sales personnel for assistance.

And finally, if you want to have a stimulating conversation, browse through some unusual titles, and view an art exhibition, visit Select Book House. Owned by Mr Murthy, the shop promises new discoveries and food for thought.

So cheers to glossy covers and to the inseparable world of books.