Chennai’s best bookshops

For a bibliophile, in search of printed fodder, Chennai throws up a lot of options. Think books and the first name that comes to mind is Landmark, a lifestyle store that has revolutionised the very concept of reading and shopping for books. Both its branches in the city (at Spencer Plaza and Citi Centre ), heave with titles in every genre, neatly lined and labelled. Besides books, you can feast your soul with music and movie CDs or pick up a gift item for your loved one.

Odyssey started out as a small hole-in-the-wall outlet at Adyar but has now moved into a snazzy space at Anna Nagar. If you happen to pass by the area, you’d definitely want to have a dekko at this plush air-conditioned store, seducing the booklover in you with a host of glossy titles. Got a friend celebrating her birthday? Worry not; you could pick up a lovely gift from here as well.

Oxford (Haddows Road) is the new kid on the block, wooing one and all with a warm ambience (read red walls, gleaming floors and plush seating) and an exhaustive booklist. Sit on the steps and flip through a book or browse the latest titles over a cuppa and choicest shorteats.

However, if you are smitten by the charm of sepia-tinted pages and dog-eared covers, good old Higginbotham’s (Anna Salai) is where you should head to. A treasure trove that’s been around forever, it’s the one-stop-shop for all kinds of books, from the very popular Mills and Boon series to college texts and reference books. A no-nonsense ambience adds to its personality.

Raid the racks ... ASAP!