Books in Delhi !!

shilpaks

Hey
im an avid reader. wanted to know some great book stores in Delhi.
also is there anything that sells second hand books only?

shilpa

New-South-Welshman

If I remember correctly, there are a tonne of book stores on and in Connaught Place. I couldn't get away from them. I remember buying books like Brief History in Time and Mein Kampf and stuff. This was in 2004, so.

__________________
Mr. Burns "Non-violence never solved anything!"

New-South-Welshman

I meant "Brief History OF time".

DaDrifter

There are many good bookstores in Connaught Place, to name a few :

ED Galgotia, The Bookworm and The New Book Depot - all in B Block, Connaught Place
The Empire Book Store and Famous Book Store at Janpath
The newly opened Oxford Book Store at the Statesman Building

South Extension and Khan Market are also good places to look for books.

The roadside book market held at Daryaganj on Sundays is a good place to look for second hand and rare books.

mridula

Have you discovered Daryaganj? A weekly (on Sundays) open air market of second hand books? I wrote about it in more detail here:

http://traveltalesfromindia.blogspot...market-at.html

__________________
mridula

http://www.gonomad.com/traveltalesfromindia/

shilpaks

daryaganj i did hear about, but havent been able to go there yet coz i got mixed opinions about wht time i should go.
ty for the other stores list. i will start exploring them one by one

shilpa

Karan321

There are a couple second hand book vendors in Nehru place office complex. I dont read too much so not sure what kind of books they have but the one outside Mansarover building seems to be quite popular.

mridula

8.30-9 in the morning is less crowded and around 11 the crowd starts to pick up at Daryaganj.

Lugubert

Interests vary. For second hand books, I think there will be ample possibilities in Old Delhi, for example on Nai Sarak. Nai Sarak also has a shop for the indology publisher Munshiram Manahorlal. I found a couple of beauties there, but most of my more than 80 lbs. of book purchases (South Asian languages, religions, classical literature etc.), came from the Motilal Banarsidass shop on Northern Ridge (Bungalow Road).

aadil

The pavement stalls are the best bet for the secondhand books and I am sure you will find a good bargain as long as you know how to bargain with them!!! Do not show an extra eagerness towards any particular book or else they will sense that you desperately want that book and will not reduce the price for you. Motilal Banarsidass for Indian History, old manuscripts in Sanskrit and Indology books is one great bookshop but you can also order online from their website. Hope you enjoy your book buying experience, I sure do when I go out everytime for the same!!!

Cheers,
Aadil.

__________________
Climb high; climb far;
Your goal, the sky,
Your aim, the stars!!!

rajeev1008

Can try the PVR saket area too - the Om book shop is good. And just outside the shop, you can find 3-4 good second hand book sellers.

Number Six

Nice bookshop in Khan Market..

DaDrifter

Great suggestions ... these two are perhaps the best places for books on Indian mythology, religion and literature. Both these places have become quite approachable now with the metro passing through Old Delhi. Nai Sarak is just a few minutes walk from the Chawri Bazar metro station and Bungalow Road is very close to the Delhi University campus on the same metro line.

shilpaks

i did hear abt nai sarak. i heard thrs a "book street" , is this the place?

SMARTGUY

So Shilpa, hope you are getting adjusted to delhi...slowly

You've heard a lot about Delhi bookstores
But haphazardly running into the slickest bookshops isn't the answer -- unless you're looking for another copy of Dan Brown to gift that annoying nephew. You do need a bit of a helpful tap on the shoulder, a 'tried there, dear fellow' sort of a thing. For a list of Delhi bookstores, you'd look at yellow pages.
Let me tell you about must-visit stores, where to find rarities and places to get them cheaper. Leap in and have fun.


Sunday Book Market

With a startling attention to detail, the books are categorised helpfully into separate sections, like Academic, Fiction and even Genre Fiction. While the bazaar is open till about 5.30 pm,but 7am to 9 am is the slot when the best deals are struck.

Here,you're certainly going to unearth some incredible second-hand finds! It is one of the finest bookstalls but clustered together into a large and legal collective, laced with a bit of an enthused, festival feel. Complete with old-world cuisine and Delhi at its most charming. Go here.

Address:
1.5 km stretch near Golcha Cinema, Daryaganj


BookWorm

A long-standing Delhi chain, Bookworm stocks an eclectic range of popular titles and hard to find editions. Curious novels rub shoulders with paperbacks, but the circular stall in Connaught Place is a definite must-browse, and while the crowds can get maddening, you are likely to emerge with a semi-heavy plastic bag in hand, wearing the proud smile of a triumphant explorer. Just don't go hunting for books in particular, and you won't be disappointed.

Branches:
*B-29, Inner Circle, Connaught Place
*M-Block Market, GK-I


Fact & Fiction
In the middle of one of the city's youngest and most frantic markets, and right across the Priya Cinema ticket counter stands the tiny Fact & Fiction. You squeeze into the store and are stunned by the sudden silence. The books are stacked up neatly, and thankfully not sub-categorised maddeningly. Mostly everything seems interesting and not overfamiliar, and while the obligatory new releases line a shelf, the owner won't let you go astray.You name an author, he parries with another. He suggests titles and actually dissuades purchases (U'll enjoy that)

The store has a fine graphic novel section, and a wall-full of incredible music/movies books.

Address:39, Basant Lok Market, Vasant Vihar


Midland Book Shop
Ah, now this chain you need to spend some time on. The books here aren't wonderfully categorised (to say the least) and the managers often woefully mispronounce names of authors in classic Delhi fashion.
The store provides blanket 20 percent discount on all purchases, and that helps tremendously, even if their collection is a bit of a me-too. An ideal place to pick up books you saw elsewhere for cheap, you do end up unearthing something special if you spend long enough in the debris.

Branches:
*G-8, (Basement), South Extension-I
*20, Aurobindo Place Market, Hauz Khas(recommended)
*Janpath, Connaught Place



Om Book Shop

At first glance, a pleasant none-too-special set of large, sprawling populist bookstores, the Om shops have the habit of springing surprises from time to time.
Something quite special is up on sale for a price you can't believe. Just spend an hour there, will you?

Branches:
*E-77, South Extension-I
*45, Basant Lok Market, Vasant Vihar
*G 13-16, MGF, Metropolitan Mall, DLF, Gurgaon

Oxford Bookstore

Things are neat and orderly, and people generally know what you're talking about. A decent bookstore to visit if you're in a hurry and open (okay, let's say very open) to a surprise purchase, instead of sticking to one particular obscure volume.
There's a wide-enough selection of books, especially if you're in the market for hard-to-find science fiction.

Address: Statesman House, First Floor, 148, Barakhamba Road



Full Circle

Located in GK (Greater Kailash)'s lesser-frequented market, this one offers peace and quiet despite a large and comfortable size, and while chances are you've read a lot of the books on offer, they're still offered in style.

In fact, this just might be one of the city's best shops to buy presents. You'll find shiny new editions with cool covers as well as sincere-looking older versions, leather-bound coffee-table books, big hardcover tomes on ancient and colonial India (a surprisingly splendid range), and lots of neatly repackaged classics.

Address:
N-8, N-Block Market, Greater Kailash-I

HAPPY READING !