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A solid second chance

Photo: S. SIVA SARAVANAN

Old is gold You might find some rare and valuable books among discarded old books

Did you ever have to leave a bookstore disappointed because the book you wanted so badly cost more than your budget? Well, worry no more. Because its second-hand books to the rescue.

Don’t get put off by the term “second-hand”. All the books that are sold second-hand are in excellent condition. Moreover, there is also a certain amount of romance as far as pre-owned books are concerned. It is thrilling to see a personal note or comment scribbled on the margins of the book. To flip through the pages of a book that someone else once read and enjoyed is something that will bring you closer to the book. If you are a person looking to explore new authors and books a used-books store is the best place to go to as it will tell you what books other people have enjoyed reading.

Major cities in India see a high demand for pre-owned books. However, “Kochi city is still in infancy as far as second-hand book stores are concerned,” says Abdul Latif, an ardent book lover and owner of Blossoms, a pre-owned books store on Press Club Road. “At Blossoms you will find fiction, travelogues, self-help books, film scripts, cook books and even comics,” he says.

Most of the books that you will find here are procured from countries like U.S.A, U.K and Canada. Some of them are also from other major used-books markets in India. They have everything from motivational books like “Who Moved My Cheese?” to works of great authors like Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Interesting titles like “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” and “Vintage Denim” catch your eye as you browse the racks.

But if you are a collector of rare books, do not forget to visit Marino Books. At this store on Paramara Road you may find some rare delights. Regular customers vouch for their Malayalam and general reading sections.

They also have books in other Indian languages and even books in German and Japanese which, surprisingly enough, do have quite a few takers. And if you are a college-going student, this store has textbooks on every subject you can imagine; physiology, statistics and economics, computer science; engineering physics... they have it all.

Monthly magazines like Time, National Geographic and others also find a place in their collection.

Besides these stores there are also wayside sellers at Menaka and on M. G. Road. These sellers may not have an organised collection. But you will find popular books, magazines and textbooks here.

Prominent among these sellers is Radhakrishnan, a native of Thrissur who has been running a stall on Teresa Lane in Convent Junction for the past 20 years.

He now runs it along with his son and they are very popular among students of all ages. Also because they stock textbooks for school and college-goers. Students also sell him the textbooks that he displays in his stall. Apart from textbooks, he also has an assortment of fiction and magazines.

Well, what are you waiting for? If it is some good reading that you are looking for, head to your nearest pre-owned books store.

Meanwhile, why not pick up those books gathering dust on your bookshelves and take them to the store so your book provides joy to someone else?

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