The Hunt
Sunday, August 30, 2015
Every reader would have a treasured
haunt – a bookshop that would be his/her beloved spot to scramble for any
titles. This could be a roadside set up with second hand books sprawling
underneath a tree near bus stops or big organized bookstore chains. It may not
be to pick any specific book per se; the mere ambience of this favorite bookshop
would be enough to give a high to the bibliophile. I can vividly imagine the
winding alleyways where books are arranged sky high and the knowledgeable staff
informed of pretty much about every book that you give a hint about.
It is an adrenaline rush
the moment you step into such a store that is abated only after the quota of
books are bought and you see outside life again! You amble along the various
sections where books based on topics or genres are kept. You read a bit here
and there, peek some titles, some blurbs or even decide to read a full chapter
in itself, losing yourself in this magical world. There might be some books
perched above the shelves of which a bit is visible, making you all the more
needy to possess the book. Once it is in your hand, the mere act of randomly
browsing through the pages and filling in the musty smell would make any avid
book worshipper to be on cloud 9. Like I have read in a novel, the book would
find it’s owner and I kind of believe it now.
I have been fortunate to
frequent such a place in Bangalore – the blossom book house in Church Street
that served to be unique in getting some good finds in my journey for books.
Every alternate weekend, I made a getaway to this store, if not for buying all
the time, but for the pleasure of glancing at various literary gems. I was
looking for such a nook here in Kochi and incidentally, there is a bookstore at
Convent Junction, near the Press Club with the same name. This is something I adore
now and the books are conveniently spread in a hall at the basement of a
building. The owner knows all about
various books and I strike up a conversation every time I make my visit. Many a
times, there have been good suggestions as to my next book to be read.
Though I do not finish
books faster, this ritual of sorting and sieving various authors would continue
every Sunday and I look forward to this joyful vocation!
1 comments
.I absolutely understand this...You have written down what majority of us love Blossom for. It was a place I used to love going to !!! Whether or not i bought a book it was always a pleasure to stay in the midst. of of it all . I miss the place it now that I've left Bangalore. A big thank you. Now I know I can look forward to something similar in Cochin.
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