Landmark Bookstore

Located in Forum, Koramangala, this is a bookstore with one of the best collection of books I have come across. Going there is an experience in itself. You get educated on the latest arrivals, various genres and the range of books in each category. The bookstore is extensively categorized and that makes it easy to find books and also browse subjects. The Indian writers section is one of the largest I have come across in any of the other stores. The categories range from Cookery, Commercial Interiors to Cinema and of course an entire aisle on literature and fiction.

As soon as you enter the store, you come across a range of latest arrivals, talked about/reviewed/prize winning books. There are also displays of award winning authors. Recently the flavor was Doris Lessing, with an entire display of all her works. I have listed out the categories here in case you are looking for something in particular: Cookery, Sports, Gardening, Photography, Wildlife, Encyclopedia, VB, Networking, Java, SQL, Art, Craft, Interiors, Fashion, Windows, Cinema, Finance, Trading, Certifications, Communication, net, Commercial Interiors, Health and Fitness, Marketing, Puzzles, English Reference and a lot many more. I came across a section called book CDs, which is basically books along with their movie versions – really liked this concept. They have a separate children’s section with a good collection of favorite authors. You would also find Kannada books here.

My one grouse with this bookstore is that it does not have a place to sit. There are stools at selected locations and you wonder why they are piled high with books. If a free one comes by, you would notice that it has ‘books only’ printed on top. So these stools are hallowed ground unavailable for occupation. So you come across people perched at the foot of a pillar. Though you are spoilt for choice here, you get exhausted standing around after a while. We had to break our sojourn among the aisles for a coffee break.

Landmark also has a collection of CDs, perfume, cutlery, toys and other items on the third floor. The book store is on the 2nd floor but the billing happens only on the 3rd, so you pass through all the goodies on that floor as well and probably end up spending a bit more on things other than books.

We wanted to bring you a few photographs of the place but the first one we took, of the entrance clearly says ‘no photography allowed inside’. So you will have to make do with a snapshot of just the entrance.

Kenneth Anderson’s tales from the Indian Jungle

For those of us in India who’ve grown up on tales of Corbett, Anderson will rekindle similarly fond memories of an India where fangs and claws still ruled supreme. Readers not familiar with Corbett or his ilk of hunter turned conservationists need not worry about finding themselves alienated, for Anderson possesses a rare talent which makes anything woven by him a sheer delight to read. Anderson was a british hunter turned naturalist who made India his home and much like Corbett fell in love with its diverse flora and fauna (more with the latter). Both these hunters had their fair share of ending the budding careers of many a menacing man eaters (Humans used to be a viable prey species not all that long ago you know), but that’s where the resemblance ends. Anderson frequented the pristine rain forests and dry scrub jungles of South India compared to where his predecessor operated and Anderson also got to personally witness the results of an uncontrolled population boom and the havoc it has since wreaked on the India’s ecosystems.

Getting back to less gloomy subjects, Anderson’s anecdotes (for that is the gist of everything written by him) is a first person account of his experiences in the jungles of South India. He regales the readers with delightful tales of various close encounters with some of the most majestic and dangerous creatures of sub continent, with the Tiger being the foremost of these illustrious beasts. The narration is often pacy and nail biting leaving the reader breathless. Anderson also lends a warm and personal touch to the anecdotes, a style which is uniquely his own. The reader is transported back to a period where the nascent young nation was taking its first uncertain steps from a colonial hangover and this setting adds even more to the charm of an already endearing theme. Imagine, no computers, TVs, cellphones, gameboys, discos or urban jungles, replaced instead by virgin rainforests where a tiger roams in all its pomp, dusk as witnessed from the comfortable porch of a jungle bungalow, the call of the wild filling your every waking hour… Sigh I could just go on, but I'll have to settle for reading Anderson. Somebody invent a time machine and hurry up.

Higginbothams

Located in the heart of the city on that prime real estate (M G Road) that attracts the largest transitory & tourist population Higginbothams is one of the oldest book stores in Bangalore. The old Victorian façade very similar to the Deccan Herald office next door evokes memories of the colonial past of the cantonment that Bangalore was for the British troops.

Although the rundown nature of the store is not very inviting, the fact that it’s just off the road and you can see the books from outside draws you in. The ground floor is what I would term a good example of “playing to the gallery”. Books are not really classified here other than being an assortment that would appeal to the masses. From the current Nobel winner Doris Lessing, the latest best seller Kite Runner (Khaled Hossini) to the usual suspects Agatha Christie, Terry Pratchett, Sherlock Holmes and Sidney Sheldon. For the tourist a quick pick of everything ‘Indian’, Books on Yoga, Books on the traditional dance forms (Kathak, Bharatnatyam, Mohini Attam et al) Kamasutra, Travel Guides, thankfully nothing on snake charming though :)

A doorway leads into the deeper recesses of the ground floor which is surprisingly well lit and ventilated. Encyclopaedias, Dictionaries and other reference books abound here. A large collection of Tamil books and the ever popular, among architects, home builders and carpenters alike, Fevicol Furniture Books are two notable finds here.

The first floor with a larger area is well laid out and spacious. Better categorization of books, mostly non fiction, comics and children’s books.

Source: Google Maps

The Bartimaeus Trilogy- Amulet of Samarkand

Jonathan Stroud creates a clever and sometimes light hearted plot which weaves ancient fantasy into a very modern setting. Set in an alternate reality where history’s turned out rather differently thanks largely to the proverbial genie in the bottle, Stroud introduces us to a world where Aladdin wears glasses and travels around in a car. That is of course a very rough analogy, for the story itself is far more intriguing and much more evolved in terms of plot elements and the interplay between them. Humans on the planet are divided and segregated not on the basis of the caste colour, creed or even race, they’re now discriminated against on the basis of their ability to control magical beings. The have nots are as usual ruled by the more privileged and their simmering discontentment is subtly showcased in many of the story’s various byplots.

Britain is ruled by an elite group of wizards (No, Harry Potter is not one of them), who in turn rely upon a hierarchy of magicians whose standing in the larger scheme of things is dependent completely on their ability to control magical beings like Genies, Afrits, Imps and so on and so forth. Any ‘magically talented’ youngster is quickly whisked away by the government to be raised by stentorian foster guardians (selected by the government of course) who train these individuals in the darker arts and more importantly, in the etiquette of living in such a fractured society. Nathaniel aka John Mandrake, our young protagonist is introduced into this convoluted scenario as one such young tyke already showing a flair for making it big. Though the art of summoning powerful magical entities is a closely guarded secret and requires government sanction (kinda like getting a license to drive I suppose), young Nat, in an attempt to impress his foster master, manages to summon a mid level genie to do his bidding. What follows is rather unexpected as the genie, instead of being a servile fawning pawn in Nathaniel’s scheme of things, displays a mind of his own. Bartimaeus as he calls himself has his own plans and as it turns out, being subservient to an adolescent brat is not one of them. What further enlivens the plot is that Bartimaeus has a very sardonic sense of humour and had me rolling silly on my sides at times. The story then takes a darker twist when John seeking to redress a slight by a far more powerful magician steals a rare and valuable artifact (yup I am indeed referring to the Amulet of Samarkand) from his nemesis. As the plot thickens, John unwittingly becomes involved in a deadly political game of deceit and intrigue which will see him fighting to stay alive. In the process John and the Genie become grudging admirers of each other, offering the reader a fascinatingly unique plot to peruse. A must have on your shelf.

Steven Erikson’s Malazan book of the fallen 1- Gardens of the Moon.

The latter half of the last century saw a profusion of authors plying their wares in the fantasy fiction genre. Most of these authors stuck to the time tested good guys Vs bad guys formula with a dash of dragons and a whiff of elves, but rarely did anyone reinvent the wheel. Of course notable exceptions like Robert Jordan and George R R Martin exist and thank goodness for them. Fantasy would cease to be truly magical, regressing instead into a simple soap unworthy even of being clubbed in the same league as the mind numbing stupidity of reality TV. Only once in a while do we really come across what one would term as a work of art. Steven Erikson’s Malazan book of the fallen is most definitely worthy of being crowned with that epithet.

Not only does it break the mold in terms of originality, it also serves to remind us that true fantasy fiction is alive and kicking. From soaring to majestic heights one minute where the key protagonists cover themselves with glory, to plumbing the very depths of the basest human instincts, the Malazan series has it all.

Set in a world quite removed from our own (Like most of its brethren in this genre), the series follows the adventures of a disparate bunch of characters across different corners of this imaginary world. That’s right there are a huge number of key characters in this series which would’ve probably been a point against the book, had it not been for Erikson’s ability to make every one of these characters unique and essential to the plot. Erikson’s other great ability unlike many other fantasy authors, is his knack of creating what initially seems to be unrelated mumbo jumbo only for the various plots to seamlessly mesh together in the sequels. Erikson already scores over the bunch by cleverly bringing all these seemingly unrelated elements together time and again to provide a fascinating interplay between the various characters, but what truly sets him apart from the crowd is the fantasy. The magical world dreamt by him is truly awesome. Mortals ascending to divinity, untold realms of magic governing the physics of this universe, powerful but long extinct sentient Elder races, of eternal feuds and conflicts spanning truly immense magnitudes, all this and more only at your nearest Malazan world. To get down to the business end of things, chronologically, the reader can begin with any of the first three books as a means of getting introduced to the series, but being old fashioned as I am, I chose book one, Gardens of the Moon as the most obvious means of getting acquainted with this epic series.

Gardens of the Moon begins by offering the reader an account of the conquests of the Malazan empire (which provides a uniting plot element for most of the series hence the name) on the continent of Genebackis. After brief flashback introducing us to two of the most enduring characters of the series, the story begins with the tale of an empire in turmoil. After the recent assassination of the formidable founder of the Malazan Empire, Kellanved, his deputy Laseen usurps the throne and proclaims herself the empress of the Malazan world. Plots abound, intertwined in seemingly unimaginable fantasy, the old guard once loyal to the now deposed emperor at the center of this tangled knot. Laseen dispatches the once feared and now almost legendary squad of Bridgeburners (loyal to Kellanved) to support the conquest efforts on the continent of Genebackis where things have not been going too well for the empire. The Empress however is not alone in her unnatural interest in Genebackis and the bridgeburners, for the gods themselves become entangled in the events that transpire therein. As the plot unfolds the company comes across many formidable and interesting characters some of whom will join the bridgeburners in their quest (for what Laseen?) and some of whom will oppose them. The story unravels in a myriad unpredictable hues and each hue is more interesting than the last, Super skilled assassins, dragons (that's right the usual suspects are here as well though not as you would've imagined them, not even close), powerful wizards, beasts unheard of and finally fantasy undreamt of. Dark, provocative and awe inspiring, The Malazan series is truly the stuff of great fantasy fiction. A must read!

Booker Shortlisted Authors & Winners (2000 - 2007)

2000: Margaret Atwood, The Blind Assassin
· Trezza Azzopardi, The Hiding Place
· Michael Collins, The Keepers of Truth
· Kazuo Ishiguro, When We Were Orphans
· Matthew Kneale, English Passengers
· Brian O'Doherty, The Deposition of Father McGreevey

2001: Peter Carey, True History of the Kelly Gang
· Ian McEwan, Atonement
· Andrew Miller, Oxygen
· David Mitchell, number9dream
· Rachel Seiffert, The Dark Room
· Ali Smith, Hotel World

2002: Yann Martel, Life of Pi
· Rohinton Mistry, Family Matters
· Carol Shields, Unless
· William Trevor, The Story of Lucy Gault
· Sarah Waters, Fingersmith
· Tim Winton, Dirt Music

2003: DBC Pierre, Vernon God Little
· Monica Ali, Brick Lane
· Margaret Atwood, Oryx and Crake
· Damon Galgut, The Good Doctor
· Zoë Heller, Notes on a Scandal
· Clare Morrall, Astonishing Splashes of Colour

2004: Alan Hollinghurst, The Line of Beauty
· Achmat Dangor, Bitter Fruit
· Sarah Hall, The Electric Michelangelo
· David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas
· Colm Tóibín, The Master
· Gerard Woodward, I'll Go to Bed at Noon

2005: John Banville, The Sea
· Julian Barnes, Arthur & George
· Sebastian Barry, A Long Long Way
· Kazuo Ishiguro, Never Let Me Go
· Ali Smith, The Accidental
· Zadie Smith, On Beauty

2006: Kiran Desai, The Inheritance of Loss
· Kate Grenville, The Secret River
· M. J. Hyland, Carry Me Down
· Hisham Matar, In the Country of Men
· Edward St Aubyn, Mother's Milk
· Sarah Waters, The Night Watch

2007: Anne Enright, The Gathering
· Nicola Barker, Darkmans
· Mohsin Hamid, The Reluctant Fundamentalist
· Lloyd Jones, Mister Pip
· Ian McEwan, On Chesil Beach
· Indra Sinha, Animal's People

Monsignor Quixote - Graham Greene

Monsignor Quixote by Graham Greene is one of the most beautiful books I have read in recent times. It is a book on friendship, beliefs and doubts. Father Quixote and his friend the Mayor are the most endearing protagonists and you keep down the book at the end wishing their adventures had never ended. I remember thinking I would like to take up a journey like that myself across India.

Father Quixote and his friend are passionate people, both believing in divergent ideologies riddled by doubts held firmly in check. Sancho the Mayor is a communist and an atheist. They are an unlikely pair but no more unlikely than Don Quixote and his staid Sancho of Cervantes. Their friendship starts at a low point in both their lives when the mayor looses his Mayorship at the elections and the Father gets promoted to a Monsignor with prospects of ejection from his beloved El Tobaso which is too small a parish for a Monsignor. They decide then to travel across Spain in the Fathers old car named Rocinante. Don Quixote’s horse too is named Rocinante and the parallel that starts here is interestingly drawn through the book which traces the adventures of Father Quixote and his Mayor in the Rocinante.

The book is liberally interspersed with conversations about the church, the holy trinity and communism. It had me going to the Wiki to look up on Trotsky, the Spanish Inquisition and Generalissimo Franco and taking part in their debates. The mayor’s cynicism is treated with sympathy and opens our mind to a lot of questions that we take for granted. The most touching part of the book is the way Father Quixote is able to talk unreservedly in the Mayor’s presence, even to think with a freedom he doesn’t allow himself when alone. It is however Father Quixote’s innocence that gives the book its touch of humor.

Like Father Leopoldo says in the book, ‘Fact and fiction …. So difficult to distinguish’ by the end of the book you actually start wondering if Don Quixote and Sancho Panza were real people who had real adventures. It is a recurring theme of two unlikely people who connect, not because of their beliefs but because of something deeper than that. It is perhaps doubts and the questioning that bring people together. Many of the beautiful things in life seem to be a product of not accepting things as they are said to be. Father Quixote in one of his conversations with the Mayor rightly says that he reads all the books he does because he needs them to strengthen his beliefs. If he, like the Baker from El Tobaso had complete unquestioning faith he would not keep going back to St. Francis De Sales.

Note: The book has also been made into a movie starring Alec Guiness as Father Quixote

Blossom Book House

Located on Church Street, right across the bowling destination Amoeba, Blossom Book House is one of my favorite bookstores. Whether you are looking for a used books at a good price or spanking new books, they have it all. This is one bookstore that seems to divine what the customer is looking for. For example there was a time when I was hunting for Herman Hesse. I was basically stocking up on every Herman Hesse I could lay my hands on, as I was completely blown by Steppenwolf and Damien. I walk into Blossom one Saturday afternoon, and there’s this whole stack of Hesses… the complete collection! I picked them all up.

A typical Saturday afternoon at Blossom, you’ll find people crowding every aisle between the huge rows of books. You would definitely come across men toppling over books stacked precariously in the corners and women taking their pick of romances in a cozy corner of the 1st floor. Go to Blossom after reading the Hindu Literary Supplement and you will find those books there.

The store is spread over 3 floors – Ground floor with the billing counter and display of popular and recently published books, 1st floor is the fiction and children’s section, the 3rd floor is the non fiction section. The entire place is crammed full of books, stacks of them from floor to ceiling. The first and the third floor books are appropriately categorized, though you may find it a little confusing at first. The first floor of fiction is categorized into Classics, Fantasy, Crime, Indian writers, Plays/Poetry, Literature, Romance, Erotica, Fiction, Wild West etc. At the children’s section you get to see your childhood favourites like Enid Blyton or Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys. The first floor also contains a very good collection of Comics – Phantom, Superman, MAD, Archies, Tin Tin, Asterix etc.-all at bargain prices. The third floor has books on Language, History, Management, Computers, Psychology and a lot of assorted others.

My favorite section is the one at the extreme right corner on the first floor. It’s got an excellent collection of all my favorite writers – Doris Lessing, Hesse, Daphne Du Maurier, Camus. This is not a specially categorized section but it could possibly fit into Modern Classics. At times the sections are a little mixed up. For instance, the Indian writing section ranges from Pakistani writers to Noam Chomsky or you would find Erica Jong and Jodi Picault jostling among the Georgette Heyers. But the place grows on you. The owner, Mare Gowda is well read and can advise you on books. Some of the attendants too know exactly where to find a particular book or author. Or if you just want to browse, there are stools placed in every narrow aisle.

The best part about this store is the bargain prices. Most of the used books would cost between 80/- to 100/-. If the book is tough to come by it may be costlier. New books are always offered at a discount of at least 20%. Recently I went to the Strand Book exhibition and picked up couple of books. One book in particular, cost me Rs290 there. Imagine my disappointment when I saw that the same book cost Rs200 at Blossom. It is a year round exhibition for Blossom. One could experiment with writers here; explore new genres and authors at little cost. You could come back sell it all to Blossom at 50% of the amount you paid for it.

Recently they have taken to displaying books down the steps leading to the entrance of the building. This started during the launch of the latest Harry Potter mid 2007 and the trend continues with children’s books. So that’s another landmark for you, though I have laid out a map here to guide you to this place. Believe me, it’ll soon become your favourite hangout! :)

Source: Google Maps

Reliance TimeOut

Another Bookstore? Bangalore book lovers are really spoilt for choice now. Reliance TimeOut is the latest offering in the retail arena (after Fresh, Trendz, Digital,Wellness, FootPrint and so on...) by the petroleum behemoth. Soft( can you imagine Reliance being soft about anything? :) launched in Bangalore recently TimeOut is the first of its kind in the country. Located on Cunningham Road (See map) and spread over 21,000 square feet with an attached Coffee Shop, Reliance is trying to woo book lovers in a city that now apparently has the largest net savvy population.

What surprises you the moment you enter the store is the decor. Surprisingly well done, the colours of the book store is quite different from the normal fare. Integrating stationery, books, music, gifts, music & movies the interiors are tastefully done and very colourful.

As you enter you are presented as usual with the latest book releases. To the right is the movies and music section. The "sound domes" must be the result of research on the status of music stores in the country. Unlike other listening stations there are no headphones for people to abuse. There is a dome above your head that plays the chosen music. Innovative yes, but not practical. Since the store is continually playing music, the two jarr and make quite an awful listening experience.

A karaoke studio for the vocally inclined, where apparently, you can record your singing professionally. The Movies section (both international and indian) seemed painfully understocked. That does seem to be the story of this store, well done but not well stocked. Ask any music/movie/book lover and they'll tell you that 'more' is never enough :)

Source: Google Maps