A Secondhand Bookstore Closes Down

When I saw Eric Ambler’s ‘Here Lies Eric Ambler’ a couple of Sundays ago at Abids I had an inkling that something must be wrong with the second hand bookstore I had originally seen this book at. There were other titles I had seen there like Linda Greenlaw ‘s ‘Hungry Ocean’ , Paul Theroux’s ‘Chicago Loop’ and other books. Yesterday I learnt that the second hand bookstore at Liberty was shut down. So I know now why the banners and the board I used to see on the way back home weren’t to be seen anymore.

The MR Bookstore at Liberty located in a cellar was one of the biggest second hand bookstores in Hyderabad. It had a really large and wonderful collection of secondhand books that looked more like new books. I had come across this store more than two years ago and I used to drop in occasionally to check out the titles and buy a few books every month. My last purchase at this store was the hardcover edition of Linda Greenlaw’s ‘Hungry Ocean.’ They had a paperback copy of the same book too that I later saw at Abids.

I don't know why the bookstore was closed down but I can say that not many people dropped in at that store which was located in a cellar without ventilation. It was damp, dark and airless. It was also not a very convenient location without parking. No one really mourns the closing of a bookstore in Hyderabad. I feel sad that it is shut down. But these guys have a habit of popping up in a new place. This store was actually a itinerant bookstore having moved from Punjagutta twice, no thrice in the past and now it is finally closed. However, I won’t be surprised if they come up at a new place within the month.

The good news is that the guy at their branch near Lifestyle, Begumpet told me that they had received some new stuff which would be displayed soon. I am eager to check out the new stocks. I hope I find some really good books on writing as well as those by Paul Theroux and Dave Barry. I had been to the store near Lifestyle yesterday and saw they had a few new books. I saw good copies of Elmore Leonard’s ‘Freaky Deaky’ and also ‘Rum Punch’. I will pick these up sometime next week.

I had actually been to another bookstore and picked up two Elmore Leonard books, and I also wrote a post about it. But due to some virus or glitch I am unable to post it here. I will try to put it up in a couple of days. That is the reason I missed a post the other day. I was disappointed I couldn't post it.

Tomorrow is Sunday and I am all eager to go to Abids for the weekly book hunt.