Hidden Gem: This Shop Sells Second-Hand Books & Runs A Mini Library Too

If you’re a bibliophile at heart, and are always looking for places from which to rescue/liberate books, then read on to know more about Pratik Book Shop – a hidden gem in Vishrantwadi.

Pratik Book Shop was started by Mr. Amir Lalani in 2008. Originally running a waste paper business, Mr. Lalani ended up with a lot of books that people no longer wanted – and so he decided to start a secondhand book shop. We think it’s a great way to give the books a second life, and to give readers a chance to acquire them at a much lower cost (60% less than MRP). He sources his books from donations, garage sales, and defunct libraries. You’ll find English fiction and non-fiction books and magazines here, everything from Sidney Sheldon and Jeffrey Archer, to (shudder) Chetan Bhagat and Reader’s Digest. Mr. Lalani also runs a small library {INR 120/month membership fee, with a refundable deposit of INR 200} from his shop, with around 200 listed members. Timings: 10.00am – 2.00pm and 4.00pm to 7.00pm, Monday to Saturday; 10.00am – 1.00pm on Sundays

It may be a little out of the way, but we think it sounds like a steal, though you may have to do a bit of hunting through their eclectic selection to find what you want.