BOOK SHOPS



Crossword is the best bookstore in the city. It has a superb selection of Indian fiction written in English, and decent history, politics, business, art and travel sections. It also boasts a cafe, and a range of magazines, children's books and CD-ROMs. Crossword supports Indian creative writing in English with its own annual literary award.

Strand Book Stall is a good bookshop that started life 50 years ago as a modest kiosk in the foyer of the now defunct Strand Cinema in Colaba. It's crammed with fiction and business titles on the ground floor, and harbours a good selection of large format art, architecture, photography and cookery titles upstairs. It offers generous discounts of 20% off the cover price.

Nalanda has a decent selection of fiction, religious, cookery, art, travel and coffee table books, plus about two dozen versions of the Kamasutra. It stocks the best assortment of international magazines in the city.

Chetana Book Centre stocks a large collection of religious texts, plus books on yoga, Ayurvedic medicine, dance, music, art and cookery. It's near the Wayside Inn restaurant.

Shankar Book Stall , outside Cafe Mondegar, has an assortment of fiction, cookery and art books, plus maps and travel guides. There's a motley assortment of bookstalls on Veer Nariman Rd, west of Flora Fountain and on Dr D Naoroji Rd, north of Flora Fountain.