12 July,2026 10:15 AM IST | Mumbai | Team SMD
Representation pic
The rains might make the days feel gloomy, but it does make for the perfect weather to read. Every reader knows, the only thing better than reading a book is buying them. Well, 'tis the season! We bring you a roundup of lesser-known bookstores in the city, that serve up some delicious reads for the season.
Ambika Book Centre boasts a collection of 8000 to 10,000 books. FILE PIC
Don't mind rummaging a little? Then, Ambika Book Centre rewards patient browsers. Sitting on Mahim's LJ Road among a string of shops, this old-school independent book centre has a loyal following in the neighbourhood. Run by bookseller Dhiraj Visariya, this store's shelves are packed with roughly 8000 to 10,000 pre-loved and new books spanning English, Hindi, and Marathi. Titles include everything from literary classics and thrillers to children's books and non-fiction.
Visariya has also championed an affordable reading culture, famously offering books at accessible prices (as low as R100) to encourage reading. There's no curated Instagram aesthetic here, just floor-to-ceiling shelves, and Visariya's helpful inputs on what to read next.
WHERE: Shop No. 6, Building No. 77, Wadi Manzil, Lady Jamshedji Rd,
Mahim West
Timings: Tuesday to Sunday, 10 am to 9 pm
THE Old Postman Bookstore has been running for less than six months and the owner is still building the store's reading list. But that's not what put it on our radar. The book store is located near the famous APMC market at Sanpada where most of Mumbai's vegetable produce arrives. Just outside the market, in one of the bylanes, located in the basement of a building next to the Onion market is this gem of a store. Its proprietor Shamim Khan is even more of a delight.
The Old Postman Bookstore offers both new and second-hand books. PIC BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT
The store has a collection of second-hand and some brand new and even rare books, making it an affordable option for those who want to read and not spend a bomb. The collection ranges from Mahmoud Darwish's Almond Blossoms and Beyond (2009, Interlink Pub Group Inc) to a collection of poems by one of this writer's favourite poets, Mary Oliver.
Shamim Khan
This is a gem you mustn't miss if you are a true-blue Navi Mumbaikar who grew up at a time when bookstores were about the luxury of perusal. Khan says, "My intention is to create a place where people don't feel rushed to buy a book. For book lovers to meet like-minded people and have conversations that don't come with a price tag," he says, "What more joy is there than discovering a new genre or author, and realising that this was the missing piece of the puzzle."
One trend I have particularly been enjoying in this city's food culture is pairing food with reading. Why just have fries with your beer, when it pairs so well with a paperback too? This is where the Berlin Beer Library comes in. The bar/library serves up its own craft beer. It also boasts a collection of over 4000 books, which include all the popular titles you can think of.
The Berlin Beer Library is located in Andheri West and is open every day from 3 pm to 1.30 am
All the walls are stacked with floor to ceiling bookshelves. To add to the whimsy, the place also has attached movable ladders you can climb up. One can cosplay being an academic in a vintage German library. Although, I wouldn't recommend you get on if you've had one-too-many beers. Cheers!
There's nothing like a nice storybook to cosy up with when the rain sends all the children scurrying indoors. And, if there's one place to whet your young reader's appetite for stories, it's Kahani Tree in Prabhadevi, where there's endless stories on the second storey of Industry Manor.
A reading nook for children at Kahani Tree in Prabhadevi. Pic/Atul Kamble
The entire book store is dedicated to children, with the best in fiction and non-fiction from India and abroad, all curated by founder Sangeeta Bhansali. Picture thousands of storybooks lining the walls, which children can pick from and peruse at ease while seated on little ladybug pouffes. What we love most about the store is the vast array of Indian authors and indie publishers featured here that not only capture the colours and flavours of our culture, but also help parents tackle complex subjects with their children, such as gender, caste, disability, and even grief.
Where: Kahani Tree, second floor, Industry Manor, Prabhadevi
Timings: 10 am to 6 pm, closed on Sundays
The Warden Book House in Tardeo is open most days from 10 am to 7 pm, except Sundays. PIC/AASTHA ATRAY BANAN
I am a new witch. That just means I am educating myself about everything witchy, tarot and spells. And if like me, you are into all things woo-woo, then Warden Book House is the one-stop shop for you. It has shelves full of tarot and angle card decks, and all kinds of books about spells, the craft and tarot.
The books are costlier as they are sourced from the US, but the quality of the hardbound books is excellent. Its owner, Karan Shah, also reads tarot, tells me his father, Ketan, who is manning the store the day we visit.
When I ask him what oracle card deck would he recommend, he says, "Take what calls to you." That's the way to a witch's heart, I say.
