The ongoing book fair at ‘Book Bonanza’ at Jayanagar 4th block consists of nearly 10-lakh book inventory sold by weight! “This has been our forte to reach connoisseurs, students and the poor to make even ‘classics’ affordable. Our book fair has the ‘books by weight’ offer with a better price-slash as we are moving to a new building,” says Tipu Waseem Pasha, owner of the book store.

The 4000 sq feet store on 11th Main Road has loads of books piled up with both new and used ones, without a trace of the old smell or discolouration seen in them. Since the collection, mostly by foreign authors, is too varied and dense, they are not segregated under subjects and themes. So the only way out is to have sufficient time to browse through the many halls of the stacked wonder and take old books at Rs. 150 a kg! New books are given away with an 80 per cent slash in prices. So take away a Jeffrey Archer, Sidney Sheldon or even Rowling’s Harry Potter for a measly Rs. 200, Kane & Abel’s ‘Honour Among Thieves’ for Rs. 200, Robin Cook’s ‘Fever & Brain’ for Rs. 200 or Stephenie’s Twilight series for as little as Rs. 300 for all the 4 volumes! “These books cost nearly 8 to 10 pounds, but since we have people to source used-and-spotless-books from the U.K and the U.S., we are able to offer at street-sellers price,” says Mr. Pasha.

Book Bonanza’s collection is mind-boggling. The Readers Digest series, DK publications, King-Fisher publications, nearly 100 varieties of dictionaries, medical books from across the world, psychology, history, math, arts & crafts and books for special children that attract most school and college students. Pop-up Scholastic publications and western music books for children and books in nearly 10 international languages are amongst the collection. “We even source new launch foreign books for connoisseurs, we allow exchange or swap of books too,” says Mr. Pasha.

Psychology students, Allen J., Jyothisa, Shalu and Aneesha say “nothing matters as the books look new and come at a great deal.”

Book aficionados as K.R. Nagaraju and Sai Prasad associated with the book store are service-minded too who buy them in bulk and distribute them in schools and to the needy.

The book fair is all set to go on for three weeks more due to public demand, says Mr. Pasha. Call 97413 25687 or bookbonanza86@gmail.com

Tipu Sultan family lineage

Tipu Waseem Pasha, son of Tipu Shaheen Pasha, belongs to the 6th generation of the Tipu-Hyder Ali family of Mysore rulers. “My grandfather, Tipu Shaheb was the grandson of Hyder Ali,” says Waseem Pasha. Pasha’s collection is a haven for collectors too. “Science Communicators VSS Shastry and M.R. Nagaraj, Mysorean collector, Anke Gowda and writer Akhumal Ramachandran are regulars at the store.

Book Bonanza sold gold when the 105-year-old Vedanda classic book published by the London Press signatured by Swami Vivekananda was in their collection. “We sold the first edition of a 110-year-old, Thomas Hardy book to an excited connoisseur for Rs. 300!” says Pasha.