Bookstore Review: Title Waves

Monday, 12 September 2011 22:03

Super Sad True Love Story

There are few reasons why a bookstore should make you feel sad: The realisation that there are too many great tomes to read in one lifetime; the place will eventually shut for the day and you’ll have to go home; you’re going to have to give away your television set.

While Bandra’s new bookstore Title Waves succeeds in getting you down, it’s not for the right reasons. The sprawling store has neither a good curator nor staff that can be relied on for recommendations (Oh how we miss the all-knowing Virat at Lotus Books, Bandra, who’d read every book imaginable). Personally we pouted because some of our favourite authors – Toni Morrison, Milan Kundera - have been assigned miniscule shelf space and other widely-read novelists like Haruki Murakami haven’t got a spot at all. Could it be the evil machinations of Lord Voldemort, sitting slyly across in the fantasy section?

Stranger Than Fiction

What you must commend this book dealer for however, is supplying lines for every reader. Say the first category that comes to mind and there’s a shelf for it – science, history, math, poetry, biographies, cookbooks, architecture, parenting, Indian writing, spiritual, funnies. While sections like management and self-help are bursting at the seams, less robust are travel and sports, with the attractive coffee table books asking to be picked up.

The kiddie corner is sparkly and enticing unlike the lacklustre fiction section that’s dominated by bestsellers from the likes of Mary Higgins Clark, Sidney Sheldon, Ken Follett, Agatha Christie. Meanwhile, in a tiny jumbled land far, far away live more interesting works like Things Fall Apart (Chinua Achebe), The Beach (Alex Garland), Wolf Hall (Hilary Mantel), A Clockwork Orange (Anthony Burgess), The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency (Alexander McCall Smith), but these are few and far between. You can however, put in a request for a title and they'll try and order it for you. A centre pedestal holds new releases like Noon by Aatish Taseer and Paulo Coelho’s latest.

More Than Words Can Say

There’s also a niche for audion CDs and film DVDs, as well as a wall full of magazines. Our favourite authors may be far away from getting real estate here, but from what we hear, a Barista counter will be moving in soon. Better latte than never.

Getting there: Title Waves, St Pauls Media Complex, 23rd Road, TPS III, opposite Durello Convent School, Bandra (W), call 8097540992.

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Comments (6)

Hey Mr Pathan, I love Strand Book stall with over 200,000 titles and wall to wall with customers. A discounted book store is better than a designer book store with junk and no customers [ unless you wanna count the chunky monkey].
I don't visit Strand , I go to buy the best books from all over the world, and have been a loyal customer since 1981.
You are the guy who says "Don't ever try to compare anyone"; but you have put both your feet in your rather large mouth by starting the comparison. I dont need advice from ignorant people who propagate pomposity, don't shake your pelvis for elvis!
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Hello Mr,Rajendra Grewal i also visited strand bookstall Dont ever try to compare anyone.strand is old bookstore title waves is boutique bookstore try to understand the difference first strand is a DISCOUNTED STORE. title waves i felt is a brand store for customer freindly browsing see the space provided by them not crumped with magazine shelfs or too many standees its a abroad feel.......
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Neither Customer Friendly, nor accustomed to the book trade.
this is clone of a western book store with little to offer in terms of waves of the mind!
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No books on Western philosophy = Aristotle or Zeno. Neither on Asian philosophy = Arthasharstra or Miyamoto Mushashi, the sword saint of Japan. Forget finding Lao Tzu " Tao Te Ching".
Go to STRAND BOOK STAll, at Fountain, they have 20,000 more titles , than TITLE WAVE !
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Day 7 at our book store Title Waves and still stocking. We have yet to find a customer who has entered the bookstore without using the word 'WOW'. Celebrities like Chunkey Pandey and Rahul Bhatt screeched to a halt while passing and personally commended us on our wonderful bookstore. With regards to populating the store with just about every title, we at Title Waves will ensure an uncluttered space with front facing stacking rather than spine stacking. Customers love it and that's our differentiator. Posted by Elvis Dias & Sharon Dias - Title Waves
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Thanks for the feedback. Will work on making sure your favorite authors get their due. Today is only the fourth day since we opened so kindly bear with us. We aim to position our bookstore as Mumbai's first boutique bookstore with tons of innovations and interactive models to excite the customers. We have received rave reviews about our selective collection from most customers including celebrities but then being from the marketing and advertising field, I completely understand that ones choice of books is completely subjective. There are customers who have given their reviews in writing on our excellent choice on Indian writing but still I agree that there is a lot of work to be done. Our hard launch is scheduled in October 2011 in which we will unveil our USPs and new stocks. The tide has to still come in. Till then ...Cheers!
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