Blogpost by Dhanu
Where do book lovers feel most alive? Is it among the designated bookshelves for each genre and spotlight for marketing purposes? (not against it!) Or maybe the numerous touches left inside the hushed halls of where scholars left their academic touches?
For me, it has always been somewhere a little chaotic. And it smells like time itself, which whispers stories beyond the printed pages.
Second-hand bookstores, where my reading habit takes on a completely a new transformation. I always make myself feel like finding the lost treasures in between those shelves in the middle of ocean-like books.
Each book carries the stories of the people who read before you. Some left personal notes about the characters or the thoughts about the book that piqued them. Underlining and annotation of the lines always intrigue me. Sometimes, the date of their purchase is also mentioned. Such details make each book a time capsule.
Returning to the Place Where My Reading Habit Got Hiked
I found myself visiting the Thirupathi Book Store, Chettikulam, Nagercoil.
A paradise of lost gems. This experience came after a long time during mid-November 2025. It was a magnificent weekend visit to this memory lane, where I once used to dwell for long hours. This place holds a load of memories from college days. Now, the once-cramped bookshelves are packed with lots of rare book collections. Though the store has moved to a nearby plot, it has kept its old magic with more convenience.
Every visit to any second-hand bookstore always feels like a treasure hunt. You never know what will wait for you. These stores break our intentional reading and booktube trend reading with the accidental discoveries. The point is you can expect to find the books that you may not have come across anywhere. The book often finds you before you do. That is the beauty of a second-hand bookstore. The quiet piles of the corners filled with the rare editions of the novels are your trophies.
Going to a bookstore with a list of what to buy and ending up purchasing outnumbered books is one of the real problems of every reader. The same thing always surfaces when you visit a second-hand bookstore. The price of the pre-owned copy never pays heed to your list when it comes to the rare edition.
The one pulls you with a strong obsession, which you never know about them. The great thing is they were always affordable and easy to reach, but not everyone really cares about them as much as the aesthetic decorative shops with a hefty price tag. A good book does not need marketing like that, right? It always finds its readers. But it takes time. (Now, marketing is an irresistible thing! shh… that’s a different topic.)
A Conversation That Still Stuck With Me
This Thirupathi bookstore used to cover a vast area before. But when I visited recently after sometime. They not only shifted to a new site near the old one, but the space also became smaller than the vast maze field that I used to visit. I miss my book hunt there.
I learned something shocking from the shopkeeper Anna that these days people coming in for novels have dropped more than ever before. Even I witnessed how the space that was once the biggest coven with the overflowing books from every corner has now shrunk.
There was construction happening on the second floor, hopefully for the store, but I’m not sure. I hope this place continues to grow and welcome more readers again. The point is let’s keep sustainable things like reading alive in our lives. With screens everywhere, our uncontrollable lethargy towards easy doings and shrinking attention spans are slowly fading the essence of reading.
Let’s break the cycle. Pick up those long forgotten and dust-covered books from your shelf.
Not complaining, some keep this space with the tweaks for the algorithm. That’s how many of us got lost somewhere between. I am also gently pulling myself towards books once again.
Feel this space safe to express your thoughts. If you’d like, share the last book that made you feel alive.
When Reading Habit Was A Way of Living
Thinking back, I remembered the last time I read as a daily ritual and not as a scheduled one. I used to keep books as my companion for the ‘just in case’ scenarios. I often find time to read while waiting for buses, which is a regular happening. Even, reading dedicatedly between works. Sometimes, I juggle two or more books at the same time.
Then, the scrolling becomes more convenient than flipping through books slowly. The daily reading habit as a ritual turned into something that I rarely do with the easy distractions for mobile phones.
Digital Distractions = The Silent Killer
Books require patience whereas scrolling doesn’t. An instant gratification of dopamine hits. The algorithm-driven world competes for our attention. And as a result, we are glued to our screens as if our hands were cuffed to your mobile phones. It is not the problem with the digital content. The easy accessibility becomes the way of living with the artificial intelligence.
Research, reading and writing a long article using only resource of our brain or searching for the materials have long gone. With the shrunken attention span, I often catch myself rereading the same paragraph again and again.
A Quiet Return to Reading Habit
The problem is not that I am using mobile phones. In the past, while reading consistent, I have used mobile phones intentionally. I prioritize my time for the books and writing reviews. That’s how my journey as a bookblogger begins. Here, the problem is all about priority not the distractions. It was and will be always there.
To combat this problem, I started to purchase the books again. I thought that it would motivate me as it used to. I keep on adding a new one to my already existing pile in the corner. Later, I realize instead of reading, I am just purchasing the books.
Within a blink, my TBR (To Be Read) towers over me. Books never rush you. They silently wait for you to pick them.
Why Second-Hand Bookstores Matter?
That’s when I decided to visit my haven, Thirupathi Bookstore. The only bookstore I used to visit often. They are not just bookstores with the affordable prices. They are the keepers of cultural memory. The rare and unexpected collections make me feel more matter than any other place. They are the ecosystems of storytelling. Try to visit them often to keep the reading habit alive.
Keeping Reading Habit Alive in this Fast-paced World
Consistency is a real growth of anything you begin. Instead of chasing behind trends or what others read, build a peculiar reading interest of your own. Following a recommendation is good only when it is your choice of books and looking up further information. No advice or reading ten pages before bed makes you a reader. But any sustainable habits need constant follow-ups. Taking interest in books and reading a vast collection makes you a reader.
Gentle Reminder
That day, when I stepped out of the store with a pile of books. I made a silent promise to relive my past vampire hunt for a lifetime of reading thirst. So, if your books are gathering dust on the shelves, this may be the universal sign of you.
Now, tell me about the last book that made you feel really alive.
