Higginbothams: My Haven | Bookstore Blog by Deeksha, 13, Chennai

Higginbothams: My Haven” 

We all have one favourite bookstore that we go to without hesitation. But me? My entire childhood was spent in that bookstore. My reading habits began when I was about four years old. It all started when I visited my grandparents’ house, where I saw my family members reading books all the time.

My grandmother used to save short story pages from the monthly magazine “Kalki” and stitch them together to make a book, such as Ponniyan Selvan. I’ve always wondered why anyone would want to put in that much effort. I picked up a book at the time, and I’ve been obsessed with reading ever since.

I had always purchased books on Amazon or Kindle, until my grandfather took me to one of his favourite bookstores, where he used to get books for himself when he first moved to Chennai. It was known as Higginbothams. My grandfather came to the store for the first time when he moved to Chennai, and he has taken his children and now his grandchildren ever since.

This was one of the occasions when I read the blurbs and chose books that piqued my interest, along with some chocolates, of course. My Thatha (grandpa) occasionally spoils me. My favourite childhood memories are of visiting the Higgingbothams bookstore with my family and bringing back so many books. It became a habit after that. Whether it was my birthday or Navratri, I was always given a book of my choice as a gift.

Here are a few suggestions I’ve read and reread over the years:

1. “Bridge Home” by Padma Venkatraman
2. “Misfit Madhu” by Divya Kumar
3. “Woof Adventures by the Sea” by Aparna Karthikeyan
4. “The Night Diary” by Veera Hiranandani
5. The Vanguards of Azad Hind” by Gayathri Ponavannan

These books are wonderful and enlightening. I enjoyed reading these books. I hope you enjoy it as well. Please share your favourite books with me in the comments section.