What you see - Located in the busy and bustling Abids, right next to Santosh/Sapna cinema hall, the shop AA Hussain carries a piece of Hyderabad's history with it. The structure of the hyderabad book store reminds us of the days of yore. After all, it has been around since 1929.
The entrance is cramped with books placed in stacks all around. The presence of the towers of books is a little intimidating but the collection is mind-boggling. The founder, Riazath Hussain, was a philatelist and had started it as children's bookstore. The store is now managed by his family.
Hussain's has seen many expansions since its inception. There is a ground floor extension that has a large collection of greeting cards and a first floor that has a dedicated children's section (this was the only place where you would find Archie comics long before other bookstores came up in Hyderabad). The store is located in between many old schools of Hyderabad and that is where their loyal audience comes from.
What you get - The store looks quite cluttered and does not have much circulation space that could allow you to browse through the titles leisurely. In fact, not more than ten people can stand here at a time.
So you have to request somebody to hand you over the titles that seem interesting to you. The staff is quite efficient and will find the required books quite swiftly. The request can be of any genre and the books will be presented within minutes.
On the other hand, if you have a specific title in mind the sales people are glad to get it out for you. This is actually one of the best places to go to if you have a specific title or genre in mind. Even if it is not available, the store will try and source it for you.
The store keeps large shelves of Indian authors, religious books, self-development books, health and fitness, literature and reference books. Once you get more familiar with the store, you are bound to find some unusual books that are tucked into some remote corner and possibly a decent discount on the titles. The store also has an interesting collection of books and reference material related to films and sport.
The verdict - A A Hussain is the best place to find the books you need. The collection is vast and expansive and covers almost all areas of interest especially fiction. Most of the customers never leave the store disappointed and therefore tend to become repeat buyers. Do ask at the front desk for an informal yet interesting review of the latest books apart from the store's recommendations. There is designated municipal parking space available in plenty on the opposite side of the road.
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