If you like the smell of books, you will surely love this place. And if you are a fan of reading books, spending time here can become an addiction. Over five lakh books are on display and sale at the JJ Hall, near Taj Hotel on Race Course. These books are being sold for a discount too.

One can find books for children, fictions, art, and gardening, among others at the fair. About 20 percent of the books on sale at the 2,000 sq-feet hall are secondhand books sourced from libraries in the U.K. and abroad.

This sale is organized by Chennai-based Omni Books. One of the three owners, V.G. Rajan tells us that they have been in the business of selling books for the last two decades. We ask him how they manage to sell books for a discount of up to even 50 percent. In a jiffy comes the answer “Publishers hold unsold copies of various titles. We negotiate with the publishers to offer us discounts on such books. The publisher who wants to dispose of the copies obliges. We sell them for a discount at such book fairs. Our customers are a mix of book lovers and those who cannot afford to pay a huge price for the books. We make our money, and most importantly, we ensure that the customer who would not have otherwise bought the book, purchases it,” Rajan says. All this, he adds, to promote the fast disappearing reading habits of the people.

On the reading habits of the people in Coimbatore and Chennai, Rajan says that the Coimbatore market is profitable. “People in Coimbatore like reading books. They encourage children to read. Before we set up this sale, I was sceptical if some of the tiles would sell in a tier-two city like Coimbatore. But, to my surprise, the books are all gone,” Rajan says. The Readers Digest Coffee Table books sell like hot cakes. The Chicken Soup series too has many takers. Customer picking up just one book at this book fair is rare sight.

Also on sale are a few titles in vernacular languages too. Of them, all Tamil novels are doing brisk sales. The sight of lakhs of neatly arranged books is worth watching is sure to please anyone. Depending on the response that he gets from the Coimbatore market, Rajan has plans of converting the book fair venue into the official branch.

Entry to this book fair is free. Visiting hours are between 10 am and 9 pm, on all days.