Kemang's bookstore swaps used books for baskets

Kemang's bookstore swaps used books for baskets

JAKARTA (JP): There are few shops where you can swap books for
baskets but the Maharani bookstore in the expatriate ghetto of
Kemang is one. Opposite Chic's Mart on Jalan Kemang Selatan,
South Jakarta, this hole-in-the-wall shop holds more than 3,000
secondhand books for sale, or swap.

Maharani's owner, Dewiyanti Elizabeth, also has a cane shop,
so baskets line the footpath in front of the bookstore.

Sales assistant Esti Darmiati said the shop opened about three
months ago. Since then Stephen King and Danielle Steele have been
the most popular authors, although the Ann Rice novels looked
like they had passed through more than a few hands.

Indeed most of the books are well-worn "airplane"-type novels
(Alistair Maclean, Tom Clancy, Barbara Cartland), with a few
hardbacks, John Updikes and Jane Austens thrown in.

Voracious readers may rejoice, because once you've read the
book you can take it back and get a 50 percent refund, or
discount on the next book or basket you buy.

Most of the books are in English but there are a couple of
shelves of books in German, Japanese, Dutch and Italian.

The books are generally half the recommended retail price and
if you are looking for a particular book, Maharani can order it
in.

If you want a place to off-load a heap of books before you
leave the country, this is the place, but if you are after a
quality read, happy hunting.

Maharani is open from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Mondays to Saturdays
and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sundays.

Other sources of secondhand books in Jakarta are the
bar/restaurants along Jl. Jaksa, Central Jakarta, and the
bookstalls at monthly meetings of women's organizations such as
ANZA (Australian and New Zealand Association).

However, the few books found on Jalan Jaksa are for the
English-deprived only as the choice is poor and the books
definitely have seen better days. (mlt)