When I posted my first last birthday book haul, I knew this isn’t the end. It really isn’t.

I’m in Pune, have a lot of time at hand, can’t read much, don’t have any inspiration to write (though the idea list is growing longer by every passing hour), so I was spending time browsing Rs 49 store on Bookchor.com, as one does.

Now, here’s the deal. I do that very often, keep adding titles to cart but somehow, the best ones are gone within hours. For example, a while back, there were Karin Salughter and Roald Dahl books for Rs 49. I couldn’t believe it, added them, to check later once I have 13 books (I’ll explain the math in some time) and got busy with life. When I came back a couple of hours later, the books were gone.

Not this time. I wouldn’t let that happen, I thought. And placed the order on 15-August-2026 (Celebrating Independence Day :P). Of course, I ordered it for my home address, not here in Pune, because I already have load of stuff to carry home. The books arrived on 22-August-2026 but I wasn’t home to haul.

Let me summarize the purchase. 

Total Books Purchased: 13

Total Price: Rs 637

Buy 10 Get 3 Free Offer: Rs 490 

Bookchor Coins: Rs -1

Total to Pay: Rs 489

Per Book Price: ~Rs 37.62

Timeline

22-August-2026: Order placed

22-August-2026: Got a message to checkout (quality check completed), order dispatched

25-August-2026: Parcel arrived.

New Book Stack

13 Books for ₹489!

This haul dates back to 22 August 2026, when I came across a Buy 10, Get 3 Free offer. Naturally, I had to do the maths. Each book was priced at ₹49, so I picked 13 books and paid just ₹489 for ten. That’s ₹37.61 per book!

At that price, I wasn’t going to be too fussy. I picked a mix of familiar authors, crime and thriller novels, romantic fiction, and a few titles that caught my eye. Some were books I’d been meaning to try, while others were simply too tempting to leave behind at that price.

And, as always, there’s another reason behind these book hauls. I’m trying to reduce my screen time and read more physical books. Building a reading pile is the easy part, of course. Now I need to make a dent in it!

Let’s see what I got.

The Silken Web by Laura Jordan

Starting with a romance because apparently I have a reputation to maintain.

I hadn’t heard of this one before, but the cover and description were enough to make me curious. It’s also exactly the sort of random older paperback I enjoy picking up in these bargain hauls. Sometimes you discover a gem. Sometimes you discover why a book ended up costing ₹38. That’s part of the fun.

The Switch by Sandra Brown

Now this is more like it.

Sandra Brown is one of those authors I can pick up without needing to know much about the book first. Romance with suspense? Yes, please. A bargain paperback? Even better.

This was an easy addition.

A Certain Justice by P. D. James

A little more serious than my usual commercial-fiction picks, but I do like crime, and P. D. James has been on my radar for a while.

This is one of those books I’m probably going to read when I’m in the mood for something a little more traditional and atmospheric rather than something I can inhale in two sittings.

Smitten by Janet Evanovich

Janet Evanovich + romance = I don’t really need much convincing.

I like books that don’t take themselves too seriously, and Evanovich tends to deliver exactly that sort of reading experience. This one was basically a no-brainer at this price.

A Minor Indiscretion by Carole Matthews

This was another very obvious me purchase.

Women’s fiction, relationships, messy situations and a contemporary setting? Put it in the cart.

I’ve had good luck with Carole Matthews before, so I’m quite curious about this one.

Trust Me by Brenda Novak

Romantic suspense is another genre that works very nicely for me.

I like having that combination of relationship drama and an actual plot moving underneath it. Brenda Novak is one of those authors I’ve been meaning to read more of, so ₹38 seemed like a perfectly reasonable way to start.

Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich

Because apparently one Janet Evanovich wasn’t enough.

This is a Stephanie Plum holiday novella, so it’s also considerably shorter than most of the books in this haul. Which means it might be the perfect palate cleanser between two longer books.

And yes, I bought it partly because it was Janet Evanovich and partly because it was ₹38. I have no defence.

The Guest List by Fern Michaels

Another women’s-fiction pick.

Fern Michaels is an author I’ve been collecting here and there, and I like having these relationship-heavy, easy-to-read books sitting around for those moods when I don’t want anything particularly complicated.

Sometimes you just want a book that gets on with the story.

Call to Treason by Jeff Rovin

Now this one is slightly different.

It’s part of the Tom Clancy’s Op-Center series, and unlike what I might have said about it if you only knew my romance/chick-lit preferences, I actually like military and espionage fiction.

I mean, I love Jack Reacher. 😂

So this isn’t an oddball purchase at all. It’s just a different corner of my reading shelf, and I’m quite happy to have it there.

Thursday’s Child by Sandra Brown

And here’s Sandra Brown number two.

Again, I wasn’t going to leave a Sandra Brown paperback sitting there for ₹38. I have standards. Questionable standards, perhaps, but standards nonetheless.

This one goes straight into the romance pile.

No Place Like Home by Fern Michaels

And Fern Michaels number two.

Clearly this haul had decided that I needed to stock up on authors I already know rather than take too many wild chances, and honestly, I’m not complaining.

This is exactly what bargain-book shopping should be: books you already suspect you’ll enjoy, mixed with a few “let’s see what happens” purchases.

Wildcard by Rachel Lee

Romantic suspense again, so this one fits very neatly into my reading preferences.

I’m always happy when a bargain haul gives me books from that sweet spot between romance and thriller. They’re usually the books I reach for when I want something entertaining without committing to a particularly heavy read.

Sight Unseen by Iris Johansen & Roy Johansen

And finally, a proper thriller/mystery to round things off.

Iris Johansen is another author I’ve come across often enough to recognise that this is likely to be exactly the sort of commercial thriller I enjoy. The fact that it’s part of a series makes it slightly more interesting too, because apparently I enjoy collecting series almost as much as I enjoy reading them.

Review

So that’s 13 more books for the shelf.

And the damage?

₹489.

I genuinely don’t know how Bookchor expects me to behave responsibly when they keep putting perfectly decent paperbacks in front of me for the price of a samosa and chai.

At roughly ₹38 per book, I’m not even going to pretend I exercised restraint. I absolutely did not.

But looking at the pile now, I think this was actually a pretty solid haul. There are several books I’m genuinely excited to read, a few that I’m curious about, and perhaps one or two that may eventually find their way into the donation pile.

That’s the beauty of buying pre-loved books at bargain prices. Not every book has to become a favourite. Sometimes the entire gamble costs less than one new paperback.

And frankly, I’m very happy with this gamble.

Now, I hand-picked this lot so I can’t complain about surprises. I’m not too happy about some book’s condition. But let’s look at it objectively.

Final Thoughts

I really need to stop going to Bookchor.

Or, more accurately, I need to stop going to Bookchor with money in my account.

Because somehow I went looking for a few books and came back with 13. And the best part? The entire lot cost me just ₹489. That’s roughly ₹38 a book, which is frankly dangerous information to give someone who already has a fairly serious book-buying problem.

This particular haul is a very “me” haul too. There are romances, women’s fiction, chick lit, mysteries, thrillers, and a couple of books that wandered slightly outside my usual territory but looked interesting enough to earn a place in the cart.

Bookchor.com is officially my go-to bookstore now. As I said before, it’s like walking down a virtual book street that sells preloved books for 10/20 bucks, and then paying for shipping. If you haven’t used Bookchor.com, check is out, use my reference code: HBJGEAJ and you’ll get 50 rupees, for which you can purchase one preloved book at least.

Until next time, happy reading!