By now, most of you would have already found out that our country now has a 24-hour bookstore. Yes, that’s right, there’s a bookstore that never closes! Well, with something as interesting and novel as that, how could we not check it out? Read on to find out more about our experience at the newest BookXcess outlet!
The Rustic Location of BookXcess
The 24-hour BookXcess is located all the way in Tamarind Square, Cyberjaya; which is a relatively new building. Even the parking lots weren’t completed yet, and we struggled to find out where to park at first. Luckily, a friendly security guard was on hand to point us to the outdoor parking lots. On the way up to the entrance of Tamarind Square itself, the low walls of the ramp were painted with words of welcome in several different languages. Trailing leaves peeked out from behind concrete blocks, and there was also a massive open-air garden right in the middle of the building. It was due to a combination of this quiet spot and the botanical features that led BookXcess to open a store here, as it’s meant to provide a retreat from the city, and to spark inspiration and imagination surrounded by nature.
[Photo Credit: Tamarind Square]
37,000 Square Feet Of Books, Books, Books!
If you’re a book lover, you’ll think that you’ve died and gone to book heaven. BookXcess is known for providing books across wide genres, and this outlet is no exception. Generally divided into two categories, fiction and non-fiction; the multitude of books are further divided into sub-categories, such as romance, thriller, biography, architecture, graphic design, and so on. There’s something for everyone here, even the little kiddies! A whole section is dedicated just for the young ones, with storybooks, activity books and reference books for their choosing. Not only are there child-friendly table and chair sets for the children to do colouring or activities, but there are also squishy beanbags for you to flop onto, after being worn out by walking through the entire store. (Seriously, it’s huge.)
[Photo Credit: Discover KL]
Working And Creative Spaces
This BookXcess outlet is not merely a bookstore; it also provides a working space for you to do your work, and also has creative spaces for rent, if anyone wants to hold events there. Long tables are arranged in rows behind a shelf, similar to a library set-up. If you have group assignments or work meetings, this could be a place to gather! If you rather enjoy your own company with a book or you need total concentration to tackle your task, there are also cubicles which face the windows, letting in lots of natural sunlight (if you visit in the day, of course). Each cubicle has its own electrical outlet, so there are no worries if you need to charge your devices. The creative spaces are exactly that: it’s a whole lot of empty space, waiting for someone to creatively use it. During our visit, the space was empty, but we noticed that over the weekends art and craft workshops will be held there, so perhaps they would utilise the creative space then.
[Photo Credit: @maaaalie/Twitter]
What To Do For Food If Hunger Strikes?
An in-store cafe is slated to open, but during our visit it wasn’t open yet. There aren’t many shops open in the whole of Tamarind Square yet, but we saw a cafe on our way out (so we didn’t eat there), or there’s also a My News convenience store there if you’re not picky. As we didn’t know there was a cafe, we went to My News to feed ourselves with an array of sandwiches, cup noodles, and cold drinks. My News has tables and chairs set up, so you can sit down and eat there, as BookXcess doesn’t allow food and drinks, especially at its working space. If you plan to visit, it will be a good idea to check if the cafe is open yet, so you can plan your meals accordingly.
Other Observations
It’s great that BookXcess provides such a variety of books, as well as space for the public to do their work. It will encourage people to frequent their store, and in turn perhaps encourage reading. However, we noticed that not all visitors were appreciative of what was being provided. You see, the books are wrapped tightly with plastic, so that visitors wouldn’t treat it as a public library, sitting down to read and not buying the books after that. It is a bookstore after all. We were horrified when we saw some visitors shamelessly bringing a stack of books to the working space and tearing off the plastic wrappers like they had every right to do so. What’s worse was that they never even bothered to put back the books onto the shelves. We were like, “aiyo, how could you do that?” Come on guys, don’t be ugly Malaysians. If you need any help, there are plenty of workers around to address your enquiries. Don’t just rip into their books like that. We’ve come a long way, so it’s time to leave the barbaric ways behind, and behave in a more civilised manner so that everyone has a chance to enjoy the books and space!
[Photo Credit: World of Buzz]
Opening Hours: 24 Hours!
Telephone Number: 03-27262438
Address: Tamarind Square, Persiaran Multimedia, Cyber 11, 63000 Cyberjaya, Selangor
Have any of you been to this BookXcess outlet yet?
How did you find it?
Share your experience so we know what you think!
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