Bhubaneswar, May 13: Here's a piece of news that book lovers will lap up - Crossword has opened a store in Patia.

Spread across 2,400sqft, the shop houses about 1,800 titles under bestsellers, classics, self-help books, children's books, activity books and niche categories such as travel, science, cookery, health, lifestyle, Odia reads and more.

Like other Crosswords, this shop, too, stocks music and movies, stationery, gift items and toys.

The bestseller shelf helps spot the most sought after books of the week. While its fiction range is really wide, one finds a diverse range of themes when it comes to non-fiction. From Amitav Ghosh to Chetan Bhagat and Ramachandra Guha to Edward Luce, one finds all the best works at the store. Even famous Odia and Hindi books are available here.

The store also has a great collection of films and music. Classic Hindi films such as Gaman, Mandi and many more as well as complete collection of TV series such as Yeh Jo Hai Zindagi and Nukkad as well as many classics are also available. Contemporary films are also available here.

When it comes to music one finds everything from Pandit Ravi Shankar to AR Rahman and from The Beatles to One Direction.

"Within a week our books and music CDs have found great popularity among youths in the city. Since Patia is home to many prominent schools and colleges, we usually find young crowd here who are looking for both classic as well as latest in books, movies and music," said Suvendu Patra, the store manager.

Another highlight of the store is the vast section dedicated to children. It is indeed a must visit for kids and parents. A lot of accessories for travelling such as earphones, neck pillows, travel bags and carry kits as well as pouches are available.

The store scores high on hospitality as every visitor is offered complimentary packaged drinking water and tea or coffee. 'Sit and read' arrangements have also been made at the store and a coffee shop is scheduled to open shortly.

"We have just opened and we are glad with the kind of response we have got. There is a demand for a coffee shop inside the store and we will add it shortly," said Patra.

Young visitors seemed excited about having a Crossword store in town. "I just dropped in after college since I had heard it has opened here. I was floored by the remarkable collection they have and couldn't resist buying," said Saira Alam, an engineering student.