Dubai: Book lovers in Dubai can now browse an online library of over 8,000 books and have them home delivered for free.
Reader's Paradise is believed to be Dubai's first online book rental service for both adults and children that delivers books at zero cost. It has no due dates or late charges; members simply have the books picked up by library staff when they are done with them.
Online search
The company's co-founder and manager, Rashi Panjabi, said they stock books across genres, including bestsellers, new releases, and even text books. Members can also search by title, author or ISBN code on their website, readersparadise-me.com.
Panjabi, 29, denied the love of books has faded in today's digital dominated world. "Reading - physically holding a book - has always been a part of our lives, it's just that this kind of option wasn't available here before," she said.
"A lot of Hollywood movies are based on books, and they spike interest in each other. People want to read that book or see that film, and decide if the movie did justice."
Panjabi added renting books "is cheaper than buying books that you'll only read once, and they just end up taking up shelf space. Dh150 won't buy you eight books, especially not children's books."
Dh150 is the monthly fee for its Light Reader subscription which includes 18 children's books or nine adult books in a month. Avid Readers can rent as many books in a month as they like, up to eight at a time.
"There are no due dates, we don't want to stress the readers out. Reading should be a pleasure," she said, adding that autobiographies, dieting guides, and dark mysteries seem to be especially popular with Dubai readers.
Renting is also environmentally-friendly, Panjabi said, as each book is used many times, saving the need to cut down trees for more paper.
The service is also available for Sharjah residents.
