Makeen Books has been a familiar sight down Galle Road for years. They used to be spread across a single floor, but have shifted and expanded now. If I recall correctly, it's been just about a year since they moved to their new premises.
First Floor
Guidebooks, cookbooks, biographies and autobiographies.
You also get 'international school books' and a bunch of activity books for kids, along with a small but nice collection of stationery. We found charcoal erasers, 3D outliner nozzles and oil gloss varnish — stuff you don't always find easily. They also sell little packets of seashells (a hop and a skip away from the seashore, if you think of it…) and funky beads for under Rs. 100.
Pretty neat, and super convenient if you're an art and crafts person but don't want to go to Fort to hunt for supplies.
Also, if you're super committed to work and want to climb up that professional ladder, you can get The Art of War for Managers (by Sun Tzu) or un-put-downable tomes by the USA's beloved President and learn how you can help make America Great Again.
Ground Floor
If you're not into self-help and reading inspirational books about world personalities, you'll prefer this floor. You can find a range of children's books including stuff for toddlers and little 'uns, including tactile books which are super fun learning experiences.
They've got a run-of-the-mill collection of Baldacci, Lee Child, Cornwell and King. If you're more into fantasy, there's Paolini, Robin Hobb and Rowling among many others.
Much like nearly every Lankan bookstore, Makeen doesn't stick to keeping complete series in stock either. Like, there were only two books from Hobb's Rainwild Chronicles, and a couple missing from the Famous Five series. On the plus side, there's a massive selection of Enid Blytons, from more obscure titles for very young kids to her more popular series — Famous Five, Secret Seven, The Secret Series, Malory Towers and more.
They also have the latest spin-off which came out last year: this is more for adults though.
Conclusion
Conveniently located in Colpetty and with basement parking space, Makeen Books has a decent selection of fiction, non-fiction, and miscellaneous bits of stationary. Selection-wise, I'd say the only thing that sets them apart is the Enid Blyton spin-off, because everything else is basically what you'd find in Vijitha Yapa, Sarasavi or even MD Gunasena. Prices are pretty much on par with other bookstores, with the children's books going at around Rs. 700 upwards and the biographies and adult fiction in the realm of about Rs. 1500.
