SHAH ALAM, Dec. 10 -- I've been an avid book reader since childhood but even if I weren't it would still be quite a wonder to behold this sight: shelves of books spiralling towards the ceiling, the tower of tomes lit gently with a golden glow.

This could be the library of our dreams but for the modern escalator taking customers deeper into the book tower.

Welcome to BookXcess, it's 8thoutlet in Setia Alam, to be exact, joining its equally captivating sibling outlets in Tamarind Square, Kong Heng Ipoh, Gurney Paragon Mall and elsewhere.

It's a world away from the frenzy that is the annual book sale that is Big Bad Wolf Books - the possibly more well-known offshoot of the BookXcess empire - where over three million visitors worldwide hav...