The Dashain and Tihar break is the longest uninterrupted reading window most people in Nepal get all year. Use it on the long Nepali novel you keep postponing, something for the children who are also off school, and one book that is pure entertainment.
The festival break is the only stretch of the year when most households in Nepal have several unstructured days in a row. It is also the period when people most reliably plan to read and then do not, because the plan is usually one ambitious book and no thought about the other fourteen hours.
A break that actually includes reading tends to have three books in it: one long one you have been postponing, one for whoever else is in the house, and one you can read badly, in a hammock, half asleep.
Prices are what we charge as of August 2026 and move with our supplier, so treat them as a guide rather than a quote.
Order in the week before the holidays. Courier services slow noticeably during the festival period, and dispatch across the country is affected — see delivery outside the Valley for the usual timings.
Which long Nepali novel should you finally read?
- Seto Dharti by Amar Nyaupane, around NPR 585. A young widow's life in a society that has no place for her. The most admired Nepali novel of the last fifteen years, and the one people most often say they mean to read.
- Yogmaya by Neelam Karki Niharika, around NPR 716. The story of the reformer and poet who led a religious protest movement in eastern Nepal, and a Madan Puraskar winner.
- Pagal Basti by Sarubhakta, around NPR 540, a modern classic.
- Himalpariko Huri by Sudheer Sharma, around NPR 629, if you would rather read politics than fiction.
If you want something shorter and perfect instead, Shirishko Phool by Parijat at around NPR 270 can be finished in a single afternoon of the break.
What if you want something lighter?
Ijoriya by Subin Bhattarai, around NPR 673, or his earlier Summer Love at around NPR 338 and Saya at around NPR 315 — the books that got a whole generation of Nepali readers reading in Nepali.
China Harayeko Manchhe by Hari Bansha Acharya at around NPR 405 is the memoir of a man the whole country already feels it knows, and it is warmer and sadder than people expect.
What should the children read while they are off school?
Something they choose, and something with volume — a week is long. A box set of bedtime stories at around NPR 720, or the Roald Dahl combo at around NPR 1,872 for ages 7 to 11, will outlast the holiday. Diary of a Wimpy Kid at around NPR 576 is the reliable answer for a child who says they do not like reading.
For the youngest, My First Book of Gods and Goddesses at around NPR 864 fits the season and is a common Dashain gift. Our children's books by age guide has more.
What is worth reading purely for pleasure?
The break is the right time for a thriller you will finish in two sittings — The Housemaid at around NPR 792 or Gone Girl at around NPR 720 — or for the one long fantasy you never have time for, like The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings box set at around NPR 3,024.
What should you read if the holidays are hard?
They are, for a lot of people: forced gatherings, absent family, questions about your life from relatives who see you once a year. Ikigai in Nepali at around NPR 629 is gentle, short and about finding a reason to get up. Phoolko Aankhaama by Ani Choying Drolma at around NPR 446 is a memoir of a difficult childhood and what came after it, and it is the better book.
How do you actually get reading done during a festival?
Lower the target. One book across ten days is a realistic aim in a full house, not four. Read early, before the day starts making demands, or in the gap after lunch when everyone else is asleep. And keep the book physically in the room you sit in — a book upstairs is a book you will not open.
Frequently asked questions
Will orders arrive before the holidays? Order a week ahead to be safe. Delivery is typically 1 to 2 days in the Kathmandu Valley and 3 to 5 days elsewhere, and courier services slow during the festival period.
Do you have Nepali-language books? Yes, a large shelf of them. Each book's page lists its language in the specifications.
Do you deliver outside Kathmandu? Yes, to all seven provinces. Typically 1 to 2 days inside the Kathmandu Valley and 3 to 5 days elsewhere.
Can I pay on delivery? Yes. Cash on delivery is currently the only payment method, and you pay the courier when the parcel reaches you.
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