Singapore: World City
Kim Inglis
Singapore: Tuttle Publishing, 2014
ISBN: 9780804843355

In just a few short decades, Singapore has transformed itself from a tiny island off the coast of mainland Asia into a global superpower in banking, IT, education, biotech, transportation and many other fields. The fascinating story of how this tiny city-state which has no hinterland, no natural resources, and a relatively small population has achieved success is told in this book.

Singapore's history as a British colonial port, its dynamic multi-ethnic population, and its innovative governmental and social structures, are a part of the story. But there are others as well. How Singapore became a regional hub for finance, shipping and air travel, and now also for the arts, sport and leisure - are all showcased in dynamic detail, with over 300 full-colour photographs to illustrate graphically how this small island functions like a well-tuned racing machine.

From the world's only night-time Formula One race to its thriving calendar of international and local events, and its culture of non-stop eating, drinking and clubbing, Singapore has finally stepped out of the shadows and onto the world stage. Famed for its innovative business prowess, what is less known is that the island has more parks, gardens and recreational facilities than any other city of comparable size.

Singapore's Ghostbusters: Traditional Practices in a Modern World
Ivan Lim
Singapore: Ghostbuster, 2013
ISBN: 9789810773274

The coffee-table book celebrates the 10th anniversary of Singapore's well-known ghostbusters. The compelling stories take an in-depth look into the world of supernatural with Ghostbuster's real-life cases and references in Singapore and around the region to as far as the United States. The book is also a biographical account of Ghostbuster's founder, Grand Master Chew Hon Chin, who was a victim of a vicious curse two decades ago. Inspired and motivated by his life experiences, as well as being bestowed with powers by the supreme Taoist deity The Jade Emperor, he lives a lifelong commitment to help others in similar situations. The title also puts the spotlight on the work of Ghostbuster's two other Masters – Grand Master Chew's son, Master Chew Teck Fatt, and Grand Master Bao, a well-known Indonesian exorcist. Equipped with traditional practices, the trio, along with their disciples, embark on a journey into the alternative realm, seen only by a select few with divine powers who can heal one’s soul and improve life, in a modern world that we live in today.

The Leader, the Teacher and You: Leadership Through the Third Generation
Lim Siong Guan & Joanne H. Lim
London: Imperial College Press, 2013
ISBN: 9781783263776

Former Head of the Singapore Civil Service Mr Lim Siong Guan now shares his diverse experiences and fresh insights on leadership in his exclusive new book, The Leader, The Teacher & You. As a former Permanent Secretary in ministries, including the Ministry of Defence, the Prime Minister's Office and the Ministry of Finance, and former chairman of the Inland Revenue Authority of Singapore and the Singapore Economic Development Board, the indefatigable public servant has contributed greatly to Singapore's success, introducing innovative policies and practices at each turn, which have greatly enhanced drive and performance across the board. Most notably, he is known for his pursuit of excellence, especially in spearheading the Public Service for the 21st Century (PS21) movement, to develop organizational excellence. From Singapore's early years of government to its emergence as a prosperous metropolis, Lim has served the nation tirelessly through the years.

In The Leader, The Teacher & You, Lim puts forth a fresh take on the notion of leadership as other-centered, with the focus on enabling others to be the best they can be. This noble vision of leadership is elaborated and built upon through the sharing of his experiences, in particular the memorable lessons and deep-seated convictions he has had while serving under Mr Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore's first Prime Minister, and Dr Goh Keng Swee, Singapore's First Deputy Prime Minister. Different types of leadership, such as personal and position leadership are touched upon as the author encourages leaders to take an active role in empowering those they lead and spurring them on to excellence. Coming from a man who has helmed many distinguished organizations, Mr Lim's insights on core values essential for organizational excellence are also not to be missed. The book offers practical and down-to-earth advice for leaders in all walks of life. For leaders who genuinely care for the people they lead and hope to make a difference in their lives, this book will be a crucial guide.

The 1963 Operation Coldstore in Singapore: Commemorating 50 Years
Poh Soo Kai, Tan Kok Fang, and Hong Lysa (eds.)
Petaling Jaya, Malaysia: Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, 2013
ISBN: 9789670630106

Operation Coldstore remains the most contentious event in the history of postcolonial Singapore. Despite attempts by the state to silence ex-detainees, by warning that they would not be permitted to rewrite the state's official version of history, the authors in this volume have done just that.

They have placed on record their own perspective of events. The autobiographical element in the narratives brings to life what these individuals went through as left-wing political actors who responded to the call of anti-colonialism and the challenge of shaping a new society. Their accounts of life in prison are a sober reminder of the deprivations and tortures inflicted to break their spirit. These stirring accounts are supplemented by academic contributions that provide contextual depth to the historical events and a critique of history writing in Singapore.

Diary of an Expat in Singapore
Jennifer Gargiulo
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish, 2013
ISBN: 9789814408578

This hilarious new book records the tongue-in-cheek journey of an expat in Singapore, told through vignettes, snapshots and Top 10 lists: "10 sure signs you're in a Singapore taxi"; "Things first-time visitors to Singapore say"; "10 signs you've overstayed"; "Politically-incorrect expat profiling by nationality"; and many more. Based on the author Jennifer Gargiulo's popular blog of the same name, Diary of an Expat in Singapore packs in a wealth of quirky observations, witty one-liners, and laugh-out-loud misunderstandings as the author tries to adjust to life in a strange new land and raise two kids while at it. You may marvel as Jennifer enlists the help of her young son, Alexander (who learns Chinese at school), to find out what her hairdressers are saying about her at the salon! Expats will share many of the experiences of the author told in this book, but few will have heard them told with more humour and flair. And Singaporeans will also find much to enjoy and laugh over, when local customs and foibles are seen anew through the author's eyes.

The Swiss in Singapore
Andreas Zangger
Singapore: Editions Didier Millet, 2013
ISBN: 9789814385688

Since the founding of colonial Singapore, the Swiss have been active on the island, whether as traders, naturalists, or tourists fascinated by the exoticism of the East. Discover the stories of Swiss-made sarongs, of Swiss Nobel laureate Hermann Hesse’s time in Singapore and of the evolution of the longstanding Swiss Club from its early days as the Swiss Rifle Shooting Club. Historian Andreas Zangger also provides the background to the close economic and diplomatic relationship between the two countries today. This fascinating history is accompanied by an assortment of contemporary and archival images, photographs and documents. The Swiss in Singapore is the perfect guide to the past, present and potential of the small but important Swiss community in the country that is often described as the 'Switzerland of the East'.

The Girl Under the Bed
Dave Chua, Xiao Yan (illus.)
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810731106

During the Hungry Ghost Month, the gates of hell open and dead spirits pour into the world of the living. Jingli, a Secondary One student, discovers a ghost named Xiaomei sleeping under her bed. In time, the two develop an uncanny friendship. Together with Weizhong, a boy who is also a medium, they set out to solve the mystery of Xiaomei’s haunting.

Set in modern-day Singapore, The Girl Under the Bed is a gripping coming-of-age tale that will thrill and fascinate readers.

Government in Business: Friend or Foe?: Finding Entry & Exit Points
Lim Hwee Hua
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789814342414

Government in Business: Friend or Foe? sets out the arguments for and against government involvement in business, a topic for debate that arises whenever there is an economic storm.

Former Member of Singapore’s Parliament and top civil servant Lim Hwee Hua has used her active role in this perennial issue to show just how complex the arguments can be.

She answers a list of recurring questions, dealing with the why, when, what and wherefore which public officials, managers of state-owned enterprises and businessmen will find useful when formulating policies, or in their dealings with one another.

The numerous examples she cites from all over the world, of governments’ dreams and nightmares, illustrate factors peculiar to particular situations, but all raise degees of risk best resolved with honesty, particularly with regard to who benefits the most from a decision to get in or out. As Lim explains, the answer can sometimes come as a shock.

The Collected Poems of Arthur Yap
Arthur Yap
Singapore: NUS Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789971696535

Arthur Yap Chioh Hiong (1943-2006) was a Singaporean poet and artist. He held an MA from Leeds and a Ph.D from the National University of Singapore, where he taught in the Department of English Language and Literature from 1979 until 1998. He published a volume of poetry in 1971 under the title Only Lines and later published three more volumes of poetry (Commonplace, Down the Line, and Man Snake Apple) under the Heinemann imprint. His poetry also appears in a variety of periodicals.

The Collected Poems of Arthur Yap gathers the entire corpus of Arthur Yap's poems in a single volume. Yap based his writing on life and events in Singapore, and his contribution to Singapore literature was first acknowledged in 1976, when he won the initial poetry award granted by the National Book Development Council of Singapore for Only Lines. In 1983 he received both the Singapore Cultural Medallion for Literature and the Southeast Asian Write Award. His work is notable for word play, occasional use of the street patois of Singapore, and commentary on the values and priorities expressed by ordinary people in everyday situations.

Straight Talk: Reflections on Singapore Politics, Economy & Society
Raymond Lim
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789814342551

This is a collection of speeches and essays spanning Former Minister Raymond Lim’s 20 years in journalism, finance and politics. The issues he addressed then are still very much alive today.

He lays out his views on Singapore society, politics, the economy, entrepreneurship, foreign affairs and the Asian financial crisis.

The Bedside Palliative Medicine Handbook
Tan Tock Seng Hospital Palliative Care Service, Dr Allyn Hum & Dr Mervyn Koh (eds.)
Singapore: Armour Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789814461641

Palliative care is an approach to treatment of patients suffering from life-limiting illnesses that focuses on improving the quality of life for them and their families, by providing relief from physical, emotional and spiritual suffering. It is now recognised as a specialty and has become an integral part of good patient care in the continuum of treatments for cancer and chronic illnesses.

To be able to provide good palliative care requires both sound clinical knowledge and compassion. The editors and contributors of The Bedside Palliative Medicine Handbook have taken great care to provide readers with a clear, succinct and practical guide to palliative medicine, which will be useful to all medical practitioners by the patient’s bedside.

Azalea Dreams, Bamboo Lives
Wee Kiat
Singapore: Select Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810781071

Azalea Dreams, Bamboo Lives tells the story of Siok Yi and Kok Wah, who grew up amidst the promise of a new China on Gulangyu island during the tumultuous years of the Chinese civil war. Condemned and persecuted for living their ideals, they elope to the colony of Singapore, hoping to build a new world for themselves. Haunted by the ghosts they left behind and faced with the same challenges they thought they had escaped, they find themselves caught in a web of intrigue and deceit, as they struggle to keep their dreams and love alive in a world at war. This sweeping work of historical fiction brings alive the emotions of that turbulent era, when great powers and ideologies tussled for control, inflicting unimaginable costs on the denizens of a Singapore slowly moving towards independence.

My Mother-in-Law's Son: A Novel
Josephine Chia
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810779986

My Mother-In-Law’s Son centres round a Peranakan woman, Swee Gek, who is in an abusive marriage but is constrained by the limitations of women in her time to take positive action.

Her marriage is further strained by Choy Yan, the eponymous Mother-In-Law of the title whose values are archaic and patriarchal. Taking place in a 1949 -1950 Singapore that is just recovering from the onslaught of the Japanese War, Swee Gek’s Chinese husband, Wong Kum Chong, is inadvertently drawn into participating in Communist activity against the Colonial Government by a communist agitator, Teng Xin Nan.

Narrated from the perspectives of different characters, My Mother-In-Law’s Son is a revealing story of a Singapore and her people struggling to find their feet in the aftermath of a war. It also shows how people going through difficult circumstances can be susceptible to revolutionary ideas. Through Swee Gek’s personal fight against her oppressors, this novel also explores the meaning of love: of whether love can be unconditional or that it is always accompanied by possessiveness.

Little Things: An Anthology of Poetry
Loh Chin Ee, Angelia Poon, and Esther Vincent (eds.)
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810771409

Catching crickets after school, waiting for class to end, playing with lanterns during Mid-Autumn festival, observing one’s grandfather cut his nails, watching the rain and the world go by – these are some of the little things that the poems in this anthology explore.

In this selection of more than 80 poems from Singapore and around the world, poets look afresh at things mundane and universal, from birth to growing up and first love to old age and death. Works by established Singapore poets such as Boey Kim Cheng, Lee Tzu Pheng, Arthur Yap and Cyril Wong and well-known international poets such as e. e. cummings, Billy Collins, Derek Walcott and Raymond Carver are set alongside poems by younger published poets such as Joshua Ip, Teng Qian Xi and Theophilus Kwek and previously unpublished poems in this refreshing anthology.

Arranged in six broad sections – Little Things, Growing Up, People Around Us, Going Places, Love and Loss, and On Words – this anthology will appeal to readers both young and old with poems that are quirky, delightful, sad and reflective.

Passages: Stories of Unspoken Journeys
Yong Shu Hoong (ed.)
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810776954

Every year, between 2011 and 2013, the Singapore Writers Festival invited eight Singapore writers to embark on a sobering journey – to meet with a segment of Singapore’s population whose plights and struggles in life are often left in the shadows. This special project was named Passages. From informal conversations with senior citizens at a hospice or their homes, low-income families trying to make ends meet, and former offenders who had spent time in prison, these writers were inspired to pen their original tales of hardship and heartbreak, often depicting how the human spirit can triumph over great adversities. This anthology compiles a selection of stories from all the three years of the project.

Featured authors: Stephanie Ye, Yeo Wei Wei, Kristina Tom, O Thiam Chin, Wong Shu Yun, Jeremy Tiang, Noor Hasnah Adam, Quek Shin Yi, S Anparasan, Marc Nair, Han Han and Dave Chua.

The Viewing Party
Yong Shu Hoong
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810776947

Singapore Literature Prize winner Yong Shu Hoong’s latest book features more than just poetry. There is also a ghostly tale at its core, complete with prose poems and micro fiction of exactly 100 words each, as well as annotated excerpts from an abandoned work.

In this viewing party, readers are invited to take a peek into the domain of death and cinema. You are part of a mob of dispassionate onlookers. Sometimes, you get to play the voyeuristic judge.

My Kampong Sketches
Ishak bin Ahamad
Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789810776732

My Kampong Sketches comprises Ishak’s reminiscences of the kampong he grew up in. Preserved in the form of black-and-white sketches, his childhood memories include now-iconic images of night-soil workers hauling the buckets to a waiting vehicle; a fishmonger smoking opium and enjoying music from his ‘Rediffusion’ set; and children riding their tricycles in the village.

Through this sketchbook, Ishak wishes to share his brand of nostalgia not only with people who have been familiar with the kampong way of life, but also with present children and future generations, who probably will never know it personally.

After You
Cyril Wong
Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789810772741

In a lasting marriage, one could still outlive the other. A poet gazes upon his older partner, pondering the inevitable. Panic, heartache, and a surprising sense of acceptance, interwoven with instances of joyful resilience, punctuate the ordinariness of their everyday lives and occupy these poems about same-sex love, death, and the fragile art of testimony.

My Father in His Suitcase: In Search of E.J.H. Corner, the Relentless Botanist
John K. Corner
Singapore: Landmark Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789814189477

John (Kay) Corner left home in 1960, aged 19. He would never see his father, E. J. H. Corner, again.

Edred John Henry Corner was one of the most colourful and productive biologists and mycologists of the 20th century. His career began in 1929 as Assistant Director of the Straits Settlements Singapore Botanic Gardens, where he trained monkeys to collect specimens from the treetops of the rainforest, and published Wayside Trees of Malaya, a classic field guide interspersed with his delightful and idiosyncratic observations on plant life. He was key in the creation of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, a 163- hectare plot that contains more tree species than the whole of North America.

When war came, he considered it his responsibility to safeguard the scientific and cultural collections of Singapore during the Japanese Occupation, but was branded by some as a collaborator.

Post-war, after heading the ambitious UNESCO Hylean Amazon Project, he returned to Cambridge University and was appointed Professor of Tropical Botany in 1965. There he propounded his theory that the Durian represented an ancestral type of angiosperm tree. He was elected a Fellow of The Royal Society, where he promoted the conservation of tropical forests and led expeditions to the British Solomon Islands and Mount Kinabalu. For the latter, he proposed Kinabalu Park which led to its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

After 46 years, John Corner faces his estranged father in a suitcase marked: ‘For Kay, wherever he might be.’ The letters, pictures and other memorabilia that spill out led him to search for the father he hardly knew, resulting in an engaging and frank biography of an eminent scientist who put science above all, including his family.

Democracy, Media and Law in Malaysia and Singapore: A Space for Speech
Andrew T. Kenyon, Tim Marjoribanks, and Amanda Whiting (eds.)
London: Routledge, 2013
ISBN: 9780415704090

Commentators on the media in Southeast Asia either emphasise with optimism the prospect for new media to provide possibilities for greater democratic discourse, or else, less optimistically, focus on the continuing ability of governments to exercise tight and sophisticated control of the media. This book explores these issues with reference to Malaysia and Singapore. It analyses how journalists monitor governments and cover elections, discussing what difference journalism makes; it examines citizen journalism, and the constraints on it, often self-imposed constraints; and it assesses how governments control the media, including outlining the development and current application of legal restrictions.

Education and the Nation State: The Selected Works of S. Gopinathan
Saravanan Gopinathan
London: Routledge, 2013
ISBN: 9780415719018

In the World Library of Educationalists series, international experts themselves compile career-long collections of what they judge to be their finest pieces - extracts from books, key articles, salient research findings, major theoretical and practical contributions - so the world can read them in a single manageable volume. In a career spanning four decades, S. Gopinathan is considered by many to be a pillar of teacher education in Singapore. He has played a key role in the establishment and transformation of Singapore's education system, pioneering many programmes and advising on policy both nationally and internationally. In the process, he has contributed over 25 books (authored, co-authored and edited) and 115 articles and book chapters to the field, and continues to inspire and empower younger colleagues in the region to challenge the cause for excellence in education and education reform.

In Education and the Nation State, S. Gopinathan brings together 14 of his key writings in one volume. Starting with a specially written introduction, which gives an overview of Gopinathan's career and contextualises his selection, the essays are then arranged thematically, providing an overview not just of his own career, but also reflecting the development and key concerns of education in the nation state that is Singapore.

Confrontation: A Novel
Mohamed Latiff Mohamed
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810755577

Adi loves his life in the kampung: climbing the ancient banyan tree, watching ten-cent movies with his friends, fetching worms for the village bomoh. The residents of Kampung Pak Buyung may not have many material goods, but their simple lives are happy. However, looming on the horizon are political upheaval, race riots, gang wars and the Konfrontasi with Indonesia.

Mohamed Latiff Mohamed, three-time winner of the Singapore Literature Prize, brilliantly dramatises the period of uncertainty and change in the years leading up to Singapore's merger with Malaya. Seen through the unique perspective of the young Malay boy Adi, this fundamental period in Singaporean history is brought to life with masterful empathy. In the tradition of Ben Okri's The Famished Road and Anita Desai's The Village By the Sea, Confrontation is an incredible evocation of village life and of the consequences that come from political alignment and re-alignment.

The Wayang at Eight Milestones: Stories & Essays
Gregory Nalpon
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810764579

This long overdue collection gathers together sixteen of Gregory Nalpon's short stories, eleven of his essays, and a selection of his sketches of life in coffee shops, hawker stalls and samshu shops. Through his writing, Nalpon poignantly records a lost, rich world: the colourful, exciting and sometimes perilous Singapore of half a century ago.

With this collection, a vital Singaporean voice is finally recovered. Nalpon's inspired blend of close observation, legend, local superstition and peculiarly eclectic reading results in some of the most imaginative and exciting writing produced in Singapore during the 1960s and 1970s, including authentic descriptions of indigenous culture and working-class men and women rarely found in Singaporean writing of the period.

The Tower: A Novel
Isa Kamari
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810767822

The Tower tells the story of Ilham, an architect who is visiting the tower which he helped to design and build. As he climbs the tower with his clerk-of-works, Ilham reflects upon his life, revealing a deep sense of alienation and loss. What will he find when he eventually reaches the top? From Cultural Medallion winner Isa Kamari comes a masterful allegorical tale of success and failure, which is translated for the first time into English by Alfian Sa'at, his debut work of translation.

Durians are Not the Only Fruit: Notes From the Tropics
Wong Yoon Wah
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810766702

In this mix of memoir, lyric essay and nature writing, Wong Yoon Wah takes the unusual approach of turning his gaze away from the people of Nanyang, and examining instead what surrounds us: the fruits we grow, the food we eat, the trees and animals that thrive in our midst. Along the way, he throws us fascinating cultural insights: how thunder tea rice, which contains neither thunder nor tea, acquired its name; how early settlers used the raintree to tell the time; how the behaviour of ants can tell us when a monsoon is about to arrive. Throughout, Wong explores the myths and seduction of Singapore and Malaysia's tropical rainforest landscape and the rubber plantations of his childhood, getting at the very essence of humans' profound attachment to place.

Other Cities, Other Lives
Chew Kok Chang
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810766726

Other Cities, Other Lives is a collection of micro-fiction from one of Singapore's pioneer Chinese writers that features characters living through a time of volatile change in the region. Short travelogues are populated with swindlers and enterprising tour guides, where nothing is as it seems. Closer to home, husbands, wives and children are captured in a state of flux. Told in the elegant, spare style of a Chinese scholar, this is the first collection of Chew Kok Chang's works to be translated into English.

Myth of the Stone
Gwee Li Sui
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810766160

A curious young boy opens a door and is thrust into the Architrave, a fantastical, fractured world upheld by four Columns. Arriving as the Great Gateway War draws to a start, Li-Hsu must fight bravely alongside a host of strange creatures in order to find his way back home.

Gwee Li Sui's Myth of the Stone, first published in 1993, is an endearing tale of one unlikely hero's journey through an unfamiliar landscape.

The Last Lesson of Mrs De Souza: A Novel
Cyril Wong
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810762322

One last time and on her birthday, Rose de Souza is returning to school to give a final lesson to her classroom of secondary school boys before retiring from her long teaching career. What ensues is an unexpected confession in which she recounts the tragic and traumatic story of Amir, a student from her past who overturned the way she saw herself as a teacher, and changed her life forever.

The stunning first novel from award-winning poet Cyril Wong, The Last Lesson of Mrs de Souza is a tour de force, an exceptional examination of the power of choice and the unreliability of memory.

Ministry of Moral Panic
Amanda Lee Koe
SIngapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810757328

Meet an over-the-hill Pop Ye-ye singer with a faulty heart, two conservative middle-aged women holding hands in the Galapagos, and the proprietor of a Laundromat with a penchant for Cantonese songs of heartbreak. Rehash national icons: the truth about racial riot fodder-girl Maria Hertogh living out her days as a chambermaid in Lake Tahoe, a mirage of the Merlion as a ladyboy working Orchard Towers, and a high-stakes fantasy starring the still-suave lead of the 1990s TV hit serial The Unbeatables.

Heartfelt and sexy, the stories of Amanda Lee Koe encompasses a skewed world fraught with prestige anxiety, moral relativism, sexual frankness, and the improbable necessity of human connection. Told in strikingly original prose, these are fictions that plough, relentlessly, the possibilities of understanding Singapore and her denizens discursively, off-centre. Ministry of Moral Panic is an extraordinary debut collection and the introduction of a revelatory new voice.

The Good, the Bad, and the PSLE: Trials of an Almost Kiasu Mother
Monica Lim
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810765996

To succeed in life, you must top your class, get Band One for school tests, and obtain four A stars for the PSLE.

Or at least, that is the world according to Ling, a typical Singaporean mum who has made it her goal in life to help her children succeed in school. Ling's older daughter, April, has all the makings of a model student and looks set to ace the Primary Six national exams. In the meantime, Ling's younger son, Noah, is free-spirited and more interested in canteen food than what goes on in class.

This (almost) kiasu mum records her journey diary-style, describing hilarious episodes involving crazy worksheets, assessment book overload and jittery parent-teacher meetings. Ling's humorous take on surviving Singapore schools will have you laughing and give you serious food for thought, all at the same time!

Plusixfive: A Singaporean Supper Club Cookbook
Goz Lee and Friends
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810759063

Lamenting the lack of good Singaporean food in London (Singapore fried noodles doesn't count), Goz Lee started the plusixfive supper club out of his one-bedroom flat in Islington, determined to showcase his country's cooking to hungry Londoners. Since its founding, plusixfive has taken the London supper-club world by storm, regularly selling out its monthly dinners and counting among its guests celebrity chefs, food critics, bloggers and television stars.

Taking its name from Singapore's international dialling code, plusixfive is the result of one young, homesick and hungry Singaporean's desire to share the spirit of delicious food and good company. Along the way, Goz found two like-minded, food-obsessed Singaporean food bloggers to continue his culinary legacy while he moved to Hong Kong to expand plusixfive's ventures abroad. He also picked up a motley crew of volunteers, all of whom contribute to the supper club in ntheir free time.

Structured like a regular supper-club night, Plusixfive: A Singaporean Supper Club Cookbook is packed with stories about plusixfive's signature dishes, memories of Singapore and guest recipes from the likes of Momofuku Seiobo head chef Ben Greeno, Hollow Legs food blogger Lizzie Mabbot and The Straits Times food editor Tan Hsueh Yun. With passion and irreverence, Goz and his team demystify local hawker favourites like satay and chwee kueh and staples of Peranakan cooking like babi pongteh and ayam buah keluak, teaching you how to cook delicious Singaporean food right out of your own kitchen.

Love, or Something Like Love
O Thiam Chin
Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789810776718

A woman reminded of her past through the acts of her grandson. A band of swordsmen on a failed mission. The forbidden love of Zheng He, the great Chinese Admiral. A young daughter forming a strange bond with her deceased father’s cat. Presenting ten stories in his fifth collection, O Thiam Chin plumbs the joy and despair, hopes and fears of men and women caught up by their past and confounded by lost loves. Taut, dark and visceral, these stories reveal, once again, the mysteries that lie in the heart of man.

Balik Kampung 2B: Contemplations
Verena Tay (ed.)
Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789810776541

Balik Kampung 2B: Contemplations presents nine new tales by authors who have lived in the respective neighbourhoods for at least ten years. How does one's environment affect one's outlook in life? Is your home your identity? How do people react to a specific place over time? The various short stories within this collection ponder over these questions and more. By the time you reach the last page, you are guaranteed to view parts of Singapore with a fresh perspective.

Balik Kampung 2A: People and Places
Verena Tay (ed.)
Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789810776558

Balik Kampung 2A: People and Places presents eleven new tales by authors who have lived in the respective neighbourhoods for at least ten years. What was it like to grow up in a particular district of Singapore during a specific decade? How can you go for a peaceful walk around your home if the area is being constantly remodelled by demolition and construction? How do present perceptions of space contrast with memory? Such questions fill the various stories that are inhabited with vivid characters and strong portrayals of different locales. If you wish to discover new perspectives about parts of Singapore that you may or may not have previously been aware of, then read this book.

From the Belly of the Cat
Stephanie Ye (ed.)
Singapore: Math Paper Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789810776565

Writers and cats have long enjoyed a special affinity, unsurprisingly since both spend much time sitting around and judging people. Discover the Lion City through the eyes of its cats and their humans in From the Belly of the Cat, an anthology of fifteen feline tales by some of the citystate’s most exciting writers and notorious cat sympathisers. For best results, read this book at home on the sofa on a rainy afternoon, with a cup of warm tea within reach, and a cat by your side.

(Almost) Uniquely Singapore: 18 Objects
Pang Eng Fong (ed.)
Singapore: Select Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810763466

Ever wonder what the thumbdrive, SAR-21, Tiger Beer, RISIS orchid and the parking coupon have in common? These and another 13 objects are all (almost) uniquely Singapore in their origin or association with the city-state. This book, written by Singapore Management University undergraduates, tells the fascinating stories behind these objects. Its unusual perspective will interest Singaporeans as well as visitors keen to understand Singapore's creative mix of enterprise, innovation and organisation.

Myth or Magic: The Singapore Healthcare System
Jeremy Lim
Singapore: Select Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810773625

This book provides a comprehensive look at the political philosophy that has shaped Singapore's healthcare system over the last five decades, and the financing and delivery of healthcare in Singapore. It delves into different aspects of the Singapore healthcare landscape, including pharmaceutical cost management, medical tourism, doctors' remuneration, medical education, rules and regulations, workforce panning and health promotion. It suggests lessons that the Singapore healthcare story holds for healthcare policy makers and reformers and the challenges that the future holds.

The Epigram Books Collection of Best New Singaporean Short Stories: Volume One
Jason Erik Lundberg (ed.)
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810762346

In recent years, Singaporean literature has begun experiencing a sea change, with the short story form enjoying a renaissance. As a result, an explosion of short fiction with a Singaporean flavour has been produced to incredible effect, both by emerging and established writers. For the prose enthusiast, it is a very exciting time.

The book curates the finest short fiction from Singaporean writers published in 2011 and 2012. This ground-breaking and unique anthology showcases stories that examine various facets of the human condition and the truths that we tell ourselves in order to exist in the everyday. The styles are as varied as the authors, and no two pieces are alike. Here are twenty unique and breathtaking literary insights into the Singaporean psyche, which examine what it means to live in this particular part of the world in this particular time.

Saudade: The Culture and Security of Eurasian Communities in Southeast Asia
Antonio L. Rappa
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810775452

Saudade is a Portuguese idiom that symbolizes a sense of belonging; a special feeling of attachment to a time and place, as well as a desire to retain its memories and hopes. Saudade is the result of the mixture of European and Asian traditions. The experience of Saudade is also found in Portuguese Eurasian songs, dances and speech. It is from these explanations of Saudade that this book takes its title. The aim of this book is to reveal how Eurasian communities in Singapore and Malaysia survived since local Asians had their First Contact with the Portuguese traders, priests and sailors. Saudade is a rendition of belonging to the Eurasian community as a whole. It involves an important percentage of Portuguese Eurasians whose ancestors were the life-stem of many Eurasian communities in Singapore and Malaysia.

The Tommy Koh Reader: Favourite Essays and Lectures
Tommy Koh
Singapore: World Scientific, 2013
ISBN: 9789814571074 (hardback) / 9789814571081 (paperback)

As one of Singapore's renowned and celebrated public figures, Professor Tommy Koh is recognised for his meritorious public service and achievements, and has been conferred many honours both locally and internationally, including the recent "Harvard's Great Negotiator Award 2014". His book, The Tommy Koh Reader, is a rich collection of Professor Koh's favourite essays and lectures, and provides insights into his illustrious academic and diplomatic career. It includes memorable photographs and essays on diplomacy, international law, art, culture, heritage, nature and environmental issues.

We ♥ Queenstown
Urban Sketchers Singapore
Singapore: Epigram Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810766016

Originally a backwater swamp housing the Ying Fo Lut and Boh Beh Kang kampongs, Queenstown became Singapore’s first satellite town. It was named in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation in 1953. As this grand old dame of an estate celebrates her 60th anniversary in 2013, the artists from Urban Sketchers Singapore capture the enduring landmarks and scenes of everyday life in the neighbourhood.

Take a trip down memory lane and imagine the late Queenstown cinema and bowling alley in its heyday. Visit Stirling Road to view Singapore’s first HDB blocks and enjoy the unique personality of each HDB terrace house. Admire the religious harmony and architectural diversity of Queenstown’s churches, temples and mosques. To escape the heat, slip into the cool oasis of Queenstown Community Library, which remains in the middle of winding Margaret Drive.

The River's Song
Suchen Christine Lim
London: Aurora Metro Books, 2013
ISBN: 9781906582982

Ping, the daughter of Chinatown’s Pipa Queen, loves Weng, the voice of the people, but family circumstances drive them apart. Ping is forced to leave suddenly for the USA, while Weng is sent to prison for his part in local protests.

Many years later, Ping returns to a country transformed by prosperity. Gone are the boatmen and hawkers who once lived along the river. In their place, rise luminous glass and steel towers proclaiming the power of the city state. Can Ping face her former lover and reveal the secret that has separated them for over 30 years?

This is a beautifully written exploration of identity, love and loss, set against the social upheaval created by the rise of Singapore.

Lee Kuan Yew: A Life in Pictures
The Straits Times
Singapore: Straits Times Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789814342582

Mr Lee Kuan Yew turns 90 this September. To commemorate his birthday, The Straits Times and Lianhe Zaobao - flagship newspapers of the Singapore Press Holdings - have put together a unique collection of photographs in a pictorial book capturing his public and private life.

This pictorial is a carefully-curated collection of about 480 photographs, including more than 100 never-before-published pictures selected from over 35,000 photographs from a wide range of sources, including Mr Lee’s personal albums.

Published in large format on high-quality art paper, Lee Kuan Yew: A Life in Pictures brings readers on a visual journey with rare glimpses into the life of the man who helped build Singapore.

Organised in six chapters, this pictorial is a snapshot of Mr Lee’s life from his early childhood to his entry into the rough and tumble of politics in the 1950s, through the battle for the hearts and mind of Singaporeans and the nationbuilding years that transformed this country into what it is today.

Aunty Lee's Delights: A Singaporean Mystery
Ovidia Yu
US: William Morrow, 2013
ISBN: 9780062227157

This delectable and witty mystery introduces Rosie "Aunty" Lee, feisty widow, amateur sleuth, and proprietor of Singapore's best-loved home-cooking restaurant.

After losing her husband, Rosie Lee could have become one of Singapore's "tai tai," an idle rich lady. Instead she is building a culinary empire from her restaurant, Aunty Lee's Delights, where spicy Singaporean meals are graciously served to locals and tourists alike. But when a body is found in one of Singapore's tourist havens and one of her guests fails to show at a dinner party, Aunty Lee knows that the two events are likely connected.

The murder and disappearance throws together Aunty Lee's henpecked stepson, Mark, his social-climbing wife, Selina, a gay couple whose love is still illegal in Singapore, and an elderly Australian tourist couple whose visit may mask a deeper purpose. Investigating the murder are Police Commissioner Raja and Senior Staff Sergeant Salim, who quickly discover that Aunty Lee's sharp nose for intrigue can sniff out clues that elude law enforcers.

Wise, witty, and charming, Aunty Lee's Delights is a spicy mystery about love, friendship, and food in Singapore, where money flows freely and people of many religions and ethnicities coexist peacefully, but where tensions lurk just below the surface, sometimes with deadly consequences.

A Village Remembered: Kampong Radin Mas, 1800s-1973
Ibrahim Tahir (ed.)
Singapore: OPUS Editorial Private Limited, 2013.
ISBN: 9789810756949

This title records the memories of the residents who were resettled from Kampong Radin Mas in 1973. Kampong Radin Mas produced many illustrious members of the Malay community, such as Othman Wok, Singapore's Minister of Social Affairs from 1963 to 1977; food consultant Aziza Ali; and former Members of Parliament Sidek Saniff and Wan Hussin Zoohri. Famous alumni of Radin Mas School include artist Ong Kim Seng.

This book aims to bring a sense of history to a new generation of younger Singaporeans. It explores what life was like in the kampong – the spirit of gotong royong that had the villagers rallying to help one another; traditional cultural practices now largely forgotten; and the happy times shared by village folk in a simpler age.

Images of Singapore Food: Popular Hawker Dishes and More...
Christopher Leung
Singapore: Marshall Cavendish Editions, 2013
ISBN: 9789814484145

On the hunt for the ultimate food experience in Singapore? This guide to the city's popular hawker dishes will help the adventurous visitor discover why Singapore is known as a street food paradise.

Find out what goes into these yummy-looking dishes - from snacks such as Nyonya Kueh to one-dish meals like Char Kway Teow - and learn to order them like a local. Each entry includes a colour photograph of the dish as well as a description of what are the key ingredients.

And for those clueless about what is kopi-si siew dai or mee tai mak, the book includes a glossary of local drinks available and also a visual glossary of noodle types.

A Naturalist's Guide to the Birds of Singapore
Yong Ding Li, Lim Kim Chuah & Lee Tiah Khee
Oxford: John Beaufoy, 2013
ISBN: 9781906780890

This easy-to-use identification guide to the 280 bird species most commonly seen in Singapore is perfect for resident and visitor alike. High quality photographs from Singapore's top nature photographers are accompanied by detailed species descriptions which include nomenclature, size, distribution, habits and habitat. The user-friendly introduction covers geography and climate, vegetation, opportunities for naturalists and the main sites for viewing the listed species. Also included is an all-important checklist of all of the birds of Singapore encompassing, for each species, its common and scientific name, IUCN status.

Education-At-Large: Student Life & Activities in Singapore 1945-1965
Teng Siao See, Chan Cheow Thia & Lee Juay Leng (eds.)
Singapore: World Scientific, 2013
ISBN: 9789814405546

The first part of the book contains documentation of a groundbreaking exhibition held in 2007 on student activities and societal engagements during post-war Singapore 1945-1965 and transcripts of forums held in conjunction with it. The second half centres on oral history accounts of mostly former Chinese school students who shared about their social, cultural and political activities in complex but exciting times.

Education-at-large broadens our understanding of Singapore's educational history in the transitional period between the end of the Second World War and the country's independence; examines the ways in which student activities and activism resonated with, and contributed to, the country's wider social, political and cultural life, as well as the decolonisation process; and stimulates debates about Chinese education and student activism in Singapore.

The Inlet
Claire Tham
Singapore: Ethos Books, 2013
ISBN: 9789810773847

A young female Chinese national drowns in a private swimming pool in a wealthy enclave on a resort island just off the Singapore mainland. The house where she is found belongs to one of the wealthiest property developers in Singapore. The ripple effects on everyone affected by the incident – the investigating officer, the homeowner and his nephew, the girl’s family – are examined from their point of view. Based loosely on a true incident, The Inlet explores the social and cultural changes that have washed over Singapore society in recent years.

Changing Landscapes of Singapore: Old Tensions,  New Discoveries
Elaine Lynn-Ee Ho, Chih Yuan Woon & Kamalini Ramdas (eds.)
Singapore: NUS Press, 2013
ISBN: 9789971697723

Landscape is not only the visible material surface of places but also refers to ways of interpreting fluid or contested social relations and spatial arrangements. The essays in this book critically examine how material and immaterial landscapes take shape in Singapore and their impacts on the population. They further assess how different social groups in Singapore inhabit landscapes and negotiate changing societal dynamics and conditions. The book contextualises developments in Singapore within regional and international trends. A standard Singapore Studies textbook, this book will appeal to anyone seeking to understand this ever-changing island, city and state.