Not everybody’s idea of having fun means hitting the beach and enjoying surf, sun and tequila. Us bookworms simply want to curl up and read, isn’t it? Luckily Singapore has an abundance of independent bookstores, some even have a cafe attached to it, ready for you to make your purchase and get going right away as you sip on a hot brew.
Comics, foreign history, autobiographies, fiction, or no matter what catches your attention, the island’s bookstores have it all. Come, let’s have a look at the prominent ones.
Cat Socrates
Image Credit: Cat Socrates Facebook Page
Home to two adorable, purring felines, Cat Socrates also stacks books and book paraphernalia as well as products and knick-knacks by new brands and local designers. If you’re still sceptical about stepping out, they’ve got their entire collection online on their website, ready to be purchased. We love their collection of mindfulness, art and recipe books plus they’ve got a galore of children’s’ books too. If you visit them though, you’re sure to come back with a cool tote bag, cute coaster and all covered in cat fur.
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A. 78 Yong Siak St, #01-14 Singapore 163078
Ana Bookstore
Image Credit: When-in-singapore Facebook Page
Do you love the smell of old-books and don’t mind taking home a second-hand book? Ana Bookstore is the store meant for you! The owner, Noorul Islam, fondly known as Mr Bean, has an abundance of knowledge about the books in his store and will gladly help you look for your next read. You can buy the titles you pick, or you can rent them for a price and return them to the bookstore, thus letting someone new take it home. Amazing, right?
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Books Actually (Online Store)
Books Actually (est. 2005) is an independent bookstore specialising in Literature (including obscure and critical works). In this fabulous bookstore, you can often find literary trinkets in the form of stationery and other lovely tchotchkes. They publish and distribute books under our imprint Math Paper Press and also hand-stitch notebooks and produce stationery under Birds & Co. Books Actually is a unique book store in the heart of Tiong Bahru.
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Littered with Books
Image Credit: Littered with Books Facebook Page
Books do grow on trees, okay maybe they’re hung on decorative trees inside cool places like Littered with Books bookstore. The vibe of this cosy, independent bookstore is unlike any other on the island, it’s where you make reader friends, talk about your favourite title or even argue about a certain plot-twist. This place is littered with awesome titles in fiction, non-fiction, travel narratives and award-winning children’s books. Come down here and peruse away till you find the one.
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Woods In The Books
Image Credit: Woods in the Books Facebook Page
Reading should start at an early age and nothing quite intrigues the young, curious mind than a picture-book. Find a range of these at Woods In The Books, a vibrant bookstore perched comfortably in one of Singapore’s oldest neighbourhoods, Tiong Bahru. Besides children’s books you’ll also find a little something for yourself as you sift through comics and culture books. You’ll also find their collection online on their website available for purchase if you don’t want to risk commuting just yet.
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AllScript Magazines
Image Credit: Allscript Facebook Page
Love flipping through food magazines or the one all about automobiles maybe? With a whopping 30 categories and more than 3000 varieties of magazines, AllScript Magazines will keep you spoilt for choice. Not one to head down to the store yourself? Buy any of the titles you fancy via their website or simply subscribe for six-months or the full year plus you get a 10% discount on the latter.
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Comics World
Image Credit: Comics World Singapore Facebook Page
Unleash the world of comics be it the popular Batman and Joker or even the old-school classics like Star Wars at Comics World. Their catalogue is vast and tempting, making you buy more than you actually thought you would, but this happens with all readers, right? While you can order all the comics you want via their website, we do recommend a visit to the store at some point and have a look at the galore of graphic posters and books for yourself.
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A. 35 Selegie Rd, Singapore 188307
Select Books
Image Credit: SelectBooks Twitter
Quench your thirst for academia by indulging in books related to politics, history, culture, literature, architecture and so much, much more at Select Books. We love this find because this company is a publisher, distributor, library supplier and online bookstore. You’d be interested to know about them being long-time suppliers to Harvard University, British Library, National University of Singapore and the US Library of Congress.
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A. St Michael’s Industrial Estate, 65A, Jalan Tenteram, #02-06 328958
Basheer Graphic Books
Image Credit: Basheer Graphic Books Facebook Page
Dedicated to books and magazines meant for enthusiasts or students of architecture, graphic design, interior design and even photography, Basheer Graphic Books is all about art books and a whole lot more. They also house plenty of magazines, children’s books and a variety of titles on categories like food & drinks, anatomy, fashion and even game art. Coming down here and making reader friends is a big perk. However, you can also buy all the available titles online via their website.
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A. Bras Basah Complex (Shopping Malls), 231 Bain Street 180231
Grassroots Book Room
Image Credit: Grassroots Book Room Facebook Page
Inquisitive about Chinese culture and want to read all about it? Grassroots Book Room is the place to be with its tall shelves occupied with everything on Chinese modern literature, history, philosophy, art, drama and even Western and Japanese translated literature. A prominent book room, you can also peruse their collection of picture books, life aesthetics and food literature. Do look out for cultural activities organized here - film and drama discussions, live music, reading for children and themed exhibitions.
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A. 25 Bukit Pasoh Rd, Singapore 089839
S. www.facebook.com/grassrootsbookroo
Books Ahoy!
Image Credit: Books Ahoy Facebook Page
If you’re looking to gift a child something worthy or have a niece or a nephew visiting, we highly recommend taking a trip to Books Ahoy! Best is to bring the child along, so he or she can roam around the colourful bookstore, look at the illustrations and pick out something of their interest. The store has got fiction and non-fiction books as well as bestsellers for you to pick out the perfect present.
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Gohd Books
Image Credit: GOHD Books Facebook Page
Ever wanted your own mini-library at home with hardcover books, decorative cloth, illustrations on the inside and fancy titles like The Complete Poetical Works of Geoffrey Chaucer? Gohd Books is the ultimate place in Singapore to find prized works, rare books, and titles spanning ancient and medieval world, history, archaeology, literature, fiction, philosophy, religion and spirituality. Lose yourself to the physical bookstore and get a whiff of the old pages or simply click a few buttons and have them home-delivered via their website.
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The Moon
Image Credit: The Moon Facebook Page
The Moon has taken upon itself to bring you stories and books from not just prominent, popular authors but also talented ones who are yet to share the limelight. They lay special focus on writers of colour while also dissolving the gender imbalance. Wow! We’re in awe of their inclusivity, their cosy nook upstairs and their wonderful cafe where coffee, books and conversations about those books keep flowing. Not the mingling kind? They’ve got all of their collection available online too.
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Evernew Bookstore
Image Credit: Evernew Book Store Facebook Page
Don’t want to burn a hole in your pocket and yet want to quench your thirst for books? Head to Evernew Bookstore, it has been around since 1988 and is filled with second-hand books. A paperback like 61 Hours by Lee Child would cost you S$6.90 with taxes plus their collection is available online. You’d be amazed to find huge stacks of books inside and outside the store. They have a vast collection of paperbacks and hardcovers from genres like adult fiction, storybooks, young adult, self-help, non-fiction, educational, comics, graphic novels, religion and even cookbooks.
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Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop
Image Credit: Epigram Books Facebook Page
What happens when cafe owners and book publishers come together? They merge their businesses and give you amazing places like Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop - housing tall shelves of books as well as a cafe complete with hot brews and baked treats. Browse through Singaporean books from genres like fiction, non-fiction, kids, young adults as well as from the publishing house themselves, Epigram. Avid readers should check out their book-of-the-week at a discounted price and their website to get their choice of books home-delivered.
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City Book Room
Image Credit: City Book Room Facebook Page
Wooden shelves and floors, ambient lights and a warmth every reader yearns for when they enter a bookstore can all be found in the City Book Room. Run by a publisher, this independent bookstore will keep you engrossed with Singaporean titles of fiction, history, humanities, art design and even spiritual growth. With emphasis on Chinese literature and culture, you’ll also find works from local writers. Take your pick and flip the pages as you sit idly on one of their benches.
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