Singapore Shelf

FICTION

SURROGATE PROTOCOL

By Tham Cheng-E

Epigram Books/ Paperback/ 388 pages/$26.64/ Major bookstores

Ageless, amnesiac barista Landon Lock has lived many lifetimes in Singapore, but his memory spans only days. Agents from a mysterious organisation are hunting him for the serum in his immortal blood. He must decide if he will accept help from a man who claims to be his friend, or a deadly woman from his past.

STATE OF EMERGENCY

By Jeremy Tiang

Epigram Books/ Paperback/ 384 pages/$26.64/ Major bookstores

Tiang's first full-length novel deals in conspiracies, cover-ups and betrayals as he takes a radical look at the leftist movements of Singapore and Malaysia from the 1940s to the present and the scars they have left on individuals.


NON-FICTION

LIFE IS A MIXTAPE

By Ignatius Low

Straits Times Press/ Paperback/ 232 pages/$25/ Major bookstores

From the snarky to the sentimental, this book compiles more than 70 columns by former Straits Times journalist and managing editor Low, whether about his body dysmorphia or the perils of shopping for designer underwear.

SINGAPORE'S EARLY SIKH PIONEERS

By Rishpal Singh Sidhu Central Sikh Gurdwara Board/Hardcover/ 172 pages/Free from the Central Sikh Gurdwara and the Silat Road Sikh Temple

This useful resource documents the origins and contributions of Singapore's early Sikh pioneers, dating back to freedom fighter Bhai Maharaj Singh, who in 1850 became the first Sikh to arrive in Singapore, albeit as a political prisoner.


CHILDREN'S

WANDERING OFF

By Wendy Aw and Alan Choong

Scholastic/ Paperback/ 30 pages/ $8.29 before GST/ Times and Popular

Lucas is bored while waiting for his mum to finish shopping at the wet market, but then he meets a magical horse that takes him on an adventure.

DEWI: THE DAY THE EARTH SHOOK

By Catherine Khoo and Muhd Noh

Epigram Books/ Paperback/32 pages/ $15.94/ Major bookstores

In this story, based on an Indonesian folktale, Dewi is bullied by her stepmother and stepsister. When an earthquake hits, she must decide if she wants to repay their meanness with kindness.


ART BOOKS

LA KOPI

By Alvin Mark Tan

Math Paper Press/Hardcover/ 100 pages/$29/ BooksActually

Tan, a full-time artist, rediscovers coffee culture in Singapore through these diverse sketches.

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on May 30, 2017, with the headline Singapore Shelf. Subscribe