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.