Reading can serve as a healing pastime or hobby for some, where it transports your mind to another world for just a short but sufficient amount of time. Or for others, reading is a way they can see the world through another lens and build up on knowledge to enrich themselves.
To the book lovers out there, this article can give you useful information on conducive reading spots in Singapore (cafes and libraries) as well as bookstores (physical and online) where you can find your next great read. The wide collection of titles they offer can leave you spoilt for choice.
The Moon
Located only just a stone’s throw away from Chinatown MRT, The Moon Cafe offers a cosy respite from your hustling lifestyles. Designed to personify the Danish concept hygge - creating a mood of coziness and warmth, and to relish simple pleasures in life, it is a charming looking cafe and bookstore, both integrated into one space.
The cafe is 2-stories, with the bottom floor serving as a bookstore and cafe. The second floor serves as a reading room or occasionally an events space. It is furnished with comfy beanbags and couches for you to chill and relax with a book.
You would find a range of genres available at The Moon, from classics to contemporary fiction and even children’s picture books. One special thing about the cafe though is most of the books are written by female authors of different ethnic backgrounds! Some examples include Malala Yousafzai’s autobiographical book I am Malala and Singaporean author Sharlene Teo’s Ponti.
Besides the wide variety of books available, The Moon also offers great food and beverage options which can perk up your reading session. Enjoy a slice of vegan, gluten-free cheesecake or simply a cup of coffee.
On top of books which are categorised into genres, The Moon e-store also sells subscription boxes, tarot cards and shopping bags. The cafe menu is also up on their online site so you could check it out before heading down.
Address: 37 Mosque Street, Singapore 059515
Opening Hours: Monday – Thursday : 11AM – 6PM
Friday – Sunday : 9:30AM – 8:30PM
Email: [email protected]
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Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop
The Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop is a collaboration concept store by Epigram Books and Huggs Coffee. Epigram Books is an independent publisher started in 2011 to champion Singapore literature. You can then expect a variety of Singapore books available at the store. From books written by Singaporean authors to books published by Singaporean publishers there are more than 500 titles from different genres.
Whether you are searching for children’s books to novels, non-fiction or even poetry you can find them there. Some of Epigram Books bestsellers include My BFF is an Alien by Vivian Teo, and Wet Market to Table my Pamelia Chia as well as The Amazing Sarong by Quek Hong Shin.
Besides the amazing selection of books available, they serve coffee and even full meals, making the place perfect for spending a chill afternoon to read and relax. After opening up for Phase 2, they released a new set meal inspired by Pamelia Chia’s Wet Market to Table. The book provides 80 recipes using uncommon recipes from the wet markets.
Address: 45 Maxwell Road, #01-01, Singapore 069118
Opening Hours: Monday - Friday: 10AM - 5.30PM
Phone: 6292 4456
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The Book Cafe
The Book Cafe is a great spot for you to kick back and relax with a good book. A diverse range of reading materials are available here, from local and foreign books, to magazines and newspapers. Seats are located in front of the shopfront as well in the air-conditioned area of the cafe which is split into 2 areas: one with regular dining tables and the other, a chill area furnished with sofas.
It also prides itself on the different food options they have! There is the all day breakfast menu, which offers their signature Eggs Blackstone and other dishes such as Eggs Benedict. There is the main menu with nine sections: light eats, soup, salads, pastas, asian, sandwiches, plats, pies and cakes and other sweets (yoghurt and pancakes).
Address: 20 Martin Road, #01-02 Seng Kee Building, 239070
Opening Hours: Monday- Sunday: 8.30AM - 8.30PM
Phone: 6887 5430
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Cook & Tras Social Library
Get ready to be amazed with the almost 3,000 books available at Cook & Tras Social Library. With thousands of books chosen from the UK’s Ultimate Library, you will be spoilt for choice deciding which book to pick. Topics of books include wellness and nutrition to natural history and climate change.
On top of all the perks above, other customer-friendly facilities there include free wireless Internet access and easy street-side parking right in front of the cafe.
It is located between Cook Street and Tras Street - which explains its name. The place not only offers a great ambience to rest your mind, there are also great food options to satisfy your hunger pangs.
Address: 2 Cook Street Singapore, Singapore 078857
Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday: 6.30AM - 12AM
Phone: 6914 1400
Library @ Esplanade
As Singapore’s pioneer performing arts library, over here you can find resources and facilities catering to your passion in music, dance, theatre and film. Conveniently located on the third floor of the Esplanade Mall, if you need a quick break from the hustling and bustling, this library will be an ideal spot.
Immerse yourself in a book and build on your knowledge of the arts which may come in useful the next time you attend plays or theatre productions.
National Library - Lee Kong Chian Reference Library (Levels 7-11)
The National Library is a spacious and quiet spot for you to do some uninterrupted reading! As one of the largest libraries in Singapore, it is not surprising that there are a wide range of books and references available there.
For Lee Kong Chian Reference Library Levels 7-11 at National Library, these are the categories of reading resources:
- Level 7: Business and Science & Technology Collection.
- Level 8: Arts and Social Sciences & Humanities Collection.
- Level 9: Chinese, Malay & Tamil collection on all subject areas.
- Level 11: Singapore and Southeast Asia in English except for the Arts and Literature collection which is located at Level 8
COVID-19 precautionary measures (booking of time slots)
From 20 Oct onwards, in light of safe distancing regulations, the visit to libraries will be on a booking basis! Time slots will be 3 hours at regional libraries and 2 hours at other public libraries (e.g Library @ esplanade). As for the National Library - Lee Kong Chian Reference Library, each time slot is 3 hours and booking can only be made on the day itself or for the next day!
Take note that slots will be released after a grace period of 30 minutes.
Upon reaching the library,
- Present SMS confirmation. Only valid SMS will be accepted!
- Check in with safe-entry
- Check your temperature (anyone with temperature above 37.5 degrees will not be allowed to enter)
Library @ Esplanade Address: 8 Raffles Ave, #03-01, Singapore 039802
Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday: 11AM - 9PM
National Library - Lee Kong Chian Reference Library Address: 100 Victoria Street, #07-00 to #13-00, National Library Building, 188064
Opening Hours: Monday - Sunday: 10AM - 9PM
If you are looking for new places to buy new book collections, here are 3 bookstores you may fancy
Basheer Graphic Books
Found in Bras Basah Complex, the retro book heaven has been around since 1985. Considering its rich history, it is a popular spot among the old school book nerds.
Though it is a specialised bookstore for design themes - architecture, interior design, landscape design, graphic design, animation, art & craft, typography, photography and fashion design, they offer books of other genres as well. These include Singapore literature titles to children’s fiction and magazines or zines.
Address: #04-19, Bras Basah Complex, 231 Bain St
Opening Hours: Monday-Saturday: 10AM - 8PM
Sunday: 10AM - 7PM
Phone: 6336 1917
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BooksActually
If you do not feel like physically going down to grab a book, consider shopping online at BooksActually online store! The 15-year-old business at Tiong Bahru has unfortunately shut down due to its business getting negatively impacted during the ‘circuit breaker’.
On the website, you can expect to find classic titles to fiction and nonfiction books about philosophy, political science, history, health & wellbeing, science, travel, food and art. Not only that, children & young adult books are also available. For those interested in poetry, you also won't be disappointed.
Singapore literature titles such as 17A Keong Saik Road memoir or 50 Years of Urban Planning In Singapore can also be found.
Can’t decide which book to read? Check out their ‘New Arrivals’ page to see if anything interests you.
Email: [email protected]
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GOHD Books
Another online bookstore you can browse through will be GOHD Books! Contrasting from typical book stores where you can find bestsellers and ordinary Young Adult novels, GOHD specialises in selling rare collectable books.
There are more than 500 titles available at the website and examples are ‘‘The Bucolics & The Georgics of Virgil (1788)’, as well as ‘Hinduism & Buddishm - Charles Eliot (1921) (1st Ed)’. Some of them are even leather-bounded.
Their website even has a blog section where you can find interesting articles about certain book series or latest collections they have brought into the e-store.
Head down to these places to enhance your reading past time!
Phone: +65 9090 6181
Email: [email protected]
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Head down to the cafes/libraries for a reading respite, or purchase books from the physical or online bookstores above.
