14 local independent bookstores to check out in Singapore

It’s stifling hot outside, the crowds are everywhere, and you just can’t seem to hear your own thoughts. If you feel like you’ve got a pocket of free time while out and about, and are seeking a slice of quiet, let it be one with a good book in hand; overpriced coffee and hipster glasses optional. Here’re 16 local bookstores to get your dose of literary enjoyment.

AllScript Magazines

AllScript Magazines

Reading is for everybody, and that’s the message AllScript Magazines has for its customers—its catalogue spanning over 3,000 titles, you’ll be sure to find something you can enjoy, and for all purposes; for the coffee table sesh, bedtime flip-throughs, or if you’re just feeling fancy. If you’re peckish for a new read and don’t know where to start, Allscript offers a subscription package; pick from seven categories of reads, and let Allscript pick out a different magazine for you every month—$40/$50 for four issues, $80/$90 for eight. If you’re a true recluse and you’d rather be home curled up with your cat (necessary), there’s even free shipping. If you’re up for a real nerdy expedition, however, visit their physical stores where their shelves are stuffed full of colourful titles. 112 East Coast Rd.

Ana Bookstore

Widely known as the humble secondhand bookstore nestled on level five of Far East Plaza shopping mall, Ana Bookstore boasts nearly 80 years of history in Singapore following one relocation from Bras Basah Road and operates as a family-owned business. A true sanctuary for literary enthusiasts thanks to its old world charm, this spot proudly carries titles you might not find elsewhere, besides giving used books a new lease of life. Owner Noorul Islam is even fondly known to his loyal patrons as Mr Bean, and can be consulted on his treasure trove of good reads anytime. #05-01 Far East Plaza

Basheer Graphic Books

Basheer Graphic Books

A classic among the OG book nerds, Basheer Graphic Books has been around since 1985; an icon tucked into well-loved Bras Basah Complex. You’ll recognise it for its black-and-white checkered floor tiles, its floor-to-ceiling stacks of books, and the steady stream of arts students. Now specialising in a wide selection of design books covering every area you can think of—including Engineering For Cats—it’s the place to be for seeking inspiration for your next project; on whatever scale or interest it may be. Not a design student? Then you’ll take delight in the fact that they still offer SingLit titles, an impressive array of magazines and zines, and even children’s books for the little ones; all available online too. Step into this retro book heaven, and bring the sturdiest bookbag you have lying around. #04-19, Bras Basah Complex, 231 Bain St.

Books Ahoy!

Books Ahoy!

Reading is a habit inculcated from young, and if you’re looking to instill in your young ones the same appetite for text, the brainchild of Woods In The Books is a paradise for the young imagination. Look for the vibrant illustrations in their Forum The Shopping Mall storefront, almost as if charming drawings come to life, and dive right into their colourful world of illustrated picture and chapter books for early and independent readers. Pick from a well-rounded curated selection, but expect more than just your ordinary titles— bestsellers like Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls is sure to make the perfect bedtime read for your future revolutionary. Satiate your little one’s hunger for literature further by attending the readings and book launches here or over at the whimsical Woods In The Books (see below). #02-03, Forum The Shopping Mall, 583 Orchard Rd.

Cat Socrates

Cat Socrates

It’s in the name itself; if you’re a quirky catlady (we all are at heart) with a taste for literary and philosophical thought, you’ll feel right at home here. We mean that literally, once you step into its cosy interiors and enter into a world filled with sweet little trinkets sure to evoke nostalgia and memories from times long gone. Slip your pens into these Wheniwasfour Multi-Purpose Pouches and pledge your love to chilli crab, set your necessary mug of hot tea down on a beautiful Tile Coaster, and pick up the Fashionary Fashionpedia for a classy coffee-table centerpiece. You won’t be able to resist the allure of the pretty book covers shelved here, nor the assortment of locally-designed knick-knacks, so let your hands and mind roam free. If you’d much rather shop from the comfort of your bed, their store is online too; though you’d want to personally say hi to their adorable feline furries, Zoo-zoo and Chestnut. Two outlets, #02-25 Bras Basah Complex, 231 Bain St. or 448 Joo Chiat Rd.

City Book Room

City Book Room

Tucked away on the third floor of the unassuming North Bridge Centre across the National Library Building, you’ll find this charming, wood-furnished bookstore with its warm lights emanating a soft glow. Here’s where you can burrow down peacefully with a good book without the obnoxious crowds; pick from titles of fiction, poetry, history and social critique. Dedicated to sustaining and further preserving the Chinese culture, their wooden shelves are mostly stocked with Chinese titles, including translated versions of Math Paper Press favourites. You’ll also find familiar local showings like Haresh Sharma’s plays and Teo You Yenn’s famed This Is What Inequality Looks Like, alongside works from Nobel-Prize-winning Kazuo Ishiguro and LGBTQ-inclusive children’s book Love Makes a Family. In any case, pick a book (or five) and settle down on a wicker bench; as you wait for an author’s reading or a book talk. #03-10 North Bridge Centre, 420 North Bridge Rd.

Comics World

Comics World

Deep within the gritty bowels of Parklane Shopping Mall lies Comics World, a frills-free popular haunt for superhero comic geeks young and old. With posters plastered to the glass windows, be transported right into, as the name suggests, the world of rich graphics and action, and get ready to geek out with other fellow fanatics. If you’re not planning on sticking around for too long though, it’s best to know what you want, grab them and go. Bring cash. #B1-22 Parklane Shopping Mall, 35 Selegie Rd.

Evernew Bookstore

Sprawling with vintage finds such as autobiographies and even earlier editions of classics, Evernew Book Store is also a hit in the Bras Basah Complex. Having been around since 1988, the shop started off as a Chinese book vendor before introducing English titles into its collection. These days, they mostly deal secondhand books in both languages to offer affordable literature to all. The purveyor of reads has also launched an e-store, where you can find books spanning genres from self-help to popular fiction. #01-07 Bain St.

Gohd Books

Gohd Books. Credit: Lifestyle Asia

Fancy yourself a highbrow intellectual? Gohd Books is your place to be; its shelves are stocked with antiquarian and rare books, leather-bound and pages well-aged. Gently page through books like Da Vinci’s Codex Madrid (a super rare book of his inventions), trace your finger along the ornate gold gilt on the spines of George Eliot’s Romola, and train your eye on rare Japanese reproduction prints. Surrounded by masterpieces probably older than your grandparents. Currently only operating online, simply peruse their offerings here. #01-37 Burlington Square, 175 Bencoolen St.

Grassroots Book Room

Grassroots Book Room

Open since 1995, the Grassroots Book Room has provided cosy respite for local book nerds for close to 25 years now. The previous occupants of the site at North Bridge Center have since shifted to the first floor of a shophouse, furnished with old-timey leather chairs and eclectic knick knacks to further amp up the nostalgia factor. OG fans of the bookstore would be pleased to know it still religiously stocks books on Chinese and foreign history, Chinese modern literature and Chinese philosophy, but they’ve also added picture books and food-writing books into their rotation. They’ve even got Western and Japanese translation literature, and unapologetically local titles if you’re ready for some genuine cross-cultural immersion. Though its tall book shelves and quaint interiors are conducive for nerding alone, watch out for their themed exhibitions every one to two months, that will pique your intellectual curiosity and makes for a lovely afternoon activity. 25 Bukit Pasoh Rd.

Epigram Coffee Bookshop

Epigram Coffee Bookshop

A riveting read coupled with an aromatic cuppa is one of life’s simplest, yet greatest, pleasures. And at the Huggs-Epigram Coffee Bookshop, a collob opening by the cafe chain and the local book publisher, you’ll find exactly that. Only Singapore books are found here, with over 400 titles stocked at any one time. Plus, you won’t only get Epigram titles here, but also those from other local publishing houses, which is generous of them to say the least. For brews, local kopi is available, in addition to the more regular cafe fare. You can even have a proper lunch here if you wish. You might even find a local author or artist occupying one of the seats during opening hours. Feel free to just walk up and have a chat. 45 Maxwell Rd.

Littered with Books

Littered With Books

When you think of a classic bookstore, Littered With Books is sure to come to mind; wood-panelled floors, comfy red chairs for reading, and natural light filtering in from the two arched windows on the second floor. Housed in a conservation shophouse, it’s the rustic daydream of every bibliophile, where you can soak yourself in the art of the written word, available to you in all kinds of genres ranging from thrillers, non-fiction, to children’s books. A quiet gem in the heart of the CBD, it’ll be your peaceful hideaway from the crowds; and if you ever find yourself holed up here while it’s raining outside, have a chat with the staff. It’s a great place to make friends, chill, and talk shop about your favorite writers. 20 Duxton Rd.

Select Books

Direct your “intellectual” friend who uses words like postmodern in everyday conversation to this e-bookstore. While Select Books is known to be more of a publisher and distributor, you can get lots of nerdy, weighty books about Southeast Asian history and culture here. For those among us who possess the dexterity to delve into higher academic rigour, take your pick from a vast array of Asian titles, local and regional. #02-06 65A Jalan Tenteram

Woods In The Books

Woods In The Books

Just down the street from BooksActually, Woods In the Books nestles a whimsical escape from reality for both kids and the young at heart. Step right through the turquoise door, and enter on into a world of saturated colours and vivid dreamscapes, sure to pique your little one’s imagination. Prepare to be enchanted by the curated selection of picture books, or pick up hard-to-find reads like Mao and Me, a hard-hitting tome about political upheaval during the cultural revolution, and an illustrated interpretation of Persian classic The Conference of the Birds. An afternoon here is a visual treat for all, but adventures are for those who let their imagination run wild in the literary wilderness. 3 Yong Siak St.