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Author: simransingh

New Books Releasing In November 2025

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Two months till the year ends, two months to meet your reading goal, two months to add new books to your TBR. This month, we have a completely captivating selection of books for you. 

Here are the books releasing this month: 

 

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A Vietnamese prostitute. A taxi driver. A serial killer. A Sydney pimp’s fate is somehow link to the 1957 murders in Malaya. Curse upon curse. Murder upon murder. This is a story of lust and revenge. Of love and fear. With a plot that unwinds and strikes like a cobra. A chiller of thriller that will shock you to the bone. 

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Killen is a city in the distant future where its people live in peace under the leadership of their Permaisuri, away from destruction and desolation following the rampage and aftereffects of a worldwide war. 

But what happens when this peace is threatened? When the truth as everyone knows it becomes falsity? And when home is no longer safe? 

 

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Spanning 3 continents, 7 cities, and 12 months, Ashura weaves together a story of interrupted youth, shared identity amidst brazen politics, and the elusive search for justice. The novel traces the invisible thread that binds a growing kinship, navigating between the precipice of death and the threshold of history and love. 

 

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Beyond Belonging is your wake-up call. Uncovering the subtle yet powerful forces that govern our lives. The grip of inherited beliefs, the magnetic draw of conformity disguised as belonging. It reveals how our desire for belonging often translates into quiet compliance. Through vivid examples and actionable insights, it exposes how our longing to belong often leads us to betray the very thing we’re searching for – ourselves. 

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Feeling excited already? Stay tuned on our social media channels to know when they come out!

New Books Releasing In October 2025

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It’s a new month, and you know what that means – NEW BOOKS! As the days grow cooler and the leaves turn, there’s no better time to curl up with a story that keeps you turning the pages. This month’s lineup offers thrillers, sweeping histories, and soul-nourishing reflections that are just right for autumn reading.

Here are the books releasing this month:

 

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Ivy Ngeow is back with another thriller to keep you up all night!  

Penniless, Genevieve Ho returns from Singapore to her wealthy but ailing elderly father in Fulham, London. She’ll care for him and rebuild their fractured relationship. That was the plan, until she meets his new hostile caregiver. As dark secrets and past betrayals catch up with her, the truth is about to erupt. 

 

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In this book, Faisal Tehrani explores transgressive love, intergenerational trauma, and most importantly, the Malayan people’s unbreakable bond with their sea, which can be a nightmare and a source of love and sustenance. This is a story that has emerged from the sea and that returns to it. 

 

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This book takes a centuries-old Japanese concept to try and help humankind ‘make life worth living everyday’ no matter where you find yourself today. Through deeply personal stories of real Japanese people from their 20s all the way to centenarians, this book aims to transport you to Japan and feel like you are meeting all their inspiring real-life heroes from all walks of life and experience a full spectrum of their life stories. 

 

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In this book, Anwar Ibrahim, Malaysia’s tenth Prime Minister, asks how we might rethink ourselves to adjust to accelerating change, and to shape more just and sustainable futures. Woven through the reflections on his time in prison are critical investigations into justice, post-colonialism, Islamophobia, democracy, and world order. 

 

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Building on its dominance of global manufacturing, China is becoming an exporter of capital, technology, services, and knowledge. Across many industries, its companies are becoming the setters of global standards. 

In this book, Edward Tse explains how China became the economic power it is today, how its role in global business will continue to expand, and how companies must rethink their global strategies in what will be an increasingly China-relevant global economy.  

 

Fascinated with this month’s releases? We can’t wait to share these stories with you!  

Read an exclusive excerpt from Tiny Rice Grains

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Tiny Rice Grains explores the human side of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI). 

Given the business case that diverse and inclusive organizations thrive and drive better performance, the question begs to be asked: why are so many organizations still struggling to implement and embed DEI in the workplace? The book explores this question and tackles how DEI strategies are often approached. as standalone initiatives rather than being woven into the fabric of the organization. Too many people are still afraid to have brave conversations and confront uncomfortable truths in the realm of DEI.

*** 

Get Comfortable With Being Uncomfortable 

I started playing tennis not too long ago and have since been taking classes to improve my game. Recently, in one such class, I was practicing a new serve that my coach wanted me to try. It felt really uncomfortable and unnatural. When I told him about how it felt, he replied, ‘Yes, and you’ll find that after three or four tries; you’ll slip back into your original form because that’s what feels comfortable.’ 

When he said that, I paused our session and said, ‘I have to write that down for my book!’ My coach laughed. I don’t think he realized quite how insightful his comment was. Our mental muscles that control our behaviour, behave in much the same way as our physical ones. They tend to return to what is comfortable, unless we consciously practise and form new habits. The three Cs approach is a way to consciously practise and engage our mental muscles, so we do not slip back into our old habits and biases. It’s a way to bring us out of System 1 thinking and activate System 2 thinking. 

Start With Care, Lean into Courage, and Show Curiosity 

There are many ways in which care can be applied to create inclusion. These range from an organization’s policies to how your leaders support you to care for yourself. Courage is about the action we take to demonstrate inclusion. Curiosity is making the choice to understand from another’s perspective, and also the willingness to pick up new knowledge on an area with which we are unfamiliar. 

When we are working to create inclusion, it is easy to slip back into our old patterns of behaviour, but remaining where it’s comfortable and not shifting our mindsets or changing our behaviours isn’t going to lead to the outcome of care that we’re aiming for. 

While policies and interventions at an organizational level can help, it is in how the policies are delivered, by leaders and colleagues who care about the impact, that change is really seen and felt. We have to be curious and positively disrupt our normal patterns of thinking and behaviour. We must have courage to take action that may feel uncomfortable but lead to the right outcomes and commit to doing the right thing when it’s hard, not only when it’s easy. 

*** 

The book explores this question and tackles how DEI strategies are often approached. as standalone initiatives rather than being woven into the fabric of the organization. Too many people are still afraid to have brave conversations and confront uncomfortable truths in the realm of DEI. 

Get your copy now.  

 

New Books Releasing In September 2025

Posted on by simransingh

September is serving up stories that refuse to be ignored. From page-turning fiction to life-changing non-fiction, these books will tug at your heart, challenge your mind, and maybe even shake up your shopping habits. Whether you’re looking for romance, family drama, Southeast Asian voices, or self-help wisdom, this month’s lineup is proof that your TBR pile is about to get taller.

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A bilingual short story anthology from Indonesia, Stories from the Island gathers ten emerging writers selected as part of the Ubud Writers and Readers Festival 2025. The collection showcases diverse voices from across Indonesia’s 17,000 islands, reflecting the country’s many cultures, local languages, and traditions. If you love translated literature, Indonesian short stories, or discovering new Southeast Asian writers, this anthology is a must-read.

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Omar Musa’s Fierceland is an epic family saga set in Malaysian Borneo, weaving together history, myth, and modernity. When siblings Roz and Harun return home after their father’s death, they must confront his legacy as a palm-oil baron and the dark secrets behind the family’s wealth. Ideal for readers of multigenerational family dramas, environmental fiction, and literary novels about Southeast Asia.

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Ever wondered why you chose that soda or paper towel brand? Why Did You Buy That Drink? explores the psychology of consumer behavior and the science of everyday choices. Perfect for readers of popular science books, behavioral economics, and psychology of decision-making, this book explains the invisible forces behind the shopping decisions we make every day.

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A moving young adult novel about ambition, resilience, and self-belief, Jannah is ^NOT Average follows Jannah Ismail, a 16-year-old determined to become a medical doctor despite academic setbacks and societal doubt. A perfect pick for fans of YA coming-of-age books, diverse teen stories, and female empowerment fiction.

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Blending storytelling with timeless wisdom, The Dao of Foresight introduces foresight techniques through the relationship of a master and disciple rooted in Daoism, Zen Buddhism, and Confucian philosophy. If you enjoy Eastern philosophy books, mindfulness literature, or fiction infused with wisdom traditions, this title is for you.

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Looking to level up your well-being? Harness Happiness teaches readers how to cultivate the Skill of Happiness, starting with the self and expanding to every aspect of life. Fans of self-help books, mental health guides, and personal development titles will find practical tools for building lasting joy.

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From fiction that transports you across cultures to non-fiction that reshapes your perspective, these September 2025 new book releases will enrich your bookshelf and spark conversation. Whether you’re in the mood for a YA novel, a self-help guide, or translated Southeast Asian stories, these titles are the perfect addition to your fall reading list.

Read an exclusive excerpt from The Longing

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In The Longing, memory is not just something you inherit — it’s something you survive.
Spanning three generations of women bound by blood, sacrifice, and silence, this quietly devastating novel traces how familial duty and hidden desires shape a legacy across time. In this excerpt, we’re transported to 1957, where seventeen-year-old Ah Lam’s future is being quietly negotiated—her heart caught between a factory worker’s promise and her family’s pressing need. What begins as a story of matchmakers and marriage quickly unfurls into something deeper: the uneasy tug-of-war between personal longing and generational expectation.

The Longing is a story about three generations of women who find what they need when intergenerational trauma and family memories haunt their lives and ties to others.  

*** 

In 1957, just when Ah Lam turns seventeen, Ah Wong decides it is high time for her to get married. The family’s need for financial profit and reduced costs is growing, as with nine children the struggle is arduous. Although their small shop does nicely—and the girls help further by taking sewing and embroidering orders, while the boys taking turns running the tobacco delivery from one neighbourhood to another—the children have growing appetites, and soon they will need to send the boys to the Dutch school, which will cost twice as much as the Chinese-language school. 

Ah Wong has kept silent about Ah Lam’s secret relationship with the factory worker, for it seemed harmless enough. Everyone who had mentioned it to him, hoping to be the first, said ‘How sweet,’ and ‘Don’t worry, it won’t last.’ 

‘The boy works hard and could do well for himself,’ Ah Bao once said.  

But after learning that Tan Kwee has almost no family inheritance, Ah Wong decides Ah Lam should set her sights higher. There are costs for food, housing, children, and festivities to anticipate. And there’s unpredictable rising costs in the market, always coming out to hit everyone without any warnings. Once a week, Ah Wong delivers rice to a wealthy Chinese family who runs a successful packaging company for the Dutch—rice, flour, and sugar. 

Since Ah Wong has always made his deliveries on time, the owner, Cheng Mui Gek, a widowed businesswoman who can smell money from a mile away, grows fond of him, and often talks to him about their respective children. Her youngest son, Cheng Lei, has just turned twenty-two and spends his days playing Chopin, Brahms, and Beethoven on the piano or arranging roses, gerberas, and chrysanthemums in a vase. 

‘He thinks that’s what he wants to do all his life and nothing else,’ Cheng Mui says, ‘but I know better. That boy of mine needs a wife.’ 

***  

This heartfelt story is one you don’t want to miss.  

Get your copy today.  

 

New Books Releasing In August 2025

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This Month’s Must-Reads: Swoon, Stroll, and Shift Perspectives

This August, prepare to fall in love, revisit the past, and see the world through new eyes. Whether you’re craving a swoony romance, a poignant slice of history, or thought-provoking ideas, these new releases promise to stir the reader in you — and take you on journeys both intimate and epic.

Here’s what’s hitting shelves this month:

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A romance where fate takes the aisle seat.

From the author of Love on a Second Read comes another irresistibly swoon-worthy love story. Think Before Sunrise meets Love Hard — in Manila. When Sophia and Raphael meet on a flight home, a spontaneous pact to confront their ghosting exes turns into an unforgettable walking tour of the city… and of each other’s hearts. Witty, warm, and wonderfully Filipino.

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A tender tale of courage, family, and post-war Singapore.

Set in 1950s Singapore and inspired by true stories from the author’s own family, this sequel to the Little Hero follows young Xiong on a heartfelt journey of hope, resilience, and the quiet power of wishing big. Emily Lim-Leh returns with another story that will tug at your heartstrings.

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What lies beneath the official story?

From archaeology to post-colonial theory, this collection brings together Singapore’s leading historians to unearth the untold. It charts the bold, decades-long project to rewrite Singapore’s pre-colonial narrative — and challenges how we understand our nation’s past, present, and future.

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A love letter to Singapore — loud, funny, and full of heart.

For the first time, Notes from an Even Smaller Island, Scribbles from the Same Island, and Final Notes from a Great Island are collected in one omnibus edition. This trilogy captures Neil Humphreys’ delightfully sharp, funny, and affectionate take on a nation he made home — with a new foreword by Colin Goh.

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Small actions, lasting impact.

In today’s corporate world, DEI is more than a buzzword — it’s a mindset shift. This sharp, insightful book explores why diversity and inclusion efforts often stall, and how real change begins with brave conversations and small, human moments. A must-read for anyone shaping culture at work.

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Baby boomers, beatmakers, and the birth of a nation.

A vibrant collection that pays tribute to the Merdeka Generation — those born in post-WWII Singapore who shaped the city-state’s cultural and political identity. Featuring stories that groove through the music scene of the 60s and 70s, this is a nostalgic, heartfelt homage to the ones who helped build modern Singapore.

Ready to dive in?
We know the feeling. Follow us on social media for release updates, behind-the-scenes stories, and more.

Read an exclusive excerpt from Letters From Gaza

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Letters from Gaza is an intimate collection of personal writings that bears witness to one of the most devastating humanitarian crises of our time. This one-of-a-kind compilation comprises real-time reflections that uniquely capture the voice of people living through the conflict as a vital record of resilience in the face of adversity. Compiled by acclaimed Gaza-based writers Mahmoud Alshaer and Mohammed Zaqzooq, this book is an unflinching account of war told through the words of those living it—offering a deeply personal, urgent, and essential perspective that gets often lost in global headlines.

Read an exclusive excerpt below.

 

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Unable to Convey the Sound of the Explosion

by Husam Marouf

Translated by Soha El-Sebaie

Every evening, she would come with her face pale, her features

almost disappearing because of frowning, and throw her body on

the sofa I was sitting on as if she was throwing a bag of wheat.

After the sound of the collision passed, she would advance towards

my left thigh, and lean her head on it without a word between us,

as if telling me I still love you, I still choose to rest in your embrace.

I could hear the sound of a devastated waterfall pouring from her

head onto my thigh to the point that one time I felt the dampness

on my skin.

The one with delicate, tender features, eyes the colour of green

grapes, and a vibrant spirit that seeped into every cell of my skin.

She dreamed of becoming an interior designer—a dream the city

of Gaza could not accommodate. So, she sought an opportunity to

travel to Europe to work there. But the war came, and her family’s

house was bombed over their heads. Her father, mother, and little

brother, whom she adored, died. Perhaps, it’s for his sake she was

postponing the travel.

 

 

 

 

New Books Releasing in July 2025

Posted on by simransingh

Halfway through the year — and the stories just keep getting better.

We’re thrilled to bring you another exciting lineup of books, each one crafted to spark curiosity, stir emotion, and claim a spot on your ever-growing TBR pile. Whether you’re drawn to sweeping love stories, modern-day dilemmas, or transformative self-help, there’s something here for every kind of reader.

Here’s what’s releasing this month:

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When Michelle meets Jonny, she finds him guarded, temperamental, and utterly unreadable. He finds her immature, frustrating — and far too perky. But fate has other plans.

Inspired by a true story, Pickle Mist is a captivating tale of two strangers caught in the strange, serendipitous tide of the universe. For fans of slow-burn romance and messy, magnetic connections.

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Destiny always dreamed of working in mental health — not going viral. But when @DestinyIzzaLeo stumbles into digital fame, she finds herself entangled with @DawnGames, a seasoned influencer, and Donovan Cider, who’s still nursing a bruised heart.

A modern love story set in the fast-scrolling world of internet fame, Chronically Online is tender, witty, and achingly real.

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In 19th-century Sulawesi, orphaned shaman Minah strikes a deadly bargain with a jinn. A century later, Julia, a Malaysian woman desperate to conceive, becomes ensnared in the consequences of that pact.

Rich in folklore and charged with suspense, The Shaman’s Circle is a gripping tale of sacrifice, sorcery, and the ghosts we inherit.

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Not everyone wants the spotlight — and that’s more than okay.

In this empowering guide, introverts are encouraged to own their quiet strengths and navigate a loud, fast-paced world on their own terms. Thoughtful, honest, and affirming, Shh…Give Me A Moment is for anyone who’s ever felt out of place in a room full of noise.

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OG personal finance blogger Budget Babe (Dawn Cher) brings you a clear, no-fluff roadmap to financial freedom.

From busting myths to building wealth, Take Back Control of Your Money helps you break free from paycheck-to-paycheck living — and finally feel in charge of your financial future.

Which one will you reach for first?
Follow us on social media for exclusive sneak peeks, author updates, and release announcements — and let your next great read find you.

Read an exclusive excerpt from Happy Ever After

Posted on by simransingh

Happy Ever After: Transform Your Leaders, Teams, and Organizations with HAPPY System™ is a robust book based on leading industry research on what it takes to create sustainable change, bringing together the latest breakthroughs in neuroscience, wisdom from ancient philosophies, thought leadership on coaching and experience of working with hundreds of leaders across the world. 

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How Can Organizations Develop a Culture of Coaching?  

Creating a sustainable culture of coaching in an organization goes beyond one off initiatives for leaders to work with external coaches—it requires embedding coaching and being coach-like in our daily interactions as a core organizational value. The following steps outline how organizations can cultivate this culture, from defining a coaching philosophy to aligning coaching practices with strategic objectives.  

  • Defining the coaching culture 

Begin by establishing a shared understanding that coaching is essential for growth and development of individuals, teams, and organizations at all levels. This sets a foundation where employees and leaders alike see coaching as an integral part of their developmental journey.  

  • Training managers in coaching skills 

Equip managers with coaching skills that enable them to ask powerful questions, encourage self-discovery, and provide constructive feedback. Trained managers model a coaching approach, inspiring others and gradually infusing coaching into the organization’s daily interactions.  

 

  • Democratizing coaching access 

Make coaching available across all staff levels to develop an environment where everyone feels valued and supported. Access to coaching for all employees unlocks their potential, leading to higher engagement and a more resilient workforce.  

 

  • Implementing a systematic approach 

Develop structured coaching systems tailored to the organization’s needs. This might include creating a global network of coaches, cultivating in-house coaching capabilities, or establishing partnerships with local providers. Define success metrics to ensure these initiatives have measurable impact.  

  • Aligning coaching with business strategies 

Integrate coaching with organizational goals, ensuring that coaching initiatives are designed to support broader strategies. This alignment maximizes the relevance and effectiveness of coaching, reinforcing its role in achieving the organization’s vision.   

  • Embracing learning and celebrating success 

Deploy coaching in a way that feels natural by celebrating success stories, sharing testimonials, and highlighting real impacts. This encourages employees to embrace the value of coaching, making it a part of the organization’s fabric.  

  • Providing support structures 

Offer ongoing training, supervision, and recognition for internal coaches to maintain high-quality coaching standards. Integrating coaching into organizational processes ensures it remains a vital part of the work environment.  

  • Engaging stakeholders and building partnerships 

Engage key stakeholders and establish partnerships with external coaching experts to enrich the organization’s coaching capabilities and ensure seamless integration of coaching initiatives.  

Together, these steps build a coaching culture that empowers employees, drives growth, and aligns with organizational goals, positioning coaching as a strategic asset for organizational success.  

*** 

This book re-defines the way we relate to ourselves, our teams and life itself. It is a must-have book for any leader who wishes to turn possibilities into reality for themselves, their teams and organisation. Get your copy now.  

 

Pride Month Reading List

Posted on by simransingh

This Pride Month, not only are we celebrating love but the power that Pride brings with it. How are we celebrating that? Well, you know it. With books and stories that have touched our heart. At the heart of Pride lies a spectrum of stories, tender, bold, defiant, and quietly transformative. And what better way to celebrate than through the pages of books that have moved us, challenged us, and lingered with us long after the last chapter? We felt deeply connected to the characters and all that they went through, whether it’s deep or on the lighter side of life. So, of course, we wanted to share our list of books with you.  

Here’s what we’re reading this month: 

 

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Boys’ Love follows the life of Jon, a Filipino gay man and his coming out of the closet in conservative and Catholic Philippines. He becomes a journalist and lives briefly in the United Kingdom and the United States, but returns home to a colourful country that is beginning to change. He forges friendships and alliances in gay Manila, meets and break ups with lovers, and lives with eyes wide open to the possibilities of hope.

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Inspired by Filipino mythology and folk tales but written with a Gothic take, My Lady Hiraya is a sapphic romance fantasy novel that follows Elise’s dogged pursuit of her lost love and the love she finds along the way. 

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In Worship the Body, an owner of a furniture workshop, Jaime drops by a restaurant to cool off with a glass of beer. Working in that restaurant, Jun waits on him in that random visit. Something happens between them as their eyes meet over the glass of beer which Jaime considers an accident and Jun considers luck. Their paths will once again cross, but in an unexpected way.  

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Have I Got Something To Tell You is collection of stories that explore the intersections and conflicts in family lives and sexuality that are typical in contemporary Asian societies, yet also universal. These stories are set from post-independent Malaysia to the early decades of the 21st century, the Covid-19 pandemic years – gay men’s love cannot be understood by their family or nation; and an endearing but heart-breaking love between two young men, one with hearing-impairment.  

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Riverrun is a rite-of-passage novel on the life of Danilo Cruz, a young gay man who grows up in a colourful and chaotic military dictatorship in the Philippines. The book is shaped  like a memoir, and glides from childhood to young adulthood.  

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The Dogs follows the story of Tian, a middle-aged man, moves into an old flat that had once belonged to his late father, to live out the rest of his life. As he goes about his days, he starts to reminisce about his childhood in a kampong in Singapore in the 1950s, and his friendship with Heng Chong, a schoolmate. As he looks back, he gains a deeper understanding of his own past.  

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The Zero Season takes us to 1949, where a young Etienne Legast is in trouble, estranged from his pious Catholic family, has fled a messy love affair with an older man at the end of the war, and returns home to Paris for a funeral – only to find himself quick drawn into a deadly debt and an unexpected romance with an orphaned Cambodian student radical. Though the two young men come from different worlds, they soon develop a bond that helps them transcend their respective tragedies.  

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Orchids of the Rainforest is a novel about reconciling identities with culture and heritage, while realising that acceptance is sometimes found in the unlikeliest of places. This book follows the lives of three cousins who are dealing with their personal troubles and trying to break the shackles of tradition. 

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In Death and the Maiden we meet Stella, a ghost boy in a skirt who lives in an abandoned tower in the middle of the capital. He calls himself the Eleventh Floor Theater Administrator. Every evening he wakes up to repeat the same routine, caring for lost children, watching a spectacular parade of the Defeated Gamblers. The boy wonders why the Reaper whom he lived with had not yet sent his soul away. 

Have you got the feels yet? Trust us when we say that you don’t want to miss out on these stories.  

Get your copies today.