What We’re Reading (And You Should Too)

With the year’s biggest literary lovefest Singapore Writers Festival right around the corner, what better time to put down your phone and pick up a book? Here, some of the books we’ve raced through to those we’re still thinking about weeks (and in some cases, years) later:

What You Are Looking for Is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama

“I picked up this book at the beginning of this year and really enjoyed its collection of short stories. There’s something so relatable about the characters and their feelings, and it’s such a comforting read that reminds me it’s okay to not have everything figured out and to take life at your own pace!” – Germaine Khoo, social media producer

The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri

“I was first introduced to Jhumpa Lahiri through her short story collection Interpreter of Maladies, and her elegant prose has stayed with me ever since. Naturally, I had to pick up her first novel, The Namesake, which follows an Indian immigrant family building a life in America, and their children’s struggles with identity and belonging between two cultures.

I actually read this years ago, but somehow managed to lose my copy (boo). As someone who enjoys revisiting old favourites, I was in the mood to return to this one, so I bought another copy. The realism may not be to everyone’s taste, but there’s something about Lahiri’s gentle writing that I find incredibly comforting.” – Keng Yang Shuen, senior features editor

Down the Drain by Julia Fox

“Sure, it was Julia Fox’s wild fashion choices and whirlwind tabloid romance with (the then) Kanye West that first drew me to her, but this memoir of hers is a whole other story. Part fever dream, part survival tale, it takes us through the messier chapters of her life, from addiction and toxic relationships to ambition and self-discovery. We all have our messy eras, and there’s something strangely comforting about reading how someone else makes it through theirs. It makes you feel a little less alone in your own chaos.” – Pang Jia Wei, content producer

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden by Joanne Greenberg

“Someone recommended this book to me a couple of years ago after I finished The Bell Jar, but I’ve only just got around to reading it. It follows a young girl who retreats into a lush fantasy world of her own, exploring the mind as both a refuge and a prison. Even if you can’t relate to her experiences, the writing is so vivid and evocative that it’s hard not to get swept up in her world.” – Gabrielle Angela Anderson, contributing content producer

Good Wives by Louisa May Alcott

“These days, I find myself revisiting old favourites as comfort reads. Everyone knows the story of the March sisters in Little Women, but I’ve always been more drawn to its lesser-known sequel. Their journey through adulthood and all its growing pains hits differently with every reread. It might be a fairly obvious classic, but I can’t deny my soft spot for these girls… Perhaps because it almost feels like I grew up with them.” – Paige Boon, contributing content producer 

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

“I’m about a chapter in and already hooked. The novel plays with typography, layout and colour in ways that tie into its unsettling story. I’m avoiding spoilers like the plague, but I have a feeling the main character, Johnny, is about to lose his mind. If you’re into psychological horror that messes with your head, this might be one for your reading list.” – Tsoi Fong Wing, contributing content producer

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

“Huge fantasy geek here. The real world is serious enough as it is so I’m always up for a dose of otherworldly magic. After rewatching The Lord of the Rings (LOTR) film trilogy multiple times, I figured it was high time I delved into Tolkien’s books, starting with The Hobbit, which introduces the world that LOTR builds on. I’m only a few chapters in, but the vivid storytelling has already got me hooked.” – Rachel Yohannan, digital editor