I’ve not talked about the Singapore libraries in some time because I’ve not been in Singapore, but Krysta’s post on how We Need to Stop Assuming that “Everyone Knows” about the Public Library reminded me about the wonders of Overdrive/Libby!
According to a 2020 post by Overdrive, Singapore is one of the top 10 audiobook and ebook library systems in 2019, with over 1 million checkouts in 2019. Their January 2022 update on how libraries’ ebooks did in 2021 even says that “Toronto Public Library, National Library of Singapore and the Los Angeles Public Library lead growing list of highest-performing libraries“, which I think is a huge achievement.
In the spirit of celebrating the amazing range of ebooks that we can borrow in Singapore, I wanted to spotlight five amazing books that I borrowed and which show the range of books that are available:
Lonely Castle in the Mirror by Tsujimura Mizuki
Yes, you can get translated works from the library! I absolutely loved this touching fantasy from Japan. Six students are pulled into a mysterious other-world, where they are promised one wish if they can find the hidden key. This novel deals with some heavy subjects, such as bullying, but there’s also plenty of comfort to be found in this story.
The Tudors in Love by Sarah Gristwood
You might think that the library would be stocking ecopies of physical books that they own, but that’s not always the case. The Tudors in Love is available from the library only as an ebook and it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re interested in the link between the concept of courtly love and the Tudor dynasty. I’ve never thought about this topic before so the book opened my eyes to something new.
The Bond King by Mary Childs
The Bond King was published this year and we already have an ecopy for borrowing! This also depends on when the publisher releases an ebook for the libraries, but I’ve found that the NLB Singapore tends to be pretty reliable when it comes to getting the latest books. Bonds are a topic that tend to fly over my head once we get past the basics, but The Bond King is a fascinating look at how Bill Gross made investing in bonds attractive and how he ended up losing the company he built.
Once Iron Girls edited by Wu Hui
This is another book that I absolutely adored and it resonated so much with me. It’s hard to summarise the book because it’s a collection of essays, but I found it to be an eloquent collection that explores the status of women in China. Even if you’re not Chinese, I think you would resonate with a lot of what these women write about.
The Lady Chapel by Candace Robb
Candace Robb’s books are another set of books that are available primarily as ebooks. And I would definitely encourage fans of historical mysteries to pick up both the Owen Archer and Kate Clifford series because Robb brings medieval York to life in these books. The Lady Chapel manages to mix murder with politics in the highest realms, with the story starting when a man is found murdered with his hand cut off.
If you’re a member of the National Library Board in Singapore, all these books should be available for you to borrow. If you’re not based in Singapore, I still hope this post inspires you to explore the ebooks in your local library to see if there are any gems there!
P.s. You can find the list of ALL the ebooks that I’ve managed to borrow from the NLB from this Goodread’s page.
Wow! That’s so cool! I didn’t know Overdrive celebrated checkouts, so it’s amazing to think that you’re a part of that!
I think it’s nice that they are tracking things – ebooks are so convenient so it’s good to see how many people are borrowing them!
this was a good reminder for me to use my own library!
Yay! Libraries always need more love imo!