Reading habits in Singapore

I enjoy travel narratives of the Paul Theroux ilk.

Second-best are international travel fiction, like Alex Garland's THE BEACH or any of George MacDonald Fraser's FLASHMAN books.

My recent favorite, which takes place throughout Southeast Asia, including Singapore, is PACIFIC DASH, about a young American expat's misadventures wandering the region. Breezy, can't-put-down type of read. Full title is "PACIFIC DASH- From Asia Vagabond to Casino King" and I picked it up at Amazon.

Although I myself am just an occasional reader of books, I witnessed lots of development about the topic since I first came to Singapore in 1993:

It is not a society great on reading for reading's sake, meaning literature and such. When I first came, a "book shop" meant mainly school books (with all volumes wrapped in plastic, so as to discourage browsing). There was only one proper book store in Singapore at the time: The now defunct MPH (in which I spent many hours).

Then came some kind of "revolution", when Borders (from USA) and Kinokuniya (from Japan) opened branches here in the late Nineties - in prime locations at Orchard Road, with a fun athmosphere and a cafe attached. Suddenly everybody wanted to be seen reading, and copy-cat bookstores opened in most malls.

Also public community libraries, which were stale places to study before, for students who didn't have the needed space and peace at home, got a similar facelift - and many more of them opened (incl. the new National Library building at Victoria St.).

That lasted until the Internet made reading physical books unattractive once more - and buying the electronic versions from local sources wasn't required any longer. So nowadays book stores in Singapore are dying again.

That said, some things have not changed: There is still a treasure trove of small, dusty and often obscure bookshops (mainly for Asian topics) at Bras Basah Complex - far predating the National Library next door. And many, mainly older, Singaporeans still see no value in fiction - I picture my in-laws telling their girl (now my wife) "What you waste time reading poems ah? Why no read book on accountancy - at least can get job make money later!"