Everytime I visit Singapore, I’ve got a bookshop hangover. I’ve always loved bookstores in Singapore. I used to love Borders in Wheelock Place so much, I’ve hung out there until the store closed. And it broke my heart so bad when Borders were closing down 😦
Anyway, post-Borders, I only knew Kinokuniya in Nge Ann City, and Bras Basah the second hand bookshop complex. But last week, when I visited Singapore, my sister told me that there’s a cool indie bookstore in Tiong Bahru area that we really have to visit.
So, on a Sunday morning, after having a delicious breakfast in Tiong Bahru Bakery (this is another recommended place!!), we walked a little bit to this store called BooksActually. It’s located on a small alley in an old district where the houses and apartments are designed in an old school style, and there are lots of other indie and eclectic stores, such as furniture boutiques, cute cafes and kids related shops.
Cool facade.
From the front, BooksActually looks really cool, with the combination of large modern windows, classy board sign and a pile of old logs. Entering the store, I can smell a lovely smell of books, wood, and old papers. The store is light and airy, with rows and rows of cover lust books and other knick knacks. There are even a couple of high shelves behind the cashier that have lots of small antique things. 
The books in this store are not usually new, best seller books. If you want to find that kind of books, you can easily go to Kinokuniya or other big stores. Here, you can find books in special or rare editions, and books with wonderful covers.
Delicious covers!
I literally drool over the Penguin notebooks, but decided not to buy them since I am in a short budget 🙂 Instead, I bought some postcards and thinner handmade notebooks.
Those Penguin notebooks!
At the back of the room, there is this special space for “gift ideas”, and oh boy, I want all of them for myself 🙂 There are old records and tapes, mugs with different designs, from the antique ones to the cool hype ones. Trinkets that can make a collector smile widely. Even a Moby Dick tote bag that almost makes me lose myself 😀
Someday am gonna buy that tote bag.
Places like BooksActually is one of the reasons why I love reading printed books. I can’t imagine if one gloomy day, this kind of bookstores are actually gone, replaced by cold, white rooms with rows and rows of computers where you can download your e-books *shudder*
I know there are lots and lots of places like BooksActually, hidden among our hectic, inhuman world. Let’s try to find more of them. Let’s support small, independent bookstores that became the reason why you love books and reading so much.
BooksActually
9 Yong Siak St
Singapore 168645
Duh! tempatnya keliatan asik mba >.<
and (realy) nice info, btw 🙂
hehehe iya ziyy, kalo BBI ke sini pasti udah rusuh XD
Aaaaa…..sepupuku pernan cerita tentang toko ini, mbak. Tapi dia lupa di mana posisi pastinya. Lupa juga nama tokonya apa. Dia cuma bilang : “ada actually-nya”. Thanks untuk postmu. Aku jadi tahu alamat lengkapnya. Gonna check it kalo ke sana.
Harga2 di sana gimana, mbak?
hueeee iya wi, bikin mupeng deh barang2nya.kalo buku2nya standar, yg cover lucu2 pippi itu 15 SGD,tp yg barang2 bookishnya mahal euy, notebook penguin 28 SGD, tote bag 38 SGD, hikshiksss kalo kesana nitip ya XD
Ya ampuuunnn *ngeces
hahahaha ngeces bareeeng XD
OMG, Book heaven!!!
yes it issss 🙂
OMG…kalo liat postingan kayak begini berasa “aku harus ke singapore segeraaa” hahaha berasa kayak singapore itu bandung aja..duhhh mupeengg…makasih anyway utk referensi barunya. Btw, bukanya tiap hari kah? dari jam brapa sampe jam brp ?
hihihi yuk ke spore rame2 pasti asik yaaa…duh iya aku lupa foto jam bukanya si 😦 tiap hari sih, buka jam 10 pagi gitu…tapi tutupnya ga inget jam berapa, hehe
Mau dong book tour rame-rame ke Spore!!! Aku tiap ke Spore ga pernah ke toko buku. Pernah sekali ke National Library sama Bras Basah tapi cuma dalam rangka nemenin adeknya temen nyari buku arsitektur.. Ga muter-muter buat memuaskan selera pribadi. Ehehe