plussixfive | Online Magazine for Fashion, Lifestyle, Art, and Culture Within The +65 State » Books

Shanghai Tang for Moleskine

Mae Chong — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 01:26:42 +0000

Throughout centuries, dragons have somehow had a sinister appeal in both the worlds of the East and the West. Shanghai Tang’s coming together with Moleskine cements this fascination, offering the Chinese culture inspired Feng Shui Diary in its first ever collaboration. Ferociously known the most auspicious and powerful symbol in Chinese culture, there couldn’t be a better time than this to launch this limited edition plain notebook diary just before the start of the Year of the Dragon. The cover of the Feng Shui Diary is embossed with an image of the serpentine creature, while the flip-side is coloured with the beautiful signature theme of Shanghai Tang.

The Feng Shui Diary is available at the following Shanghai Tang boutiques:
Changi Airport Terminal 2, Departure Transit Lounge, Shop 026-084-06
Changi Airport Terminal 3, Departure Transit Lounge, Shop 02-45
Raffles City, #01-28/29
Takashimaya, #02-12G
The Shoppes at Marina Bay Sands, #B1-12

“The Lionhearts” Book Launch by Jack Gamble

Jaslyn Bang — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 17:39:30 +0000

It’s the time of the year when we reflect on what we have or haven’t done for the past 300+ days. One principal breach common among us, is the year’s book count. So before we end the year with regrets, we could redeem ourselves not only by boosting the number but also rekindle our love for the nation.

“The Lionhearts” is a book for the people of Singapore by Jack Gamble during his one-month residency at INSTINC. The Australian photographer puts together a series of images that aims to document his own connection and relationship with Singapore from the perspective of a foreigner. The goal of the project is to explore the inherent beauty and culture within Singapore; it’s people, history and stories. This book is inspired by Robert Frank’s prolific 1958 book, The Americans.

A Book Launch organized by INSTINC and The ARTS HOUSE will happen on 3rd December, Saturday, 6:30 – 8pm at the Earshot Café where Jack Gamble will be present. Mark your calendars.

Earshot Café is located at The Old Parliament House, 1 Old Parliament Lane, #01-01.

Idea House: Future Tropical Living Today

Mae Chong — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 00:40:26 +0000

Pioneering in sustainable tropical living in the region, Broadway Malyan presented a detailed graphic and photographic documentation of Southeast Asia’s first carbon zero residence, Idea House: Future Tropical Living Today. Written by Professor Jason Pomeroy of Broadway Malyan, the book illustrates the various opportunities and constraints behind the design; site planning, water efficiency and green innovation; executional processes from construction to completion; and finally, the importance of using the Idea House prototype as the key foundation for onward commercial residential application. A fine reinterpretation of the past cultural tradition of the Malay kampong, the Idea House is the perfect example of the embodiment of embracing our Asian heritage. Conceived as a socially, economically and environmentally responsive prototype dwelling for new sustainable ideas and processes, the house collectively saves money, energy and resource consumption. Successfully setting the ‘green’ benchmark for sustainable design to complement our tropical climate, the Idea House simply cannot remain as a prototype.

Broadway Malyan was approached by Sime Darby Property in August 2008, to develop a house design for the ‘green consumer. The vision for the completed Idea House was to provide an insight into future tropical living.

Idea House: Future Tropical Living Today is available at all leading book retailers

Moleskine x Peanuts 2012 Limited Edition

Mae Chong — Sat, 17 Sep 2011 09:29:48 +0000

Last year, Moleskine pleased everyone with its Moleskine Peanuts 60th Anniversary Special Edition notebooks and this year, its back with a slightly different limited edition series. Commemorating Charle’s Schulz adorable comic characters, Moleskine has designed a weekly planner and an agenda journalier with the iconic Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Woodstock and the red doghouse on its covers. Strictly black and white, all the notebooks in this series come with a cute quote from one its characters.

The Moleskine Peanuts 2012 Limited Edition notebooks will be available end of September at all of the following stores:
Page One
NBC Stationery & Gift Shop
Kinokuniya
HMV
Tang Mango Books & Gifts Singapore
TANGS
Popular

NoQ Store

Nick Chong — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 10:16:44 +0000

There’s a brand new online book store in town, or should I say on the web. NoQ Store is a brand new online bookshop concept that recognizes the online buyer’s needs for an extensive selection of books and quick delivery times. Offering over a million titles, ranging from popular fiction, biographies, graphic novels, romance, science fiction, cookbooks and even school reference and assessment books. NoQ Store boasts competitive book prices by shipping books directly from their distributors all around the world, allowing for faster delivery and lower costs which are passed on to the customers. Sign up as a member and enjoy a further reduction of 10% on all books including other membership perks such as bundle deals, partnership deals etc. Also, since NoQ Store is a subsidiary of Times Publishing and is based in Singapore, all customers in Singapore will enjoy a flat shipping fee of $5 regardless of the number of books that they purchase. Customers from Asia will also notice that shipping rates are much better than other online bookstores. So what are you waiting for? Start clicking away and order some books from one of Asia’s biggest online bookstores right from the comfort of your own home.

Astronomical Phenomenon | BooksActually and Birds & Co.

Mae Chong — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 23:30:57 +0000

Yes, an Astronomical Phenomenon has literally hit us with a 25% off items at BooksActually and Birds & Co. Magazines are the only ones that do not fall in this category, but for everything else that you’ve been hoping to pick up, seize this opportunity of a lifetime.

Astronomical Phenomenon ends 1 July, from 11am – 9pm
BooksActually is located at 9 Yong Siak Street
Birds & Co is located at Orchard Cineleisure, #03-05A

Ceriph #03 Sneak Preview | BooksActually

Mae Chong — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 23:50:30 +0000

There is no winter here to cool
my warm heart beating a retreat
up to the hill we call a mountain
just 164 metres tall, yet I feel so small
under her primordial gaze…

equatorial love by Ng Sze Kiat

Come take a peek in the Ceriph birdhouse this evening at BooksActually for the sneak preview of Ceriph #03. Its going to be slightly different this time for all the writers and contributors will be getting a chance to read and speak with you! Come discover new writers and let their words discover you. Ceriph #03 offers a small something with a fold out poster featuring work by photographers Jing Quek and Alvelyn Alko; and an accordion fold out illustration by Chua Xin Jie. The launch of Ceriph #03 will be at Kinokuniya, Ngee Ann City where only four to five writers and contributors will be present, so this evening’s sneak will probably provide you with the greatest insight yet. Psst…BooksActually is also offering a 20% discount on all its Math Paper Press tiles too.

The Ceriph # 03 Sneak Preview begins at 7.30pm
BooksActually is located 9 Yong Siak Street

The launch of Ceriph #03 is on 18 June, between 4 – 5pm
It will be held at Kinokuniya, Ngee Ann City, #03-09/10/15

Father’s Day | Moleskine

Mae Chong — Thu, 09 Jun 2011 23:35:57 +0000

Forget the ties and the shavers, and offer your dad something from our top picks from Moleskine this Father’s Day! A simple and understated Metal Roller Pen that perfectly clips itself onto any Moleskine notebook cover could do the trick. The ink is specially developed for Moleskine paper and the sleek pen comes in an elegant reusable box with 24 adhesive labels for your dad to personalize his pen. A pair of symmetrical shaped Reading Glasses that can be worn either way up for the old man might also do him some good. The high quality frames are lightweight, distortion-free, scratch-resistant and have the ability to make him look a tad bit more charming than he already is. You could add on a Case created for these Reading Glasses for dad to store them safely or to carry his Metal Roller Pen and other small items around. The Case features an embossed logo on the back with black velour lining. Should your dad like to read, the Moleskine Booklight would be the ideal gift. It’s a small portable reading light that is flexible and bright with LED illumination. What’s amazing is that it is rechargeable via USB connection! We hope we’ve managed to help those who are at a lost for ideas on what to get for the special day!

These Moleskine gifts are available on www.moleskine.com

Images courtesy of Moleskine

An Ode to Penguin | BooksActually

Paul Christopher — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 06:26:14 +0000

If you like to read, chances are you have a whole bunch of favorites published by Penguin books. The owners of BooksActually have kept all their favorite Penguin books from the last ten years; and from this decade-long personal collection, they are organizing Singapore’s first ever Penguin books exhibition. An Ode to Penguin features some 1065 unique Penguin book cover art that spans from its humble beginnings in 1935 to present day where number of these series were unavailable in Singapore before the 1960s. In addition to this, An Ode to Penguin will also offer you the opportunity to view other Penguin memorabilia. Embark on a visual and historical journey of the vision that made the world of literature accessible to the man on the street with BooksActually in An Ode to Penguin.

This exhibition will also see the unveiling of rare Penguin books, with copies from series dating all the way back to Penguin’s humble beginnings in 1935. A number of these series were unavailable in Singapore before the 1960s. Priced editions such as pre-war Penguin Specials (original comissioned works that discuss international affairs of the period), Pelican series (educational, social volumes and compilations), King Penguins (Penguin’s first canon of hardcover editions, complete with exquisite colour-plates), Puffin Picture Books (full-colour, twice the size of a traditional Penguin), Penguin Scores (unabridged musical scores of classic pieces) and, more recently , the priced Designer Classics featuring the hand-embroidered D. H. Lawrence’s Lady Chatterley’s Lover designed by Paul Smith (limited to 1,000 copies worldwide.)

$6 | Concession – Students, NSFs & Senior Citizens (above 60 years old)
$9 | Premium – ticket includes privileges from event partners*
*1827, Arts House: The Shop, Beauty Emporium, Birds & Co., Earshot Café, Penguin Books Singapore, Woods in the Books

An Ode to Penguin runs from 8 July – 16 July
Tickets are now available at BooksActually, Birds & Co. and selected venues islandwide (tbc)
Guided tours in English will be provided at scheduled timings
The Arts House is located at 1 Old Parliament Lane

Photography Monograph by Sherman Ong

Mae Chong — Sun, 29 May 2011 03:00:34 +0000

Sherman Ong, award-winning photographer, filmmaker and the first recipient of the prestigious ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu Award in 2010, has fitted his artistic vision into his solo debut photography book. Titled Sherman Ong, the monograph is an exploration of the relationship between Man and Nature, and the boundaries between the built/urban/constructed spaces and the natural landscape/environment. Sponsored by ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu as part of his prize, the book spans over 100 pages, providing an insight into Sherman Ong’s passion for photography. One series in the book that stuck out was Skins, which was made during his visit to Cognac, France (also part of the ICON de Martell Cordon Bleu prize) that examines the obvious and mundane, but important things in life.

From Sherman’s early series “Spaces” in 2022 to his latest series of diptychs and triptychs (works of art divided into two or three sections respectively) inspired by his Martell-sponsored trip to Cognac, France late last year, the book traces the evolution of his creative vision and the ideas that shape his worldview. The book is a realization of Sherman’s dream when he started out as a novice photographer, giving up a possible career in law to capture the contextualisation of human emotions within the society at large, observing events around him with a unique vision.

Sherman Ong is available at:
Nanyang@Mandarin Gallery, Mandarin Gallery, #04-29
Select Books at Tanglin, Tanglin Mall, #03-15
and other selected arts-related outlets

Coca-Cola: 125th Anniversary Special Linen Hardcover Book

Nick Chong — Thu, 26 May 2011 08:11:31 +0000

This one is for all you diehard Coca-Cola fans out there. Assouline has put together a beautiful work of art that is the Coca-Cola 125th Anniversary Special Linen Hardcover Book. “A special, limited edition. This illustrated book celebrates the world’s most iconic beverage with the brand’s photographs, advertisements, and designs as well as memories from film, social history, and pop culture. Decade by decade, Coca-Cola represents the American zeitgeist with nostalgia and flair…” The special limited edition version comes packaged in a red linen clamshell box, for those looking to own a piece of Coca-Cola history but with less change in their pockets, there’s a slightly more economically priced clothbound trade edition available. Both versions will be available on 30th June or you can pre-order yours now from Assouline. In the meantime, scroll down to whet your appetite with some of the spreads that the book has to offer.

Kebaya Tales Book Reading | BooksActually

Mae Chong — Thu, 05 May 2011 05:04:42 +0000

Following the highly-acclaimed Sarong Kebaya exhibition at the Pernakan Museum, Malaysian author Dr. Lee Su Kim of Kebaya Tales will be at BooksActually come Friday evening to share with you snippets of her book and her personal memories of all things Peranakan. Kebaya Tales is a delightful collection of short stories about matriarchs, maidens, mistresses and matchmakers that gives great insight about the flamboyant and unique world of the Babas and Nonyas still exist today. Dr. Lee Su Kim is a Straits Chinese (Peranakan) parentage and is a founder member and the first woman President of the Peranakan Baba Nyonya Association of Kuala Lumpur & Selangor.

Kebaya Tales Book Reading starts at 7.30pm sharp
BooksAcutally is located at 9 Yong Siak Street

Go The F**k To Sleep by Adam Mansbach

Nick Chong — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 01:00:38 +0000

Go the F**k to Sleep is a bedtime book for parents who live in the real world, where a few snoozing kitties and cutesy rhymes don’t always send a toddler sailing off to dreamland. Honest, profane, and affectionate, Adam Mansbach’s verses and Ricardo Cortés’ illustrations perfectly capture the familiar—and unspoken—tribulations of putting your little angel down for the night, and open up a conversation about parenting in the process. Beautiful, subversive, and pants-wettingly funny, Go the F**k to Sleep is a perfect gift for parents new, old, or expectant. Available sometime in October 2011, but in the meantime you can make your pre-order here at Amazon.

The cats nestle close to their kittens now.
The lambs have laid down with the sheep.
You’re cozy and warm in your bed, my dear
Please go the fuck to sleep.

Adam Mansbach’s daughter Vivien is two and a half. His novels include The End of the Jews, winner of the California Book Award, and the best-selling Angry Black White Boy, a San Francisco ChronicleBest Book of 2005. His fiction and essays have appeared in The New York Times Book Review, The Boston Globe, Vibe, The Believer, Los Angeles Times, and elsewhere. He is the 2010–2011 New Voices Professor of Fiction at Rutgers University. This is his first children’s book. You probably should not read it to actual children, and if you do, he cannot be held legally responsible.

Ricardo Cortés has illustrated books about electricity, the Jamaican bobsled team, and Chinese food. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Vanity Fair, Entertainment Weekly, New Yorkmagazine, The Village Voice, San Francisco Chronicle, and on CNN and FOX News.

Text and Photos courtesy of Amazon

Tools “Real Stuff for Future Classics” | Surrender

Nick Chong — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 05:18:08 +0000

Tools “Real Stuff for Future Classics” is the first ever book released by the same people that brought you the Japanese publication HUGE Magazine under the company’s HUZINE label. Tools marks the beginning of a whole bunch of books that will be released by HUZINE that will feature more in-depth content that is not usually found in issues of HUGE Magazine. Tools “Real Stuff for Future Classics” is 164 pages in length, features 282 ‘tools’ and is divided into 4 chapters – Shed & Shelter, Work to Do, Land Use and Feel at Home. A wonderful layout with clean and crisp pictures, this catalog of beautiful and practical ‘tools’ will make for a lovely coffee table book in your home. Tools “Real Stuff for Future Classics” is exclusively available at Surrender.

Surrender is located at Raffles Hotel Arcade #02-31

Birds & Co. Popup Store | Tangs Playlab

Mae Chong — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 05:59:59 +0000

Birds & Co. has just expanded its nest and is now at Tangs Playlab offering you vintage sunglasses, whistle necklaces, old-school date stamps, cute picnic baskets and truckloads more! We too have noticed that the store has had a sudden stock of vintage sunnies too and can’t seem to get our eyes of them. With styles from the 1950s to 80s, make sure you grab one before it all goes away. After all, everyone needs an adorable pair of shades.

Tangs Playlab is located at Tangs Orchard, Level 3