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New Books Releasing in March 2025

A new month means new books to add to your TBR, and this March, we’re bringing you a lineup that’s impossible to resist. Whether you’re in the mood for intrigue, inspiration, or introspection, there’s something here for every kind of reader. Dive into our list and get ready to discover your next great read!

Here are the books releasing this month: 

 

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Written by Kam Raslan, here is a satirical thriller that offers relationship drama, spying and seduction, and thrilling reunions. The book will keep you hooked throughout and take you on a journey of a man who wants to belong to something, or someone.  

 

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Our author Marga Ortigas brings to you a collection of savagely personal ‘postcards’—or eclectic experiential essays—from a former journalist on the margins of middle age. This book will make you laugh and realize that you’re not alone in the journey of life and getting older.  

 

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Here is a chilling mystery written by Ruben Dass that is also based on true experiences. Exciting, isn’t it? The story follows two forensic investigators who find a body in a horrifying state. This journey leads them to unravel secrets and hunt dark human beings.  

 

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Here’s a playbook by John Aguilar for cultivating your genius, optimizing your body, and living over 100! It will guide anyone and everyone who wants to live their best lives, and look and feel good living it. And who doesn’t want that?  

 

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Here’s a collection of short stories written by Patrick Sagaram. In these stories you will find people we all know. People like ourselves, searching and yearning, often in the wrong places for something meaningful and real or for at least a brief moment, right. 

Tempted to read them all already? Keep an eye on our Instagram page to find out when they release.  

 

 

 

 

Read an exclusive excerpt from The Gumption of Mr Toilet

Imagine a world without toilets! 

Sounds crazy, right? Yet, billions of people still don’t have access to safe sanitation. On World Toilet Day, we’re not just celebrating toilets—we’re fighting for dignity, health, and equal rights for everyone. And behind this global movement is a man who’s literally changed the world with his vision: Jack Sim, aka Mr. Toilet. 

From a poor kid who failed at school to a global game-changer, Jack Sim used one simple thing, gumption, to spark a revolution. Check out this powerful excerpt from his book, The Gumption of Mr Toilet where he breaks down exactly how he made toilets—and a whole lot more—matter.

 


Since the founding of the UN on 24 October 1945, the first UN Water Conference was held in 1977, and the second one was in 2023. It’s appalling to see an important agenda such as Water be made a low priority. But if you think Water has been neglected, you should know that Sanitation is even more neglected. That 2023 UN Water Conference devoted only about 5 per cent of the sessions to Sanitation and Hygiene and less than 1 per cent to Menstrual Health, which is a big taboo as well. We live in a world where agendas are addressed according to their charisma. Corporations love green and blue agendas like Environment, where they can use trees, rivers, coral reefs, pandas, and polar bears in their publicity material. They avoid ‘Brown Agendas’ like Poop, Diarrhoea, Polluted Rivers, which are equally important.

Therefore, in order to succeed, we have to make sanitation sexy, and we have a secret weapon. Since it is a taboo and has been unspoken for such a long time, it has news potential. We created new narratives that helped the media attract massive readerships and advertising income, and the global media took our stories by storm. As we take charge of the narratives, we command the attention of the world.

The World Toilet Organization was founded on 19 November 2001. Our founding day has since been adopted unanimously by all 193 countries of the UN General Assembly as the official UN World Toilet Day. We broke the taboo on the Sanitation Agenda. In 2010, the blockbuster film Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows was launched globally and was trending at the fourth position on Twitter (now called X) on 19 November, while World Toilet Day ranked fifth. But Harry Potter invested multimillion dollars in publicity while we did it at zero cost. We saw Justin Bieber was trending at the sixth position and catching up with us. So, we tweeted that ‘Justin Bieber is doing worse than Shit’. This single tweet sparked a furore of attacks by Justin Bieber’s fans, and it boosted our visibility causing us to trend even higher. Suddenly, a lot more people learned about the existence of World Toilet Day.

This is how guerrilla marketing works. We leverage anything and everything, making the irrelevant become relevant to our mission. There is no such thing as bad publicity with an agenda like Sanitation, which is a taboo itself.

I created the World Toilet Organization with the WTO acronym to play a pun on the World Trade Organization. I was hoping that the WTO would sue me, then I’d be famous. It turns out that they didn’t sue me, but we became known as the other WTO forever. Nothing sells like contraband. Either way, I won. Eventually, the journalists started calling me Mr Toilet and that moniker created another intellectual property for us with highly sticky brand equity. The most elegant thing is we achieved all this without paying a cent for media publicity and have never paid marketing dollar in the last twenty-four years. When you have no money, work around it.

The Gandhians said: ‘First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win.’

Ten years later, I met Pascal Lamy, the Director-General of the World Trade Organization at the World Economic Forum in 2011 in Jakarta. I introduced myself and he exclaimed with some jest: ‘Oh, I know you. Yours is the more important WTO!’

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From toilets to global sanitation, Jack’s journey is a testament to the power of vision, grit, and gumption—that unstoppable drive to turn an idea into reality.  On World Toilet Day, let’s remember that every small action counts. 

P.S. You can win a copy of the book and a special tote bag. Head to our Instagram now. 

 

New Books Releasing In September 2024

September has rolled in like a fresh breeze, bringing with it a feast of new releases that will have your TBR pile doing a happy dance. Think of it as a literary buffet where there’s something scrumptious for everyone—from heart-fluttering romances to mind-bending YA fantasy, non-fiction reads and beyond. This month’s book drop is sure to spice up your reading.

Here’s what’s hitting the shelves this September:

 

Little Lovely Lily

Little Lovely Lily||

Written by Ahmad Rizaq, Little Lovely Lily is NOT your average love story. Lily, who has moved to the Netherlands is going through all the teenage angst. Amid the classroom cruelty and shattered teenage dreams, affairs with a supernatural twist add to Lily’s troubles as a local legend featuring an attractive ghost, known as the Heartbreaker, plagues the town. Lily ends up being haunted by the ghost, who alternates between terrorizing her and defending her against her enemies, forging a romantic, paranormal bond. 

 

Cheese Donuts Are Most Definitely Not Subpar 

Cheese Donuts Are Most Definitely Not Subpar||

Melly Sutjitro’s romance book is with a classic enemies-to-lovers trope that you will adore. 23-year-old Ellie volunteers to sit in as an acting chairperson of the PTA in place of her sister where she meets Dion, a condescending yet attractive PTA co-captain who criticizes everything she does, including her choice of donut. Between meetings and rehearsals, stolen kisses and an orchestrated PTA coup, they begin to realize that maybe they don’t despise each other’s guts.

 

The Global Citizen  

The Global Citizen||

The Global Citizen by international investor and philanthropist Patrick Tsang is a timely and relevant exploration of the cultural nuances that define the increasingly interconnected business world of the 21st century. By combining his unique perspective as a global citizen with personal experiences and lessons learned, Tsang offers readers valuable insights into the cross-cultural environment that governs feelings, beliefs, and actions in a globalised era. 

 

The Siege Within 

The Siege Within||

Written by Malaysian journalist Leslie Lopez, The Siege Within is his first book that delves into the writer’s own archives of previously unpublished material to go back in time and show exactly how it was possible for a Malaysian prime minister to envisage his treacherous crime, and then to execute the dastardly deed. It is the untold story behind the political crime that continues to make world headlines, and why a nation so full of promise has been brought to its knees. 

 

Elven and The Puzzle Box  

Elven and The Puzzle Box||

Written by Gwen Lee, Elven and The Puzzle Box is a story of an orphan girl who rises above discrimination to find love. Elven has eleven fingers, no parents, and a skin tone that hints at murky origins. One day, she receives a wooden Puzzle Box belonging to her late mother, and an intriguing letter promising her love, only if she solves the puzzle. This starts her long journey of ups and downs and big reveals.

 

Steady Sarah 

Steady Sarah||

Written by Justine Camacho-Tajonera, Steady Sarah is a moving story of self-discovery and self-realization. Sarah is responsible, mature, organized, and has her life all planned out until one day when everything turns upside down: her longtime boyfriend breaks up with her and she loses her job. This leads to her packing up her bags and going on an adventure to see the seven waterfalls all by herself.

Found something you love already? Keep an eye on our Instagram page to know when they come out.  

 

 

 

Ever wondered why the cat is not in the Chinese Zodiac? Read this excerpt from The Fraught Lives of Nathan Kwan and Lapsang Souchong to find out.

This International Cat Day, we are delving deep into the story behind why a cat is not part of the Chinese Zodiac. Luckily, author Tutu Dutta tells us why in her new book The Fraught Lives of Nathan Kwan and Lapsang Souchong.

 

Read the excerpt below to find out.

*****

Mr Kwan looked up from his handphone and interrupted their discussion again. He said, ‘Did you know that of all the domesticated animals, the cat is not included in the Chinese Zodiac? All the other common animals, even the rat, the tiger, and the snake are in!’

‘Not forgetting the mythical dragon,’ added Jin.

‘Yes, I always wondered about that,’ said Nathan thoughtfully. ‘Maybe, they didn’t like cats in China,’ he added.

Mr Kwan explained to him, ‘One of the stories of the Chinese Zodiac is that Rat tricked Cat—’

Junie interrupted her father, ‘Yes, we know, Dad!’ She recited from memory, ‘Once upon a time, the Jade Emperor invited all the animals in the world to a race. He wanted to name the years after the first twelve animals to win the race.’

‘All the animals listened very carefully to what the Jade Emperor was saying, except for Cat, who decided to take a nap while the Emperor was talking.

‘Rat told Cat that the race would only start in the afternoon. So, Cat slept while Rat slipped out at dawn. All the animals were racing furiously. Clever Rat knew that he could not win the race, so he jumped on the back of Ox. Close to the end of the race, Rat jumped off Ox and crossed the finishing line first!’

‘So, the first year of the Chinese Zodiac is the Year of the Rat!’ Jin capped the story.

His father added, ‘It seems you all can remember everything I ever said! Anyway, in the other version of the story, Rat also tricked Cat and told him that the banquet by the Buddha was the day after tomorrow so Cat missed the banquet.’

Jin stroked his chin and said, ‘Rat used strategy to win the Zodiac Race. But you can’t always use strategy to win a race in real life. You really got to practise your ass off.’

Buy here||

Did you know this fascinating story? If you liked what you read, get a copy of The Fraught Lives of Nathan Kwan and Lapsang Souchong online or at bookstores near you.

 

 

Cheers to Fictional Friends on International Friendship Day

While your friends in real life might not be out there saving the world, fighting evil, scamming tourists or solving mysteries- rest assured that your fictional friends will always take you on an unforgettable adventure. This International Friendship Day, we are celebrating fictional friendships that you will cherish forever. 

 

Julian Kee and his friends from the Prophecy of the Underworld series

Prophecy of The Underworld||

We met the gang in Book 1 – Prophecy of the Underworld where Julian led his friends into the Underworld to retrieve a magical rock that can save their world. This fast-paced adventure is full of exciting twists and turns.  

The Library of No Return||

In Book 2 – The Library of No Return, Julian and his friends Mia and Ryan return for yet another hilarious and adventure-filled jaunt to the Underworld where their help is required to deal with a crisis.   

The Twin Blades of Doom||

In Book 3 – The Twin Blades of Doom, the gang is set to save the Underworld a third time. The fun, laughter and adventure continue in the third and final book of the series Julain tries to make a plan that can resolve the problems of the Underworld once and for all.  

Maya, Chong and Rohan from Frappes for Three 

Frappes for Three||

A story of an unlikely trio whose paths cross at university where they become good friends. Maya wants to become a writer, Chong is a stylish fashionista who wants to make her mark on the fashion world and Rohan comes from a middle-class family and the pressure of making something of himself. While each has their own dreams and aspirations, they also have to deal with family expectations. What helps most in such situations? Having close friends! This is a story of love, loss and self-discovery where no matter what happens, these friends are always going to be there for each other.  

Nathan, Junie and Sachin from The Fraught Lives of Nathan Kwan and Lapsang Souchong 

The Fraught Lives of Nathan Kwan and Lapsang Souchong||

Cousins Nathan and Junie along with their friend Sachin are labeled as bookish nerds by the popular kids in their school. However, when a new student Aida, who is glamourous and fashionable befriends them, their popularity also goes up. Sounds like a sweet high school drama, doesn’t it? But when Nathan’s beloved cat goes missing the gang reunites in search of it and discovers that their quaint neighborhood is hiding dark secrets. The story merges the charm of old-school mystery, adventure and folklore; with complex Millennial characters. 

Carmen, Hai and Marina from Hue City  

Huế City||

Carmen, a twenty-five-year-old college dropout; Marina, a wealthy Singaporean yearning for a new life and love along with Hai, a receptionist, tout and part-time pimp together make up the notorious Ativan Gang. They are scammers who befriend tourists so they can drug them and rob them. Now, for some friends group activities involve going to the movies, having dinner or having picnics together but for Carmen, Hai and Marina it’s all about achieving their goals one way or another.  

Keix, Zej, Pod and Vin from The Night of Legends and The Light of Stars 

Friends are always meant to have your back and get you out of bad situations and these books are all about that.  

The Night of Legends||

In The Night of Legends Keix is rescued from an underground prison by her friends Zej and Pod and is determined to rescue her best friend Vin. Her captor is the very organisation that she had joined as a trainee soldier as a teenager. Keix, who is dealing with memory loss recovers thanks to the care given to her friends and sets off on a journey to figure out what exactly is going down in this organisation.  

The Light of Stars||

In The Light of Stars, the friends are back together to defend each other and take revenge for all the misdoings from the past. We love a story of friends coming together to save and protect each other. 

 

Did you find any friendship story that tugged at your heartstrings? Get your copies now.  

 

 

 

 

Read an exclusive excerpt from Reputations of Value

Employees’ use of social media can be a source of authentic and interesting content that helps to tell the corporate story. It can also represent a source of reputational risk. Manson said, ‘I think there’s some companies you need to worry about this, but for the vast majority you don’t. I love British Airways, who were my client at one point, and they had this amazing group of pilots who were making fantastic films by sticking a GoPro in their cockpit and making total aeroplane geek content, but it had a big audience, and the pilots were known in the community and really beloved. However, British Airlines had a problem not too long ago where they rolled out some new uniforms and a bunch of employees went on Twitter and complained about the uniforms. As a result of that they rolled out a new social media policy banning employees from using social media during working hours, which probably wouldn’t have helped with the uniform issue and stopped the pilots from posting their videos. I think you have to just let people be themselves and give them some security guidelines, give some behaviour guidelines but be permissive rather than prohibitive.’
While acknowledging the value of being permissive rather than prohibitive, there is a range of practical guidelines for any company to consider. These include:
  • Avoiding the instance of employees having their personal social media platforms) being mistaken as an official company social media platform. However, they should be able to identify themselves as being an employee for the company on those platforms that request users to identify their employer, the most obvious current example being LinkedIn.
  • It is a good thing if employees wish to advocate on behalf of the company by sharing company-approved content relating to specific announcements, events, news, and milestones. The nuance is that posts/ comments that are personal opinions, for instance in relation to political issues, should not be confused as representing the position of company itself.
  • If employees wish to establish a social media platform that officially represents company rather than the employee themself, then they should obtain prior approval from the company.
  • Ensuring employees never disguise themselves as a customer or try to conceal their employment relationship with the company if promoting its products and services on any social media platforms.
A systematic training programme will help to ensure employees have a good understanding of the company’s policies and guidelines and feel well-equipped to follow them.
Reputations of Value serves as a guide for those wanting to better understand how companies can operate on a stronger, more resilient, and authentic basis in the face of a dynamic and unpredictable landscape. Get a copy today and learn from the experts – the value of reputation and how to maintain it! ​