Sorry I’m Booked: Book Swap – Encore Edition (35++)

Fri, 28 Aug 2026
2 min read
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I’ll be co-hosting a book swop together with Reine Cassandra from Sorry I’m Booked as well as Adeline Foo!

📚 Sorry I’m Booked presents: Book Swap – Encore Edition (35++)

💡 Theme: Second Chances (fiction only)
📅 Date: Saturday, 12 September 2026
🕑 Time: 2pm (arrival); 4pm (end)
📍 Venue: Exact venue will be confirmed upon successful registration
🎟️ Entry: Free!
🍲 Refreshments: Potluck-style – bring a dish or drink to share; we’ll eat as we swop

This edition is for the 35++ crowd – for those who’ve begun to recognise that the best stories, like the best things in life, only reveal their depth with time.

The session is themed around Second Chances. These can be works of fiction about second chances, second comings, returns, reinventions or characters and authors getting another shot at something. Bring a book that fits these ideas or even a text which you’re giving a second chance.

What to bring:

  1. A food or beverage item in one of these categories:
    • Appetizers/salads/sides
    • Savoury
    • Sweet/desserts
    • Alcoholic drinks
    • Non-alcoholic drinks
  2. One wrapped fiction book (poetry, prose or plays) for the main swop which fits the theme of Second Chances. The wrapping doesn’t need to be too fancy – or it can be as fancy as you’d like! Your call.

Optional: Extra books to declutter or casually swop. ​You can also swop books available on the day, subject to availability

​Come for the books and the conversation; I personally guarantee you’ll leave with something new to put on your bookshelf as well as something to talk about.

​Please RSVP here only if you’re sure you can make it. Numbers are capped to fit the space, so every no-show means another genuine reader misses out.

Nevertheless, we understand completely if plans change. If that’s the case, please let us know ASAP so we can free up your ticket for the next person on the waitlist.

See you there!

Design and technology in the library

Mon, 4 Sep 2017
1 min read
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After quite a few years of not having visited a public library, I popped by one earlier today to borrow a book.

The process of finding the text was quite painless; the NLB catalogue told me the book was located at a certain shelf on a certain floor.

After picking out the book, I proceeded to the borrowing station.

Initially, I was quite miffed as there was only one terminal.

And it was being hogged by an aunty who wanted to borrow 2000 books, but didn’t know how to work the machine.

I sighed and resigned myself to a long wait – until I saw the sign in the picture above.

I duly downloaded the app, logged into my account and scanned the barcode on the inside cover of the book.

Voila! Book borrowed in less than a minute, and I was quickly on my way to my next destination.

Kudos to the National Library Board, Singapore, for its brilliant use of design and technology.

The Art of Procrastination

Mon, 30 Sep 2013
1 min read
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THE ART OF PROCRASTINATION by John Perry

Will get started on work… as soon as I finish this.

This being The Art of Procrastination: A Guide to Effective Dawdling, Lollygagging and Postponing by John Perry (no relation to Max of the same surname).

And, if, like me, you’re also procrastinating, you should read three of my favourite articles about procrastination, which I often read as a means of procrastination while procrastinating:

 
Have fun!

P.S. This is the website for Structured Procrastination, in case you want to buy the book too.