End of the month update: March 2021
Book selected for March: True Singapore Ghost Stories Book 26 , by the "masked novelist" Russell Lee (possibly alter ego or nom de plume)
Thoughts:
The 26th edition since the series began in 1989, and published 3 years after Book 25, this one follows a similar approach to his last ten or so books, where the format has evolved and been tweaked slightly over the years.
In addition to his own re-telling of well-known tales and personal experiences/ investigations, the book is a compilation of personal accounts by various people, including Singaporean locals, expatriates and foreign visitors.
The compilation comprises supernatural events that occurred not only in Singapore but also in neighbouring Malaysia. This includes tales of a family's encounter with the mythical Princess Walinong Sari, an expat incurring the wrath of the local Pontianak (Malay vampire), a visitor getting more than he bargained for during an excursion to Coney Island, the case of a mysterious parcel delivery on one fine day, and a few other urban legends. In the 'Russell Lee Investigates' section, this time the author presents an exposition on the concept of Chinese Hell. There are many sources on this topic (which counts as part of xuanhuan) but this version is a South East Asian Chinese understanding of the folklore and matches the imaginings of the 10 courts and 18 levels of Hell at Haw Par Villa which is a tourist attraction in Singapore that has existed for decades.
Interestingly, this book is categorised as non-fiction by Wikipedia :D
Book selected for April: Robert Kuok, a Memoir
I've had this book since 2019, when I received it as a Christmas gift. Now would be a good time to open it and start reading. I don't really read autobiographies or biographies but I'm interested in the historical aspects of this local icon's life growing up in the period from WW2, through economic depression and up to how he made it big in the latter years.