Yesterday, I went to Punggol Library with no expectations.

 Just a simple visit. Just another day.

And then I saw it.

My new book — Thunderstroke 《雷霆一击》 — sitting quietly on the shelf.

No announcement.

 No spotlight.

 Just there.

 Among other books.

 Waiting for a reader.

I stood there for a moment longer than I expected to. I didn’t rush. I didn’t take it lightly. Because this moment meant more than seeing my name on a cover.

It meant arrival.

Not the loud kind.

 The quiet, meaningful kind.

What moved me even more was realising that this book isn’t just in one library. It’s across Singapore — Tampines, Toa Payoh, Woodlands, Jurong, Queenstown, Bishan, Bedok, Ang Mo Kio, HarbourFront… quietly finding its place in different neighbourhoods, different lives.

From one shelf, many journeys begin.

Out of the six books I’ve written, three are now available through our libraries. For me, that matters deeply. Libraries were once places I walked into unsure of myself, unsure of words, unsure of who I was becoming after my stroke.

Now, my words sit there — in both English and Chinese — speaking when I sometimes cannot.

There’s something profoundly humbling about that.

This isn’t about numbers or reach.

 It’s about access.

 It’s about someone discovering a book on a hard day.

 It’s about a reader who might feel less alone.

Yesterday reminded me that stories don’t need to shout.

 They just need to be present.

Grateful.

 Quietly proud.

 And deeply thankful for the journey — from silence, to shelves.

For those who wish to own a personal copy of my books, they are also available at:

• 草根書室 (Grassroots Book Room)
•  25 Bukit Pasoh Road, Singapore
• Union Book 友联书局
•  Blk 231 Bain Street, #03-01 Bras Basah Complex, Singapore
• bookshop.sg

Thank you for reading, and for allowing these stories to find a place — on shelves, and perhaps, in hearts too.

— Terence Ang