Ethos' Favourite Picks of 2025
Dear Reader,
Even in a time of purported cheer, the year-end holiday season can feel dark and heavy for some; at a time when the pace usually slows, not all may find themselves able to rest. Our last Attunement for the year is, in a way, a cherished prompt for our team to think back on the things that did bring us light this past year—and we wish the same for you, dear reader.
Warmly,
Cassandra
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🎮 Sharm's Pick 🎮
Gaming: Nintendo Switch
One of the best decisions I made this year was buying a Nintendo Switch (thank you, SG60 vouchers!) and finally living out my dream of spending hours in bed playing Animal Crossing. That lasted a solid week, until my partner introduced me to Pokémon Legends: Z–A—and I’ve since spent over 50 hours (and counting) catching Pokémon and developing my Eeveelution team.
As a kid, I never cared much for Pokémon. Now, my room is filled with Pokémon plushies and figurines. Just this week, I started playing Pokémon Scarlet with my partner, and I’m enjoying it immensely so far. My 2026 New Year’s resolution: to have a full Eevee team in every Pokémon game I can get my hands on—clearly, this is what peak happiness looks like.
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🤝 Wai Han's Pick 🤝
Community: Dakota Dreams
That Dakota Dreams has continued into the fourth year is really a great encouragement for me and the team. Five friends started this little store dealing in pre-loved books in October 2021. From one rather bare shelf, there are now many more, filled to overflowing with books donated by friends and strangers. Located right above a very busy food centre at Old Airport Road, the neighbours sell items like shoes, clothing, groceries, stationery, handphones, electricals, and household necessities; there are at least five doing clothes-alteration and two e-commerce outlets.
But Dakota Dreams is not about sales and profit. We have seen a growing community of volunteers. Faithful regulars come by to sort, clean and arrange donated books. Some teach Chinese calligraphy and handicraft skills while seniors play the ukelele and sing with residents in the vicinity. A retired octogenarian comes by to inspire us with playing the harmonica hands-free! On top of that, he gives a regular donation that helps to defray the costs of running the bookstore. The recognition of Dakota Dreams as a meaningful community project also comes from a nearby secondary school that cooperates with us to extend their Values-in-Action programme for their students.
Just two months ago, TedX Singapore invited Dakota Dreams to be one of the curtain raisers before eight speakers formally presented their ideas. “City Dreaming” was the theme. Dakota Dreams certainly fits the bill!
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🐶 Zining's Pick 🐶
Pet Clothing: Sun Visor
My usual practice is to write about a book I read and loved during the year, but I have unfortunately been derailed by a severe case of pawrentitis, so I’ll be recommending a pet visor instead. (Oh, you couldn’t tell I was a dog mum? How kind of you!) It all began when I saw a dog roaming the big, beautiful grounds of Beyond the Vines at New Bahru. I followed the angelic vision into the store and found myself in the kids/furkids section, where an energetic cavapoo modelled a nylon visor. Its two humans oohed and aahed. Outside, the lonely, furchildless people huddled under collapsible umbrellas as the rain pummelled, relentless.
Inside, looking at the dog doing the catwalk, I saw everything it represented: the sun, a life of saturated colours, the fresh scent of cut grass, an active, fun-filled DINKWAD life. I handed my credit card over. Back home, I immediately strapped the visor onto my poor pup. She looked ashamed. December has been hard for her: first the monsoon, which led to truncated walks and an ear infection, and now this. But behind the hangdog look, I thought I detected a glimmer of recognition. She must see it too, the vision. The sun, a life of blues and yellows, the fresh scent of pee on grass, an active, fun-filled DINK life. Best $25 I’ve ever spent.
🎁 Kah Gay's Pick 🎁
Habits: Gifting
Having sat through a panel presentation by Waln Ching of City Book Room and me earlier, Mr Shao was well aware of the challenges of independent publishing, given conditions specific to our part of the world. (A nod to Waln Ching here, who publishes works in Chinese that is a subaltern language in Singapore.) He made it a point to walk from the National 228 Memorial Museum, where our panel was held, to the Ethos Books booth at Guling Street, to convey his gift of appreciation and encouragement.
An unexpected gift I can now share with my team mates at Ethos Books, one that sits alongside physical gifts like the annual carrot cake baked for the Ethos team by fifi coo’s mother.
“To name the world as gift is to feel your membership in the web of reciprocity. It makes you happy—and it makes you accountable. … A woolly knit hat that you purchased at the store will keep you warm regardless of its origin, but if it was hand-knit by your favourite auntie, then you are in relationship to that ‘thing’ in a very different way: you are responsible for it, and your gratitude has motive force in the world.” —Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Serviceberry: An Economy of Gift and Abundance
What a beautiful quote to affirm us in our habits of gifting, and to remember the generous people I met over the two days in Taipei. It is wonderful to be able to pass on their gifts of warmth and goodwill to you now, reader, in the spirit of abundance that balances out our calculating moments.
📖 Cassandra's Pick 📖
Read: Nightbitch
Sometimes, a book—wonderfully, almost miraculously—meets you exactly where you're at. As a first-time mom to a train-loving toddler who is being potty-trained (you'll get it when you read it), this was a very cathartic read. Highly recommended to anyone who has gone through the madness and mystery of motherhood, or would like to understand it better so you know how to check in with your mom friends!
