Saturday, June 4. It's 3-ish PM in Singapore.

There's a new vending machine in town. Not for crisps, drinks or chocolate. But for books.

Owned and maintained by indie bookstore, BooksActually, the machines make dispensing books as easy as grabbing a kopi. You put a few notes in and out pops a book! This should give the wary, time-pressed passerby an excuse to slow down and consider the existence of books in the universe.

I don't have enough plastic notes to fork out. So I stare wistfully into the looking box, salivating at the colourful little novellas. I wonder if the artwork needs to be louder or if there is an advantage to having a popsicle freezer right next to it, to hook a few inattentive people. But this mute hunk of a machine might be just the gas station we need to stop and fill up at.

Owner Kenny Leck has stated that new titles will be added every four to six weeks, with the universe limited to local prose, graphic novels and poetry for the time being. There are three machines in three locations now, but if sales soar, he might consider adding more locations and widening the selection.