Guide books on nature published by the Singapore Science Centre are inexpensive and great value for money at around $5 each. They are pocket-sized, easy to read with photos that are worth a thousand words each and are dedicated to specific topics on flowers, plants, trees, animals, insects etc. Great for quick references. These are the guides on flowers, plants and trees:
I also collect guides on birds, animals and butterflies.
I like books that contain good photos that would help me identify the flowers, plants and trees that I am unfamiliar with as well as giving me information that is precise without my having to read a whole lot of scientific or technical details. I chose these books because they meet my needs:
These are expensive books that are around $40. I usually wait for bookshops to have storewide sales of with up to 20% discounts on books. Kinokuniya and Times were pretty good in making such offers once in a while. 
The book on the left was purchased in Hong Kong at the Cable-car station on Lantau island. It was not more than SGD$20 and includes a CD. It was really money well-spent because it gave a neat presentation of the flora and fauna of Hong Kong with colourful photos and drawings. The book on the right was bought at an airport in China during my trip to Jiuzhaigou. It is written in Chinese but the names of the plants are in English.
I bought these books because my other passion in life is art.
This particular book has a special place in my heart. Unfortunately it fell apart in my hands not because I mishandled the book but because the binding was poorly done. I hope the second edition of this book has a more reliable spine..
The most beautifully illustrated book in my collection is this book.
Each fruit featured had been the artistic effort of an Indonesian artist. The layout of the pages is fantastic. I bought this book some time back at a well-known book store that offered it for $10.50. I bought two. I should have bought ten because they made lovely gifts to friends who can appreciate either the subject or the artwork. If you go to the shops now, this book is twice what I paid for.
The books here were purchased for less than $12 each. The one that is purple in colour on Mint plants cost only $2. Unbelievable but true and I was one lucky gal! The Garden Flowers book was picked up at a small bookshop that has since closed down at Marina Square. Got it for only $8 and it has plenty of photos of flowers. The book on 1001 perennials cost only $3 and my daughter bought it for me. 
These two books are full-colour and printed on high-quality glossy paper. Love them!
Other than flowers, chancing upon fungi during my walks always make my day. I have more photos on fungi of all sorts than I can handle. Though I have these books, I will never dare to identify the fungi that I have photographed because fungi types are too numerous and complicated. The book in Chinese is thick and heavy and was given as a present by my Taiwanese friend when I visited her a few years ago. If you read Chinese and are interested in Fungi, this would be a book dropped from Heaven.
Books on birds, insects and the Chek Jawa Guide book.
Books, booklets and publications that have been given to me free of charge.
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