Welcome to Litsy!

3/5 ⭐️ Light pick for this #FoodandLit Korea book. Love triangle set during the Korean war and the years following. Very sad though.

Dollar Tree mini book haul. I saw some popular YA there too but I'm trying not to buy so much YA

1. A bad cover won‘t discourage me, but a pretty cover might encourage me to read a book when I hadn‘t planned on it. Tagged book is a prime example.
2. Rich colors, especially blues and purples, and flowers.
3. A Little of This, A Little of That
#wondrouswednesday

This was a sweeping family saga, about pressure and responsibility, about life wanted and life that is real. It cannot be easy to grow up with these expectations, and it cannot be easy to deal with these feelings. Makes me realize how important developing relationships and interactions can be. It will stay with me. 3.5/5 🌟 #recentlyread #nospoilers #familysaga

Does this book help prove that Tolstoy was correct that “Happy families are all alike; every unhappy family is unhappy in its own way” or only that war and deprivation cause misery years after peace and plenty are restored? I‘m still pondering that. This is not a happy book, but it is well written and I learned parts of Korean history I didn‘t know before. It is a tragedy of Tolstoian proportions, as inevitable as any Greek tragedy, and yet ⬇️

Started my #bookspin book this morning. Isn‘t that cover gorgeous?

Now that I know my #bookspin and #doublespin books, I can show my December TBR. Not pictured are Timon of Athens and more Agatha Christie which are on my Kindle. #catherbuddyread #shakespearereadalong #authoramonth2020

Such a gorgeous cover for such a hard and depressing book. Set in Korea during and after the Korean civil war, it shows the choices made in impossible situations and how those choices reverberate through life forever after. Full review at https://booknaround.blogspot.com/2020/10/review-if-you-leave-me-by-crystal-hana....

Picking this one up again out of my started and set aside pile.

Sooooo... I have to admit that this book wasn't for me. I would have bailed, but it was a Goodreads giveaway for which I need to write a review. I'm not saying it was bad. I'm saying it wasn't for me. (Learned that from Anne Bogel) I typically like sweeping epic family sagas, but I simply didn't like *anyone* in this book. I get that the protagonist had issues beyond just not being a nice person. Still didn't want to root for anyone. ☺

Next up! A Goodreads giveaway win - who has read it? #currentread #currentlyreading

#MagnificentMarch @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620
#FlowersonCover

#covercrush Love the cover but no so much the story.

"If you leave me, I'll be alone."

This was a tough read. Very emotional and difficult. The main character was cutting and often despicable, but victims aren't always pleasant company.

New book!

Meh. I thought I would like this a lot and I was very disappointed. It begins in Korea in the 50‘s and follows Haemi and her family. I never felt connected to the characters and consequently did not care for any of them.

7 days, 7 covers you love, no explanation. Try to tag someone new each day. #7covers7days #covercrush Day 6.

Okay, I‘m ignoring the instructions now. I wasn‘t crazy about this book, but isn‘t that cover gorgeous? As for tagging... If you have escaped being tagged by now and want to join in the fun, come on in. The water‘s fine.

I‘ll be back tomorrow (later today?) with day 7. I think it is tomorrow already if only by a few minutes...

I had some ‘me time‘ shopping today. Of course it had to include yarn and books! (Neither of which I really need 😂)

Beautiful and devastating in equal parts, and so well told. It‘s definitely slow to start but that‘s purposeful—the author builds the story bit by bit, until you suddenly realize how much what you‘re reading has changed, and how heavy it has become. For Haemi, life as a refugee from war segues into life as a prisoner of another kind. I didn‘t get on with Jisoo‘s chapters much, but overall I‘m very impressed by this debut. 4/5 ⭐️

Shadowed by the winter sun, his backlit face seemed unformed, as if I could mold his features anew. I wanted him to stand there forever.

“What‘s wrong with you?”

Nothing. Nothing was wrong.

We were fine. We were undrowned, awake, not strung across the trees in pieces. We were fine.

This came out in paperback today and you better believe I went to @CopperfieldsBooks to pick it up right away! Have been really eager to read it for a while now. Also, so glad they kept the same cover art! 🌹🌺🌸🍃 #nowreading

Starting this #readathon with this breathtaking book. I know it‘s wrong to judge a book by its cover but hot damn, if that‘s not the most beautiful cover I‘ve ever seen... #reversereadathon #deweyaug @DeweysReadathon

A moving, accomplished debut. I love how Kim weaves historical events through the story - the aftermath of the Korean War. Haemi‘s story continues to echo even after finishing the book. She‘s not an easy character to like as she struggles to accept this life that she chose. But I appreciate that Kim doesn‘t turn her life into a bright shiny happy one and instead leaves the reader wondering, would she be happier if she had chosen otherwise?

I‘ve been reading quite a few books by Korean-American writers this month (Edinburgh by Alexander Chee, Emergency Contact by Mary H K Choi, The Way You Make Me Feel by Maurene Goo) and here‘s the latest, along with japchae or sweet potato noodles that I stir fried with carrots, mushrooms, zucchini and bokchoy, served w a slow cooker honey-butter sirloin roast that filled my house with buttery smells that had my kids asking what‘s for dinner

1. Meh book. Gorgeous cover.
2. I guess we‘ll go out to dinner?
3. I‘m not sure if it‘s an actual color, but I can‘t stand that weird iridescent finish that pops up from time to time as a trend for bridesmaid accessories and some cars.
4. I know this! I would have been named Evan.
5. ❤️🥰❤️😀
#friyayintro

I have a lot of new followers. I‘m probably a big disappointment, but thank you! Today is my birthday and I gave my two week notice to my current job. Kind of a wild day! This book is really good so far, I‘ve just had no time to read with all the changes happening in life.

If You Leave Me is a historical novel that takes place during the Korean War and then covers the aftermath including the political upheaval. The story is really about a girl who loved a boy, but marries his cousin instead. I struggled a bit in that I didn‘t feel that any of the three main characters were likable. They said terrible, mean things to each other and then wondered why they were never happy. I wanted to root for one of them though 😓

Today‘s train read! #audiocommuting #coverlove

Took some serious energy to get out of the house today. But all this helped 💕.

My beer is delicious and it feels like exactly what I should be drinking on this cold day in SF! Abraxas stout with ancho chilis, cinnamon, vanilla, and cacao nibs. Cheeseburger + fries on the way!

I struggled to read this book. I should have quit. Got to the end and felt there was no reason to read this book. I was hoping for Korean history; very little. Pass on this depressing book.

Interesting story about a women in Korea through growing up and war and being a refugee.

I enjoyed this book so much! I loved the way each character told their side of the story! I saw the ending coming, but I was just not ready! If you liked the Lilac Girls and Pachinko try this one! 🌺🌸🌼📚💕

Finally got an IKEA loveseat for cozier reading times. But I live in a Chicago studio so I am also adjusting to what that means for my space.

I just realized that I left this book off my #AugustWrapup 🤦🏻‍♀️

Anyway, I found it depressing as hell, but the cover is gorgeous.

Fun at the Bookmarks NC Festival. Met up with @Graciouswarriorprincess and @Amabear . Heard some great author presentations (right is Silas House and Crystal Kim) and bought LOTS of books!

This wins for beautiful cover, but the story was disappointing. This is a pretty standard love story/love triangle. I was interested in the post-WWII Korean setting, but nothing much was made of that in the book. To me, that was a missed opportunity. Audiobook is available on #Hoopla.

What a heartbreakingly beautiful novel!!! This debut from Crystal Hana Kim is told by five different narrators from 1951-1967 amid the dawn of modern day Korea. I‘m a sucker for multiple perspectives when it‘s done well, and these characters are so richly drawn with such entirely distinct voices. I️ felt so invested in their stories that I‘m sad to leave them! I️t‘s five stars from me and I‘ll definitely be following this author in the future.

Overall, this was a disappointment. It's going to get a lot of comparisons to Pachinko but I think it's unfair to both books. While both books are set in Korea, Pachinko is a broader family epic that encompasses more events and time. This book, doesn't get there. And, part of it is my tastes: I'm not into the love triangle trope and this book revolves around that.

But, if you enjoy love triangles, you will love this book.

2.5/5🌸. The book started out great. But as I went along I didn‘t connect with any of the characters. The circulating view points and the progression of years was quick. I was not able to like or connect with a character before they were shifting in their lives in big ways.

• This one sounds good. Look at that cover 🌸🌺 •

I was not really disappointed by the book, I just was surprised by the overwhelming darkness and depressing approach to life. I did not connect with any of the characters. I have not often read a novel that is so filled with loss, regret, bitterness, and a dark mood of failure. There seems to be no hope for any of the characters in the book. Whenever I thought finally somebody will move forward, that person regressed.

While out on my run last night, I began listening to this book. I could not wait to start it because I read a lot of good things about it.

Who doesn‘t love bookmail?! Thanks @WilliamMorrowBooks for this gorgeous new release! Looking forward to diving in 🤓📚. #bookmail #bookgiveaway

Listened to the fabulous Reading Women on my #audiowalk today - interviewing Crystal Hana Kim. Fascinating cover story - every flower comes from a part of the story & describes the journey of the main character. Love that! Went out & ordered a copy!

Ps... if you haven‘t listened yet this podcast is so good! It oozes relaxed passion & enthusiasm with real insight & intelligence which makes the tone of the interviews really great. Highly recommend

Here are some of today‘s new releases! Soooooooooo many great books!📚❤️📚

Evening plans: Book and bujo. 📚❤️📚

There was a lot to like about this novel. However, I felt like some of the most dramatic action happened off the page with minor characters reporting on it. This element made me feel disconnected from the plot and left me not caring too much about what happened. Also, I think I would have appreciated the story more with just one or two POVs instead of many. Kim is clearly talented, but this isn't one that will stick with me for long. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ #arc

#ARC #Review: If You Leave Me by Crystal Hana Kim with @HarperCollins. I stepped out of my normal genre with this poignant tale of survival and life in war-time Korea.⠀
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https://buff.ly/2K9OHQN⠀
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#bookbloggers #reading #historicalfiction #war #bookreview

Finally getting to share my spoils from the Strand this weekend. I was inspired by hearing Crystal Hana Kim and had a feeling they‘d have a few new releases pre-publication, and I was right! 😍 #bookhaul

I‘ve been so excited for to both Kim‘s Book and Where the Crawdad‘s Sing. I‘m planning on seeing Lisa Locascio next week (!!) and Manuel Gonazales gave a hilarious talk at my writer‘s weekend so I had to snatch up his novel as well 👌🏻

This book was amazing. I felt so much for Haemi as she struggled to live a normal life amidst war, motherhood, family obligations, and tragedy. I absolutely recommend this. It‘s beautifully written and will not disappoint.