Welcome to Litsy!

A pinch of delight

I had no idea this book would be so focused on the nature of work, but I loved it for that: business owner vs being a company person, part time work vs full time, the corporate tendency to offer contract over permanent position, needing to be seen as a success, the rat race, the need to make an income, make a profit vs work/life balance, 1/?

Another important realization I'm wishing on all those in the workforce.

Dear 20-year-old me...😏

Embrace complexity. 🙂‍↕️

New motivational phrasing just dropped! 🔩😄

Um, that sounds amazing. Why would anyone mind?! 🌌💨📚😌

My book haul today 📚
#WelcomeToTheHyunamDongBookshop #HwangBoReum #TheParty #NatashaPreston #CardcaptorSakuraVol2 #Clamp #book #books #bookjunkie #bookjunkies #bookjunky #bookjacket #bookjackets #bookjacketdesign #bookjacketdesigner #bookkeeper #bookkeeperlife #bookkeeping #booklist #booklust #booklove #booklover #booklovers #bookloversunite #bookloot #Contemporary #BooksAboutBooks #Audiobook #Cozy #SliceOfLife #LiteraryFiction #Literature 💕💕💕

Delightful. Reminded me a little of the Japanese books about the coffee shop . Philosophical. I think there is something in it for most people to relate to. Comforting, reassuring and thoughtful. Many books mentioned that I have read , some I haven‘t and would like to now. I can see why it was a best seller. Loved the way the lady with the dog walked the pages inside the book.

This was high on my TBR because it checks all those book-lover boxes: a woman leaves her unfulfilling life & job to start a bookshop, which grows into a place for others to also find purpose & healing. I‘m fascinated by how deeply I connected with the book, when the writing felt so…plain. The topics were so relevant to where I‘ve been in my life over the past few years: feeling a disconnect and discontent in my job, then leaving it to pursue ⤵️

I‘m really enjoying this book, probably because it has a lot about books and coffee! And I just love the idea of having all day to think about a film (or a book) and discovering something special.

“According to legend, coffee was discovered thanks to a herd of goats. When they ate a small round red fruit, they were very energetic and began to prance about, leading the goat herder to discover the coffee fruit and its properties.”

I looked up the story mentioned in this book because in Japan we have Kaldi coffee beans with a goat on the package. Turns out the goat herders name was Kaldi, so this is a popular name for coffee shops ☕️ 🐐

Yeongju leaves her old life behind and opens a bookshop in Hyunam-Dong. She learns how to navigate her dreams along with reality and societal expectation, makes a group of friends, and everyone helps each other think about where they are in life and where they want to be.
I have to say that some bits felt particularly poignant as I am a bit fed up with work at the moment. So it definitely left me with some things to think about!

#DoubleSpin

Written by a Korean author and set within Seoul, if you‘re looking for a heartwarming story, you may enjoy this book. It is a gentle tale, waving many life principles throughout. At times, the story was a little too precious for me with its self-help esque cliches. At other times, it made me smile. Overall, it‘s quirky and sweet.

My June pick for #12BooksOf2024 is Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop. I am totally here for all this cozy translated bookshop fiction, and this one in particular would go very well with a coffee.

#5JoysFriday!

🌹A perfect bloom in the rose garden at church
🤗 Every person in my Education for Ministry group!
👶🏼 A FB memory of the year my roommate‘s boyfriend made a baby Jesus-shaped cake for our Christmas party 😂
🎄📚Reading by the Christmas tree
🎶🎷My husband‘s big band Christmas concert last night

“A life surrounded by good people is a successful life. It might not be success as defined by society, but thanks to the people around you, each day is a successful day.”

My #bookhaul from the First Light bookstore in Austin, TX.

“As if trying her best to mend a broken friendship from her childhood, she immersed herself into the books, day and night, never leaving their side.”

Beautiful, meditative and thought provoking.
I worried it would be too twee and cosy but I was wrong!

There's a quote about Yeoungju's home in the book that I feel really sums up this book, too - "Yeongju's home felt like an extension of her - somewhat lonely, but a reassuring presence nevertheless."

There are some weird side paths taken in this but the way the cast of characters expanded as the chapters passed was lovely.

#WelcomeToTheHyunamDongBookshop #HwangBoReum #book #books #bookmark #bookmarks #bookmarket #bookmarkets #bookmoment #bookmoments #bookquote #bookquotes #bookqueen #bookquirk #quote #quotes #bookworm #bookworms #bookwormlife #bookwormproblem #bookwormproblems #bookworld #bookword #epicreads #bookend #bookends #bookending #bookendings #bookedit #bookedits #Fiction #Contemporary #BooksAboutBooks #SliceOfLife #Adult #AsianLiterature #LiteraryFiction

I‘ve been listening to this one for about three months. It‘s so wholesome and feel good. I don‘t want it to end, but I have less than an hour left to listen. Alas.

I was in a reading slump and picked this book up. I read 237 pages in a day. That‘s how much I liked it. Cozy and heartwarming, similar to Days at the Morisaki Bookshop but perhaps with more coffee. I‘m not really a coffee drinker but did find myself craving a latte while reading 😂

I expected to love this- especially as someone wanting to open a bookstore!- but I was so disappointed. I felt like there was a heavy curtain hanging between me and the characters, and I just couldn‘t connect to them. The writing felt so stiff and removed. Maybe it was the translation? I just don‘t know. A lot of it seems heavy handed or moralistic about the topic of how to live a good life. It was just boring and flat.

Beautiful, meditative read about a bookshop owner and those around her making life changes to live fulfilled lives.

I put ahold on this book in March at my library and I finally got it for a week. I better hurry with this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Once the movie crosses the 3 million mark, the production company will say something like, this movie has captivated more than 4 million viewers. And people will say, “Ooh I heard this film has attracted more than 4 million viewers already, shall we watch it too?“

4.5/5 🌟

Set within the comforting walls of a bookstore, this quaint and heartwarming book artfully intertwines the lives of its characters as they grapple with societal pressures and personal struggles. Through the healing power of friendship, they discover solace, joy, and a newfound appreciation for mundane life. A delightful read for anyone seeking to appreciate the little things in life. ❤️

I picked this up solely based on a random TikTok review, and I am far from disappointed. It's not a style I'd usually read, and the story is less than action-packed, but it's sweet and thoughtful and was just a great, reflective book. Highly recommend. #15-2024

There seem to be a string of translated books from Asia featuring bookstore/library settings and I am here for it! This one is from Korea, where Yeongju has opened a bookshop after quitting her job but doesn‘t quite know how to make it a success. It focuses on a few characters in and around the shop, their backstories and relationships. I really liked this! It‘s not twee or saccharine in the slightest.

Where did all this snow come from?! 😱❄️❄️❄️

Picked this for #foodandlit as it‘s set in South Korea and it‘s the second book I read this year that was set in Asia and teaches the power of changing your mindset. I liked it even though it took me longer to finish it than I thought it would.

This is a quiet book that meanders through the lives of a bookstore owner, the store‘s employees, & its customers. In exploring their lives, the book delves into the world of independent bookstores, from all 3 perspectives, while also offering a mediation on community, meaning, happiness, purpose, & belonging. If you‘re looking for a fast-paced, narrative driven story this isn‘t it. But if you‘re happy to wander along, it‘s great. I enjoyed it.

I miss making half blurry Kindle app posts with quotes that are sort of interesting.

Silence settled comfortably between them. Yeongju enjoyed these quiet moments.

Started this South Korean best seller now available in translation last night and 22 pages in, it's a delightful story about the power of books to heal, inspire, connect, provide comfort and more...it is also very quotable and gives you lots to think about.

Random tiny detail, but I love the little dog-walker strolling through the book!

#firstlinefridays

This was a very cute and cozy book. It could be too optimistic at times but I really enjoyed all the quotes about books shaping us.

#footandlit #southkorea @Catsandbooks @Texreader
#BookspinBingo #11 @TheAromaofBooks

Starting the week off with a trip to the bookstore because why not. Tagged book is a bestseller in South Korea (recently translated). Other two books are Japanese mysteries/thrillers (also in translation).

I was so excited for this month's #foodandlit2024 because I love Korean food. We went to our favorite Korean BBQ and stuffed ourselves.

I also started the tagged book today.
#SouthKorea
@Catsandbooks @Texreader

A soft pick for me. The underlying story is charming, but for me it read as a series of essays about the importance of a work-life balance - which is of course important, but it felt a little repetitive at times.

Book 8 of 60
#Readaway2024
@Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES