Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-Reum -- Starting June 5th 2024

[Karen]

Yeongju is burned out. With her high-flying career, demanding marriage, and busy life in Seoul, she knows she should feel successful, but all she feels is drained. Yet an abandoned dream nags at her, and in a leap of faith, she leaves her old life behind. Quitting her job and divorcing her husband, Yeongju moves to a small residential neighborhood outside the city, where she opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop.

For the first few months, all Yeongju does is cry, deterring visitors. But the long hours in the shop give her time to mull over what makes a good bookseller and store, and as she starts to read hungrily, host author events, and develop her own bookselling philosophy, she begins to ease into her new setting. Surrounded by friends, writers, and the books that connect them all, she finds her new story as the Hyunam-dong Bookshop transforms into an inviting space for lost souls to rest, heal, and remember that it's never too late to scrap the plot and start again.

[Aneta]

27% - The Crochet Giveaway
(view spoiler)[So far, it's nice slice of life story. It has lovely moments and I think a lot of people can find themself in Yeongju and Minjun's feelings. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen]

Just read the opening couple of chapters. Her naïveté around going into business is worrying, but I like her desire to learn and to reflect on the value of the books she’s selling.

[Karen]

33% - sometimes a good bookseller feels more like a therapist. There’s a lot of focus on behaviours and attitudes, and how we engage with those around us.

[Brooke]

Think i'll join this one, sounds interesting

[Karen]

Aneta wrote: "27% - The Crochet Giveaway
[spoilers removed]"

There's a real sense of being able to identify with the search for meaning, but I wonder what I'm lacking in terms of nuance because it is in translation.

[Karen]

60% - as the bookshop grows I wonder if we’re straying into a romance

[Karen]

Finished. Review on home page. Mixed feelings. I really wanted to love this but it fell short for me.

[Karen]

Brooke wrote: "Think i'll join this one, sounds interesting"

See what you make of it. I thought I'd love it, but it didn't grab me in the way I'd hoped. It felt a bit like preaching to the converted!

[Aneta]

52% - Finding It's Place
(view spoiler)[I'm starting to get bored. I like the characters but it reads a little bit like self-help and I'm not biggest fan of this aspect. (hide spoiler)]

[Aneta]

82% - Letting Go of the Past
(view spoiler)[I'm glad we finally got to know the reason for her divorce. She was burned out, depressed and her husband didn't even make time to help her. I'm just shocked her husband didn't have any kind of reaction until everything was signed! (hide spoiler)]

[Aneta]

Finished
(view spoiler)[I have a mix feelings abou this one as well. On one hand, I like charachters, atmosphere and it has really nice moments but on the other hand, it's so slow and doesn't have a plot. (hide spoiler)]

[Aneta]

Karen wrote: "Finished. Review on home page. Mixed feelings. I really wanted to love this but it fell short for me."

I feel the same.

[Brooke]

ope, both rated 3 stars, okay, finishing up one then starting this

[Brooke]

7%
(view spoiler)[ I would never in my life recommend Catcher in the Rye to someone, that's like a "school book" not for someone to pick up in their free time to enjoy

and that dude is a good guy, speaking up about her paying him too much for the area/position (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

33%
(view spoiler)[ this is why i tend to avoid contemporary books, i'm bored, nothing is happening, just random things.

like discussing YouTube videos and what he is watching on there.

the crochet girl was cute though (hide spoiler)]

[Brooke]

Aneta wrote: "27% - The Crochet Giveaway
[spoilers removed]"

this was my favorite part so far, she was cute and doing the giveaway was nice

[Brooke]

46%
(view spoiler)[ in a really weird turn of events, we are discussing AI on... and how it'll "take over" which isn't something we need to be worrying about right now, kinda weird to have it in the book, and won't age well. (hide spoiler)]

[Karen]

Aneta wrote: "Finished
[spoilers removed]"

I think this is one of those books that it's hard to get really enthusiastic about. Nothing really happens and it is meant to be a character study - but the character isn't that exciting.

[Brooke]

98%
(view spoiler)[ this was so freaking boring, not a damn thing happened, and the "plot" shifted to talking about coffee and coffee making for a while, and then to writing about things for a while. and now she's gonna get rid of the "best sellers" section of her book store, what a great business move....

even at 3x speed, i felt like i was listening for 10hrs (hide spoiler)]