THP’s book reviews are back, and this time, we’re sharing the ultimate book to ease your exhaustion and make you reflect on how you spend your time: Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop.
We’ve all seen the global expansion of Korean pop culture, especially in music and on TV, so why would your bookshelves be any different?
If your TBR needs revamping, or if your reading habits have gotten a little lackluster, let Hwang Bo-reum help you out! Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is equal parts cute and thought-provoking, and who doesn’t need some healing fiction in their life?
Book Overview
Content Warnings: discussions of burnout, depression, divorce, exhaustion, and mental health.
Summary: 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.
World-Building
In addition to our love for Yeongju and co (more on that later!), we also adored how much this book encourages you to pause. The episodic, slice-of-life chapters are gentle without being slow. And even if your life doesn’t quite look like Yeongju’s, we guarantee you’ll find parallels and reflections of your own world. Healing fiction is huge in Korea right now, and with books like this, it’s totally easy to see why.
Characters
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop features an ensemble of characters more lovable than your favorite sitcom cast! The shop owner Yeongju, along with the staff, regular customers, and some of Yeongju’s favorite authors are incredibly rich characters! Each one of them brings a new facet to the story and new strings that you can pull and tie into your own life. One of the book’s most charming points is how much Yeongju loves and appreciates well-thought-out writing, which is exactly what Hwang Bo-reum gives us, too!
With its slice-of-life chapters and lovable cast of characters, Hwang Bo-reum’s Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is the key to starting your healing journey!
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum is out in the U.S. as of February 20th, and you can order your copy here!
What do you think of Hwang Bo-reum’s Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop? Did we convince you to add it to your TBR? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
Want some more of our reviews and recommendations? Here are the latest!
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