English language
Published 2024 by Bloomsbury Publishing USA.
A bestseller in South Korea, Bo-Reum’s English-language debut is a tranquil if meandering slice of life. Yeongju leaves behind a high-pressure job to open a bookstore with a coffee bar in a residential neighborhood in Seoul. Though the store is her dream come true, she spends the first few months struggling to overcome her lingering anxiety, and slips into a reading slump. Once she comes out of her funk, she bonds with the people who find their way to the store. Among them are her barista Minjun, who’s obsessed with brewing the perfect cup, and Jimi, the coffee roaster who mentors him. Mincheol, an unmotivated student, gains a newfound interest in reading from Yeongju’s recommendations. As Yeongju continues opening up to others, she helpes promote the store by writing a book review column and running a seminar. Though some characters and relationships evolve, the novel is structured primarily as a …
A bestseller in South Korea, Bo-Reum’s English-language debut is a tranquil if meandering slice of life. Yeongju leaves behind a high-pressure job to open a bookstore with a coffee bar in a residential neighborhood in Seoul. Though the store is her dream come true, she spends the first few months struggling to overcome her lingering anxiety, and slips into a reading slump. Once she comes out of her funk, she bonds with the people who find their way to the store. Among them are her barista Minjun, who’s obsessed with brewing the perfect cup, and Jimi, the coffee roaster who mentors him. Mincheol, an unmotivated student, gains a newfound interest in reading from Yeongju’s recommendations. As Yeongju continues opening up to others, she helpes promote the store by writing a book review column and running a seminar. Though some characters and relationships evolve, the novel is structured primarily as a series of vignettes (an interview with an author; a book club discussion). Despite the lack of a cohesive plot or linear character development, the prolonged philosophical considerations of reading, community, happiness, and the meaning of work offer moments of reflection and observation. Bo-Reum pleasantly evokes the feeling of spending an afternoon in a favorite bookstore.
Just finished reading this and still am collecting my thoughts.
This is not my usual kind of read. I did pick it up because it was supposed to be a cosy read and I needed one.
What I’m left with is a sadness though.
Not much happens in the book. It’s like watching a lake on a wind-stilled day. After a while, the view does become boring even if it’s still as beautiful.
This is not my usual type of read - in fact, I almost put it down early on, but then I identified so hard with the first Minjun chapter that I stuck with it.
It's very much like a version of Bookshops & Bonedust without the fantasy trappings and the larger plot - characters with a variety of personal issues come together around a bookshop.
It's well written (and well translated! which is not a given!) - what I'm really missing is something actually happening. The characters each go through their different journeys of personal discovery and/or growth, but nothing is materially different at the end of the book. 🤷
