Uh-oh! My first Netgalley ARC that I couldn’t finish! (but thank you for the chance to give it a try, though!).
I really liked the idea of this but it didn’t work for me. One-dimensional characters and preaching about how we should all read (surely the people who pick up this book are the wrong audience as we’re already converted!). Good intentions about kindness, mental health and finding comfort in a community but not enough to keep me going past 100 pages. What a shame, it could have been charming.

Yeongju is finally following her dream after giving up a successful career and ending her marriage. She has opened a bookshop to create a sanctuary for her first love: books and those who share her passion. As she finds her feet in her new life she also builds a community alongside her business. The foundations are shaky with both a first, but soon the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is taking off and finding a new audience and spreading the power of stories to those who need and love them, and even those who don’t. I love the way Hwang Bo-reum allows her sweet community to include those whose first comfort may not always come from books. It’s sweet and sentimental and a real ode to reading but it isn’t saccharine and a joy to read.

Yeongju has lived her life according to convention but after stress caused her to rethink she got divorced and opened a bookshop in a residential area of Seoul. At first Yeongju's demeanour puts off customers but her love for books shines through and the bookshop starts to thrive. A close group of friends emerges - the barista who has never had a permanent job, the gruff reviewer, the mother and son both at odds, the coffee roaster - and as the shop flourishes Yeongju finds that her heart may be open to more.
This is am wonderfully calming and gentle book. It is essentially a treatise on how to think about life differently rather than the endless treadmill of working hard for someone else. There is a love of literature and language that shines throughout. I thoroughly enjoyed it!

An inspiring and gentle tale of people finding refuge in a bookshop. The owner, who fled a marriage and wanted to follow her childhood dream of opening her own bookshop. The barista, who struggles with the reality that after completing his education as a prestigious university, life hasn’t just fallen into place. A mother, who is worried about her son’s lack of enthusiasm for anything in life, and the sons journey to finding some meaning through talking to the people at the bookshop.
It’s a story of trying to be your best self, trying to find meaning in your life when things haven’t gone your way. It’s a stunning read and although nothing much happens, you get to know the characters deeply and I think that’s the beauty of this novel, I feel changed just from reading it.

'Have we become the person we wanted to be?'

An unashamedly uplifting and positive book about the power of books, and the resilience of the human spirit. Yeongju has opened a bookshop, her dream, in the Hyunam-dong area of Seoul, but only after a failed marriage and burnout in her stressful job. As she slowly builds her business, and manages her only other member of staff , her barista Minjun, Yeongju's shop becomes a safe haven for a motley collection of customers and regulars, all of whom are looking for something in their lives.

This is a perfect hug-in-a-book for anyone who cares about books and a positive outlook on life. The pace is slow, so if you are looking for action and drama then this ain't for you. It's a beautifully observed character-driven meditation on how we live and how we become that person that we want to be. It's the kind of bookshop that I want to visit. Wonderful. 5 stars.

(With thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC of this title.)

Yeongju is getting through a difficult phase in her life. Her relationships have tested her and now she wants to escape to the relative safety of a bookshop. She has always wanted to open her own bookshop, but is finding her feet.

Gradually the bookshop attracts other people who may also feel lonely/disconnected, including the barista that she employs early on - loved the descriptions of the art of coffee brewing and making.

As time goes on she gains in confidence and hosting more events helps with this process. Full of quirky characters and philosophy on life.

For me the discussions and philosophising on what happiness is were too "tell" not "show". If this is something that differentiates "literary" fiction from fiction in general, I would say that this is fiction as it came across as didactic/"preachy" to me.

I did enjoy the bookshop/ trade insights, but I don't think that I will return to reread this book. Also, will people ask for it in 2027 (another criteria that makes me give a book 5 stars) I doubt it.

A cosy, comforting book.

In a Nutshell: An ode to books and the power they have on us. A bit too optimistic and preachy at times, but if you can handle slow-paced, character-oriented fiction focussed on an indie bookstore and the characters within, this Korean translation is a good option.

Story Synopsis:
Yeong-ju has abandoned her old life, which involved doing all things as dictated by her family and the society, and followed her dreams by setting up a bookshop in an old-fashioned neighbourhood in Seoul. She knows nothing about running an indie bookstore, but learns along the way.
The story depicts Yeong-ju’s journey towards inner peace and business success, while also focussing on the other people around her – her employees, business partners, associate authors, and customers – and their personal journeys of self-discovery.
The story is written in the third person perspective of various characters, but comes primarily through Yeong-ju’s eyes.


Bookish Yays:
📚 A book about books and bookstores! Surely that has to be the biggest attraction of this work! This novel is like an ode to all things connected to books, indie bookshops, writers, and readers. I love how it focussed on the healing and enlightening power of books.
📚 Yeong-ju – for everything she does for the bookshop. She begins almost as a cloistered person unaware of her mistakes, but she is ready to learn and incorporate practical advice for the betterment of her venture. The book is almost like a coming-of-age story for her, though she is in her late thirties. I especially loved how she was not portrayed as a reclusive geeky introvert just because she owned a bookshop, nor was she shown as being perfect in her bookish knowledge.
📚 Loved the insight this story threw on the running of a contemporary bookstore. It doesn’t stop at what most books about bookstores do – just talking about stocking and selling. Rather, it depicts the challenges of being an indie bookstore in the modern era dominated by screens.
📚 Coffee also has an important role to play in this story. Not complaining, because I do love the brew, albeit mainly in its Indian variant. Through Minjun – the barista at the bookshop, we get to read several interesting trivia about coffee.
📚 The vivid setting. Be it the bookstore or the coffee roasting factory, the writing is so realistic that I could almost smell the books and the coffee. It immersed me in the two places such that I felt one with the story.

📚 The characters in the story, each of whom comes with their own baggage. But this never overwhelms the plot. All the characters have past secrets or present dilemmas, but they are taking baby steps towards a hopeful future. Most of them are well-layered, making their character arc quite interesting. What also helps is that most characters have opted for the road not taken in terms of their professional life. This makes their journey an atypical one, especially considering the Korean cultural setting.
📚 The problems faced by the characters are hardly ever abstract. They battle common challenges such as marital discord, parental expectations, career issues, work-life balance, and personal ambitions. This makes them very relatable. The central themes seem to be ‘find your tribe’ and ‘accept yourself’, neither of which is earth-shattering but is still so-very-important to keep in mind.
📚 Some stunning quotes (mostly but not always about books) that made me stop reading and reflect on the beauty and realism of the words.
📚 The author’s note at the end – really sweet and touching. I could actually sense her excitement over this debut work.

Bookish Yays-For-Me-Possible-Nay-For-Others:
📖 As a literary fiction, this book is not twisty or action-packed. The pace is slow, and the writing is character-oriented. There is no overarching plot as such. The story is almost episodic at times, with the episodes still being interconnected and progressive. All of these points are common features of literary fiction as well as Korean dramatic fiction. As I was prepared for these, I didn’t have a problem while reading.

Bookish Nays:
📕 The plot drags much in between, sometimes because of a tendency towards over-elaboration. Many scenes involving formal or informal conversations (such as the book club conversation or the explanation about how a button on a shirt is a simile for the goals of life) are needlessly extended.
📕 The story gets a bit too sweet at times. There is not a single conflict on page; all the battles are fought within. Moreover, the plot makes the solution to the issues too simplistic and perfect. What indie bookstore is thriving this way in today’s cutthroat business environment? The novel seems to depict a world without Amazon.
📕 At times, the author’s personal voice seeps into the writing, which then becomes quite preachy. This didactic approach doesn’t help the novel, all the more as the life lessons are mostly typical and not out of the box.

All in all, despite some reservations, I did enjoy this literary fiction work to a great extent. The translation seems to be on point, through only a native speaker would be able to judge this properly.
Recommended only to literary fiction lovers who would love a book about bookshops and all things within. It is a mood read, and a book not to be rushed through but to be savoured. This debut novel was a bestseller in Korea, and I can see why.

4 stars.

My thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK & ANZ) and NetGalley for the DRC of “Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

These East Asian books about library are becoming a sort of drug as they made me smile and relax.
Cosy and heartwarming, well written and compelling.
A sweet and well plotted story
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

I'm really enjoying the selection of books that are being translated from Korean and Japanese at the moment and that so many of them have a book theme makes it perfect. I was a little worried that the genre had offered all it can but this book, and the focus on the owner and employees of the bookshop made it stand out. It also being a full novel rather than a set of interlinked stories also was different.

The importance of books shines through the novel but I also enjoyed very much the sections on writing, publishing and editing - less common topics for sure.

The one thing that all of these books highlights for me is how high pressured life is in South Korea and Japan and how glad I am that I don't have to conform to this without being seen as a failure.

One of the reasons I found the bestselling Yellowface so interesting was its revelations from behind the curtains of the publishing industry which it cleverly wove into a work of fiction. Welcome to the Hyuman-Dong Bookshop is completely different to Yellowface, but has the same interweaving of the realities of running a bookshop and fiction. The story itself is not that original, it is warm and cosy, but I was kept interested by the day to day life of a Korean bookshop. The stories and lives that intersected with the bookshop were interesting and compelling. If like me you eagerly await the latest Wigtown book from Shaun Bythell, this book will keep you going until the next instalment.

I wasn't sure what to expect for this book but I really loved it! While reading it I felt that I was slowly unfolding a paper puzzle and the characters began to come into focus. A perfect read for people who liked Before the Coffee Gets Cold or who want to reflect further on how reading enriches their lives. Each character has their own moments of progress and I found it particularly interesting to see how concepts such as the meaning of life or fulfilling work were tackled from a Korean perspective. I will definitely be recommending this book and returning to it in future.

This book was fine, but I didn't feel like it was drawing me in. I really wanted to love it and there were some passages I enjoyed but on the whole it just didn't feel like it was going anywhere for me and so I did DNF.

This is a beautiful story that deals with burn out, life’s disappointments and finding a new and better life. Yeong-ju opens a bookshop following her own burnout and divorce. She takes solace in following her own dreams rather than following the cultural norms of her South Korean society. She is making a new and more meaningful life on her own terms. In this novel we meet her barista, friend and owner of a coffee roasting business and other customers, all with their own problems with life. Whilst a bit ponderous at times, it deals beautifully with the topic of how books can impact on our life choices.

I can honestly say that this is my first read set in Korea - and it was very different to what I expected.

Yeongju followed all expectations in her life; university, marriage, a decent job. Then it all comes apart - her marriage crumbles and, burnt out from her high-flying job, she decides to follow her heart and open a bookshop. In a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul, her store becomes somewhere for people to blossom and truly live their lives.

I have to admit to being astonished that this is a debut novel. Written with a tender touch, the author obviously is a watcher of people and understands what makes them tick. A truly beautiful novel and credit must to to the translator who has contributed to making this such an easy read. I really enjoyed this one, and am very happy to recommend it. 4.5*.

My thanks to the publisher for my copy via NetGalley; this is - as always - my honest, original and unbiased review.

Hwang Bo-reum’s episodic, debut novel reflects her desire to write something that makes people feel good and promotes community and connection. A massive bestseller in Korea, it centres on Yeongju whose life hasn’t turned out the way she planned. After deciding to start over, Yeongju returns to her first love, reading, and opens a bookshop in a peaceful district of Seoul. There Yeongju finds solace in stories, particularly ones that reflect aspects of her own experience, and slowly she’s able to confront the difficult emotions stemming from her traumatic past and messy divorce. At first business is shaky but slowly Yeongju turns things around, aided by barista Minjun who’s also looking for a better way to live. The shop slowly becomes a haven and a hub for local residents whose interactions with Yeongju and Minjun help them address their own issues and problems. Yes, it’s a little sentimental and life-lesson-y but it’s also a gentle, fluid, comfort read that’s often surprisingly likeable. Translated by Shanna Tan.

Absolutely loved this book! It was so wholesome whilst dealing with some really thought provoking and profound topics. I found so many aspects of it so relatable and I loved the exploration of the role of books in life and on a wider scale the role of bookshops and how the things that are seemingly small impact our relationship with the books we pick up.

I thought the self discovery elements of each character was so well done, all at different stages in life with differing priorities. I think it really shone a light on the fact that success for one person could be failure for another and just all of our experiences/goals and personalities being so different. A really beautifully crafter story that I enjoyed an awful lot

Considering how long this book is, you would consider that there would be more stuff happening within it. Part of the current UK publishing explosion of heartwarming translated books about bookshops, 'Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop' starts off well, but starts to lose focus and, for me, interest, after a few chapters. When multiple pages are dedicated to a fake interview about books between an author and a bookshop owner, I'm tapping out. I'd like to consider this cosy for me, but it was just too slow.

A big nostalgic hug and a frustrating experience at the same time – I’ve found this a very hard novel to review! After living in South Korea for two years, I'm always so excited to get the chance to read an advanced copy of a Korean novel – but one about a bookshop?! I couldn't wait to get stuck in. In Hwang Bo-Rehm’s novel we follow Yeoungju, a divorced bookshop owner in Seoul, as she searches for fulfilment by opening up a neighbourhood bookstore.

This was a gentle, sensitive read that I think is perfect for those who are looking for ‘low-stakes,’ almost conflict-free fiction – but an impactful, deep literary effort it's not. For me, this book’s over-sentimentality and simplicity got in the way of my ability to ever truly sink my teeth in. Huge questions about the meaning of life, happiness and purpose were peppered amongst encounters with Yeoungju’s customers, but those moments happened so often that they ended up feeling frustrating and somewhat empty. We’d jump from describing a new blend of coffee to ruminating on what makes a good piece of literature; for me, this never quite felt like a real human thought process. Issues either fizzled out or were resolved all too quickly, and the tranquil life of the bookstore persisted. In my personal taste, I tend to reach for books that make me work much harder – this just wasn’t my sort of narrative. But, having said all that, I can see how for many people this simply a life-affirming story, brimming with the smell of coffee and fresh pages. For that, it excels.

If you've ever lived in Korea, or even spent a decent amount of time there, this novel will absolutely transport you there. I could truly feel the atmosphere of Seoul, visualise the bookstore and taste the 아이스 아메리카노 (iced Americano!). I find the idea of ‘cosy’ fiction very interesting – perhaps I wouldn't have even been interested in this novel had it not been set in Korea and therefore very nostalgic for me. But I'm coming around to the idea. This felt like watching a Coffee Prince-esque, Gilmore Girls-type drama with plenty of heart, one that celebrates the mundane. With the world feeling like a dark place at the moment, it was occasionally a welcome feeling even if the novel ultimately didn’t do much for me. 2.75 ⭐️!

Thank you so much to Bloomsbury and NetGalley for the ARC.

Heartwarming, cute and unputdownable
Wow what a book I found myself obsessed and Unble to put this down I stayed up late into the night cherishing the lovely feeling this book gave me

This was one of my most anticipated reads of year and it definitely delivered!

‘Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop’ exudes slice of life quietude. It touches on burnout and recovery; on taking time to simply exist, to slowly (re-)build, to finding and beginning to know yourself, to surround yourself with people who know and walk apace with you. On moving forwards, changing directions, recalibrating life (even as we accept the need to function within capitalistic realities). On bookshops as spaces for more than just the selling and buying of books- spaces to congregate, to connect, to learn, to find new perspectives. Reading as a shared act.

This novel is a balm and salve, brimming with comfort and insight, author Hwang Bo-Reum’s words (with Shanna Tan translating from the Korean) having this way of curling around the heart and sparking the brain. My soul needed it. I wholeheartedly recommend this book if you are looking for a quiet, thoughtful and comforting read!