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!

The story of a Yeong-ju who, after burn out at work, decides to realise her old dream of opening a bookshop in a quiet residential neighbourhood. As the bookshop gets established, we discover more and more characters, until a small community is built up around it. We get to know knew characters, and participate in their personal struggles.

The main theme of this book, at least in my view, is the question of what makes some happy, and the pursuit of that happiness over various periods in one's life. The book upends what could be perceived as the "traditional" path to success in Korean (and probably most developed) society - good school, good university, temp job, permanent job, marriage, etc. Each of the main characters in the book is rebelling against this path, and, often through a certain level of personal suffering, aims to redefine what it means to them, and how best to achieve personal satisfaction from life.

There is lots to like about this book. In a very elegant way it helps accept alternative ways of living fulfilling lives. It also does so without extreme ideas or solutions - this is not about radical politics, or extreme ways of life. The characters all still want to make enough money to be comfortable, do something interesting, be surrounded by good and kind people, and create enough room in their lives to pursue their passions.

I also liked the way the book uses the birth and early years of a bookshop as a mechanism to convey some of its messages. There is clearly a lot of love for the ecosystem of books in this particular story, potentially even more than there is a love of books. In that way, it's also quite different from a similar book I read this year (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop), which was much more oriented towards the joy that books bring to their readers, and how these affect their lives.

I did find the book a bit too preachy, and a bit too simplistic. It could be that in its own social context it is particularly bold, within the context I live in (Western Democracies) it feels rather timid, and full of cliches. In many places it comes across as a collection of sayings from self-help best-sellers. I would even go as far as to state that I found much of what the book was saying quite banal - follow your dreams, don't stay in unhappy marriages, don't stick to jobs that make you unhappy, don't surround yourself by toxic people, etc. It's like an expanded story from a weekly Magazine, rather than a literary novel.

I also found the books and movies sprinkled throughout the story quite uninspiring. Nothing bad, but I expected something more sophisticated perhaps? Or thoughtful? Using Catcher in the Rye as one of the governing thoughts in the book feels a bit too shallow.

I also found the book difficult to read - it just wasn't engaging. It kind of languished, and didn't draw me in. It's not that I was looking for action, but I think I just found it boring and motherhood-and-apple-pie. In contrast, books that deal with similar issues that have much more heft are Chopin's Awakening, Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter, much of Muriel Spark's work, etc.

It might be a good read for folks who are struggling with similar issues and looking for emotional reassurance of how they might choose to pursue changing their circumstances.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an early copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Writing a book about books is a good way to be certain of finding a setting and topic readers will relate to - after all the only interest everyone who reads for pleasure has in common is that they read for pleasure. So Hwang Bo-reum's debut novel set in an independent bookshop, full of discussion about books, reading and writing, should have a broad appeal on those grounds alone.

More importantly though, it's a good book. The characters are likeable, the pacing gentle but never slow, and whilst it might be considered 'feel good' fiction, it's the thoughtful, measured kind, not the melodramatic slushy sort. In fact, I've read a few east Asian 'feel good' novels this year and I prefer them to their western counterparts on the whole. The more restrained culture reigns in the emotive excesses you can see in USA or Europe based examples of the genre and makes for more plausible reads. I felt I could actually learn something from this book, rather than just rolling my eyes.

The novel focusses on a number of characters - the bookshop's owner, it's one other staff member, a writer who attends for a book talk, and several regular customers. It's quite a philosophical book, with a strong theme of finding happiness and fulfilment in life. Most of the characters are still working out what happiness might be, let alone attaining it. South Korean culture tends to being conservative with a fairly narrow definition of 'success' and very high pressure to achieve it. The characters in this book are mostly unable to meet the criteria for 'success', either having done so and then burnt out, or just being ill suited in the first place. Should they keep trying to achieve an ideal that is unlikely to be achievable or enjoyable, or strike out and find another way? The bookshop's owner, Yeong-ju, has done the latter, but following her dream of selling books turns out not to be an easy one stop answer to contentment.

As well as books, there's plenty about coffee as well which I found quite interesting. As you get to know the characters, the storylines become more involving, and I particularly liked and felt very drawn in by the romance storyline - which is understated and never allowed to become the purpose of the book. I cared about the characters, and I felt I could identify with them. Although I'm a different ethnicity, I've always driven myself hard at work and striven to attain an unrealistic standard, only to reach middle age and wonder why exactly. So I felt a great kinship with these characters that transcends any cultural differences.

I would highly recommend this book to people who enjoy feel good novels, those with an interest in Korean culture, and more broadly to readers who enjoy well written, easy to read fiction. It particularly touched me, perhaps because I could empathise so closely with the characters. I will certainly read more novels by this author.

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is a wonderfully life-affirming, low stakes read for those looking to get lost in the lives of a bookshop owner, her employees and her friends.

Tan's translation reads well and at no point did the narrative feel hindered by being in translation, which was refreshing and enjoyable. Bo-reum's storytelling is intimate and moving, creating a cast of characters you invest in throughout the novel.

Plot-wise, this is not a book of action, but a story of the little moments in our lives; the small steps we take to better ourselves or understand ourselves. Bo-reum is brave in focusing purely on the human aspect, allowing the narrative to unfold quietly as the bookshop itself does.

A comforting read I'd highly recommend.

"We become more compassionate. To read is to see things from someone else's perspective, and that naturally leads you to stop and look out for other people, rather than chase after success in the rat race. If more people read, I think the world will become a better place."

If you love books and you love coffee and are intrigued by the art of making coffee, you will love this book.

Run by Yeongju, the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop becomes a place of comfort and healing for not only the customers but for Yeongju and her employees as well. Having been scathed by social pressures, the characters come to peace with the decisions they have made and strive for their best- keeping their mental wellbeing at the forefront.

The Hyunam- Dong Bookshop is a slice-of-life book; it is charming, wholesome and truly a comfort read. It is also quite reminiscent of the Kdrama Would You Like a Cup of Coffee?

Yeongju did everything that was expected of her - went to university, married and got a decent job, then it all fell apart.
Leaving her old life, she follows her dream to open a bookshop.
The Hyunam-Dong bookshop becomes a place where customers can take refuge.
A heartwarming, healing story about books and bookshops.
At it’s core it’s about work-centric lifestyles and wanting to find solitude and community - very reflective and philosophical.
I found it a bit slow and didn’t really connect with any for the characters.
However it’s a very well written book
Thanks @hwangboreum @bloomsburypublishing & @netgalley for the eARC

This is a case where I picked the book on Netgalley because I had heard about it on Twitter from the translator, Shanna Tan, who was at the time asking for advice about bookshops to visit across the UK, and seemed so enthusiastic about the book I was intrigued.

The book was cute. I don't know how else to describe it. There was not a lot of tension, there was not so much of a plot - the main character is an avid reader who opened a bookshop/coffee shop and hired a barista. They like each other but everything is slow and very quiet. The chapters are very brief, describing the coffee picked and roasted, the customers visiting - the one reading books without buying them, the one knitting scarves...

I personally did not find it particularly memorable - I enjoyed the commentary about books and the character's love of books, but I can't say I felt particularly invested in this story. To give her credit, the translation by Shanna Tan reads very well and felt smooth and well executed - my issue was more with the absence of plot and lack of drama overall.

Work-life (im)balance in modern South Korea is notoriously brutal, not least for women. Not to mention other cultural expectations with regard to gender roles, as the global success of the novel Kim Jee-Young, Born 1982 recently brought to the attention of the worldwide reading public.

And those are precisely the realities that Yeongju is finding herself having to navigate at a time when she should theoretically be happy to be married, gainfully employed, and reasonably successful. Suffering from acute burnout, she decides instead to follow an almost-forgotten dream, quitting her job and marriage in the process.

When Yeongju opens her bookstore, it is not a seamless transition, but it is certainly a striking change of pace. There are quite a few tears involved, too - which is likely therapeutic, and perhaps not strange given the enormity of the changes she has made.

But, as she gradually learns what booklovers want from a bookstore, Yeongju also finds herself learning to observe and appreciate some of the people around her - from a barista, to a struggling teen, to the woman who will become her new best friend. Soon, she has a community of her own, centred around the bookstore and the adjacent neighbourhood.

Essentially, what Yeongju has traded in is not just her earlier career and lifestyle, but also involves a sea-change that shows up in her values and her quality of life. This is a lovely, slow paced, delicate story about the things we are told are important in life, versus having the courage to find out for ourselves what it is that we really want. I suspect that the book's global success reflects the fact that its core message has resonated with many readers.