This was a very cosy and lighthearted read that, in a way, reminded me of Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop. However, it didn't have the same emotional impact on me as Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop had. I still very much enjoyed reading about Jungmin's journey, with her trying to get out of her shell ad recover from the emotional damage left by her previous job and trying to start again, with having a different perspective in mind. I loved the descriptions of pottery, of the techniques that all the people used to make dishes and how it all related to their personal lives. It was interesting to see how everything came together in the end, how their issues affected them, what were their relationships with each other and why, essentially, they were the way they were. For me, probably Jun's perspective was the most interesting out of all secondary characters, how a young person doesn't know how to tell his parents, that the path they chose for him is not something he particularly enjoys and he only does everything to satisfy his parents even if for him it feels like a chore. Johee's story was captivating as well, although quite sad when you think about it, but it explains why the pottery shop is so precious to her. Overall, this was a very interesting read, emotional and reflective in different ways and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

Thank you Penguin General UK - Fig Tree, Hamish Hamilton, Viking, Penguin Life, Penguin Business and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinions!

I enjoyed reading The Healing Season of Pottery by Yeon Somin (translated by Clare Richards) which I downloaded to my iPhone courtesy of NetGalley.
This is a significant narrative where the main character Jungmin is a thirty-year-old woman living in a village in her homeland of Korea. Her life has taken an unexpected turn and essentially this novel follows her path to understanding and renewal.
As an English reader it is obvious that this is a translated text and so I utilised nicknames for the character names that I found difficult. Some of the menu items I was not familiar with, but the food was often described and sounded delicious!
The underlying story was slowly revealed. It contained some sadness and solitude although the times spent at Soyo where the pottery classes were held fostered a place to restore happiness and balance.
Within the first few pages I connected with the description of the bicycle comparison, and throughout the story with the passing of the seasons. Later in the book there was a unique reference to a car and a relationship breakdown.
There was an undertone of respect within the storyline, and it culminated with a satisfying conclusion. This is a very thoughtful text beautifully written.

I wanted to love this book. I enjoyed exploring all the characters' lives while creating pottery and how the main character changed her mindset after taking these classes. However, I found it slow and longer than it should have been. Ultimately, this book wasn't really for me but I am sure others will love it.

A truly beautiful Book set around a Pottery & the characters that use it to help to heal the stress & other complicated things within each of their lives. Yeon Somin writes with a wonderful poetical phrasing which in turn gives more realism & depth to each of the characters & their lives at & outside the Pottery workshop & Café. #NetGalley, # GoodReads, #FB, #Amazon.co.uk, #Instagram, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/8a5b541512e66ae64954bdaab137035a5b2a89d2" width="80" height="80" alt="200 Book Reviews" title="200 Book Reviews"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/aa60c7e77cc330186f26ea1f647542df8af8326a" width="80" height="80" alt="Professional Reader" title="Professional Reader"/>, #<img src="https://www.netgalley.com/badge/ef856e6ce35e6d2d729539aa1808a5fb4326a415" width="80" height="80" alt="Reviews Published" title="Reviews Published"/>.

Going into this book, I really enjoyed the cosy feel and I could vividly imagine what was going on whilst I was reading. As someone who's struggled with burn-out and that 'lost' feeling, this book perfectly captures how day-to-day life can be healed slowly through finding new passions and connections in unexpected places. Reading this made me yearn more for this new era of healing novels and I can't wait to see what else Yeon Somin writes in the future.

Soothing and lovely to read!
It’s so cozy and I loved all the pottery aspects so much!
Some of the Korean words required some googling for me to fully appreciate everything but that’s on me!
To summarise - cozy and amazing!

'Cracks were forming in the silence that Jungmin had been protecting for months. As they widened, it felt good, freeing.'

This is a charming, uplifting novel, a soothing balm against the chaos and troubles of modern life. Jungmin has given up her stressful job in the TV industry and has retreated into herself, basically never leaving her apartment and living in seclusion. On a rare visit out she stumbles across a pottery workshop, mistaking it at first for a café. But this chance encounter is the start of a new life, and in her return visits to the pottery she encounters a cast of characters who allow her to open up, face the demons of her past and move on.

I keep using the phrase 'healing fiction' with, it seems, a lot of the things that I read, and its easy to see why they are so popular. This is a quiet, subtle novel, excellently translated by Clare Richards, and is honest enough to explore some serious themes whilst also giving a positive outcome and a sense of change: 'Like the waves, the seasons flowed in, and flowed out.'

Oh, and there's a cute cat as well, so that's all good. 4.5 stars.

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

I did enjoyed this book as a simple and cosy story. It gave me the desire to create, to make something with my hands, to discover new hobby and to share it all with new people I met. It was a nice book to read. Thank you Penguin General UK for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

this book was okay, i didnt love it and didnt hate it. i found the storyline slow and didnt keep me engaged, as a result, I stopped reading altogether because i didnt want to pick up another book before finishing this one.

The main theme the story revolves around burnout, and finding the joy again in everyday through pottery and creating. The concept of making a mistake in clay with her fingers, yet if you keep moulding it, the bums will smooth and the cracks will fuse back together with more work.

This was such a calm, easy to read and lovely book. I was more than happy to sit down with a cup of tea and read this whenever I had a spare moment on a cozy evening, especially now it is perfect Autumn weather.

As much as I enjoyed this cozy read, I did find that even though it is a shorter book, it did go on quite a bit, and the main character did concentrate a little hard on her burnout rather than the end goal. However, it didn't sway me from finishing at all. I am a great fan of pottery, always wishing to take a class and I love watching The Great Pottery Throwdown. So this really fuelled my creative spark in that area, which I enjoyed.

It is always nice and unexpected when you come across a book that just makes you smile softly throughout every page.

The Healing Season of Pottery follows, Jungmin, who is going through a rough patch as she has given up her job due to burnout. Jungmin has become isolated and decided to step back into society. Jungmin comes across a pottery studio tucked into a side street, and the story is of her journey, as she meets a variety of different people and hears their stories.

This was a hopeful story against the themes of loneliness and depression. I have visited Kora and enjoyed the references to Korean food. I feel the book was very wholesome, with the community that developed around Jungmin as she progressed. I enjoyed the background stories of the other characters we met.

I would definitely recommend.

Thanks to NetGalley, author and publisher for an advanced copy.

Jungmin, burnt out from her demanding news writing job, quits abruptly and retreats into solitude. After months of hibernation, she ventures out into the streets near Seoul, searching for a way to rebuild her life. By chance, she discovers Soyo, a pottery workshop filled with warmth, light, and the earthy aroma of clay and coffee. As Jungmin immerses herself in the art of pottery, she finds herself slowly healing—piece by piece, pot by pot.

The Healing Season of Pottery tells the heartwarming story of Jungmin's journey toward self-discovery and renewal. As she forms connections with the people at the workshop and finds solace in the tactile process of moulding clay, Jungmin begins to rediscover her creative spark and even adopts an adorable cat along the way. The book captures the serene beauty of pottery, emphasising how the textures, colours, and shapes of ceramics can enhance everyday experiences, such as enjoying a simple meal or cup of coffee.

Though the novel's plot is gentle and undramatic, the character development is deeply satisfying. The budding romance between Jungmin and Gisik adds a sweet, tender element to the story, making readers genuinely care about the characters.

For those unfamiliar with Korean culture, the use of terms like "Unnie" (older sister) might require some adjustment, but they are easily understood in context. I did have to use Google throughout the book, however.

This book is perfect for readers who appreciate slow-paced, slice-of-life stories or those who find joy in the creative process. If you love books like Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop or Sweet Bean Paste, then this will be a comforting and inspiring addition to your bookshelf.

Read more at The Secret Bookreview.

The Healing Season of Pottery was a really great and heart-warming novel and I found it calming and really comforting to read, especially as the nights are turning dark and cooler.

We follow main character Jungmin as she tries to pull herself up and out of a bit of a life rut. She joins a pottery class and she starts to get her spark bac .

Such a cosy read, and I love Jungmin's character.

I am really enjoying these Korean translated novels as they just posses some kind of warmth that i crave at times. Thanks to the author, publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I'm loving this type of books and they always make me smile and reflect. This is a well written one, light and full of emotions
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Book Review: The Healing Season Of Pottery by Yeon Somin translated by Clare Richards

In this heartwarming story, Jungmin is a woman at the crossroads of her life, burnt out and lost after years of hard work in her newswriting career. Desperate for change, she walks away from it all, only to find herself drawn to the quiet comfort of a pottery workshop in Seoul.

The Soyo Pottery Workshop becomes a place of transformation for her. Surrounded by the calming scents of clay and coffee, Jungmin discovers that the simple act of creating—piece by piece, brings her healing. With each plate she crafts the world starts making sense again.

What I loved most about this book is how it weaves a theme of slowing down in a fast-paced world, reminding us all of the value of taking time for ourselves.
This story of starting is a tale of renewal, friendship, and the magic of handmade things.

If you’re looking for a feel-good read about second chances this is the one for you!

Translated from Korean, The Healing Season of Pottery is a wholesome, relaxing read that follows Jungmin discovering pottery, forging new friendships, wrestling with past guilt, and generally trying to find her place in the world.

While elements of the book were interesting, and the characters likeable, I felt that there were too many elements that ultimately didn't move the story or the characters forward. At times the reading experience felt laborious and I think a lot of editing needs to be done to tighten up the narrative and not leave readers bored.

As a potter myself, I felt the pottery descriptions were a little off, which hindered my enjoyment of the book. I didn't think it needed to go into so much detail about the specifics of throwing, but rather the art of pottery itself and how it affected Jungmin as a character.

I think you'd enjoy this if you like meandering writing, and a slow paced narrative about emerging from a dark place and finding yourself. Unfortunately it wasn't necessary for me in the end, but it could be a case of 'rignt book, wrong time'.

With thanks to Netgalley and the author for giving me the chance to review The Healing Season of Pottery.

The healing season of Pottery is a lovely read that I couldn't put down, perfect for fans of Days at the Morisaki bookshop and 'What you are looking for is in the library.

3.75 - 4 🌟

This book is about Yu Jungmin, a 30 year old navigating her life again after being in a huge life slump aka burnt out for a year. It follows her journey of her of stumbling upon a pottery workshop, and getting absolutely enamoured with pottery, while the other members of the pottery workshops, including the owner's warmth and kindness helps her get back into the flow of life.

This was quite the cozy book, and I finished it in 2 days. Even though I'm quite a ways off from 30, there were a range of feelings and thoughts Jungmin had that I could relate to, in terms of friendships and other general feelings . I believe a lot of people who have gone through burn out, no matter how big or small can relate in some way to what Jungmin felt through that period of her life - the inertia of moving through life, not being able to do anything that seems significant, just drifting about through each day. There were some lines that hit quite a vulnerable and deep part of me, that I couldn't help but immerse myself more into the setting and lves of the characters.

The pacing for the most part was alright, but I did sometimes wish we had more scenes at a certain seasons, or interactions of Jungmin with different characters at different stages of their relationships. The different character relationships went in the direction I wanted it to go from early on in the story, and when it was confirmed to have done so, it was honeslty quite sweet and heartwarming.

I do think the story lacked a bit of depth in terms of our primary main character, Jungmin herself. We don't learn much about her life before the events of this book, other than the parts that were prevalent to know in order to understand character relationships and why Jungmin was the way she was in those relationships. I can understand that the book can only be so long, and it can feel liek too much information dumping about her life, but that didn't mean I wasn't left wanting to learn more about her childhood and her life, till the point we meet her.

There were also times when the writing felt a bit cold and lacked emotion, but that could be the translations, and the grammar and sentence structure changes, along with possible change of words/phrases due to lack of direct translations availabe.

Either way, I finished the book wishing all the characters to have a happy future after the end of the parts of their lives that we saw, and I feel that that is important, just to realise how we did feel for the characters after all, if not to acknowledge how much we fell in love with the characters.

I did also like how the hanja and meanings of different things were kept in the story, along with the romanised versions of different korean things. It allowed them to keep its original intended meaning, instead of being lost in translation, with the possibility of making the reader confused.

3.5

Thank you to Penguin and NetGalley for providing me an eARC to review!

I quite enjoyed this one! In the vein of What You Are Looking For Is in the Library and A Perfect Day to Be Alone, this was about loneliness, community and purpose without feeling overly sentimental.

I liked how it focused on how finding community and purpose outside of corporate life can be so meaningful, and I think speaks to a lot of disillusionment amongst people both in Korea and internationally with the idea of the rat race. The protagonist was very unsure of herself and isolated at first, but you saw her slowly come out of her shell and trust herself over the course of the novel.

Would definitely recommend this for fans of the above titles!

I didn’t mean to start when I first opened it, but I fell in. Now that I’m sitting at the last page, I can feel how the seasons have moved past. It was such a beautiful, heart-warming, rich experience. Slow, passionate, textured. As I read it, I found myself looking at the world differently. Routine ceased to be and little things grew into endless threads of meaning. It permeated my life in ways that I can’t even begin to measure. The most obvious, to me and those around me, was how I always found myself referring to whatever I had just read while having pretty much any conversation - and it didn’t feel random or out of place; it felt enriching. It brought so much joy into my life. I loved every second of it.