A strange mash up of a personal journal and a travel blog. A rather repetitive writing style but I enjoyed the recipes scattered throughout.

Thanks NetGalley, the author and the publisher for offering me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The Korean Book of Happiness by Barbara J. Zitwer is a captivating and insightful exploration of Korean culture, focusing on its unique approach to joy, resilience, and generosity. The author brings readers into the heart of Korean life, examining practices like communal support, the value of harmony, and the art of “jeong”—a deep sense of connectedness and warmth shared between people.

The book explores these ideas through stories and cultural insights, making it interesting and informative

I found the book both interesting and genuinely helpful in understanding aspects of Korean culture that are often less visible in mainstream media.

It serves as a gentle guide to ways of finding happiness and resilience through connection and tradition, making it not only a cultural exploration but also a book with universal lessons in well-being.

I apologise that life got in the way of my brain remembering to download this book as soon as I was informed my request to listen had been accepted. My brain can be mush if I don't write everything down and life is busy. I was looking forward to reading this. I mean, who doesn't need a little extra happiness in their lives. I will add this to my TBR and read at some point.

“The first thing any person will ask you whether in the office, on a date or at home is “Bap meogeosseoyo?” It literally means “Have you eaten”? But it also doubles up as “How are you?” After centuries of starvation and poverty, wars and famine, in Korea, every meal is considered precious. In Korea a meal is never just about the food. It’s about the people and their culture, their relationship to nature and history.”

Written by a literary agent to some of the most celebrated Korean authors, who fell head-over-heels in love from the very first moment she set foot in South Korea, The Korean Book of Happiness invites you to learn how the Korean way can make your life happier and more fulfilled.

The book is part travelogue and part personal journal where the author shares her discovery of Korea through her travels across the country, focussing on the Korean philosophies of han, heung and jeong (resilience, joy and the art of giving) that make up the DNA of Korea life.

I noticed the audio narrator was not familiar with the pronunciation of Korean words. She read them as they are transliterated, which was also incorrect in most instances, and often mixed them up. Therefore, these sections didn’t make sense unless you read the text with it. Considering the subject of the book, the correct transliteration and pronunciation should have been provided.

For those unfamiliar with Hallyu (the Korean wave), this is a wonderful introduction to the country’s rich and diverse culture which explains why everything from food, to fashion and beauty, to drama and pop music is more popular when you prefix it with K-. At the same time, for those who are already enjoying the Korean wave, this gives you a deeper insight into the source of your K-Happiness.

The audio book courtesy of NetGalley and Octopus Books.

4.5/5⭐️⭐️
As a lover of Korea and Korean culture and history, I really enjoyed this book.
The stories and especially the recipes brought back so many memories.

This book made me feel zen and extremely happy. Especially while I listened to it in the hospital .

Loved this audiobook. Love anything cultural and about happiness and peace. Definitely a must have listen for anyone else who like these kind of books.

As the title states, this book is about joy, resilience and the art of giving and Zitwer explores the philosophies of Jeong, Han and Heung.

A very gentle and pleasant overview of South Korea that touches lightly on lots of topics across Korean life and culture. There isn't a huge amount that will be new to people who have done any reading on the subject already, but it's a great introduction for people looking to learn about this fascinating country. It - understandably - tends to focus on the positives as a celebration of the good points of Korean life that we can take away and learn from, but as a note to people new to the topic it doesn't tackle some of the broader societal challenges that have accompanied the nations warp-speed growth and development, so again it's a great intro to further learning if it has captured your interest.

Having read about hygge and Fika, it was wonderful to read a Korean book of Happiness.

Thank you to NetGalley aan the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I devoured this book like a child eating a chocolate. I loved every word. You can feel Barbara Zitwer’s talent throughout the entire book. It is written with such emotions that I felt I was actually in Korean at the time. At first, I was expecting a book with teaching like any other self learning book, however, I was pleased to learn that it was more like a personal journal than anything else. I learned many things about the Korean culture and life but what I love the most were the recipes that the author has included in each chapter. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants to grasps a bit of the South Korean’s way of living . P.S. if you are listening to the audio version, make sure you have a notepad and a pen because you will most definitely want to note down some addresses or recipes or key words.

Sometimes I just try something different to listen to or read and this was a good find. I downloaded the audio version of The Korean Book of Happiness which is clear and well-paced exploring the happiness principals and well-being through Korean culture, as well as practical advice and rules/differences, a big mention of local dishes and recipes are also read out. Overall a lovely audio book and easy to listen to.

Thank you to Octopus Audio for my download via NetGalley.

The book I wish I had read before going to South Korea. Full of cultural delights and so much information it would have been useful pre travel. I have visited all the places the author described and can verify the accuracy. Jeju was a unique island away from the mainland with its own way of life and I am so glad I got to go there. The South Koreans are a force to be reckon with and so enterprising, without forgetting the secret of being kind and happy.. You don't get the recipes with the audiobook, although it's read so need to scribble it all down. Although they love fried chicken on the whole they eat very healthily and are proud of their food heritage. The markets are amazing for street food and the book explains all the best places to go. Thank you #NetGalley for the audiobook to review

As someone who loves South Korea and Korean culture, there wasn't much in this book that I didn't already know about. However, it was enjoyable to listen to someone else gush about the country and its people. Some parts were really interesting to me, but some moments were a bit annoying. For example, the addresses and email addresses that were placed at the end of each chapter. It's probably because I listened to the audiobook and it just felt a bit weird hearing that every chapter. Some parts felt a bit repetitive to me but overall it was a nice book to listen to on the go.

This is a really informative read delving into the culture in South Korea through it's food, history, people, trends, and hidden gems. I enjoyed learning more about the country through the author and tales of her own experiences, faux pas, and discoveries. I already had a keen interest in the country and it's culture, and this book has built on that, offering tips on where to visit, and recipes to recreate authentic Korean dishes at home. There's so much fantastic insight here and I'm even more desperate to visit than I was before! I listened to the audiobook and the narration was clear and the narrator a good fit, though I would say this book might work better in print for anyone interested in using the recipes or noting down the URLs provided by the author.

I received a free copy of this book. All views are my own.

The Korean Book of Happiness Joy, resilience and the art of giving by BARBARA J. ZITWER
(Narrated by Katherine Fenton)

I love how the author shared her experience and life in Korea. Barbara basically covered what the tourists should be aware of and Korean culture. The Korean’s life, history, taboo, sightseeing advice, and food were just amazingly explained.

I have enjoyed the book from the beginning to the end, but it would be great if it was presented by a narrator who could speak basic Korean.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for my copy.

Pub date: March 2, 2023

“The Korean Book of Happiness” written by Barbara J. Zitwer and narrated by Katherine Fenton is the closest I’ve found to the Danish “hygge” movement. Filled with stories from Zitwer’s personal life and those of the Korean people, the result is a go-to-guide for anyone looking to visit the Korean peninsula or just get convinced to mark it down for an upcoming cultural holiday.

Special thanks to NetGalley, Octopus Audio, Short Books, and the editorial team for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads! #TheKoreanBookofHappiness #NetGalley #LifeLongLearning