#어서 오세요 휴남동 서점입니다

[saikaberry]

Books [162] 황보름 - 어서 오세요, 휴남동 서점입니다

★★★☆

[crescentplanet]

[162] 황보름 - 어서 오세요, 휴남동 서점입니다

★★★☆

[sorakpuan]

𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗛𝘆𝘂𝗻𝗮𝗺–𝗗𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗽.

𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠: Yeongju is burned out. With her high—flying career, demanding marriage, and busy life in Seoul, she knows she should feel successful, but all she feels is drained. Yet an abandoned dream nags at her, and in a leap of faith, she leaves her old life behind. Quitting her job and divorcing her husband, Yeongju moves to a small residential neighborhood outside the city, where she opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop. For the first few months, all Yeongju does is cry, deterring visitors. But the long hours in the shop give her time to mull over what makes a good bookseller and store, and as she starts to read hungrily, host author events, and develop her own bookselling philosophy, she begins to ease into her new setting. Surrounded by friends, writers, and the books that connect them all, she finds her new story as the Hyunam-dong Bookshop transforms into an inviting space for lost souls to rest, heal, and remember that it's never too late to scrap the plot and start again.

𝘼 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙛 𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙮: Welcome to the Hyunam–Dong Bookshop (어서 오세요, 휴남동 서점입니다) by Hwang Bo–reum. The book belongs to the contemporary, Asian literature, slice of life, and literary fiction genres. It was published on October 26th 2023 by Bloomsbury Publishing. I started reading it from February 13th to 15th 2024, in an E-book format, with 364 pages.

𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖 𝙗𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠? Absolutely!

𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣? Nah, probably not.

𝙒𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙄 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤���𝙠 𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨? Absolutely!

Favorite character: Yeongju.

Overall rating: ★★★☆☆ (3.7)

Cover design: ★★★☆☆ (3.4)

Story & plot: ★★★☆☆ (3.7)

Character development: ★★★☆☆ (3.5)

𝙃𝙤𝙬 𝙙𝙤 𝙄 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠? Touching! Personally, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the story of each character, especially Yeongju. I felt that way because what Yeongju went through made me feel like I was experiencing it too. All the characters, they were sad and touching because they finally found meaning in life, and the happiness they were searching for.

𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬: 𝙗𝙚𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙧𝙨!

ㅤㅤOkay, this time, Ms. Hwang's book tells the story of people searching for the meaning of life through their encounters at a bookstore called Hyungnam-Dong Bookshop. It's about a woman named Yeongju, who is the owner of the bookstore and feels tired in both her professional and personal life. Besides Yeongju, there are also several other people portrayed there, from a lonely barista, a former office worker who feels cheated in their career, a woman coffee supplier who is in a loveless marriage, to a writer who sees something special in Yeongju, and a student who feels empty and out of control in their life. They all have their disappointments from their past, finding solace among the books in the bookstore. This book is an interesting blend of everyday life and deep reflection on what it means to live a happy life. It's a warm and captivating book that takes readers into the world of Hyunam-dong bookstore and makes them feel like part of the community there.

ㅤㅤSo, what makes this book interesting according to #SweetLibrary? Relatable characters; speaking of characterization in the book, it presents characters with their own daily life challenges and happiness. They are not perfect characters, but they are real and human, allowing readers to feel and understand their emotions. The portrayal of the bookstore; Hyunam-dong bookstore is not just a setting, but also a character in the story. It's a warm and comforting place where people can come to find peace, inspiration, or simply escape from the outside world for a while. Grounded themes; the book discusses down-to-earth and relevant themes such as the meaning of happiness, the importance of community, and how we can find peace and satisfaction in the simple things in life. Despite the cheerful and attractive cover of the book, the story and plot present deep and heavy narratives. Ms. Hwang, as the author, portrays Hyunam-Dong Bookshop not only as a bookstore but also as a place where everyone can heal and find the meaning of life, appreciate and understand each other.

Xoxo, #SweetLibrary

[greenygreenie]

영주의 마음이 일터를 반긴다. 영주는 몸의 모든 감각이 이곳을 편안해함을 느낀다. 그녀는 더 이상 의지나 열정 같은 말에서 의미를 찾지 않기로 했다. 그녀가 기대야 하는 건 자기 자신을 몰아붙이기 위해 반복해서 되뇌던 이런 말들이 아니라, 몸의 감각이라는 걸 알게 되었기 때문이다. 이제 그녀가 어느 공간을 좋아한다는 건 이런 의미가 되었다. 몸이 그 공간을 긍정하는가, 그 공간에선 나 자신으로 존재하고 있는가. 그 공간에선 내가 나를 소외시키지 않는가. 그 공간에선 내가 나를 아끼고 사랑하는가. 이곳, 이 서점이, 영주에겐 그런 공간이다.

어서 오세요, 휴남동 서점입니다, 황보름