I like reading fantasy, rom-coms and the occasional non-fiction. Also on Mastodon.
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The Bachelor meets Gilmore Girls in this laugh-out-loud young adult romance about a girl who …
Whenever I think of Dad, I feel like a dog banished to the backyard, thankful at least for a bowl, a meal, a pat on the head. Trying to see love in the “at least.”
A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret.
Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives …
There was only one thing on her mind.
'I must start a bookshop.'
Yeongju did …
The Puritan work ethic has also influenced the way we think about work—placing work on a moral pedestal. Those who work are contributing members of society; skivers are useless. It's ridiculous that the idea of hard work as a way of gaining salvation survived centuries, crossing time and space to be passed on to people like me—a non-religious person living in twenty-first-century Korea, precariously holding on to my job.
— Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan
There was only one thing on her mind.
'I must start a bookshop.'
Yeongju did …
I read this book as part of a book club (shout out to #HoloReads) and I think I couldn’t have chosen a better time in my life to read this book. I found the central theme of burnout and trying to heal within a capitalist system very relevant and relatable. The writing was easy to digest too.
Quote from the author's note:
In other words, I wanted to write what I want to read. Stories of people who find their own pace and direction, of people who believe in others and wait by their side as they go through difficult times, lost in worry. Stories of those who support others, who celebrate small efforts and resolve in a society that puts people—and everything about them—down once they take a fall. Stories that bring comfort, providing a pat on the shoulder for those who’ve lost the joy in life, having …
I read this book as part of a book club (shout out to #HoloReads) and I think I couldn’t have chosen a better time in my life to read this book. I found the central theme of burnout and trying to heal within a capitalist system very relevant and relatable. The writing was easy to digest too.
Quote from the author's note:
In other words, I wanted to write what I want to read. Stories of people who find their own pace and direction, of people who believe in others and wait by their side as they go through difficult times, lost in worry. Stories of those who support others, who celebrate small efforts and resolve in a society that puts people—and everything about them—down once they take a fall. Stories that bring comfort, providing a pat on the shoulder for those who’ve lost the joy in life, having pushed themselves too hard to do well.
One minor thing: the translator uses a lot of Korean terms as is without any translation throughout the book, and I imagine that if you don’t speak Korean you might have to spend some time searching up the meaning of those terms. That can be frustrating and I wish the translation wasn’t done like this.
There was only one thing on her mind.
'I must start a bookshop.'
Yeongju did …
We're all inadequate, weak and ordinary beings. But because we're capable of being kind, for a moment — no matter how fleeting — we can be extraordinary.
— Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan
There was only one thing on her mind.
'I must start a bookshop.'
Yeongju did …
Reading makes you deviate further from the textbook definition of success because books don't make us go ahead of or above anyone else; they guide us to stand alongside others.
— Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan
Jam
boosted
There was only one thing on her mind.
'I must start a bookshop.'
Yeongju did …
Silence settled comfortably between them. Yeongju enjoyed these quiet moments. She was glad to share space without needing to force a conversation. Small talk could be a considerate gesture, but most of the time, at your own expense. With nothing to say, squeezing the words dry leaves only an empty heart and a desire to escape.
Sharing space with Minjun taught her silence could also be a form of consideration, that it was possible to be comfortable without needing to fill the silence. Gradually, she learnt to get used to the natural quietude.
— Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan (10% - 11%)
There was only one thing on her mind.
'I must start a bookshop.'
Yeongju did …
When authors delve deep into their understanding of life to touch the hearts of readers, helping them to navigate life, isn't that what a good book should be?
— Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan
There was only one thing on her mind.
'I must start a bookshop.'
Yeongju did …
Instead, she learnt to listen to her body, her feelings, and be in happy places. She would ask herself these questions: does this place make me feel positive? Can I be truly whole and uncompromisingly myself? Do I love and treasure myself here?
— Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum, Shanna Tan
Our biology will change how you see the world. Lewis Dartnell explores how human biology …
To be human is to be the sum total of all our capabilities and constraints — both our flaws and our faculties make us who we are.
Our biology will change how you see the world. Lewis Dartnell explores how human biology …
We have emerged from our evolutionary history as a palimpsest of overlaying designs, with each new adaptation modifying, or being built on top of, what already existed.
Jam
boosted
All About Love: New Visions is a book by bell hooks published in 2000 that …
Bombarded with cultural propaganda ready to instill in all of us the niton that lies are more important, that truth does not matter, we are all potential victims. Consumer culture in particular encourages lies. Advertising is one of the cultural mediums that has most sanctioned lying. Keeping people in a constant state of lack, in perpetual desire, strengthens the marketplace economy. Lovelessness is a boon to consumerism. And lies strengthen the world of predatory advertising. Our passive acceptance of lies in public life, particularly via the mass media, upholds and perpetuates lying in our private lives.
— All About Love by bell hooks
This affirms my sentiments about the advertising industry as a whole and confirms my fear of it having been so quick to adopt on the Internet.
Imprisoned pickpocket Loth isn't sure why a bunch of idiots just broke into his cell …
this book is hilarious i’m actually really enjoying it
