Critter Chat: Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum

First selection of 2026! Maybe our first translation? (If not, one of few.) This was a hit in its original Korean, and the English translation was released last year. We thought we could use a cozy read this winter. Add to those Libby or Thriftbooks lists now! A new essay collection by this author, titled Every Day I Read, is also out on December 2.

Description:

“Yeongju is burned out. She did everything she was supposed to: go to school, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. In a leap of faith, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop. In a quaint neighborhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster-and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju-they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live.

A heartwarming story about finding acceptance in your life and the healing power of books, Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is a gentle reminder that it's never too late to scrap the plot and start again.”

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