Published By: Harvill Secker
Pages: 288
Released On: 02/10/2025
In a quaint village, nestled outside the bustling heart of Seoul, lies a book-lovers paradise. With its wafts of delicious food and book-filled shelves Soyangri Book Kitchen is dotingly managed by its plucky proprietor Yoojin. Her aim? To create a sanctuary, for weary souls like her own.
But the Book Kitchen is more than just a place to eat or read, it’s a place which offers its guests a true escape, not just inside the pages of its many books, but in the warm embrace of an overnight ‘Book Stay’.
Over the course of a year, seven individuals, each at a crossroads in their lives, find their way to Yoojin’s Book Kitchen. Among them is Da-In, a music idol grappling with an identity crisis. Sohee, a promising lawyer confronted with a daunting medical diagnosis, and Soohyuk, a young musical director whose dreams have been stifled by failure.
As they arrive in Soyangri, each character finds their lives subtly transformed by the magic found in its pages and the kindness of its people.
*****
Thanks to NetGalley and Harvill Secker for the advanced copy of this title in return for an honest review.
I love translated fiction, particularly that of Korean or Japanese origin; throw in a story about food and books and this novel was already a winner. I went through a phase of absolutely loving translated fiction, I couldn’t get enough. But then I read a few that I didn’t enjoy and so I lost my interest in it. But this one reminded me what I love so much about it.
I mean, I now want a Book Kitchen, it definitely sounds like my kind of work.
There is something I like, and sometimes don’t like, about translated fiction, particularly Korean or Japanese. And that is it’s repetitive. I like that in one way because we get to stay in the safety net of one location, but we get a new story each time, so it gives us a variety of little stories to enjoy. However, that repetitiveness can become a bit…well, repetitive. Take the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series for example. I loved the first book, and enjoyed the second. But then I started to get bored because it was all the same.
This book was cosy and warming and felt like a very autumnal read. It’s easy and quick to read, fun and uplifting. I enjoyed how calming it was and how slow (in a good way) it was. In a world that’s so fast-paced, it’s good to just sit there and let time slowly pass by, and that’s what this book gives. It helps you see beyond yourself, see the bigger picture, put those worries and doubts into perspective, and makes you realise you’re just a tiny cog in the wider universe and I find that fascinating.
I don’t want to comment specifically on the characters because there are too many, but each of them were well written in their own story, with the core characters linking them to the wider story. None of them seemed out of pace or superfluous, they were all need and brought something interesting to think about.
It’s not too long, which is good, as that can really draw out the repetitiveness, but it gives you enough to enjoy and I think the balance is right. I believe this is the author’s debut novel, and if it is, then there’s definite promise.
It touches on some important topics, like grief and sadness, fame, emptiness, loneliness, employment concerns, romantic issues – it doesn’t shy away from difficult subjects but is handled well.
Books By Your Bedside 