This was a very sweet slice-of-life story!

We follow Yeongju who has opened a bookshop and is trying to make a successful go of her business.

Reading this book fully encapsulates walking into a warm, welcoming bookstore. It’s cozy and the characters all feel so real and interesting. It’s almost like you’ve sat in the Hyunam-Dong bookshop, ordered a coffee, and are observing the lives of the workers and friends.

It’s a lot of found family, finding yourself and accepting the ride life takes you on.

Extremely heartwarming, cozy and beautiful - this is a book to pick up!

I suspect many readers will love this book about a woman who flees her marriage and corporate, soulless job to open a bookstore. At first, it's a daunting task and she sits around her own book shop crying but eventually gets her footing both on a personal and professional level and thrives. Her store in a small Korean neighborhood begins to attract a variety of characters who seem to need the bookstore because of holes in their own lives. A wonderful tale; you won't want it to end.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for providing me for an eARC of this book, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.

This is a soft DNF for me. I think I will go back and try it again sometime in the future, but this wasn't what I wanted or needed at this exact moment. What I needed was something with a bit more going on. This book is part of a genre that they call "healing fiction" in Korea and it does feel like a soothing balm over the wounds that the world gives you, but it was too slow for me at the moment.

Part of the reason it feels slow is that the chapters are so short. The short chapters makes you fly through them and you feel pretty accomplished only to realize that you've barely made a dent into the book. It's something that my brain struggles with and doesn't particularly like. I would rather have slightly too long chapters than ones where I have to read twenty to make a dent.

What I did enjoy about it is that it showing how brave an individual has to be to march to the beat of their own drum in a society that celebrates uniformity. I liked the characters well enough, but it was just too low on the intrigue spectrum for me at the moment. The main character is going through a divorce and has just quit her high-stress job, which are two things that would be frowned upon in Korea. She exhibits such a love of reading though. She reminds me why I like to read myself. Her journey to becoming a bookseller is a bit funny though.

Keeping in mind that I only read about 33% of this before deciding not to continue for the moment, I would say that if you're in need of reminding how brave you are as an individual this may be a good pick for you. Also if you like slower books or slice of life books, this could be a good option for you.

I was in the mood for a cozy, immersive book with a slow pace and this book delivered. While I wouldn't say it was the most memorable reading experience, it did the job in the moment and I will be recommending it to others.

I received an e-galley of Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum from Bloomsbury Publishing in exchange for an honest review.

I love a good slice of life book about books, bookshops, and the love of reading. Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop was all this and more. As I read it, I was comforted by the stories and lives of the people who found themselves at the Hyunam-dong Bookshop, hidden away in a quiet neighbourhood in Seoul, South Korea.

Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is about a woman, Yeongju who opens the Hyunam-dong Bookshop who gives up away her previous life. As she tries to figure out how to survive in this declining industry of independent bookshops, she meets and encounters other individuals who are also trying to figure out how to live the life they want. The bookshop becomes a bit of a retreat and place of solace, comfort, and meaning as the individuals who come upon it interact and build their friendships.

I truly enjoyed and loved Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop. It had all the elements that I enjoyed from reading Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, but with more individuals in the cast of characters to immerse myself in their stories and interactions with one another. And there were so many of these interactions and conversations between the characters that really connected and spoke to my heart and soul.

"The worst thing was having to act like I was fine when I wasn't. I cried every night, feeling so sorry for myself for not being able to speak of my pain. I wonder if things would have turned out different, if I could have been like you, sitting here and letting go of everything else. The tears wouldn't stop, but you know, when we feel like crying, we could let it all out. Forcing them back only makes the wounds heal slower."

"Books are not meant to remain in your mind, but in your heart. Maybe they exist in your mind too, but as something more than memories. At a crossroads in life, a forgotten sentence or a story from years ago can come back to offer an invisible hand and guide you to a decision. Personally, I feel like the books I've read led me to make the choices I've made in life. While I may not remember all the details, the stories continue to exert a quiet influence on me.”

This was such a cozy read. The author did a great job of showing us the gradual strengthening of connections between the characters as they get to know one another and their lives surrounding the bookshop. The book was pretty insightful about family, friends, and what people want from life and what society expects from them. There are a broad range of characters that visit the bookshop and get to know one another and it's great for the reader to explore these relationships with them. I would definitely read more from this author in the future.

Yeongju leaves her family and career behind to set up a bookshop in Hyunam-Dong, a quiet residential neighborhood. What follows is a story of self-discovery, kindness, relationships and life. This book provides a nice glimpse into Korean society while still addressing common human problems and emotions. It is a gentle, sweet read.

I absolutely loved the comfort that this book brought me. Although slow paced, I was drawn to the character interactions and how relatable everyone was. I especially loved how the author made all the mundane moments feel miraculous and so special. This book was a great reminder that everyone is making small steps forward to find their happiness and it doesn’t look the same for everyone. And it takes great courage to figure out who you are and what you want. I am so happy to have come across this book and Yeong Ju.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the review copy of this title.

I really loved this story.

Such a cozy (and unapologetically sentimental) read! Yeongju needs a new life: and so she quits her high-powered job, divorces her husband, moves to a small community just outside Seoul, and opens a bookshop, which has been a longtime dream. (And does it happen to be a longtime dream of so many of this book's readers? I imagine so!) This warm story is not big on narrative drive; instead, it's about the setting and a shared love of books and bookstores, with lots of musing about readers and the reading life.

If you love bookstores and are looking for a cozy story that feels a warm hug, this is the book for you! Join Yeongju as she opens a community-driven indie bookstore and builds it into a place where her neighbors can learn, grow, and make meaningful connections. It's a slow, character-driven book full of heartwarming moments and contemplations on reading and life. I think the translation is a little rough, which is unfortunate for a book with extended conversations about the importance of good literary translation, but still a very enjoyable read.

"The Korean smash hit available for the first time in English, a slice-of-life novel for readers of Matt Haig's The Midnight Library and Gabrielle Zevin's The Storied Life of AJ Fikry.

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."

Seriously, not everything has to be compared to The Midnight Library or The Storied Life of AJ Fikry! This is it's own awesome thing and I want to curl up in the pages of this book.

This debut author brings us a very interesting book set in Seoul, Korea that is obviously about a bookshop – a topic close to my heart – but interjects interesting philosophical discussions between the characters. Yeongiu’s prior life has left her burned out, so she does something she’s always dreamed of, she opens a bookshop and hires a young, also untethered, young man, Minjun as her barista. Minjun learns the art of coffee making from Jimi, the coffee bean distributor who becomes a friend to both. Jungsuh is a patron who sits in the shop and knits while Seungwoo becomes a regular after he is asked to do an author event at the shop.
Yeongiu’s musings on what the shop should sell – only best sellers or books she feels her patrons would get more out of is thought provoking. Also, a dilemma she and the others face – should they chose work that will pay the bills or should they do work that makes them happy. So, whether it’s comments about running a bookstore or about the character’s lives, it is, as one summery put it, about “the healing power of books”.

This is a lovely novel that will appeal especially to readers who are mindful readers, that is readers who think with care and depth about each book they read. The plot is simple: Yeongju fulfills a childhood dream when, after a divorce, she leaves her employment and opens a bookshop with a coffee menu in a neighborhood with which she had been unfamiliar. Gradually, a handful of characters join her in the shop, as employees, customers, or what an uncaring owner might call "hanger-ons." As she expands her business she thinks deeply about what she is reading and relates it to the needs in her life. Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop highlights the necessity of knowing and understanding what you need to live what we in the 1960's would have consider a "fulfilled" life, and then making deliberate choices to do what's needed to attain it. The novel moves appropriately slowly and is not meant for readers who claim to read a book or more a day, nor will it appeal to people looking for romance or mystery, although both lurk between its covers. I am really looking forward to seeing what the author will publish next.

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop is a beautiful debut by Hwang Bo-reum and an instant favorite of mine. I’m always drawn by books about libraries, bookshops, and book lovers. I can see why this was a massive hit in Korea and I’m so glad I got to read this heartwarming book about self-acceptance.

Yeong-ju was a wonderful MC and I loved following her journey rising from her divorce and following her dreams of opening a neighborhood bookshop. This book is also about the people who frequent the bookshop and the community around it. The book touches on many different topics such as finding yourself, mental health, following your dreams, and the power of bookshops. The writing was just beautiful and I can’t wait to get my own copy. 5 out of 5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Bloomsbury for the opportunity to read this fantastic book.

Absolutely gorgeous, slow-paced, felt a lot like Till The Coffee Gets Cold. thanks for the ARC and cheers! this one was great. 4.5 cause at times it briefly breaks its character

This book is a beautiful testament to the beauty of the simple things in life, and to a love of books. It was a breath of fresh air. I loved this and there are parts that I will be coming back to over and over.

4.5/5

Yeongju was feeling burnt out and only one thing was one her mind - opening up a bookshop. One day, Yeongju abandons everything in her old life - her career, husband, and family to finally follow her dreams and open that dream bookshop. Set in Seoul, South Korea, surrounded by books and coffee, Yeongju finds many new friends. From the unhappily married coffee roaster to her quiet new barista, and a writer who can’t seem to get Yeongju out of his mind, Yeongju’s bookshop becomes a safe haven for everyone to truly learn how to live.

“My experience taught me that even if I’m working for someone else, I need to work for myself. Working for myself means that I’’ll try my best in what I do. More importantly, never lose yourself, no matter if it’s at work or outside… If you’re unhappy or unsatisfied with your work life, and each day is spent in meaningless misery, it’s time to look for something else. Why? Because we only get one shot in life, and we’re living it now.”

This was a heartwarming story where we not only focus on the main character, Yeongju, but also delve into the lives of the people around her. Everyone is struggling with something, and this book helped me to not feel alone. It’s a beautiful story about finding your purpose in life, and being content with the choices you know will make you happy. I especially liked it since it’s set in a charming bookstore in South Korea, as the author mixed in the daily life of a bookstore owner with the overall theme of the book. While repetitive at times and dragging just a bit, it was such a cute and reflective read that I know I’ll always have fond memories of.

What more do you need than a book about a bookstore? This was such a cozy read. I love the characters and they were so well written. It handled important topics in such a beautiful way. A very easy, read and it was fun to escape into a bookstore in Korea.

I wish I could visit Yeongju at the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop! It sounds like a wonderful place to visit and filled with interesting characters.