Anything Kim Jiyun writes I will be there now. I loved this book and listened to the audio book. It made my walks, work, and downtime so much better because I deeply loved the way the story was told and getting to know these characters. It was amazing and I deeply loved Kim's writing.

This books makes me cry so hard! I loved every aspect of it. The characters, the setting, the beauty of each story. I loved how each character became important, and they created a family out of each other. The heist chapter was so funny, oh my gosh it was so cute.

If you like Before the Coffee Gets Cold, you will love this one! Just have tissues nearby!

This is a slow paced story of a Korean laundromat and the people it brings together. I enjoyed the characters but felt that I missed a lot due to the nuances of the culture. The narrator was very difficult to understand.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the gifted audiobook copy!

Yeonam-Dong's Smiley Laundromat is a heartwarming story following a cast of characters as they encounter the titular laundromat and share stories from their lives while connecting with the community around them. This book had me from the premise and the translator alone. I have been slowly working my way through a lot of translated works in recent years and it's been a mostly great experience. This specific title was not necessarily bad just not that entertaining. I expected a bit more from the story since other translated works like this that I've read tend to have an emotional pull. I did find the narrator to be a bit monotonous which kind of took me out of the story a lot. Overall, this was just a read that did not work for me.

Yeonnam-Dong's Smiley Laundromat tells five interconnected stories of the people that frequent the laundromat who find connection through anonymous entries within a mysterious diary left behind by another patron. This was a really heartwarming read that reinforces how important finding community is in the world.

This was the first time that I'd read a Korean novel in translation, so many of the tropes within the book were new to me and I really enjoyed it. We have a greedy plastic surgeon who doesn't understand his aging father; a nasty boyfriend who gaslights his girlfriend; a family struggling to afford their life in a gentrifying city; and a brother reeling from the loss of his brother who died by suicide. While some of these sounds like heavy themes - the novel somehow is able to provide a happily ever after for everyone that I found really satisfying.

I listened to this as an audiobook and really enjoyed the narrator, Winson Ting. Since the characters recur throughout the book, we are treated to his lovely impersonations. His voice for Old Jong, the grampa and father, was so fun, as was his voice for the young daughter in the first story. However, his kitten voice in the third story was absolutely adorable.

I definitely recommend this book and absolutely recommend the narrator - this is a great way to get a nice heartwarming story in during some of the coldest months of the year (or truly any time). Thank you to NetGalley and to Tantor Audio for the advanced copy.

This book follows the trend of cozy coffee shop/bookstore/laundromat/etc books that are coming out these days. I’ve read a few at this point, they’re all samey in story, characters, writing, so you know what you’re getting. It was successful within the genre, offering up a story with a handful of people going through a hard time, someone to root for, and the place they go to that offers them some comfort and kindness. There’s nothing that particularly stands out with this one, but if that sounds like your cup of tea, you’ll be happy.

I cannot recommend the audiobook, however. The author starts out pretty monotone, and that took some getting used to. Also, some of the voices are just too much, it grates on you. The little girl’s voice is a shrill male falsetto, the old guy with the accent is a caricature, even the pet voices had me wanting to turn it off. Not appealing. I would have preferred no affectation, the monotone would have even been better. Pretty much any speaking part other than a middle aged adult is rough.

3/5 stars, if you are looking for this type of book, you’ll know.

*An uncorrected proof of this book was provided by the publisher at the reviewer’s request in exchange for a fair and uncompromising review.

If you like Before The Coffee Gets Cold, you'll enjoy this! The interconnected stories in a shared community space always brings me joy. I wasn't a huge fan of all the individual stories, but how do you not love a grandpa who there to support the community!

I received an audio version. This is translated to English from the original. Very well done and easy to follow.

The stories of unlikely friendships/relationships. So many feelings. Happy, sad, even a little mad at some parts. Very wholesome read.

This is such a sweet, cozy book.

The center of the story is a laundromat where a diary has been abandoned. Slowly the weary visitors to the location start writing their worries or asking for advice in the diary. And giving answer or encouragement.

We meet a lonely old man, a woman losing herself in motherhood and worried about money, a couple destined to meet but afraid to be vulnerable, a man who's lost his way professional, one deeply grieving his brother, and a frustrated son.

I love the way the characters and stories intertwine and peace is found in community. Definitely an uplifting read.

I was an ESL teacher for many years, and I have worked with students who have had many kinds of accents when speaking English. I understand them all! And I have lots of patients. But this book--- I could not listen to more than about 45 minutes due to the accent of the narrator. It was very difficult to get past and impeded the quality of the story. I personally think that it was overdone! It was distracting and took away from the story itself.

I may try to actually read the physical copy, because I liked the premise of the book.

It's a heartwarming mystery filled with love and empathy for others. The residents we meet are all experiencing issues with money in some way. Yeonnam-Dong's Smiley Laundromat comes to mean something more special than just an ordinary laundromat open 24 hours a day. One of my favorite characters is the older gentleman with the dog. Their unconditional love for each other is beautiful.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and Net Galley for the ALC.

This book was really sweet!! So many different characters whose lives intersect at a laundromat. It shows how small gestures can make a huge difference in someone's life. I love that so many people were willing to listen to and help out complete strangers. There were a few main characters the book centers on but I wish we would've gotten a little more from the side characters after their initial stories. The beginning of this book almost felt like short stories until more characters started interacting with each other. It wasn't a bad thing though, I loved getting to know each character first before having them all meet. I was so frustrated with Old Jang's son throughout the book but I'm glad everything came together in the end. It was a really wholesome book and a good palate cleanser.

I did listen to the audiobook version though and I unfortunately wasn't a huge fan of this narrator. Some of the character's voices were really exaggerated and distracting at times. Also, he would go in and out of using accents and it was just another thing that would bring me out of the story at times. This is a personal preference though and some people might love all the different voices.

A forgotten diary left at the Smiley Laundromat unites a community, sparking connections that none of the individuals could have forged on their own. Much as the internet does in today's society, the anonymity of leaving nameless entries in the diary liberates each character to speak their own truth, reveal their own pain and seek the advice of others.. Told through multiple POVs, we follow story lines of ordinary people who would likely not be drawn into each others' orbits were it not for this notebook. In addition to these stories is the mystery of who left this diary behind and was this person able to find their own resolution?

Yeonnam-dong's Smiley Laundromat is a book that I hope many people will read. In a time when the societies and communities are divided, this book shows how we should be looking to to each to offer and help to those in need. It also shows that you do not need to be a person of means to have something of great value to contribute.

Kudos to the translator of this novel from the original Korean. While the prose may not be first hand, the heart and soul of the characters is well intact.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ALC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The neighbourhood undergoing gentrification and financial and other worries of the neighbourhood's residents don’t seem like ingredients for a cozy story, but this is actually a heartwarming story of people coming together in the wake of them sharing their worries, supporting each other and finding solutions. The catalyst for these changes is a well-thumbed diary in a new laundromat in the neighborhood.

Each person focused on in the story has reason to start using this new laundromat and they first just read the posts of others in the diary, then begin writing down their own questions, complaints, and pleas. Then Old Jang begins replying, providing advice, which gets others also replying. The replies begin to break down the barriers between people and they find each other becoming friends.

The people affected by the diary are:

An elderly man, Jang, who lives in a good-sized house in the neighbourhood with his beloved dog. His son is anxious that his father capitalize on the current upgrades happening in the neighbourhood, much to his father's disgust.

An overwhelmed mother of a young girl experiencing stress due to her parents' arguments about money and their daughter's behaviour in school. The mother longs for relief from their worries.

A scriptwriter who feels she isn't worthwhile, and who falls for a busker, who falls for her in return.

A university student who discovers her garbage boyfriend has shared intimate details and photos of their relationship online, and when she gets upset about it, she's excoriated.

A man trying to find the scammer whose actions propelled his brother into a super dark place.

Jang's plastic surgeon son who has been living beyond his means and finds everything crashing down on him at once.

All these people find themselves revealing their dark or anguished thoughts in the diary left at the laundromat.

Author Kim Jiyun devotes one story to each of these characters, but all their lives gradually become intertwined through the diary, with each then helping the others out after meeting at the laundromat.

I was initially afraid when I heard of this book that the situations bringing these people together would be too sweet or sentimental, but the author instead deals with some serious stuff: financial worries, parental concerns about their children, family members drifting apart, thoughts of suicide, striving for professional recognition and failing, and affordable rent.

Despite the heavy material, the author's prose flows, which was apparent in the audiobook, which I listened to. Narrator inson Ting easily distinguishes between each character, and inhabits the characters' emotions well, making this a pleasure to listen to.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Tantor Audio for this ARC in exchange for my review.

3.5 stars for me.

To start, I think I personally would have been better off reading this book instead of listening because I have no familiarity with Korean and I couldn't remember anyone's names because I couldn't picture how to spell them. I also really disliked the voice the narrator gave to the 6 year old child, when I otherwise would have loved hearing her dialogue.

Ultimately this is a feel good story of various characters whose lives intertwine because they all use the same laundromat and because of a journal that is left there and added to throughout the book.

I love how the mother with the 6 year olds story was a pretty authentic view of parenthood and wanting to do whatever you can to provide for your children, especially when compared even later to the old man's grandson and the things his son is willing to sacrifice to meet the expectations of others (Korea v. America). An additional dichotomy of old v. young (or listen/respect elders v. motivated by money) was also developed.

I enjoyed the musician and his missed connections with the female character in his story.

The story was told in overlapping timelines which enhanced each of the characters for me because I got to see it from two perspectives. "Time, once gone, will never return" so helping others/each other is really the underlying thread of the story and ultimately made this a heartwarming read (though not without some drama).

No no no! Read the book. The audiobook was a tough one to get through. The narrator made the little girl so annoying, there was no way to even try to empathize with the characters. It was that overwhelming. It has "A Man Called Ovee." vibe to it. It was predictable too.

I typically really enjoy translated works from bestselling Asian authors. Books like the Before the coffee gets cold usually deliver cozy, feel-good interconnected stories so I was looking forward to this one being similar. Sadly, I couldn't get into it. The stories felt disjointed, I didn't like the narration and overall it was a struggle for me to keep listening right to the end. Maybe it would be have translated better as a print read? Anyways this one was a miss for me. On to the next. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was a beautiful and moving story, and the narrator did an awesome job of bringing it to life. This story was like wrapping a warm blanket around myself, absolutely cozy and safe. While it does have a "self-help" type of truth, it is not at all preachy and touches on very serious topics: suicide, loneliness, money worries just to name a few. The epilogue to the story was the laundromat being restocked and I loved that it was never ascribed to a being, it was just happening which made it magical as opposed to mundane.
Thank you to NetGalley, the author Kim Jiyun, translator Shanna Tan, narrator Winson Ting, and Tantor Audio for my advance copy of this audiobook.

✨ PUB DAY REVIEW ✨

Yeonnam-dong’s Smiley Laundromat by Kim Jiyun

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was in the mood for something different - perhaps even a little cozy with a bit of magic! So when I stumbled upon this galley I knew I had to request it IMMEDIATELY… 🥰

Yeonnam-dong’s Smiley Laundromat is just that, a story about a community laundromat located in a heavily gentrified area of Seoul, Korea. This may not sound like a very interesting premise but it is really the every day people who regular this spot and the connection they make to each other through anonymous entries in a lost journal that create such magic.

In the first half of the book we are introduced to the patrons, each brought to the laundromat with a different challenge to overcome and a unique story to tell. Feeling lost and alone in the world each of them writes an entry in the unclaimed journal expressing their thoughts, frustrations and hopes. Connections blossom when others start responding to these entries - we get love, friendship, found family and even crime fighting teams as a result!

A truly heartwarming story about people, kindness and connection. ❤️ If you are in the mood for something cozy and slower paced or are looking to have your faith restored in humanity after a long week… give this one a shot.

Thanks to the author, @tantoraudio and @netgalley for the opportunity to review this ALC! Yeonnam-dong’s Smiley Laundromat is available everywhere today, January 7th, 2025!

What a cute slice of life. I will say it started off slow but the characters were interesting from the beginning. I loved the middle with the cute love story about "fairy" but then it started to drag again. I still enjoyed it as a whole and found it to be a quick read which are always fun to make time for.