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#12Booksof2023

My pick for March is the story of a mother who goes missing while traveling to Seoul (with her husband) to visit her children. Told from multiple POVs, this is a powerful story about family, relationships, secrets, and how a seemingly ordinary person is so much more when you start peeling back the layers. Excellent translation of this book which is a bestseller in South Korea.

@Andrew65

Haunting and the story pulls you in.. I finished it in 2 or 3 days. I get that the author wanted to show all sorts of motherly sacrifices but it felt a bit much to me, the mother being almost a saint and everyone else being selfish to the extent of gross negligence.

I am currently travelling through Korea, the pic shows the Starlight Library in Seoul.
(The bookshops here look just as great, almost tragic that I can't read anything)😄

Another "book-matching-outfit-incident"?

For my IRL book club. At times a beautiful reckoning of the love of a mother told by varying viewpoints: son, daughters, husband and mother. What they regret as they realize what they really didn‘t know about her. But the writing fell flat for me at times.

I really enjoyed this story about a mom on her way to visit her children in Seoul who goes missing & never arrives. Told from multiple perspectives including those of her children & her husband, the story is a thoughtful & compelling examination of motherhood, family, sacrifice, lives shared/lives hidden, the weight of the past/history, obligation, & love. I‘ll definitely read more by this author.

It‘s one of those days when there just isn‘t much time for reading (the worst sort of days!) but I finally have a few quiet moments so I‘m going to continue with this one which so far is really interesting.

This afternoon‘s reading…

#OutAndAbout #ReadingOnTheTrain

#Scarathlon #ScarathlonDailyPrompts #Missing

This books is about a mom who goes missing. While the family looks for her, some secrets are uncovered.

@StayCurious

Read this for one of my Bookclubs. I didn‘t really like it. Probably because it hit too close to home in between the lines. Probably also not the right time for me to read it.

Interesting story about a missing woman and her family reflecting on her life and what they never said to her.

I didn't enjoy the second person narrative. I understand why it was used and it worked in this book but I dislike it. Took me awhile to connect back into the story when the narrative switched.

The book didn't really have an end which I disliked. There was no resolution. It just finished.

#MayMoms - Lonely:
I guess that every mom is a lonely mom at some time or another. When a child no longer desires to hold your hand while crossing the street. When children choose the company of their friends in place of the company of their mother. When a child opts to attend out-of-state college a thousand miles away from home. When a child declares the discovery of her/his lifetime partner and now the newfound keeper of all👇🏽

This has been on my tbr list so I snatched it right up now that the ebook is on sale for $1.99.

Poignant story about a family‘s search for their missing mother. Deals with matters of health/dementia, generational conflict. Shifting viewpoints help reader to know the missing woman better than anyone in her family. Beautiful! https://cannonballread.com/2022/04/please-look-after-mom-elcicco/

Haunting is the word that comes to mind after reading this. I think it's not a book that you read for enjoyment, but it's a book that needs to be read nonetheless. In this story, mother becomes an all-encompassing identity for some, and we forget that they're people too, with their own dreams and frustrations in life. You do end up with a lot of thoughts reading this.

⭐: 4

One day a 69 years old So-nyo disapers in Seoul and her children and husband desperatly try to find out what happen... Secrets and memories start to ome out. They all have to face the question: how well did they really know their Mother/Wife?

It‘s about a mother who goes missing at the Seoul train station. It has different perspectives of the two daughters, son, and husband. It has their takes on who their mother was to them. Revealing that many took advantage and mistreated their mom, only to realize they never took the time to say all the things they wanted to say. It was sad, but I feel the story dragged and I had to force myself to finish. I also hate when I get no clear closure 😪

I always have a stack of books for #readinglater on my coffee table! It probably annoys my hubby, but I like being able to just reach over and grab the next book when I finish one! #summerfun

Wow powerful book perfect before Mother‘s Day.

Since this whole, 🦠 virus situation has been happening.. I‘ve been having the worst insomnia!! Therefore, I am reading nonstop, back to back books. 🥴 Just to keep my mind busy, stop worrying, keeping my loneliness at bay, and trying to wind down after a toddler filled day. Books are my escape.

Drop comments! Why do you love reading? General interest in the subjects? Escaping reality, like me? Learning about new things? All of the above!

This novel examines the dynamics & memories of a family whose mother/wife has disappeared at Seoul Station. It is told from the viewpoint of the various members of the family and much of it is in second person narrative. Overall, a good listen, especially if you enjoy books about Korean culture & traditions.

Tonight I binged the end of this book for book club tomorrow. The story captures the sacrifices a parent makes for their children, but this mom is extra!
One thing I did not like is that some of the chapters are told in 2nd person narrative which I‘m not a fan of, then on top it‘s told from different characters‘ points of view. It got really confusing at times.
Do you like 2nd person? Sorry I meant, You like 2nd person.
🇰🇷🇰🇷🇰🇷🇰🇷

“They say that if you take in a person he will betray you, and if you take in a dog he will pay you back.”
🐕 Captain Skippyjon Jones pays me back in snuggles and Bookstagram modeling.
#dogsofLitsy

Genre: Fiction
Date Started: November 14, 2019
Date Completed: November 29, 2019
How did you choose this book: Recommended by someone and I read the summary of the book and was interested.
Summary: [in the comment section]
*254 pages*

#AyUpAugust A book that‘s been on my #TBR for way to long🙄When a mother goes #missing on a crowded subway stop in Seoul, the family dynamics are put to the test. Told in alternating voices & perspectives an intimate look of family life/ obligations from a different culture. Another book I‘ll be looking for today, on my #BookShoppingDate with @MicheleinPhilly 💕💕💕

This is a quick but heavy read, which alternates between being a bit tedious and dry to being really emotional and moving. I thought the author handled the multi-narrative style well for the most part, but the characters fell a bit flat for me. I do always like a story about an older woman who is so much more/different than her family and friends realize. Kept me interested and a worthy read, but only good, not great. 3/5 ⭐️

I‘m usually not super into faces on book covers, but I like the composition of this cover a lot. #nowreading

When a mother is separated from her husband in a subway and vanishes in the crowd, the family was thinking #ohmother where are you?! ...and begins a citywide search that continues for months.. a moving reflection on motherhood. #anewchapter

An exquisite novel set in Seoul. A family searches for their mother, who has gone missing. Crystal-clear writing - thoughtful but fluid. She gives her characters space to reflect, but on each page there‘s a tension or event to propel the reader forward. It‘s infused with South Korean culture yet there‘s so much we can all relate to (especially re motherhood). The final scene is stunning, heart-breaking and redemptive. Highly recommended.

#bookhaul at one of my favourite indie book stores, South Seas at Port Elliot. ❤️📚 I‘m keen to read Kyung-Sook Shin after hearing Matthew Sciarappa rave about her!

#ReadingResolutions Day 23: Iphigene reviews this Korean novel in 2012: This book‘s strength lies in its ability to let the reader experience the range of emotions every character felt as they dealt with the tragedy of losing their wife & their #mother, while at the same time examining a common human experience. Ironically, as dementia makes the family lose a #mother and wife, it is this loss that forces them to reconstruct their idea of #mother⬇️

Thanks to reviews by @Currey and simona
I decided to read this book for #readaroundtheworld #southkorea
When mom goes missing in the Seoul subway station, we learn that even those closest to her didn‘t really know about her life. The author‘s use of different points of view and a four part structure were effective. I can see why it is so popular!

#readaroundtheworld #southkorea My 2nd book from South Korea this month. I agree with Simona that it is well worth reading for the intimate portrayal of a contemporary family experiencing radical change from village life to urban existence. The story is told uniquely through 1st, 2nd and 3rd person narration as we hear about the disappearance of the mother in a Seoul subway station through 4 different perspectives.

Family members, after the disappearance of the mother, start to realize that no one knew the Mom/wife as a person with wishes and dreams, but merely by her role in family. Although the story has a very melodramatic end, for me this book is a pick-mainly because of the dynamic structure and narrative perspective which alternates between characters from a first to second and a third-person perspective. Sad story about motherhood, guilt and regrets.

Happy Mother‘s Day! And in honor of today, I wanted to share with you one of my favorite books of the past years. It is compelling, addictive, and positively dangerous to read in public if you have issues crying in public. It is a story about a mother gone missing told in a dry, honest manner that is touching for its detail and truth. The regrets of the characters urge the reader to take nothing for granted.

#ReadingResolutions Day 13: One of the GatheringBooks ladies, Iphigene, featured this book about #Mother(s) a few years back at GatheringBooks, a moving story about a missing mum, separated from her husband in a crowded Seoul subway station. Here is the link to the full review: https://gatheringbooks.org/2012/04/25/please-look-after-mother/

Exploring more MN pizza options and finishing another book. I‘m so confused by this one because I was really intrigued by the structure of the book, but I‘m not really sure what actually happened or why, and none of the characters were really all that likable except for Mom. I will have to keep pondering and hope to read more from Kyung-Sook Shin. #lastnightshift #pizzaalldayerreday

This has been my environment this week on nights (still have tonight and tomorrow). I have been reading this between admissions. This is the first time I‘ve really questioned things in a translated work - like, did they change this because it wouldn‘t make sense to Americans if they left it as close as possible? 🤔🧐 I am really liking it, hoping to finish before I switch back to days next week. #nightshift #iamthewatcheronthewall

5 Star read!!! This book broke me in a beautiful way. The nuance of the portrayal of Mom and her unique relationships with her diffrent children was wonderful. A rare and beautiful find! Highly recommend this novel. I have also wanted to add more translated fiction to my reading. What a great start.

Just started this today since we have a snow day here in Knoxville TN. I am already loving it. I have been wanting to read more work in translation.

Crossed off my first square (Endorsed by Liberty Hardy) for my #LitsyReadingChallenge. I wasn't terribly satisfied with the ending, because it's a mystery & you're not quite sure exactly what happened, but I think that's by design & I can appreciate the author's choice. I also don't love reading in second person. But wanting to know what happened kept me reading, & it's a beautiful commentary on family. ⭐⭐⭐/⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
#LitsyReadingChallenge2018

I loved this haunting tale of a mother getting lost at a subway station in Seoul and the intimate look into her children and husband‘s minds while she is missing. Kyung-Sook Shin explores the hidden lives of our mothers (hidden in plain sight) and how often we forget that they are much, much more than we like to believe. We can forget they are human, like us, with needs and desires and a heart that beats with fury or regret or joy or pride.

Sunday lunch and book 💕.

Hello Litsy!

New book mail and some avocado toast from earlier today! And some ginger kombucha 👊🏻👊🏻👊🏻! I‘m so ready for this read - Korean characters, a mystery, family dynamics... YAY!

Look what @KassKho sent me along with the next #restingbookface instalment. I am always interested in expanding my Korean literature in translation section and I look forward to diving into this novel soon. Thank you Kass! 😍

@lrh9 Thank you for picking a slim book and a light as air notebook! 👍😂❤️

#RBF members: I am in possession of two books. Are we still in parking mode @elkeo ?

This is one of the best books I've read this year. To me, the cover is misleading. I expected a crime/mystery missing persons story. Instead it is more literary fiction, quiet, introspective, focused entirely on family relationships and the things we misunderstand, don't realize, understand too late. And guilt. So much guilt. Really good, but not an easy read.

I think it's a lefty thing to fix on every rare mention of lefties in books/shows... looks like prejudice against left-handedness exists in Korea too. Honest question, is there any culture that didn't/doesn't have a prejudice against left-handedness? Why does that seem to be so deeply rooted?

Saturday morning book and tea. The dust jacket of this book really doesn't do justice to how gorgeous the book is underneath, with deckled edges, tall thin pages, and that beautiful leaf on the front. And the book itself is great so far too.

I thought this was a pretty neat paragraph in the story from the dynamic way it jumps back and forth to what she was doing in that moment. For me, it really accurately pictured the way I, or we, sometimes worry: wishing we could be there in the present moment, what we would of done if we were there to help someone versus where we were at that moment. I think Kyung-Sook Shin really captured that.

Today, I'm going to focus on Author Spotlights, since I haven't been able to due to time constraints. Today's Author Spotlight 1: Shin Kyung-sook. The 54-year-old was born near Jeongeup, South Korea. Along with Kim In-suk and Gong Ji-young, she's one of the prominent female writers from the 386 Generation group. In 2012, she was the first South Korean and first woman to win the Man Asian Literary Prize. #AuthorPotpourri #TheMoreYouKnow