Pachinko | 
pick19-26 Nov 22 (audiobook)
This novel depicts the lives of several generations of a Korean family living in Japan. It shows the systemic racism and discrimination they suffer and the difficulties faced by displaced people everywhere. Japan does not come off well, but I expect the same would be seen in many parts of the world.
I knew little about pachinko or Korea, except they had a thriving film industry when I was more informed about such things.
Here we go for the holidays:
https://lithub.com/the-13-best-literary-adaptations-of-2022/
pickA 20th century, multi-generational saga of a Korean family in Japan. Fascinating info about discrimination, WWII and aftermath, and the different ways members of one family got along (or didn‘t) amongst themselves and amongst the Japanese. https://cannonballread.com/2022/10/pachinko-elcicco/
pickWhat an epic story! This beautiful novel spans multiple generations and brought to life so many memorable characters. I loved it! I‘ve owned it in hardback forever but finally listened on #audio and it was lovely. Deeply thoughtful, honest, and with gorgeous prose, I‘ll be thinking of this one for a long time! #chunkster #BookspinBingo
“He understood why his customers wanted to play something that looked fixed but left room for randomness and hope.”
Finished this book, filled with the relentless human spirit navigating the sufferings of a hard life, yet always having a heart filled with hope that‘s tied to loving family above all else. Tough to read at times, but completely worth it!
Todays listen 🎧
so-soTruly sad and devastating historical family saga about four generations of a Korean family in Japan. The book is fine. I learned new things about the dynamic between Koreans & Japanese, their culture, cuisine, language.
so-soWhile there is a lot to like about the book, it wasn‘t my favorite cup of tea. I liked the pacing and the multiple generations— how people come and go, the struggles the face, their reasons for coming and going… very nuanced and engaging characters!
I didn‘t love the level of sex in the book, and sometimes the book felt like it was summarizing itself during important parts of the plot. All in all, I‘m glad I read it— different than my usual :)
About halfway through this, and so far, so good! Much to learn about Korean culture and history. Strong characters, loads of twists and turns, and very nicely paced.
I can tell that I am not a member of the target audience, mostly in the sense that I am not a mother! I think anyone with a strong sense of family will relate to the characters motivations, but the motherhood aspect is particularly moving, perhaps overwhelming, and very powerful!
so-soThis was a “liked not loved” type of read for me. I enjoyed the first half much more than the second half, I was maybe running out of steam by then. I would recommend it to anyone who loves multigenerational family sagas, but rent it from the library 👍
Apple TV is killing it on the streaming market!! TED LASSO, Dickinson, For all Mankind, and now an #adaptation of #Pachinko. I‘ve have watched the first episode and I really enjoyed it. They are not telling the story chronologically, which helps me follow it better since I don‘t remember a lot from the book.
pickI‘m normally not a huge fan of historical fiction but this book was absolutely amazing. I couldn‘t put it down 📚❤️
pickIs there such a thing as #readingsynchronicity? I ended up reading these 2 historical novels of Korean 20th-century history at the same time. While the Sea Women focused on a particularly strong subset of Korean cultural community, Pachinko, also focused on strong women, told more about the Korean diaspora in Japan as a result of the colonization of Korea before WWII. Both highly recommended! 4 ⭐ each!
**IM NOT GOING TO WATCH BEFORE READING*** repeats slowly to self….
pickYou know you‘re loving a multigenerational family saga when you shout “Nooooo!!!” bc the time period shifts and you realize you‘ll have no more time with the characters at certain ages/parts of their lives. 😭 I adored this. Having admired Min Jin Lee as a person and for her online presence for a long time, it felt pretty ridiculous that I‘d never actually read her books! This exceeded high expectations and taught me a lot.
The book has been turned into a movie!!! I loved this book! It is coming to Apple TV April 2022. I really enjoyed the historical fiction aspect of this book. If you haven‘t read it - please do! I always hoped it would come to screen. #movie #korea #femalelead #historical
pickIt's great. I love it. Of course I love it. It's right up my alley. I loved the complicated relationships and the wartime setting. I just maybe didn't love the second generation - Noa and Mozasu. I didn't understand them as well and feel like we didn't get very much action with them. We kept skipping years and I wanted to have as rich a setting as the first half of the book
On my list for so long. I guess I was intimidated by the length and depth while I was totally incapable of focusing during the pandemic. It's so very much up my alley, though, so I'm glad to be getting going
pickI finally read this novel that has been recommended to me so many times. Although I haven't been much in the mood for a long story that follows a family through generations, I didn't find this one tedious and it gave me a little more insight into the complicated relationship between Japan and Korea.
“I agree. They did nothing wrong.” He looked at her thoughtfully. “But a God that did everything we thought was right and good wouldn‘t be the creator of the universe. He would be our puppet. He wouldn‘t be God. There‘s more to everything than we can know.”
Monday morning audiopuzzling. Too bad I didn't have an Asia puzzle to work while listening to this novel. I'll have to plan ahead better so I can coordinate books and puzzles.
pickThis is a heavy story of a family over several generations. There is a lot of sadness and hardships throughout but all within the historical context. I learned a ton about topics I had very little knowledge of previously and very much enjoyed the book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Once more, I‘m sorry I keep going MIA here.
For right now, my goal is to post 1-2 times a week and build up from there.
To see my #januarytbr #january2022tbr, check out the following link: https://www.instagram.com/p/CYReKshlRSs/?utm_medium=copy_link
Lots of great deals today on Amazon!!
https://www.amazon.com/?&tag=hydrusspabk-20&ref=pd_sl_7337kwdmp7_e&adgrpid=57587...
#12booksof2021
When I read this in February I was reminded that the chunksters are usually worth it.
“You want to see a very bad man? Make an ordinary man successful beyond his imagination. Let‘s see how good he is when he can do whatever he wants.”
Current goals for #AnyWayYouReadathon and #NovelNovember are to finish Pachinko which is my #Doublespin for #Bookspinbingo, and then hopefully start and finish off The Last House on Needless Street. This has not been a productive month for me. Maybe because I'm coming down from last month, or maybe it's because I'm on vacation. 🤷♀️
@kimmypete1 @Eggbeater @MidnightBookGirl @Andrew65 @TheAromaofBooks
so-soThis is the story of Sanja who started life in a Korean fishing village in the early 1900s. After finding out she's pregnant by a wealthy but married man, she marries a minister and moves to Japan.
I found the descriptions to be evocative and the setting to be interesting but in the end I found it to be too long. I'm glad that I did this as an audio.
pickThis has been on my TBR for ages, and I‘m glad I finally got to it. I found the first half really compelling, but lost a bit of enthusiasm for reading it towards end. It‘s told from a straight-forward, third person perspective, which is great for conveying a lot of information, but I didn‘t really feel an attachment to the characters.
Finally reading this one for my work book club.
I know this is a profoundly difficult day for many so I wish you all a bit of peace and self-care. ❤️
pickA moving saga starting with Sunja who falls pregnant by a wealthy yakuza in Yeongdo and a Christian Minister who offers to take her with him to Osaka to be his wife and raise the child as his own. The story follows Sunja and the following generations of her family and explores the hardships faced by Zainichi Koreans in Japan.
pickFascinating and engaging story of several generations of a Korean family, most of whom immigrated to or were born in Japan. I enjoyed seeing how the younger generations, with more options and resources, dealt with the themes of belonging and what makes a place home differently than previous generations. Vividly written. Made me want to learn more about the 20th century history of Korea and Japan outside of their relationship to the US.
pickI really enjoyed this book about four generations of a Korean family living in Japan (for the most part). I knew so little on the history of Japan and their treatment of Koreans - it was absolutely eye opening. So much history in this book and it was wonderfully written. The story had a natural flow and I could have kept on reading.
#JoysofJune #Readathon #Japan #ReadingAsia2021
@Librarybelle @BarbaraBB @TheAromaofBooks @Andrew65
I booked today off work to do online school with the little guy but it was cancelled for today. It's to beautiful of a day to not get some outdoor reading in. Only about 100 pages to go and I've really enjoyed this book so far. The iced coffee is a nice treat too.
#JoysofJune #IcedCoffee #HistoricalFiction #Readathon
Another perfect morning to spend some time outside reading....with some hot tea of course. Spent a good chunk of yesterday reading in the backyard as well. I think it is supposed to rain later so have to get outside while I can (plus baby girl is napping right now). About half way through Pachinko and I'm really enjoying it.
#JoysofJune #Readathon #Tea #ReadingAsia2021
Joining another fun choose your own goals #readathon by @Andrew65. Hopefully I get a bit of reading in this week for #JoysofJune.
I'm giving myself two simple goals: Do some reading outside and read as much of Pachinko as I can.
Happy reading 🙂
