Welcome to Litsy!

I 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.

This 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

This 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.

This 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. ❤️

A 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.

Another two doorstop-sized books completed. I loved both, but Pachinko was especially good.

Coming in hot with my September #bookspin list! #bookspin has really been pivotal in getting me out of my reading slump from last year. I look forward to it every month and can‘t wait to see what I‘ll be reading!!

Fascinating 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.

I 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 🙂

Beautiful. This book was absolutely wonderful. The writing was phenomenal and hands down the best book I‘ve read in a long time. Definitely a must read and reread! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Book 105/2021. Finished 2/5/21 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This one has been on my bookshelf and TBR for ages! Cracking it open for the Northern Asia prompt in the Book Girls Guide Reading Around The World Challenge. #bookvoyage #bookspinbingo

Would you read a book with this vibe?

April‘s #Bookspin!

I can‘t wait to see what numbers you pull, @TheAromaofBooks
#doublespin #bookspinbingo

This was an incredible and unforgettable story about four generations spanning through Korea and Japan. I loved the diversity and depth of the characters.

Good but not great - perhaps also because of all the hype. I enjoyed the historical aspect as I never knew about how the Koreans and Japanese interacted with each other. What fell short for me was Part 3 of the book. It seemed to have lost its heart / centre compared to the exceptional Part 1. Still a very solid Pick.
#southkorea #readingasia2021

My book sort of pairs with my lunch as I am into Part 2 where Sunja is in Osaka.

Don't get attached to anyone, the story is based on real world events and beliefs of the 1930s-80s Japan and Korea where life was beyond brutal. The effects carried over with each generation, and just when you think someone is catching a break, systemic racism knocks them, and their entire family, down the whole peg board. A phenomenal piece of work.

I‘m about 100 pages into Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. I can‘t believe I let this one languish on my TBR shelf for so long..!

What are you reading this week? 📖

#mondayreads #currentlyreading #booksandbreakfast #teatime #pachinko

This book was everything I love- sweeping, multigenerational, wistful, and touching. #ReadingAsia Japan

"Pachinko" was to me, just like its namesake game. I had jumped in, hoping to get the big payout. But I ended up exiting only with a small cash prize and not the jackpot.

This book gives me mixed feelings. While Books 1 & 2 were engaging, Book 3 was needlessly long and over-sexualized.

I feel the author was hoping to write another Homegoing, but the work fell short.

You can pick up this book. It's not BAD, but its not worth the hype either.

Absolutely loved this! Very very interesting multi-generational saga about a Korean family living in Japan. As someone who knows very little about the 20th century history of this world (beyond the obvious), I found this fascinating.

Plus, it was a #TBRDeckOfCards read, and has kicked off #bookspinbjngo for February!

Thanks Amazon Prime!!

An early books and breakfast on the couch because it is too cold to eat at the table, and the kids aren‘t up to see me breaking my own rules. I love this book. Why did I wait so long to read this?? #24in48

Just ordered this from Amazon! Looking forward to getting stuck in 😊

Before I create my #BookSpinBingo card for February, I should probably post my #JanuaryWrapUp! I read 16 books in January and bailed on one. Three of the books weren‘t on my bingo card - I can‘t help myself 🙈

I enjoyed most of these, but I think my favourites were Pachinko and The Push. Only one stinker in the mix (The Wrong Family), so that‘s a win. #JanuaryStats

"There was more to being something than just blood."

A sweeping family epic about love, respect, honour, colonization, immigration, and racism in the East. One that will occasionally grab your heart and stomp on it.

This is one of those books that got SO MUCH Litsy Love in my early days that I avoided it for awhile to clear away the hype. Picked it up now off of @sprainedbrain #NewYearWhoDis list. I'm so glad I waited, and super glad I read it!

#jumpintojanuary

Day 26: Honor

#WeeklyReport @Cinfhen

The first couple weeks of January I was whipping through books like nobody's business, but this week has slowed way way down. I've been slowly making my way through this one. It's not at all the fault of the book, which is fabulous. It's been an awful week. My mother in law passed on Thursday, we thought she was going to go earlier in the week so it was just an awful waiting. Very hard to focus on reading.

I was just starting Becoming for #NewYearWhoDis when my hold on Pachinko came in! So I think I'll be focusing mostly on the library book so I can get through it before it returns on me (Becoming I own, so no one can steal it away!)

Pachinko is one of the books that was EVERYWHERE on Litsy around the time I first started. Now that I'm not bombarded by the hype, I'm excited to dive in.

@sprainedbrain @monalyisha

Excellent so far

This has been sitting on my shelf for years & I am so grateful to @meghathecloud & #NewYearWhoDis for pushing me to finally pick it up!

Pachinko is an immersive novel that follows four generations of a Korean family between 1910-1989. It explores the ways in which one's decisions can shape the lives of their descendants for years to come, while also teaching the reader about the injustices faced by Koreans in Japan during this time period. 4.5⭐️

Wooooo! @erzascarletbookgasm I was really hoping to get this one! 🥳🥳🥳🥳
Thank you also for the lovely book sleeve and One in A Million Boy. 🤗🤗🤗
Thank you!
#littlechristmasswap #lcs
@bookish_wookish

I didn‘t participate in #BookSpinBingo for the last couple of months, but I‘m ready to jump back in! Here is my list for January, with the five remaining spots being open to whatever I feel like! My #NewYearWhoDis books are thrown into the mix and I‘m keeping my fingers crossed that one of them is my #BookSpin or #DoubleSpin pick. I‘m excited to be back on the #BookSpinBingo train! @TheAromaofBooks

These might be the last books I finish before the end of 2020. #currentlyreading

@Bookwormjillk Thank you so much for the lovely gifts! I wish you a very merry Christmas. 🎄 #jolabokaodswap

In this book I laughed, I cried, I fell in love, I suffered