#krdama

Another book recommendations post! Please note that I myself am not Korean nor have I ever even been to Korea. These are just some books by Korean writers that I enjoyed reading.

If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha

- contemporary fiction which focuses on the lives of four female and orphaned roommates in Seoul

- focus on bullying, the toxicity of the beauty industry, class stratification, prostitution, suicide, and Korean media

Kim Ji-Young, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo

- contemporary fiction and work in translation that traces the life of a young Korean woman and the misogynistic systems disadvantaged her

- focus on systemic misogyny, traditional gender roles in Korea, and millennial Korean culture

XOXO by Axie Oh

- contemporary YA romance where a Korean-American girl transfers to a boarding school in Seoul which schools elite musicians and idols

- fluffy romance and forbidden love trope, with a focus on the Korean pop music industry

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

- multigenerational family drama, which traces the experiences of members of a Korean family through multiple decades since the annexation of Korea by Japan

- focus on poverty, family secrets, Korean politics, and Korean history among other more intense themes that are too many to list

I Guess I Live Here Now by Claire Ahn

- YA contemporary about a Korean-American girl who gets uprooted to Seoul and gets in touch with modern Korean culture

- super fun, focuses on the way trends are set in Korea and the Hallyu wave, as well as the less pretty side of Korean culture too

Beasts of a Little Land by Juhea Kim

- historical fiction which traces the lives of two individuals whose fates become intertwined over decades during the annexation of Korea and the Korean war

- focus on Korean history, modern versus traditional Korea, social stratification, and war in Korea

Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho

- YA contemporary romance where a Korean girl is asked to prom by the biggest kpop idol in who also was once her best friend

- friends-to-strangers-to-lovers, focus on the idol industry and Korean pop culture, super cute vibes

The Red Palace by June Hur

- historical mystery thriller set in the Joseon period in Korea as the main character suddenly grapples with court politics and some murders

- fast-paced, immersive regal vibes with a focus on the time and setting and the chase for a killer

Human Acts by Han Kang

- historical fiction work in translation set during the student uprising period which follows the aftermath of the death of a young student

- focus on totalitarianism, state oppression, censorship, and political unrest in Korea, and includes graphic depictions of death

Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner

- memoir following Zauner's relationship with her Korean mother and her dealing with her mother's lost battle with cancer

I guess this is the downside of having a blank slate character as a protag... his mysteriousness is kind of boring me instead of interesting me. He really doesn’t seem to serve a purpose beyond serving Dan Oh which is my least favourite love interest type. The few cute bits don’t make up for it... his romance with Dan Oh is also boring and kind of out of nowhere.

I don’t really get SLS and nor do I ship it really BUT I do think Baek Kyung has the potential to be way more interesting. He’s written as this absolute shitty person with an awful family - how much might he change once he “wakes up”!

& in an exciting turn of events there’s finally a tortured bad boy who I genuinely can’t blame his for his bullying & being an asshole bc for the one and only time it’s literally not his fault! (yet. He might stay that way after he has his ego but that’s so boring I hope the writer doesn’t do that.)