Fiction, non-fiction, poetry… My TBR this month is filled with different genres!
Fiction
A Crane Among Wolves – June Hur
Hope is dangerous. Love is deadly.
1506, Joseon. The people suffer under the cruel reign of the tyrant King Yeonsan, powerless to stop him from commandeering their land for his recreational use, banning and burning books, and kidnapping and horrifically abusing women and girls as his personal playthings.
Seventeen-year-old Iseul has lived a sheltered, privileged life despite the kingdom’s turmoil. When her older sister, Suyeon, becomes the king’s latest prey, Iseul leaves the relative safety of her village, traveling through forbidden territory to reach the capital in hopes of stealing her sister back. But she soon discovers the king’s power is absolute, and to challenge his rule is to court certain death.
Prince Daehyun has lived his whole life in the terrifying shadow of his despicable half-brother, the king. Forced to watch King Yeonsan flaunt his predation through executions and rampant abuse of the common folk, Daehyun aches to find a way to dethrone his half-brother once and for all. When staging a coup, failure is fatal, and he’ll need help to pull it off—but there’s no way to know who he can trust.
When Iseul’s and Daehyun’s fates collide, their contempt for each other is transcended only by their mutual hate for the king. Armed with Iseul’s family connections and Daehyun’s royal access, they reluctantly join forces to launch the riskiest gamble the kingdom has ever
Save her sister. Free the people. Destroy a tyrant.
The latest from Hur was published in mid-May. She is a fantastic writer who has had tremendous growth in her previous books. I can recommend her books to anyone who loves historical fiction.
Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop – Hwang Bo-reum
Yeongju did everything she was supposed to, go to university, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. Burned out, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, divorces her husband, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop.
In a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married housewife, and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju – they all have disappointment
Another book set in Korea, but this time a contemporary story. I am curious about this work as it is very popular in Korea and it fits in with the latest book trends over there.
Alles, was ich in dir sehe – Kyra Groh
Die Reihe fürs Herz und die Lachmuskeln!
– Abitur
– Luxustrip nach Portugal
– Mit einem unverschämt (gut aussehenden) Typen am Flughafen zusammenstoßen
Luxusurlaub in Portugal – das perfekte Geschenk zum Abi. Nicht für Anna. Doch da sie ihre eigenen Wünsche immer zurückstellt, findet sie sich kurzerhand an der Algarve wieder. Zwischen Models und Fotografen trifft sie auf Helena, die sie zu ihrer Hundefarm mitnimmt. Dass Anna dort ausgerechnet auf den Typen trifft, der letzte Nacht ihren strahlenden Ritter spielen wollte – als ob sie den bräuchte! –, muss ein schlechter Scherz sein. Obwohl er sich schon verdammt süß um die verstoßenen Hunde kümmert … Aber nein, Fynn ist überhaupt nicht Annas Typ. Oder vielleicht doch?
A wonderful summer book with the bonus that I can travel to Portugal. While reading, of course. As I type this blog it is quite grey outside, so I’ll just read about the sun if I can’t experience it.
Poetry
With Love, Grief and Fury – Salena Godden
With Love, Grief and Fury contains love poems, for people and the planet; grief poems brimming with compassion, sharing tears and mourning what was and contemplating what could be; and poems of fire and fury that will kick some ass, tell the truth and inspire change and hope. Over thirty years after she first stormed the UK poetry scene, the trailblazing and award-winning writer Salena Godden has produced her most audacious and definitive collection to date. Like a big sister’s arm around your shoulder, With Love, Grief and Fury is important and nourishing for the soul.
I received this book from NetGalley as a review copy for which I am very grateful, because even though Salena Godden is a well-known poet in the UK, I have still to read her work. Her latest collection sounds incredibly inspiring and I can’t wait to get started.
Non-fiction
Flowers of Fire: The Inside Story of South Korea’s Feminist Movement and What It Means for Women’s Rights Worldwide – Hawon Jung
An eye-opening firsthand account of the ongoing and trailblazing feminist movement in South Korea—one that the world should be watching.
Since the beginning of the #MeToo movement, tens of thousands of people in South Korea have taken to the street, and many more brave individuals took a stand, to end a decades-long abortion ban and bring down powerful men accused of sexual misconduct—including a popular presidential contender. South Korean feminists know that the revolution has been a long time coming, between battles against its own patriarchal society as well as challenging stereotypes of docile Asian women in the Western imagination.
Now, author Hawon Jung will show the rest of the world that these women are no delicate flowers—they are trailblazing flames. Flowers of Fire takes the reader into the trenches of this fight for equality, following along as South Korean activists march on the streets, navigate public and private spaces where spycam porn crimes are rampant, and share tips and tricks with each other as they learn how to protect themselves from harassment and how to push authorities to act.
Flowers of Fire has been on my wishlist for a while after it was recommended by one of my favourite authors Axie Oh.
Which book do you hope to read this month?
Love,
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