December Books

In a desperate bid to finish my Goodreads Reading Challenge of 50 books, I managed to finish 5 books in December.

Act 1, Scene 1 by Lee Mu-young

Another of LTI Korea’s free short stories that are available on Buk. I decided to read this short story as it is of the pastoral genre and I myself had in the middle of November moved with my family to the countryside so it just felt fitting to read something of this ilk. The story followed a man named Sutaek who gave up his job as a writer in the city to relocate to the countryside of his youth to become a farmer. In the process, he reconnects with his father and becomes inspired by his new way of life.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

I’m still working my way through the series on audiobook read by the wonderful Stephen Fry. I am rather excited by the conclusion of this book as it is a turning point in the series, Voldermort has returned!!! So it’s probably going to be a crazy ride from here on out! Love the writing, as usual, it’s just a fun and easy listen that makes my day a little nicer

Goodbye, Things by Fumio Sasaki

The irony of buying a physical book on minimalism is not lost on me. I really enjoyed this little read which I read on Christmas day and boxing day (it was a present). And it has reaffirmed my desire to declutter and minimalise my life.

Love for Imperfect Things by Haemin Sunim

Buddhist monk Haemin Sunim’s follow up to his bestselling book The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down is another essential read if you are looking to become a little wiser and kinder to yourself and those around you this new year. This book is like a little ray of sunshine and so unbelievably soothing to read.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

This little novel was the perfect conclusion to the year (and the decade) as it deals with the past, and how our actions shape our future. In Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Timetravel is possible. But there are rules and regulations that deter most people from partaking, one major rule is that you can’t change the present by going back. But four different characters still go back and by joining them on this journey you are forced to consider your own life and decisions and how you could be at any moment making decisions that affect your future. It’s a heartwarming and emotional read which I didn’t expect when I picked it up at my local Waterstones.

November Books

Just So Happens by Fumio Obata

This Graphic Novel tells the story of Yumiko a Japanese woman who has made London her home, she however has to return home as her father has passed away. The story follows Yumiko on her journey home and how the call of your past and people can be so strong. It’s a simple story but the artwork elevates the simplicity and makes it a quick and enjoyable read.

Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Often referred to as Shakespeare’s Masterpiece Hamlet is a enigma of a play, and as I am studying it for an upcoming essay I find it all the more intriguing as analysis always makes me appreciate literature more and more.

The Fruit of my Woman by Han Kang

This short story was first written by Kang in 1997 and upon reading it you immediately can see that it is somewhat of a precursor to her most famous novel The Vegetarian. While Kang’s writing style is more lyrical here than it is in The Vegetarian, both tell a similar story of a woman in peril.

Read for free on Granta.com

The Earthquake Bird by Susanna Jones

I watched the Netflix movie with Alicia Vikander in the title role of Lucy Fly and while I wasn’t blown away by the story I was intrigued to read its source material which is indeed better than the movie adaptation and leaves the ending a little more uncertain in terms of who dunnit. And the book also make Lucy’s obsession with Teiji far more creepy.

I Have the Right to Destroy Myself by Kim Young-ha

This is a re-read and I am just as enamoured by Kim’s prose and imaginative weirdness as I was when I first read it. It’s a dark little book but a fascinating one. Slightly reminiscent of Murakami but definitely is Kim’s own thing.

The Happy Prince by Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde’s Children’s story The Happy Prince is a short read but an enjoyable one nonetheless and it has its heart in the right place…or does it??? One reading of this story could tell you that its about encouraging children to be generous and helpful but on the other hand when you consider what transpires in the short story it could be a treatise encouraging the exact opposite!

Read for free on buk.io

October Books

As You Like It - William Shakespeare

I have always been much more of a fan of Shakespeare’s tragedies (with the exception of Much ado about Nothing) and I have to say that I am just not a fan of this pastoral comedy, but watching the play performed made it a lot more bearable than reading it, which I guess is to be expected but I was expecting a little more. The jury is still out on whether I nailed the essay on it though…

Black and White Photographer - Han Yujoo

This short story by Han Yujoo is available to read via Issuu or Buk thanks to the LTI Korean Library (there are also so many more short stories from Korea available on there for free too!)

The Black and White Photographer follows a young boy who is kidnapped and held in a storage room for a week. In this 20 page short story, Yujoo explores how a young mind would try and grapple with such a traumatic and alien experience.

Tale of a Mad Painter - Kim Dong-in

Another Korean short story that I read on Buk, this one also is a little dark and reads kind of like a Grimms Fairytale. The story is a story within a story, a writer is hiking and he decides to make up a story as he admires the view. The story he makes up is about a painter who is unsightly, and as a result he becomes a recluse, one day he meets a blind girl. I won’t tell you the conclusion as it’s well worth a read.

Walden - Henry David Thoreau - Nearly finished/ might not get to the end because it is oh so dull!

Oh dear. I am most definitely not a fan of Walden, in fact I could indeed say that this may just be the most boring book I have ever had the displeasure of reading. Thoreau is a self-entitled twit, whose occasional moment of poetical flare or interesting philosophical musing is overshadowed by his irritating egocentric narration. Also not much even happens, a whole chapter is dedicated to the hoeing of a bean field! I had to read this for uni and it’s safe to say I will never read Thoreau ever again!

August Books

A little late posting this but I decided to post it anyway…

Judging my the amount of books in this post it would seem that during August I became superhuman with the power to read super fast. Alas, this is not the case, as nearly all the books I read this month were short stories ranging from 21 pages to 50 or just over a 100. The goal was to get back on track with my Goodreads 50 books in a year challenge so that is why I read so many short stories. Clever huh?

Kong’s Garden - Hwang Jungeun

I read Hwang’s I’ll Go On earlier in the year and fell in love with her storytelling style so when I found out that like Hang Kang she had written a short story that was part of the 여유 (Yeoyu) collection from Strangers Press I knew I had to get my hands on it too! What follows is the mystery of a girl who disappears and Cat that takes up residency at the narrators place of work.

Left's Right, Right's Left - Han Yujoo

Another short story from the 여유 (Yeoyu) collection from Strangers Press. Left’s Right, Right’s Left takes place on a staircase as the narrator is trying to flee an assault within the span of a minute. As she flees she recalls memories from years gone by. This little story had an intriguing premise but it felt like something was missing, something I can’t quite put my finger on.

She Must be Mad - Charly Cox

A collection of poems that I received from Netgalley some time ago. She Must be Mad is a self-aware study of womanhood, the transition a modern girl makes to become a modern woman. It’s a tough emotional journey but the poems that are beautifully and wittyly written reflect the bittersweet moment wonderfully.

Lord Arthur Savile's Crime - Oscar Wilde

Witticisms abound in anything that Wilde wrote and Lord Arthur Savile's Crime is no exception. The eponymous story follows Saville as he attends a party and has his palm read by a chiromantist, his fate is to become a murderer. Saville in a farcical twist decides that he must murder in order to carry on with his life and marry his sweetheart. Highly recommend reading this for a little chuckle.

The Memory Police - Yoko Ogawa

A wonderful insightful and powerful read which had me weeping at its closing sentence. This is a book that you must read and I wrote a longer review on this blog so check that out and get this book in your life.

https://www.catecrafter.com/blog/the-memory-police-book-review

Diary of a Murderer - Kim Young-ha

A smart collection of shocking short stories, Diary of a Murderer (the title story) is a masterful stroke of genius and it is of no surprise that the short story was adapted for film in 2017 in Korea. The story follows a old man who gave up being a serial killer but as he has aged so has his mind, he gets diagnosed with Dementia and to try and keep track of his life he writes a diary. I won’t say anymore but it’s well worth a read and I’ll be watching the film asap.

Animal Farm - George Orwell

Classic, thematic and very much a story of its time. As many will already know this anthropomorphic tale is an allegory for communism, but more specifically the Soviet Union. Animal Farm is a quick read but it packs a punch and leaves you thinking long after the last page.

March Yarn - Mieko Kawakami

Kawakami’s short story March Yarn is a simple and quick read. Like a lot of the Japanese novels or short stories I have read this one also falls into the Slice of Life genre that has a little sprinkling of strangeness. A husband and wife stay at a hotel and the wife has a strange dream. I won’t say much more as it may spoil the atmosphere of the story.

Basically this month was my attempt at clawing back my goodreads challenge of reading 50 books in a year. So August was populated with tiny fiction, and I bloody did it!!

Early Autumn Book Haul

The beginning of September is the best time of the year to stock up on books that will get you through the chiller months ahead, as who doesn't love a cosy day in reading snuggled up in blankets with a warm cup of coffee or cocoa.

Books Mentioned:

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan: https://amzn.to/2HPIpYr

The Murder of Harriet Monckton by Elizabeth Haynes: https://amzn.to/2ZYwaPt

The Frolic of the Beasts by Yukio Mishima: https://amzn.to/34x6KvO

Opposite of Always by Justin Reynolds: https://amzn.to/316tjp2

The Complete Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino: https://amzn.to/318KDKa

Before I Met You by Lisa Jewell: https://amzn.to/2HUY6xD

The Nine Cloud Dream by Kim Man-jung: https://amzn.to/2ZKApD4