혜린 Diana

🙋🏻‍♀️Hi chingoos, how’s everyone holding up today? I’ve been trying to stay off social media because, honestly, it’s just too much—stressful, bleak, and terrifying — the US is a mess, Korea is a mess… everything just feels like a 개쓰레기 dystopian disaster of a world. I had to get some work done, but otherwise, I’ve been doing a lot of retail therapy and reading. Nothing serious or heavy is holding my attention right now, so BING SO FOR TWO is the perfect pick—cute, light, full of teenage angst, coming-of-age vibes, coffee, and just the right amount of Korean sprinkled throughout. It’s exactly what I need on this doomsday. ☕📖 Take care of yourself! 🙏🏼 #bingsufortwo #sujinwitherspoon #koreanlit #currentread #cafereading #cafehopping #booksandbeans #lattegram #koreanbooks #flatlaybooks #bookishpost #bookish #booksta #bookstagram #bookstagrammers #bookblogger #bookreview #readeverywhere #owlslittlelibrary

☀️#WHATTHISWEEK 🌊 Took our little one on a quick trip to San Diego—just a couple of days filled with the zoo, beach strolls, and way too many tacos. We found the perfect orange shortbread cookie, soaked up the salty breeze, and lots of lots of cuddles. Our little boy’s eyes lit up at the animals, wide with wonder. That is until the animals moved.. lol. Then came the panicked “I’m scared!” over and over again. He kept calling hippos and rhinos, “dinosaur” which made us laugh. 🦓His favorite? Not the elephants or zebras or even the “dinosaurs!” It was the double-decker bus 🚌which he calls a school bus). So, we of course had to hop on, and he enjoyed every second of it — with lots of “ooh! Look at that! Do you see that? Ahhh!!” Our little one also really enjoyed the ocean (from afar!) The second the droplets from the big waves splashed on him, he screamed. So we had to watch the crashing waves from a dry distance. LOL. I complain about traveling with a toddler really difficult. And it is. Naptime makes it harder and I get frustrated I barely have time to myself. But, seeing him get so excited, his big brown eyes dance, it makes it *almost* all worth it. Anyhow, social media has felt... chaotic/ confusing. Watching an entire app shut down and then reboot (with a message of thanking 🍊🤡 was quite.. terrifying. (I’m not on TT but see plenty on IG and Threads, which I’m also… really …. Feeling MEH about. Is it time to go back to life before social media? I found myself deep in Etsy, buying way too many journaling supplies. Maybe it’s time to return to pen and paper—something steady, something real—because the online world just feels.. messy, unsafe, and idk. Overwhelming. 😵‍💫😖 🏷️ #weekendvibes #weekendtravels #toddlertravels #makingmemories #latergram #travelgram #beachreading #wanderluster #simplemoments #sandiegozoo #sliceoflife #capturethemoment #사진한장 #bookblogger #bookstagrammers #owlslittlelibrary

📚 WEEKEND GETAWAY READING 📖🌊 {#gifted @delreybooks } Happy almost weekend! ☀️ We’re taking a short weekend trip, and while traveling with a toddler is quite the challenge, we are excited to take a break from work and getaway! These are the books I’m currently reading and will be taking: 📖 EMPIRE OF PAIN
Almost at the home-stretch! It’s infuriating and informative, but I feel like there’s too much detail about the Sackler family’s personal lives—it kind of get borings. (Also, how does the author know this much about their private lives?) I wish Keefe had focused more on the drugs, the lies, and the shady business dealings—those parts are fascinating. But there’s just so much detail about the family and their personal lives that don’t add much to the point of the book. Just me? 📖 WATER MOON (#gifted)
I’m about a third in and really enjoying it! It took a little get into, but it’s the perfect mix of magical, whimsical, and mysterious, with a focus on choices and their consequences. It has both the style and substance (though the dialogue can be a bit awkward, and the physics stuff kinda went over my head). I’ve been listening to Studio Ghibli soundtracks while reading, and it’s the perfect pairing! 📖 THE MINISTRY OF TIME
Reading along with @thestackspod! I’m not too far in yet, but I love the premise—following a government worker who acts as a “bridge” to help time-traveling expats/refugees adjust to modern life. That said, the time travel just happens with no real explanation, which bothered me a lot. The book is quiet and slow, requiring longer, focused reading sessions… which I don’t have much of but hoping I can get more reading done during our car rides. - Anyhow, I absolutely know I will not be finishing these books, but my unrealistic & overly ambitious self knows I won’t be finishing any of them, but I”m still taking them. Why do we do this to ourselves?📖🍵🙈 🏷️#currentlyreading #asianamericanreaders #empireofpain #kindlereader #ereader #watermoon #theministryoftime #bookish #flatlaybooks #readinginbed #bookishpost #bookish #독서스타그램 #cozybookstagram #bookblogger #bookreviewer #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #owlslittlelibrary

📚 #BOOKISHTHOUGHTS 🇰🇷 The first book I finished in 2025 is BITING THE HAND: Growing Up Asian in Black and White America by Julia Lee ✍🏼 {#gifted @henryholtbooks } I’m still processing my thoughts, but here are some random thoughts I had upon finishing: 💭”This is the first book I’ve read that truly captures the rage and anger of existing in-between, in the gray area of Black and white America. It resonates so deeply..” “I agree with so much as an Asian woman, but especially as a 1.5 generation Korean-American.” “Some parts feel too repetitive! Stop preaching to the choir. Am I the intended audience?” “Can I claim to feel so seen by this book when I didn’t grow up with working-class parents or have a family member directly impacted by the LA riots? Do I even have the right to review it from my privileged lens?” “In what ways am I complicit in upholding white supremacy and perpetuating the model minority myth?” “I don’t agree with how Korean-Americans write about 한 (Han).” “A powerful book, but perhaps not as insightful or revelatory for me (since I’ve already wrestled with many of the ideas Lee explores).”💭 📖Have you read BITING THE HAND? If so, what did you think? I picked up this book because of @readwithneleh🙏🏼 🏷️#bitingthehand #growingupasian #asianlit #matchaaddict #nonfiction #currentread #readreadread #cafereading #cafehopping #bookishshelfie #readasianauthors #bookishpost #bookish #독서스타그램 #owlslittlelibrary

📚#BOOKREVIEW 📚 I DID SOMETHING BAD by Pyae Moe Thet War is a mix of dark comedy, mystery, romance, and coming-of-age elements in a story I mostly enjoyed. Journalist Khin lands a rare and intimate interview with Tyler Tun, one of Hollywood’s hottest and most private actors, with the chance to launch her career at Vogue Singapore. Add an accidental murder, a resurfaced abortion expose, and Khin and Tyler working on communication and trust, especially after a murder — you got an entertaining yet bumpy ride! 🌟 WHAT I LIKED:
I loved the chemistry between Khin and Tyler. It was refreshing to see older, more established characters, with Khin navigating life as a recent divorcee while working through her grief and anger. The portrayal of friendships & support system! As I get older, I understand the power of genuine friendships and connections. I love stories that celebrate investing in friendships and I liked that both Khin and Tyler seemed to have good people in their lives. My first time reading a book by a Myanmar author set in Myanmar. 👎🏼 NOT SO MUCH:
I struggled to buy into Tyler as an A-list actor and potential future James Bond. While I’d love to see an Asian man in that role, Tyler’s personality and demeanor didn’t convince me. Of course, he’s “hot” because of his white side—this tired trope implying biracial characters are attractive due to their whiteness is frustrating. My biggest issue was the lack of clear direction. While some authors can blend genres pretty well, this book felt scattered. It attempted to be a romance, dark comedy, thriller, literary piece (with the abortion storyline?), and coming-of-age story all at once, but never fully committed to any. She seemed to lack confidence and struggle with the direction of the book. The ENDING! WTF! It felt rushed and overly convenient!! A cop out☹️ - I picked up this book because of @sarahs.thoughts.on.books and despite my complaints, I still enjoyed this book and hope her next book (which I will read) will be more polished, as she definitely has potential!💜

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 📚🇰🇷 THE TRUNK by 김려령 (translated by the KoLab) upon finishing, left me wondering, “what was the point of this book?” I discovered it thanks to @jjoongie and @readwithneleh and was intrigued by its contract marriage premise and connection to the Netflix series TRUNK with 공유 and 서현진. The story follows Inji, a “field wife” who works in a special devision (that caters to wealthy clients) at Wedding & Life, a matchmaking company. Things take a turn when a past client requests Inji to be his wife again, something that is unusual in her line of work. The book starts out well! With mysterious vibes with characters like Inji’s husband, a creepy stalker, Shi Jeong, and the granny next door, all hinting at darker backstories. But the issue is that Kim tries to juggle too many themes—contract marriage, domestic violence, stalking, love (both platonic and romantic)—with out depth so we end up getting only a mere scratch on the surface of all these happenings. Even with the relationship between Inji and her mom, which I would have loved more of is barely touched on. ☹️ The result? A clunky, disjointed narrative that doesn’t fully commit to being anything.. Not a social commentary, a thriller, or even a mystery. I found myself repeatedly asking, “What is the point of this book?!” The translation didn’t help either as I found the overly Americanized slang out of place and ... odd. Overall, THE TRUNK had potential but failed to deliver a cohesive or memorable or meaningful story. The stalker’s obsession with 떡 did inspire me to buy some honey tteok, so at least there’s that.🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve heard the Netflix adaptation leans more into the mystery/thriller angle. Since I’m not a Gong Yoo fan (I know, I know, I'm sorry 🙈), I’m undecided about watching it, but I do hope it explains why the title is TRUNK. 💬Have you read THE TRUNK? Let’s chat! #thetrunk #kimryeoryeong #트렁크 #김려령 #koreanlit #translatedlit #koreanbooks #readinginbed #flatlaybooks #bookishpost #bookish #독서스타그램 #cozybookstagram #bookblogger #bookreviewer #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #owlslittlelibrary

📚 #WEEKENDREADING 📚 Hi chingoos! What’s the first book you’re reading this year? ✨ The first two books- backlists books at that- of 2025, I’m reading two very infuriating yet informative & nteresting non-fictions: EMPIRE OF PAIN (because @thestackspod) and BITING THE HAND (because of @readwithneleh). Who am I, reading TWO non-fictions at once?! (Are these two considered backlist titles? What exactly is a “backlists?” It seems like everyone’s trying to read more backlist titles this year, but I’m not sure what defines a book as a backlist title.) 📓Anyhow, EMPIRE OF PAIN has been sitting on my TBR forever. I was nervous to start it (I tend to feel this way with a lot of NF books), but it’s actually pretty readable. And wow, it’s making me so angry—learning how the Sackler family built their fortune off prescription drugs in such a shady and really dishonest way is wild. Some parts (like Arthur Sackler’s love for art collecting) , I didn’t care for at first, but now I see how it connects to his whole secretive success to building his empire of wealth, I am invested. 📖BITING THE HAND : I put this one off because I knew it’d hit me hard as a Korean-American. Lee does a deep-dive into the model minority myth and makes me think about how I, as an East Asian American woman, fit into all of this narrative of upholding white supremacy by being a “good model minority.” Lee says a lot of what we think about, unafraid to confront some harsh truths. There’s a lot of tabbing and annotating with this book. And I can’t believe it took be this long to pick it up. While I do hope to read more, this weekend, I’m planning on spending time with some booksta friends, eating our way through Vegas!🍣🥂🍵 Hope you all have an amazing weekend packed with food and fun! #empireofpain #Patrickraddenkeefe #bitingthehand #nonfiction #overbooked #weekendvibes #bookcommunity #readinginbed #flatlaybooks #bookishpost #bookish #cozybookstagram #bookblogger #alwaysreading #readeveryday #bookreviewer #bookstagrammer #bookstagram

New Year | Simple Moments & Less ✨ {#gifted @cleverfoxplanner } 💬What’s one of your New Year’s resolutions or goals? I used to love sitting down on New Year’s Eve, reflecting and writing out all my goals for the year ahead. But as I’ve grown older and experienced more of life, I’ve realized that true happiness often lies in the small, everyday joys of ordinary, mundane life. And hoping to live my 소소한 일상 with a little bit more intention to focus on myself and loved ones. For me, I’m (hoping) living intentionally looks a little like this: | Being fully present with loved ones /Putting my phone away when spending time with others / Choosing healthier food options (this is not your typical Diana, but after an endoscopy this year, I have no choice /Setting aside small chunks of time for personal growth / quick workouts / more writing / listening to a podcast / Reaching out and checking in with loved ones, near and far.. / Getting back into journaling / careful spending | I’ve also been thinking about how to approach this Booksta space with more intention while staying present in my offline life. I usually scroll here and there during the day but tend to be “active” at night, after my little one is asleep and I’m unwinding with some TV in bed. Sometimes, I feel like I’m missing out on being part of daytime conversations here, but I’m still figuring it all out. In the meantime, here’s what you can still expect to see from me: 📚 Books by BIPOC authors, especially Asian authors
📖 Long (sometimes too long), honest, and opinionated book reviews—both positive and negative
🕰️ A mix of new releases and backlist titles
❌ Less hype-driven consumerism
💜 🍵My love for BTS (Bangtan), matcha, snacks, food, glimpses of my little one, K-dramas, and plenty of opinions Thanks for sticking around, chingoos. Here’s to a 새해 of living more intentionally and finding joy in the little things. 새해복많이받으십시오! 🎉 #newyear2025 #새해결심 #newyearsresolutions #bookishpost #bookish #flatlaystyle #writing #simplemoments #cozyvibes #beigeaesthetic #booksta #bookreviewer #bookblogger #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #owlslittlelibrary

🌟 TOP READS & MORE OF 2024 ✨ {#giftedbooks tagged} 2024 flew by in the blink of an eye! It’s one giant blur. While I didn’t read as much as I used to, the books I did pick up this year were pretty awesome! One thing I’m especially proud of is learning to say no—whether it’s requesting fewer books or DNF-ing ones that didn’t work for me. So there’s that! Without further ado, here are my TOP TEN (+1) favorite reads of 2024. (I had to sneak in I’ll Love You Forever K-Pop by @jjoongie even though it officially releases in 2025—I kinda sorta know the author and I’m special 😂 and got to read a copy this year!) While this year felt like a whirlwind, it was filled with incredible highs and some frustrating lows. My word for the year was intentionality, and despite a few hiccups, I think I’ve done a pretty good job being more mindful about my time, energy, relationships, and spending. Some HIGHLIGHTS of 2024: 
✈️ Traveling to Canada & Korea
🤷🏻‍♀️ Solo trip to Utah with a toddler in tow (phew!)
👋🏻 Letting go of a toxic friendship
📚 Donating 15+ boxes of books (goodbye, clutter!)
🚫 Accepting far fewer ARCs & gifted books Looking ahead to 2025, I want to keep building on that intentionality—especially when it comes to spending- focusing on supporting small businesses (& leaving reviews) and embracing minimalism to reduce unnecessary clutter and noise in my life. In classic Diana fashion, I’ll be ringing in the new year with chicken wings and Squid Game 2. 🍗🎥 🎉Here’s to 2025! 새해 복 만땅 받으세요 ✨ #top10books #bestbooksof2024 #bookstack #favoritebooks2024 #bookrecs #booksbooksbooks #사진한장 #독서기록장 #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #momentsoflife #2024highlights #bookishfeed #bookblogger #bookinfluencer #owlslittlelibrary

📚#BOOKREVIEW 🇰🇷 APARTMENT WOMEN follows four families living in government-funded communal apartments on the outskirts of Seoul—an experiment hoping to tackle S. Korea’s plummeting birthrate. In this infuriating and thought-provoking novel, Gu 작가님 explores the everyday lives of these families as they navigate the complexities of forced communal living, especially motherhood. What the author captures so well is the raw, unfiltered reality of the countless challenges women face with life changes like marriage and motherhood, especially in a deeply patriarchal society. The government’s stipulation to have three kids on a single income so mothers can stay home and “raise” their children with other moms in the communal space?. Even with financial support, any woman can see how unrealistic this plan is. They’re just telling women to bear the brunt of it all! And, unsurprisingly, we see just how quickly 똥 goes wrong! The women bear the brunt of it all—physical and emotional labor, deep-rooted sexism, rigid gender roles—and even in a country with a collectivist mindset like Korea, forced communal living proves to be a disaster for these families. As I read, I kept asking myself: How are men this clueless and incompetent? How can we solve this problem without addressing its roots—the deeply ingrained sexism and gender roles that kids are taught from birth? This especially hits hard when we see six-year-old Shiyul already being molded into these expectations, learning from adults that, as a girl, she must take care of younger kids, be patient, share, and stay quiet. { continued in comments..} #apartmentwomen #gubyeongmo #네이웃의식탁 #구병모 #koreanliterature #bookblogger #bookinfluencer #asianamericanreaders #bookreviewer #translatedlit #shelfiestyling #bookpic #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #독서기록 #북스타그램📚 #owlslittlelibrary

📚#KOREANBOOKS I read in 2024🇰🇷 {giftedbooks, tagged} PACHINKO, published in 2017, holds a special place in my heart for so many reasons—one of them being that it was the first book by a Korean author I read after moving to America. Insert tears of joy when I saw it offered as one of the five picks at BOTM. Fast forward to today, and it feels like there’s been an explosion of books by Korean authors, especially translated lit—one of them, Han Kang 작가님, winning the Nobel Literature Prize this year!🤩 Squid Game 2 🦑, out for just two days, has already dominated Netflix charts worldwide, and BTS’s highly anticipated 2025 comeback already has the world buzzing. As a 90s baby, I have all the complicated feelings about how anything with a “K” label has suddenly become cool. It’s surreal, it’s thrilling, but it’s also... heavy. Because we are now “successful” since we made it in the West. It’s amazing to see our stories out in the world—our food, music, dramas, and books being celebrated. However, I also think about the immense pressure someone like Hwang Dong-hyuk, the Squid Game director, must feel to meet global expectations. Or the weight on BTS as they continue to cement themselves as global icons. There’s also this unspoken expectation: as a Korean reader, I’m supposed to read and love every single book by a Korean author. (My very negative review of THE LAST STORY OF MINA LEE in 2020 was shared over 100 times—mostly by people who didn’t even read it.) I felt like if I didn’t read and love a Korean book, I was letting down my people. It took us so long (in America) to be deemed cool, ya know? So for a while, I shied away from reading stories by Korean-American authors. {💬continued in comments..} #koreanliterature #koreanblogger #bookblogger #bookinfluencer #asianamericanreaders #bookstack #booksbooksbooks #translatedlit #bookshelfie #readstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagram #독서기록 #북스타그램 #독서스타그램 #owlslittlelibrary

📚 #BOOKREVIEW 🎧 {#PRHAudioPartner @prhaudio} RENTAL HOUSE follows Keru and Nate, a married couple with different backgrounds that challenge their relationship. Keru, a Chinese-American raised by strict immigrant parents, was pushed to succeed and assimilate. Nate, from a white, working-class family in a small town, is the first to attend college and escape. They live comfortably as DINKS (dual income, no kids)—Keru earns well while Nate works as a professor, a respected but lower-paying job. RENTAL HOUSE is more or less about their marriage by “following” them on two vacations. Like a bigger snapshot of their life and marriage but a much more zoomed in intimate focus during these two vacations, making the book feel both observational and intimate. People-watching from a distance but then suddenly peeking closer. Both Keru and Nate are odd, but the additional characters are weird! Lol This was my first time reading this author, and I flew through the book! While some of the tropes—interracial marriage (white man, Asian woman), immigrant family dynamics, racism, and microaggressions—are ones we’ve seen before, Wang goes deeper. She portrays scenarios we often think about but don’t dare say out loud. Two things really stood out to me: The Intersection of Class and Race: Keru’s family is financially more stable than Nate’s, yet race still matters most. Nate’s family exudes a sense of superiority, often looking down on Keru’s family—sometimes subtly, sometimes not-so-subtly. It’s such a sharp, dead-on depiction of microaggressions in America and how race can overshadow socioeconomic status. {💬 continued in comments..} #rentalhouse #weikewang #asianamericanreaders #bookreflections #bookishthoughts #bookaesthetics #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookblogger #bookinfluencer #asianlit #readinginbed #flatlaybooks #prettybookstagram #seeksimplicity #owlslittlelibrary