Faye | Bookstagram

🙋🏻‍♀️About the bookstagrammer Hiya and thanks for being my bookish friend! ✨ Just dropping a few things here about lil old me, the human behind these books 🤓 🇭🇰 I’m a Hong Konger living and working in Seoul, South Korea 🇰🇷 🐨 When I tried to search the Korean flag emoji this cute koala popped up 3️⃣ I read in 3 languages: English, Chinese, and Korean 📚 I’m open to reading anything as long as it’s not horror. That scares me to smithereens 🥹 (although I sometimes accidentally stumble on it…. then I can’t help it) ↔️ When I say anything, I mean it! You‘ll find books here about romance, murder mysteries, sci-fi and also economics, psychology, science, and history ☕️ Aside from reading, my greatest hobby is to hunt down nice cafes, restaurants, and bars in Seoul (And show them to you!) 🏴‍☠️ I’m also a humongous fan of the anime One Piece and have been since the 7th grade. Other anime faves: My Hero Academia, Attack on Titan, Kimetsu no Yaiba, Naruto 🧘🏻‍♀️To stretch my scrunched up reading body out, I love doing yoga two or three times a week ⭐️ I never do quantitative ratings of books, only qualitative descriptions of how I felt and what I thought. I find myself unable to concentrate all I want to say into a simple score. I also know that a rating tends to set people in a certain mindset about a book, and I wish for people to read my words with a fresh outlook uninfluenced by a number. ☺️ I’m always, ALWAYS happy to talk about books and give you recs on where to go if you plan on dropping by Seoul!

📖BOOK REVIEW📖 🖋️A light story that invokes deep thinking You know how some books are like spaces you step into as soon as you flip open their pages? Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop is one of these. In the author, Hwang Bo-reum’s own words, she wanted to create “a space where we can escape to, a refuge from the intensity of daily life where we can’t even pause to take a breather.” Each character came to this space carrying their own burdens, whether it was high schooler Mincheol, who had no idea what he wanted in life, or barista Minjun, who did all the right things but still somehow faced the wrong outcome. As they interacted with each other, they found rest, comfort, and a new look at themselves. As I read their stories, I saw traces of myself everywhere, and more than once, I found myself pausing to reflect on my own life. The author’s plain, unpretentious writing style forms a rhythm that lulls you into a deep sense of calm, and I can’t help but wonder about Hwang Bo-reum the same question Yeongju asked Seungwoo in the book: “How similar are you to your writing?” ✨ ✨ ✨So thankful to @junexmatcha @mayhan_and_books, and @readinginkyoto for reading this with me 🥰 I’ve enjoyed talking to you all so much!! We’ve got to do this more hehehe 🫶🏼

📚Bilingual Re-read📚 The Vegetarian | Han Kang As I was reading Han Kang’s latest work, We Do Not Part, I was awed by how beautifully she wrote, and curiosity started creeping up on me: What would her other works that I’d already read be like in Korean? I decided to retrace my steps to the very first of Han’s novels that I’d encountered, The Vegetarian, for a side-by-side Korean vs. English comparison. I wanted to know what I’d been missing when I read the book in English years ago. The (maybe not so) surprising answer? Quite a lot. Points that impressed, points that confused. Way too many thoughts to tag to the end of this post as an afterthought. I’m hoping to share my thoughts over the next few days, so expect more soon!

📚Bilingual read: Lemon by Kwon Yeo-sun Did I pick this book up because of its quirky one-word title? I would be lying if I said no. And you know what? I’ve found a hidden gem. This 150-page novella begins with an unsolved murder of a high school girl, but instead of focusing on finding the culprit, it focuses on the psychological, emotional, and even physical consequences for those left behind. I’m reading this book in Korean and have the English translation by Janet Hong on my Kindle. From the very first chapter, I was impressed by both the author’s prowess with the Korean language and the translator’s adept transformation of this into English. More thoughts to come, plus peeks at how the original and translation compare! ✨Do you prefer the English or Korean cover?

📖Review: Would you like to visit a world of subterfuge and deceit among the Swiss filthy rich? 📖The Enigma of Room 622 | Joël Dicker | Robert Bononno (Translator) Whodunnits are known for the quick thrills they provide. So when this whodunnit clocks in at a lengthy 563 pages, you’ve got to wonder: what gives? The most complex set of interlocking narratives I’ve read in years is what. From chapter to chapter, you bounce from the present to different points in the past, sometimes holding the threads of three different storylines at once. I had thought the majority of the story would happen in a hotel, but to my surprise, the book strolled from a historic establishment that reminded me of The Grand Budapest Hotel to the spotless streets of Geneva’s most well-heeled neighborhood, Cologny, and beyond. Most fascinatingly, the author, a Geneva native, blurs the line between fact and fiction by adding true details like street names and positioning himself as the narrator and protagonist. Despite the book’s length, I finished it in 2 days and barely felt my hand grow tired from supporting its hefty weight 😂 Would I recommend❓ Most certainly! In fact, save this for reference the next time you want to be thoroughly entertained by a quality whodunnit that feels like a luxury trip to Switzerland. Talk about an economical way to travel! ✨Which do you prefer more: when a book is set in a foreign place you’ve never visited or when it’s set in a familiar place you can recognize?

📖Review: Do you know how much unseen human labor goes into AI development? 📖Feeding the Machine | James Muldoon, Mark Graham, Callum Cant Many books examine the technological and futuristic aspects of AI, but this book is the first I’ve read that examined its impact from a purely social and humanitarian angle. Feeding the Machine takes on a cautious and negative stance toward AI, exploring various human occupations that are involved in or adversely affected by the development of AI. The authors’ message is clear: Artificial intelligence is an exploitative technology, and it is up to us to build fences and put a harness on it so that the concentrated powers at the top of the food chain are not allowed to run amok with it. Personally, I agree with the book insofar as a need for regulation and oversight surrounding the development of AI, especially in regard to the ethical decisions involved and the unforgiving treatment of workers in AI annotation “sweatshops.” As to the solutions put forth by the authors, some I thought were worth a shot, while others I found too idealistic to the extent that there may be unintended consequences from good intentions. Would I recommend❓ With a pinch of salt, yes. The authors hold strong opinions, and while I’m not on board with everything they have said, this book reminds me why we as individuals must educate ourselves on the topic of AI to stay vigilant and, together, keep the powerful developers of the technology accountable for safety and ethics.

is in her nonfiction mood again 😂 I’ve been very interested in learning more about AI technology for the past few months. I have the nagging feeling that we’re on the precipice of something big, and through news articles and books, I want to step forward with my eyes wide open. Recent turmoil in the country has also led me to become curious about the Korean constitution, and I picked up this neat little ringed book of the printed constitution with lined blank pages for note-taking. ✨What’s your current book mood?

A book full of could-have-beens that I truly wanted to love. 📖Book Review📖 The Trunk | Kim Ryeo-Ryeong, The KoLab (Translator) Imagine having a nine-course meal but only being able to take one bite of each course before it was removed and the next served. That is the analogy that came to mind when I closed this book. The 21 short chapters contain so much: marriage, inequality, prejudice, sex, homosexuality, bisexuality, stalking, and even human trafficking. The author skimmed off the top of all of these topics but did not delve deeper into any. The result was a stream of conscious narrative that continuously felt like it was just a little bit short of enough. The narrative voice was one part that I did enjoy and which I think was done very well. Inji’s inner monologue is sharp, cynical, and unapologetically in-your-face. In this unembellished voice, she said many things that I sometimes find myself thinking when I am at my most pessimistic. This reluctant relatability is, I think, the greatest asset this book possesses. Would I recommend❓ All things considered, perhaps not. This book was a little bit of a lot, but not a lot of anything. For each theme or topic this book touches on, I think you would be able to find better books out there. Having said this, I would 100% recommend the Netflix adaptation, which is also named The Trunk. The filmography is exquisite, the music outstanding, and the plot so tightly woven, it’s like a silky smooth sheet with a thread count of 500. *Quote translation slightly amended to more closely fit my personal interpretation of the Korean text.

Should you watch The Trunk on Netflix first or read the book first? It’s time for the answer to the million-dollar question y’all have been asking me the most! I personally watched the Netflix adaption first, and in short, I’m glad that I did. 😅 Let me start by telling you that the show and the book are very, very different, so much so that they belong in different genres. Where the TV show is a melodrama with an overarching mystery plot, the book is mostly a critique of society full of female rage. While the book flickered among several topics, brushing on but not delving into any, the series chose a select few threads and amplified them. The result is an elegantly filmed feast for your eyes and ears. The lighting, coordination, editing, and directing is exquisite, and the music, the music! I now listen to the soundtracks on their own on Spotify because they left such a deep impression that they immerse me in a whole mood. I also lived for the fashion on display in the show, especially the female lead Inji’s understated and elegant style. Swipe through the slides in this post for the fits that inspired me the most! ✨Do you think you’d watch the series first, read the book first, or neither?

Reading The Trunk led me to do some research on stalking, a chilling crime that plays a central role in the plot. Inji, the protagonist, is plagued by an unshakeable stalker. But what I could not understand was why she didn’t report his sorry a$s to the police immediately. I thought: Is it that difficult to report this crime in South Korea? If this were to happen to me in real life, what could I do to protect myself? So, I went online and trawled through the laws related to stalking in South Korea. To my relief, I discovered that in South Korea, the Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes (스토킹범죄의 처벌 등에 관한 법률) clearly defines stalking behavior, the emergency channels a victim can use to report it, what measures law enforcement can take to protect a victim from stalking, and how the perpetrator could be punished. So why didn’t Inji rely on it in the book? Turns out, the answer lies in the timeline. The Trunk by Kim Ryeo Ryeong was first published in Korea in 2015. The Act on the Punishment of Stalking Crimes, however, was not enacted until 2021. This means that, at the time of the book’s writing, current laws related to this crime had not even existed. I’m glad to see that legal progress has been made in this direction. How terrifying and helpless it must be to have your every step dogged by some dangerous stranger! ✨Is stalking a punishable crime in your country? If you, like me, aren’t a well-informed as you’d like, this is your sign look up the measures available to you. Stay safe, my friends 💜 • • • 📸 @cafe_armoire, a “speakeasy” café behind a fake vintage shop that has the coziest mood but can get a little crowded.

Did you know that translators sometimes make cultural adaptations by swapping out unfamiliar details? Take The Trunk, which I’m reading in Korean and English right now. In the very first chapter, the Korean original mentions a specific beer brand, “Hoegaarden beer,” which was referred to simply as “the Belgian beer brand” in the English translation. I’m not sure why this change was made. My best guess is that while Hoegaarden is a brand available in pretty much every supermarket here in South Korea, it may not be such a household name in all corners of the English-speaking world. (Please let me know if I’m right by telling me whether this brand is available in your area!) Similarly, there was a part where a “water purifier” that could dispense ice was mentioned in passing, and in the English translation, this got changed to a “minifridge” that could dispense ice instead. In South Korea, water purifying machines are considered standard household appliances as much as kettles are because most believe water straight from the tap is not safe to drink. People usually either boil or filter the water first. In contrast, tap water in most places in North America and Europe is, to my knowledge, safe to drink directly, eliminating the need for water purifying machines at home. ✨Are these changes appreciated, or would you rather have the pure original, even if it were unfamiliar?

I think I’ve cracked the code behind why The Trunk has mixed reviews. I’m reading the Korean original and have the English copy on my kindle for comparison. So far, I’m only a few chapters in, and I can already feel the narrator’s unique personality stand out in the Korean writing. She reminds me of the narrator from Love in the Big City, which Anton Hur so expertly translated. Kim Ryeo-Ryeong excels at giving each character a voice with clear individuality, but these nuances were, in my personal opinion, mostly lost in the English translation. Certainly, the translation is very accurate, but in its quest to most correctly reflect each word and sentence, it forewent embellishments and creative choices that would have brought the underlying gist to life. The result was that iridescent, distinct characters ended up sounding flat and alike. On the flip side, I saw a few parts where minor tweaks were made to account for cultural differences, and I thought them very considerate. Will share a few in the next post!