Hello, reader…

Happy holidays, bookworm friends!

During our November gathering, I mentioned that I’m opening a second reading room – a space with ties to our Shoshin Reading Room as well as the Seogyeoshire Library.

I’m calling it the Somdari Reading Room – named after the Jeogeot region where it lives. The image above is a snapshot of the entry room. There are two other rooms – works in progress – which will foster community gatherings as well as cozy reading nooks.

A guided tour will be given after the holidays – date and time, tbd.

Meanwhile, here is the roundup of books that were mentioned at our most recent gathering. It’s an intriguing list – please enjoy!

Dead by Proxy by Manning Wolfe

This is the first book in a new action suspense series, set in Austin, Texas. FireWoman has read several of Wolfe’s books and recommends them, particularly to readers who enjoy a quick get-to-the-who-done-it.

Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens

Veyot shared this novel about two teenage boys who solve a mystery by finding a corpse in the woods and locating the killer’s car. Though Veyot usually doesn’t like teenage characters, she would recommend this as a choice for high school reading. She compared it to To Kill a Mockingbird — with boys instead of a girl as the main character.

MacArthur Park by Judith Freeman

Also shared by Veyot, this is a philosophical look at a long marriage of a couple who live near MacArthur Park in Los Angeles. It includes lots of quotes from famous authors and mentions the song, MacArthur Park. The couple thinks the song is about the decline of the park, but it’s really about a failed romance

The Honeys by Ryan La Sala

FireWoman also read this YA magical mystery book and commented that La Sala’s style is unique and dark. She recommends his other titles, The Big Read: Reverie and Bedazzled as well.

Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa

FireWoman recommends this YA series that mixes Japanese fairy tales, folklore, and history.

What You Are Looking For Is In The Library by Michiko Aoyama, translated by Alison Watts

Written along the vein of Before the Coffee Gets Cold, Zoe read this collection of short stories about a seemingly magical librarian. Each story focuses on someone who is struggling and somehow ends up at the same library, speaking with the same librarian. Each person is able to work through their issue based on the books that the librarian recommends.

Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa

Zoe also recommends this cozy modern Japanese novel.

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Our next gathering is January 14th at 1pm SLT. ‘Til then – happy holidays and happy reading!