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Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982
49,000 TNDKim Jiyoung, Born 1982 is the life story of one young woman born at the end of the twentieth century and raises questions about endemic misogyny and institutional oppression that are relevant to us all. Riveting, original and uncompromising, this is the most important book to have emerged from South Korea since Han Kang’s The Vegetarian. Praise for Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 ‘It describes experiences that will be recognisable everywhere. It’s slim, unadorned narrative distils a lifetime’s iniquities into a sharp punch.’ The Sunday Times ‘A ground-breaking work of feminist fiction’ Stylist ‘Along with other socially critical narratives to come out of Korea, such as Bong Joon-ho’s Oscar-winning film Parasite, her story could change the bigger one.’ TheGuardian ‘This witty, disturbing book deals with sexism, mental health issues and the hypocrisy of a country where young women are “popping caffeine pills and turning jaundiced” as they slave away in factories helping to fund higher education for male siblings.’ The Independent ‘Enthralling and enraging.’ Sunday Express ‘Cho’s moving, witty and powerful novel forces us to face our reality, in which one woman is seen, pretty much, as interchangeable with any other.
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Kitchen
49,000 TNDKitchen comprises Banana Yoshimoto’s two classic tales about mothers, trans identity, bereavement, kitchens, love and tragedy. First published in 1987, it won two of Japan’s most prestigious literary prizes, remained at the top of the bestseller lists for over a year and has gone on to be a much-loved international bestseller.
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Kokoro
59,000 TNDIn the seaside city of Kamakura, a student is drawn to an enigmatic older man who swims at the same beach. The man becomes his Sensei. Against a backdrop of the rapid modernisation of Japan, their relationship endures – until one day, the young man receives a letter that divulges the full story of his Sensei’s past.
One of Japan’s most admired and bestselling modern classics, Kokoro is a psychologically rich, delicately drawn meditation on loneliness, desire and duty.
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Korean Children’s Favorite Stories
69,000 TNDThis colorfully illustrated multicultural Korean children’s book presents Korean fairy tales and other folk stories—providing insight into a vibrant literary culture. Korean Children’s Favorite Stories is a captivating collection of Korean folktales for children which are still being told, just as they have been for generations. Some are Korean-specific, while others echo those told in other countries.
Written with wit and pathos, they unveil the inevitable foibles of people everywhere and expose the human-like qualities of animals and the animal-like qualities of humans. These Korean fables pulsate with the rhythm of life and the seasons, transporting the reader to a wonderland where ants talk, a baby rabbit outwits a tiger, a tree fathers a child, and a toad saves a whole village. Korean stories include:The Grateful Tiger: the story of a magical tiger, which demonstrates how empathy and kindness can affect your life in a positive wayThe Disowned Student: an intriguing tale of of a stolen identity and spiritThe Pheasant, the Dove and the Magpie: the story of three ungrateful birds, one tough mouse, and why pheasants’ cheeks are redAnd more… -
Launch Something!
69,000 TNDEarth is experiencing a sweltering heatwave caused by a second “sun” – a shining object in the sky that either looks like Pac-Man or a pizza missing a slice, depending on who you ask. As this object increases in size and risks making Earth uninhabitable, the Korean government decides it has to do its part and help the US-led Allied Space Force. Launch Something! is a sci-fi novel about a Korean Space Force that contains his quirky brand of political satire.
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Lemon
49,000 TNDThis is not a murder story. It is the story of those left behind. Parasite meets The Good Son in this piercing psychological portrait of three women haunted by a brutal, unsolved crime.
In the summer of 2002, Kim Hae-on was killed in what became known as the High School Beauty Murder. There were two suspects: Shin Jeongjun, who had a rock-solid alibi, and Han Manu, to whom no evidence could be pinned. The case went cold.
Seventeen years pass without justice, and the grief and uncertainty take a cruel toll on her younger sister, Da-on, in particular. Unable to move on with her life, Da-on tries in her own twisted way to recover some of what she’s lost, ultimately setting out to find the truth of what happened. Shifting between the perspectives of Da-on and two of Hae-on’s classmates, Lemon ostensibly takes the shape of a crime novel.
But identifying the perpetrator is not the main objective here: Kwon Yeo-sun uses this well-worn form to craft a searing, timely exploration of privilege, jealousy, trauma, and how we live with the wrongs we have endured and inflicted in turn. Praise for Lemon: ‘Discovering whodunnit isn’t really the point here; Lemon is a subtle, often intense meditation on the after-effects of violence’ Guardian ‘Chilling, suspenseful and disconcerting… I couldn’t put it down and read deep into the night until I finished it, with my heart hammering’ Frances Cha, author of If I Had Your Face
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Lia Park and the Missing Jewel
49,000 TNDPerfect for fans of the Storm Runner and Aru Shah series, this ‘;intriguing, fast-paced’ (Kirkus Reviews) middle grade fantasy follows a young girl who must venture to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King in Korea to save her parents from an evil diviner spirit.
Twelve-year old Lia Park just wants to fit in. Her parents work with a mysterious organization that makes them ridiculously overprotective. Lia’s every move has been scrutinized since she was born, and she’d love to have the option of doing something exciting for once.
So when she gets invited to the biggest birthday party of the yearand her parents say she can’t goLia sneaks out.
But her first act of rebellion not only breaks her parents’ rules, but also an ancient protection spell, allowing an evil diviner spirit to kidnap and ransom her parents for a powerful jewel that her family has guarded for years. With just the clothes on her back and some very rusty magical skills, Lia finds herself chasing mysterious clues that take her to her grandmother’s home in Korea.
From there, she has to make their way to the undersea kingdom of the Dragon King, the only person who knows where the powerful jewel might be.
Along with her friend, Joon, Lia must dig deep and find courage to stand up for those who are weakand become the hero her parents need. -
Lonely Castle in the Mirror
59,000 TNDWould you share your deepest secrets to save a friend?In a tranquil neighbourhood of Tokyo, seven teenagers wake to find their bedroom mirrors are shining. At a single touch, they are pulled from their lonely lives to a wondrous castle filled with winding stairways, watchful portraits and twinkling chandeliers. In this new sanctuary, they are confronted with a set of clues leading to a hidden room where one of them will be granted a wish.
But there’s a catch: if they don’t leave the castle by five o’clock, they will be punished. As time passes, a devastating truth emerges: only those brave enough to share their stories will be saved. Tender, playful, gripping, LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR is a mesmerizing tale about the importance of reaching out, confronting anxiety and embracing human connection. -
Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon
79,000 TNDI am the go-between. When a young woman from Tokyo contacts the go-between to request a meeting with a deceased TV star who once helped her, she doesn’t expect a teenage boy to show up. Dressed in a designer duffel coat and carrying a tattered notebook, Ayumi Shibuya offers an extraordinary service: he reunites the living with their dearly departed.
Meeting his clients at a luxury hotel, Ayumi lays down the ground rules: each reunion is a one-time arrangement that the dead can refuse, the service is entirely free, and the meeting must take place during a full moon. As Ayumi arranges these reunions, we encounter a resentful eldest son who wants to ask his mother to unearth the deeds to a plot of land, a teenage girl who blames herself for her best friend’s death, and a weary businessman seeking answers about his fiancée’s disappearance days after he proposed. Already a multimillion-copy bestseller in Japan, Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is storytelling at its finest.
Captivating, cosy, and compulsively readable, this is an unforgettable page-turner in which the living and the dead are given one last chance for closure. Now read HOW TO HOLD SOMEONE IN YOUR HEART, the sequel to LOST SOULS MEET UNDER A FULL MOONFirst published in Japan under the title TSUNAGU or GO-BETWEENReaders are obsessed:’Every word resonated in my heart’ ***** Reader review”Perfect for anyone who loves to think deeply about what they have just read’ ***** Reader review’Makes you ponder about death and about life’ ***** Reader review -
Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon
59,000 TNDI am the go-between. When a young woman from Tokyo contacts the go-between to request a meeting with a deceased TV star who once helped her, she doesn’t expect a teenage boy to show up. Dressed in a designer duffel coat and carrying a tattered notebook, Ayumi Shibuya offers an extraordinary service: he reunites the living with their dearly departed.
Meeting his clients at a luxury hotel, Ayumi lays down the ground rules: each reunion is a one-time arrangement that the dead can refuse, the service is entirely free, and the meeting must take place during a full moon. As Ayumi arranges these reunions, we encounter a resentful eldest son who wants to ask his mother to unearth the deeds to a plot of land, a teenage girl who blames herself for her best friend’s death, and a weary businessman seeking answers about his fiancée’s disappearance days after he proposed. Already a multimillion-copy bestseller in Japan, Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon is storytelling at its finest.
Captivating, cosy, and compulsively readable, this is an unforgettable page-turner in which the living and the dead are given one last chance for closure. Now read HOW TO HOLD SOMEONE IN YOUR HEART, the sequel to LOST SOULS MEET UNDER A FULL MOONFirst published in Japan under the title TSUNAGU or GO-BETWEENReaders are obsessed:’Every word resonated in my heart’ ***** Reader review”Perfect for anyone who loves to think deeply about what they have just read’ ***** Reader review’Makes you ponder about death and about life’ ***** Reader review -
Love in the Big City
69,000 TNDA fresh and unique debut novel by the bestselling young star of Korean queer fiction about queers and Catholicism, women, abortion, STDs, and the socio-economic class divide in contemporary South Korea.
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Masks
59,000 TNDPublished for the first time in the UK, one of Japan’s greatest modern female writers Ibuki loves widow Yasuko who is young, charming and sparkling with intelligence as well as beauty. His friend, Mikamé, desires her too but that is not the difficulty. What troubles Ibuki is the curious bond that has grown between Yasuko and her mother-in-law, Mieko, a handsome, cultivated yet jealous woman in her fifties, who is manipulating the relationship between Yasuko and the two men who love her.