Soyangri Book Kitchen
by Kim Jee Hye
A quiet, comforting novel about burnout, belonging, and the places that help us find our way back.
ARC Review
Publisher: Union Square & Co.
Release Date: October 7, 2025
There’s something really special about this one.
Set in a quiet village a few hours outside Seoul, Soyangri Book Kitchen is about a small bookstore/café that also offers overnight stays. But more than that, it’s a soft, comforting story about people who show up at just the right time in their lives, when they’re overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure of what comes next.
Yoojin, the woman who runs the Book Kitchen, was a standout for me. She’s has this grounded presence and grace that holds space for others. She supports her staff, takes care of her guests, and somehow makes you want to be better without ever pushing you to be. I really liked her.
Each chapter introduces a new visitor, a former idol, a lawyer facing illness, a young man who’s had to walk away from his dreams. Some are only there for a night, others stay longer. What ties them all together is that they’re tired. And in Soyangri, they get to rest.
The setting was honestly beautiful. Nature is always close, rivers, trees, sky, but so is food, music, warmth. It made me think, “Could I open a place like this someday?” Something real but also a little idealized. It’s exactly the kind of space I’d want to create, not just a bookstore or a bed-and-breakfast, but a place where people could reset.
What really struck me was how relevant it all felt. The pressure to have your life figured out. The guilt of not meeting others’ expectations. The weight of grief, or the fear of getting sick. Soyangri Book Kitchen doesn’t solve any of those things, but it acknowledges them and maybe that’s more powerful.
It’s a light read in terms of style, but meaningful. I finished it in one sitting. If you’ve read Before the Coffee Gets Cold, What You Are Looking For Is in the Library, or Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, this sits comfortably alongside them , quiet, cozy, and a little bittersweet.
Wouldn’t it be lovely to have a place where you could take a timeout from your real life and find your center again?
Thank you to Union Square & Co and the Hatchett Book Group for the ARC and the opportunity to read this early.
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