Bell Hooks' All about Love
Mieko Kawakami's Breasts and Eggs
John Berger's Ways of Seeing
Nietzsche's Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Dolly Alderton's Everything I Know About Love
Choi Jinyoung's To The Warm Horizon
Paul Kalanithi's When Breath Becomes Air
Kim Jungho's You Should Know How to Shake So You Wouldn't Break
Book Introduction:
We live in a world where the possibility of unhappiness grows as we endure life's trials. In this rapidly changing world, even the modest leisure of individuals is being stripped away, and our minds, devoid of the capacity to care for ourselves, gradually deteriorate. What we desperately need in such times is the sincere advice of a seasoned psychologist. This book contains candid advice from a psychologist who has dedicated a lifetime to studying the human mind, applying that research to their own life, and growing through it.
Author Professor Kim Jung-ho delivers a clear and concise message throughout the book: in order to truly free ourselves from the trials of life, we must neither resist nor avoid them. We must bend and sway with the trials, becoming one with life itself. We must practice embracing life as it is, without being shaken by the trials that come our way. So, how can we develop a mind that remains steadfast and unbroken amidst turmoil? The answer lies within the pages of this book.
While psychology is undoubtedly useful in navigating life, presenting only rigid theories makes it difficult to apply them to everyday situations. Therefore, the author has integrated essential techniques for mastering the mind into modest, relatable everyday experiences that anyone can empathize with. Read this book lightly, sometimes laughing and saying, "Yes, I've been there too," and other times shedding tears of comfort instead of holding back. Your once heavy heart will gradually lighten without finding a shadowy place to settle.
Go Sunkyu's Mourning of Six Nights
Title: "Mourning of Six Nights"
In South Korea, burdened with the stigma of being the country with the highest suicide rate in the OECD, where an average of 36.1 people commit suicide every day, there has been a significant increase in the suicide rate among young people by 2030. In light of this, on November 20th, coinciding with the "World Day of Remembrance for Suicide Survivors," a "unprecedented attempt" was made in Korea with the publication of a book. This book, titled "Mourning of Six Nights," was co-authored by Dr. Ko Seon-gyu, a leading expert in suicide bereavement counseling in Korea, along with five survivors of suicide bereavement.
From the stories about "that day" when the deceased departed, to reflections on the funeral day, how to inform others about the death, the emotions and letters of the bereaved seeking the reasons for the death, stories about mementos and guilt, and how to deal with the traces of the deceased in the digital world, the book guides mourning through a total of six nights, discussing over 40 topics. Dr. Go Sunkyu, who leads the clinical psychology group MindsWorks through the Central Psychological Autopsy Center and the suicide bereavement support organization Marigold, separately gathered five bereaved individuals for counseling sessions and meetings specifically for this book. Over a year, they conducted additional research and collected materials to diligently write this book.
Unlike typical support group compilations or personal essays of bereaved individuals, "Mourning of Six Nights" goes further by not only presenting raw "testimonies" from suicide bereaved individuals but also having clinical psychologists directly extract and interpret these testimonies, uncovering their "hidden meanings" and sparing no effort in providing "counseling, advice, and assistance" for genuine mourning. Real experiences and expert opinions are harmoniously and robustly presented throughout the 300 pages.
While the Ministry of Health and Welfare supports suicide prevention policies and various groups and organizations supporting suicide bereaved families advocate for support groups, there is still a lack of information on "how to effectively conduct" these groups, "what questions and topics should be addressed," and "how much involvement and interpretation by professionals is desirable." This situation is similar worldwide. In this context, "Mourning of Six Nights" stands out as the first "mourning guidebook" for suicide bereaved individuals, a novel attempt never seen or heard of anywhere else in the world. The fact that such a groundbreaking attempt took place in Korea, coinciding with the "World Day of Remembrance for Suicide Survivors" designated every third Saturday of November in the United States, is even more significant, as it seems to reflect Koreans' concern, worry, and anxiety about the soaring suicide rate. After spending "six nights" (as structured in the book) with five bereaved individuals and psychologists who participated as "actual witnesses to mourning," readers who feel exhausted and broken-hearted will gradually gain the courage to step back into their lives and into the midst of people.
Kim Chan-gyul's Ashes and Foam
A shaman, Mari, who offers prayers to the sea on behalf of the islanders, becomes enchanted by the beautiful mermaid, Sua, and gets too close, falling into the sea. Sua, who rescues Mari, captivates her with a curious and affectionate demeanor despite being unable to speak human language. As the two solitary beings grow tenderly close, rumors spread across the island that "the shaman and the monster have become inseparable." When a typhoon hits the village causing significant damage, the islanders turn their blame towards Mari and Sua. From the moment when firewood is prepared to burn Mari and a harpoon is readied to pierce Sua, their long journey towards true love begins.
theqoo
-John Berger's book was a required elective book for my major, interestingly.
-Wow, this makes me want to read more books γ
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-Wow, as an engineering student, these books seem difficult to readγ
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Impressive.
-Even though she's busy, her determination to read books is really cool.
-It's admirable to read books when you're busy. I just crash as soon as I get off work...
-When Breath Becomes Air. I recommend this too!!
-Many seem interesting, I should take note.
-Just looking at the book list is cool...
-Yunjin is really cool
-Wow, it would be nice if the book list is regularly updated.
-It's really impressive of her to find time to read even when she's busy.
-She reads a lot of good books. She said she was planning to go to university after leaving her company, it seems like she would do really well even if she chose that path.
-Yunjin is busy and yet she still has the time to read books. What a perfect life.
-Wow, there's a reason why Yunjin is smart.
-She's so smart. I'm the type who doesn't read because it seems boring...
-It's impressive considering how busy she is...
-Should add to next month's reading list.
-Wow... She reads all of that? Impressive...
-Wow, it seems like she reads a lot. I noticed in Point of Omniscient Interfere that she carries many books around.
