Pachinko by Min Jin Lee - A beautifully told narrative of Sunja, daughter of a fisherman and his wife from a small Korean village. Sunja falls in love with a yakuza and is shocked to discover he is married and has a family in Japan. Sunja is heartbroken and pregnant. Wary of the impending doom this will bring on the family, Sunja's mother Yangjin, confesses the family's situation to the Christian minister staying at their boardhouse. In a selfless deed to reciprocate the altruistic care he received from Yanjin and Sunja when he fell sick due to tuberculosis, Isak offers to marry Sunja and take her to Japan as his wife. This would be only the beginning of an epic tale spanning four generations. I didn’t know much about the history about Korea and Japan and the book really opened up about the struggles of survival and identity. It’s a page-turner and so easy to read. Highly recommend.

Still Life by Sarah Winman - WHERE DO I BEGIN. OH MY GOD. Please excuse the all caps. This is such a beautiful book. Such a peaceful read. One of the few books that gave such a warm fuzzy feeling. It’s a story of two strangers, a British soldier Ulysses and an art historian Evelyn, that happen to meet in Tuscany and share a brief evening. And that sets things in motion for Ulysses, completely transforming his life and the people he loves. Each page bursts with life and beauty. Unforgettable characters and an unforgettable feeling this book left me with. Absolutely phenomenal, full of hope and joy. 11/10 recommend.

I am trying to read Trust by Hernan Diaz but struggling to stay interested. I may have to ditch this and move to the next.