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Known for her bestselling novels, #FreeFoodforMillionaires and #Pachinko , it was so awe-inspiring to meet @lee_minjin in real life yesterday. So down to earth & true to herself, she made us all laugh and cry with her personal stories. I was also very touched with how she graciously stayed overtime to meet each and everyone who waited hours to meet her. Thank you for inspiring us and making me feel like we belong here. 🙏🏼 #AsianAmerican #Nepali #NewYorker #Shawol #LeeMinJin #MinJinLee

Min Jin Lee @lee_minjin she is my BTS! (실제로 이렇게 말씀드림😁) 오늘은 뉴욕에 오고 가장 보람있고 행복한 날 중 하나다. 역사를 바탕으로 이런 서사를 만들 수 있구나, 충격 받았던 파친코 그리고 너무 재미있어서 내려 놓을 수 없었던, 백만 장자를 위한 공짜 음식(Free Food for Millionaires)의 저자 이민진 작가님을 만났다. 뉴욕에 살고 계시니 언젠가 한 번은 만날 수 있지 않을까 기대하며 기다리고 있었는데, 코리아소사이어티 행사에 게스트로 나오신다는 소식에 일찌감치 등록을 해뒀다. 찐팬이라 과장 조금 보태서 작가님 국내외 매체 인터뷰, 다큐는 거의 다 봤기에, 어린 시절부터 작가가 되기까지 여정은 잘 알고 있었으나, 그녀의 생각과 말은 언제 들어도 참 사려깊고, 위트있고, 영감으로 충만하다. 코리안 3부작 마지막인 ‘아메리칸 학원’을 목빠져라 기다리고 있는데, ‘아마 내가 57세쯤(?!) 되면 출간되지 않겠느냐’며 웃으셔서 조금 충격을 받았다. 참고로 이민진 작가님은 현재 쉰다섯이시라고. 작가님처럼 멋지게 나이들고 싶다. 뉴욕에서 미쳐가고 있는 나의 헤어스타일이 좀 우습지만 오늘의 벅찬 감동이 포스팅의 쑥스러움을 눌렀다. 싸랑해요 작가님🫶🏻 #leeminjin #이민진 #pachinko #freefoodformillionaires

♡백만장자를 위한 공짜음식♡ 이민진 장편소설 FREE FOOD for MILLIONAIRES *쏜살같이 읽었다. 작년에 파친코를 읽고 오랜만에 본 장편소설. 소설 책에 빠질 수 있는 여유가 있어 너무나 행복하다. 나의 여고 1학년 때 미국으로 이민가신 막내 이모 생각하며 많이 우울해졌다. 약사에서 봉제공장 사장으로 변신하여 사셨던 이모. 그리고 뇌졸중... 생각만 해도 슬프다. 미쿡에서의 이민자들의 애환을 보며 얼마나 많은 갈등을 갖고 치열하게 삶을 살았을까 생각해 본다. 그 2세들의 부모와의 불협화음과 다른 인종과의 괴리. 우리 한국도 다민족화가 되어 가고 있는 현상을 보며 앞으로의 갈등 또한 우리가 적응하고 해결해 나가야 할 미래. 우리 각자의 삶! 지금 이 순간, 우리 모두 치열하게 살아가고 있다. #백만장자를위한공짜음식 #FREEFOODforMILLIONAIRES #이민진

I had a fascinating interview with National Book award finalist Min Jin Lee on hallyu, Korean diaspora novels and her upcoming talk on Korean culture at the MFA. “ The average American now knows who BTS is, or at any moment, can go on Twitter, or X, and see Korean people trending. That means globally, people are thinking about Koreans. “Korea has a certain image they want to project, no different than, say, France. When France says: “This is an area called Champagne. Therefore, you can’t call sparkling wine Champagne” — governments have a vested interest in managing their brands and cultural significance.” Link in bio. ✨🗞️

Long time no #bookishflatlay ❤️💙 When I noticed that a number of my reads this month had a similar color scheme, I had to go and find some more red and blue books on my shelf. Sometimes color combinations just capture your attention and demand to be highlighted. From left to right, top to bottom, the pictured books with their read status and/or my thoughts are: 🔺 Crying in H Mart - 4⭐️, decent memoir but not a fave 🔹 Never Let Me Go - Bought during a brief Ishiguro stage earlier this year before realizing that I had already read this years ago 😂 I like the new covers for his books 🔺 There, There - TBR 🔹 Minor Detail - 5⭐️, easily the best book I’ve read this year so far; review to come 🔹 Free Food for Millionaires - I loved Pachinko so want to check out Lee’s debut novel! 🔺 Against the Loveless World - 3⭐️. II didn’t love it. Review to come 🔹 Beartown - 4.5⭐️. This one lived up to the hype for me! 🔺 Culture & Imperialism - Said’s Orientalism is a core text that shaped my thinking. I’m slow-reading this inspired by @themetropolitanist 🔺 The Sympathizer - DNFed 🔹🔺Persepolis 1 & 2 - Read 1, will read 2 next month 🔹Dear Edward - I enjoyed Hello Beautiful and found this one in a local bookstore! How many of these have you read? . . . . . #bookishcolorstudy #tbrshelf #tbrstack #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagramvietnam #booksofinstagram #booksofig #2024readingchallenge #bookrecommendations #bookrecs #diversevoices #bookwormlife #bookishlove #cryinginhmart #therethere #minordetail #againstthelovelessworld #read4palestine #beartown #edwardsaid #thesympathizer #marjanesatrapi #annnapolitano #dearedward #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee

Bereft after finishing #freefoodformillionaires which I have binged in two days. Steeped in serendipity: this beautiful celebration of letter-writing on the day I wrote and posted my first proper letter in years; the description of ‘some improved world, where every pot had a lid’ just hours after I encountered an obscure pamphlet about pot-lids in my dad’s hoard of ephemera; being transported to yesterday when we went through my mother’s wondrous hat collection, as Casey receives her own millinery inheritance . . . Sometimes books just come at the right moment. And I am increasingly in awe of the power of Korean female storytellers . I loved Pachinko (the book, I can’t believe the adaptation will even come close to how great the book is) and now I want to reread this the way Casey rereads Middlemarch — I even want to reread Middlemarch, which I’d thought tainted forever by A Level English . . . Thank you @lee_minjin and thank you for your amazing, honest, introduction too. The work and dedication but also your talent as a storyteller shows in every word. Off to watch the latest episode of #queenoftears now. According to Forbes, 90% of Korean screenwriters are female. I think that’s maybe why it’s kdrama all the way for me at the moment . . .

영어원서 독서모임 2분기 책은 Free food for millionaires. 파친코를 쓰신 이민진 작가님의 책이다. 미국으로 이민간 한국인, 교포들이 주요 인물로 등장하는데 이민자인 부모님과 갈등하고 한국 정서 + 미국 마인드가 뒤섞인 주인공을 보면서 왜이렇게 공감되고 마음아픈지… 나는 토종한국인에 외국물도 먹어본적이 없는데 말이야. 내용이 흥미진진하나 책이 총 650페이지라 완독하는데 조금 부담감이있다. 그치만 독서모임이기때문에 포기안하고 꼭 다읽을거지! 다음주 수요일 첫모임까지 분량을 다 읽어야하는데 아직 갈길이 멀다 🥲 아자자 홧팅이다! #영어원서읽기 #독서모임 #bookclub #freefoodformillionaires

진도가 14쪽 밖에 안 나갔다 ㅋㅋㅋ 영어 원서 함께 읽기가 아니고 남들 읽는거 옆에서 주워듣기가 되게 생겼다 그래도 정말 신기한게, 어제는 분명히 무슨 뜻인지 명확하게 안 보이던 문장인데, 다음 날 다시 읽어보면 아주 clearly 보인다는 거다 하루 사이에 나의 뇌가 발전한 건가?? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ (드디어 니가 미쳤구나 ㅋㅋ) 그냥 되든 안 되든 간다 읽어본다 일단!! 이 책은 표지가 너무너무 마음에 들어서라도 읽어보고야만다!!!😎 +첫째야! 엄마가 너보다 하루에 더 많은 양의 영독을 하는 것 같구나 ㅎㅎㅎ #경희꿈한의원 #영어원서함께읽기 #freefoodformillionaires #책방79-1 @readreadtogether

#️⃣ Books with numbers in the title #️⃣ This weekend at bookclub we're taking nominations for books with numbers in the title. Here's a stack from my TBR that all have numbers in the title. What book would you nominate? . . #books #bookstack #bookatmoi #bookish #Bookshelves #shelves #freefoodformillionaires #onedaywereallgoingtodie #8livesofacenturyoldtrickster #thetenthousanddoorsofjanuary #thethreelivesofalixetpierre #bookishaesthetic #bookvibes #areaderslife #readersofig #booksofig #reader

Missing my book time, I just had to check out my stack of blue books with curiosity bubbling inside me. Snap! There they are, captured in a photo. Though my attempts at being artsy didn't quite work out, the books still shine bright. #readingwith_bee #musictoflamelilies #teething #seaofstrangers #teethingmegharao #myyearofrestandrelaxation #thebluesteyetonimorrison #lifeceremony #conveniecestorewoman #freefoodformillionaires #thebookoftomorrow #beautifulworldwhereareyou #summerbirdblue #thisishowyoulosethetimewar #tihylttw BlueBookLove #SapphireReads #OceanHuesPageTurner #AzureBookshelf #CeruleanReads #NavyNovels #IndigoInspiration #SkyBlueStories #RoyalBlueReading #DeepBlueDreams #TurquoiseTales #BlueCoverBooks #BlueSpineBooks #BlueBookCollection #BlueBookAddict

#백만장자를위한공짜음식 #이민진장편소설 #freefoodformillionaires ——— 케이시는 알고 싶었다. 인생이 마음대로 흘러가지 않는다면, 그것은 원래 그렇게 될 운명이 아니었기 때문일까, 혹은 스스로 믿음이 없기 때문일까, 혹은 내게 요구되는 노력만으로는 마음먹은 대로 갈 수 없는 것일까. ——— 열여덟 살이 되던 해부터 스물다섯 살이 될 때까지 ——그녀는 이제 곧 스물여섯이 된다——케이시는 최고급 식당부터 회원제 클럽, 뉴욕의 여러 가정을 드나들며 수많은 식탁에서 식사했지만, 마음 한구석에는 언제든 누가 와서 나가달라고 하지 않을까 하는 막연한 불안감이 있었다. 혹시 그런 일이 벌어진다 해도 나 같은 여자에게는 이런 일도 있구나 생각하고 조용히 나가는 수밖에 없지 않을까. ——— “이게 게임의 규칙이에요, 케이시. 주어진 건 손에 쥐어야 해요.“

Free Food For Millionaires 🎩 Min Jin Lee 🎩 After reading Pachinko , i needed 700 more pages by Min Jin Lee in my life. Free Food For Millionaires was Min Jin Lee’s first novel written about 10 years before Pachinko. It’s set in New York City in the 90’s and despite the length it covers a span of few years in the character’s lives. This book has sweeping themes of family, identity, loyalty and love but its also very specific to the Korean immigrant community in New York. This book is about Casey Han, who’s parents work at a laundromat on queens. Casey’s parents are Korean immigrants who have a totally different lifestyle. One day Casey gets into a fight with her dad and is kicked out by him with no place to go she maxes out her credit card all in one day by living in a fancy hotel and buying some expensive clothes. Casey is dating Jay but things turn sour between Jay and Casey when he is caught cheating finally she moves in with her friend Ella. The book branches out through Casey’s connections and her survival. 🌟🌟🌟 3/5. #read_onn #intheworldofbooks #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #americankorean #contemporaryfiction #readmorebooks #booksforlife #booksarebetterthanpeople #reading #bookstagram #reviewsofbooks #bookstagrammer #goodreads #ilovebooks

📚Free Food for Millionaires | Min Jin Lee | @grandcentralpublishing - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 📕I love Min Jin Lee’s family sagas. She brings out every little detail that might be easily missed and makes them hard to ignore, makes them most important part of the moment. She shows you exact breaking point - 📗As a daughter of Korean immigrants, Casey did everything she could to place herself in the same circle as the finance bros and rich white dudes. She had Princeton Econ degree. She fought for sought after internships and played the game as she should. That still was not enough - 📘You see the vermin oozing out of “high society” and its gate keepers. You see the real price you pay to play the game and it’s definitely not tuition. After realizing that what you experience in your own life is not so different, you just want to settle with what you have with no headache following you

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5 - I honestly feel like I need to start this review with a disclaimer, because I truly believe that Pachinko is one of the greatest novels of all time, so yes, I did have higher-than-average expectations for FFFM😅 It was a good, character-driven novel, but felt way too long! Casey, the daughter of Korean immigrants, is a recent Princeton grad trying to make a life for herself in NYC. She’s surrounded by wealth and is drawn to the lavish lifestyle, despite not being able to afford it. She relies on her network of friends, family and colleagues to navigate through her life choices, all while struggling to manage the complexities of different relationships. I fully appreciate the themes conveyed throughout the story and how well developed the characters were - Casey was just a little bit insufferable, so it was nice to get little breaks from her😂 - but the story revolves around the same ones over and over again and it ended up feeling repetitive. I personally would’ve appreciated more movement in the timeline - it was still midly entertaining, it is Min Jin Lee’s writing after all, but it’s just different than what I expected after reading Pachinko! For those of you who’ve read both, what did you think?!

📚MARCH Wrap-up📚 More carpool driving means even more reading via audiobooks--no foolin'! Month by numbers: 94% own books read 🎉 27 audio or audio/print split 🎧📖 23 books by women during Women's History Month 🚺💪🏼 10 on my shelves 5 years or more 9 Fiction 8 Mystery/Suspense/Thriller 7 ARC/Publisher gift 6 Historical Fiction 5 BOTM 4 Nonfiction 4 Magical Realism/Time travel 3 Short Story/Essay collections 2 YA 2 Memoir 1 Fantasy 1 Horror 1 Dystopian 1 Romcom 🏆 10 Random awards 🏆 😍Most beautiful cover and enchanting story: The Matchmaker's Gift 🤖🏍️Best characters: the hilarious, sociopathic robot Nurse Ratched from In the Lives of Puppets; badass, motorcycle-riding, bookstore owner/PI Nikki Griffin 📺 Great book made into great TV: Slow Horses 🥰Book that solidified my author admiration: Min Jin Lee's Free Food for Millionaires (so good and so different from Pachinko) 🍺🌵Unexpected delights: The Lager Queen of Minnesota; Death Valley 😆Worthwhile reread, just as funny and insightful as first time: Wellness 😠 Most disturbing but important: So Late in the Day 🤓Books that taught me some things: The Women, Sapiens, How to Know a Person, The Bohemians, Dust Child 😩Biggest, bizarrest disappointment: 19 Claws and a Blackbird 🐺 As good as I'd been promised: Tell the Wolves In Home; Family, Family And, that's a wrap on March! 🎬 . . . . . . 🏷️ #marchwrapup #marchbooks #marchreading #marchreads #familyfamily #thewomen #deathvalley #tellthewolvesimhome #savemefromdangerousmen #slowhorses #themadnessofcrowds #symphonyofsecrets #wellness #freefoodformillionaires #thegreatdivide #aftertheend #schroder #thematchmakersgift #threethingsaboutelsie #thelagerqueenofminnesota #sapiens #theunmakingofjunefarrow #dustchild #inthelivesofpuppets #listenforthelie #allthatismineicarrywithme #solateintheday #walkingwithsam #thebohemians #babygotbooks

🌇 Casey Han, a first-generation Korean immigrant, has done everything right. Out of her parent’s humble dry-cleaning business, she lept to an Ivy League education at Princeton and followed all the trappings of American-pie education. But after college, Casey is unsure of her future and enjoys her part-time work in the hat section of a fancy department store over business school. 🎩🎩🎩 A night of heartbreak sends Casey into a tailspin where she reconsiders a stable career in finance, a better partner, and independence in New York. We follow Casey and her inner circle over the next few years just to learn that no one’s really got it figured out. Lee’s characters have a richness and depth about them, but I wouldn’t say they’re all entirely likable. I like that tension as a reader. I suggested this one for book club because I STILL think about Pachinko (Min Jin Lee’s second novel). A review on the back cover equates this book to a modern Victorian novel. I see hints of Edith Wharton’s Age of Innocence — the social climbing, the who’s who of who’s who, new money, and old. But Free Food for Millionaires is so firmly rooted in a very specific time in New York. A time before 9/11, when you’d proudly claim working as a finance bro. Carrie Bradshaw’s New York. 🗽 This rambling caption has done little for Casey’s family and friends, who have incredibly moving subplots. Min Jin Lee’s triumph as a writer is her storyboarding and the intricate way she gives each character their unique perspective. #minjinlee #freefoodformillionaires #fiction #pachinko #victoriannovel #bookstagram #book

i’m freeeeeeeeeee ⭐️⭐️⭐️ • I have been reading Free Food for Millionaires for so long it feels like and it took me a while to read the book because it felt so depressing at times. Especially with Casey, I felt tired myself after reading her parts because even though nothing horrifying exactly happened, you didn’t really see her progress in life and I felt the stuckness she did when years went by and her mentality didn’t change. • However, I really did enjoy the book and I learned a lot from it. I think because I am in the stage where Casey is in the beginning of the book. I have a lot of the questions she had regarding what to do with her life and seeing her life and the many others around her taught me a lot about where I would like to go with my life. Which I think was the purpose of the book. • I like the ending and questions Min Jin Lee answered about the book. This is one of the books I would recommend when you feel lost, when you feel a lot of outside pressure to be something or someone you’re not. I think this book can provide that clarity and support you might need to follow what you truly want to do or go on the path to figuring out what that is for you. The book was tiring to read when you see them making the same mistakes over and over again but in a sense it provides comfort and the human experience. I have done that many times as well but when you see them mess up again and again, you realize it’s only them who can make that change and it’s them getting in the way of their own happiness and growth. Of course, there are life circumstances outside of their control but even the choices in their control, they weren’t making them true to themselves. There was a huge theme of the lack of honesty with themselves and others. It’s scary to admit what you truly want and who you truly want so I was glad to see them (very) slowly come to that realization. Min Jin Lee did a beautiful job! ••• ••• #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #literaryfiction #bookreview #booksofinstagram #lifequestions

Women’s History Month’s Feature: Min Jin Lee, Author, Journalist, and Lecturer Hello book lovers! In celebration of Women’s History Month, I would like to present to you, author, journalist, Min Jin Lee. She is a Korean American author (former lawyer) who has written novels, short stories, and essays that have garnered praise and won several awards. Her debut novel, Free Food for Millionaires was published in 2007 and was named one of the Top 10 Novels by The Times of London, NPR’s Fresh Air, and USA Today; a notable novel by the San Francisco Chronicle; and a New York Times Editor’s Choice and other awards. In January 2021, it was announced that Lee and screenwriter Alan Yang had teamed up to bring Free Food for Millionaires to Netflix as a TV series. Some of her notable works include Pachinko (2017), which was a finalist for the National Book Award, and runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize; Axis of Happiness, which won the 2004 Narrative Prize from Narrative Magazine; and Motherland which won the Peden Prize for Best Short Story. She has lectured at various universities and is currently on leave of absence for the 2023-24 academic year as the writer-in-residence at Amherst College in Massachusetts. Check out her quote about filling your mind with knowledge. #womenshistorymonth #author #journalist #lecturer #FreeFoodForMillionaires #Pachinko #NationalBookAwardFinalist #NarrativePrizeWinner #DaytonLiteraryPeacePrizeRunnerUp #PedenPrizeWinner #MinJinLee #vocalexpressions https://tinyurl.com/5a8xydap

An acquaintance said that it takes three years to fully adapt to a new city, and, as I approach that milestone in New York, I see the truth in his words. During my first winter, I leaned on the characters I encountered in books to give me comfort, alleviate the loneliness I felt. Funnily enough, those characters led me to the network of friends I have now. But it is only when I’m firmly rooted that I’m able to see Min Jin Lee’s FREE FOOD FOR MILLIONAIRES for what it is. Past me would’ve appreciated it, but present me identifies with it. I very much am Casey Han, a Korean-American thrust into a world of Manhattanite haves and have-nots, contrasted with her modest upbringing in Queens. Lee blends the nuances of class, race, and consumerism with the grandeur of a Victorian coming of age; it’s powerful to see identity, hunger, and ambition contemplated on this scale, through an immigrant lens.⁣ ⁣ Because of its specificity, I can see how MILLIONAIRES may drag on or alienate some readers. The confrontation that Casey has with her father in the first chapter clued me in on the book I was about to read: one that was unafraid to make me uncomfortable with its resonance. There’s a reason it took me a month to finish MILLIONAIRES—its plot is like watching a slow motion car crash and recognizing the people behind the wheel. But it’s also about friendship, having it all and feeling empty, losing everything and grasping at dignity. ⁣ ⁣ Casey is deeply flawed; she spends beyond her means and reduces people to what they can provide for her, while being too proud to ask for help. To write her off is the ultimate transgression. Her stubbornness makes her a loyal advocate, her shrewdness allows her to code-switch, and her frivolity drives her tenacity to survive. Her growth is to fill in the grey between these extremes. And almost every character in MILLIONAIRES will make a horrible decision, but the magic in Lee’s prose is that they somehow remind you of someone you know or are related to. Yes, this book embodies the complexities of Asian-America, but it’s nevertheless universal.

📚 Review: Free Food for Millionaires - Min Jin Lee📚 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Pages: 646 Goodreads Rating: 3.84 Swipe for blurb ➡️ While this is a really long book, it is actually a really easy read and I finished it in way less time than I’d set aside for it. The story mainly focuses on Casey and her life, trying to balance feelings around her culture and trying to fit in. As a child of immigrants to the US, some of what she grows up with doesn’t necessarily make sense to the other people around her and I think this was done very well. The only thing that had me a bit confused at the beginning was the change in perspective. Sometimes the person we are hearing from changes mid chapter or paragraph and it took some time for me to get used to. I also really couldn’t help comparing this to Pachinko which I absolutely loved. I found I understood more of the cultural references in this book making it an easier read but the story wasn’t quite as engaging as Pachinko. Overall it’s a really sweet story of a young woman trying to find her place within her family and society. - - - #readingchallenge #bookstagramAustralia #bookrecommendations #booksofinstagram #bookreview #bookclub #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee

Free Food For Millionaires by Min Jin Lee is an interesting book, I suppose that’s a bit of an odd description but it is the first word that comes to mind when I think about this. It’s a fairly long book at well over 500 pages but it doesn’t feel too long and I certainly didn’t find myself getting bored. It’s a bit of a comfort read really even though there are some unpleasant events within the storyline. It feels like how watching reruns of a sitcom you love feels. Nothing groundbreaking but nice to do, nice to just sort of have around, characters you have warmed to and are invested in. Overall I gave it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️. The books follows Casey and her attempts to navigate the world post college. We see strained family dynamics, struggles with romantic relationships, and doubts and hesitations over career choices. Everything that happens is essentially very believable and therefore relatable. The book is very well written with well developed characters through whom we see the importance of developing our own sense of identity and forging our own path and not blindly following that set out for us by others. Have you read this? It’s not a book I have really seen on Bookstagram but I think it definitely deserves to be hyped. #FreeFoodForMillionaires #ComingOfAge #literaryfiction #MinJinLee #debutnovel #femaleauthorsrock #ComingOfAgeBook #igreads #bookrecs #bookblogger #BookReviewersofInsta #BookPhotography #bookishcommunity #booklover #GreatReads #BookishPhoto #NewYorkBooks #readeveryday #ReadMoreWomen #bestsellingauthor #readercommunity #SupportBookstagrammers #LoveReading #LoveReadingBooks #BookLoversOfInstagram #Reader #MomsWhoRead #DoctorsWhoRead #DebutBook #bookfluencer

How can I NOT pick this book up when the description reads “Queens-bred daughter of Korean immigrants, who is addicted to a glamorous Manhattan lifestyle she cannot afford…” this was a 660 page novel I kept thinking why is this book so long til the last 1/3 of the book. After reading all those pages I kind of wanted the story to keep going. I was bit annoyed with so many different storylines but somehow all made sense at the end. I couldn’t 100 percent relate to any one character; yet was able to relate to all at some level. Definitely different than the first book I read by the same author ( #pachinko) and enjoyed it just as much. #minjinleebooks #freefoodformillionaires #book1of2024📖 📚

just a little showcase of my favourite free bin finds <3 — i love getting books secondhand because i love the idea of giving a story a second life. especially the more well loved copies like the copy i have of The Secret History pictured here, it feels a little intimate doesn’t it? im hold pages that have been held, reading words that have been read by someone else and we’ll never know each other. ill never know how they felt about this quote, was this page dog eared intentionally or by accident? has this book laid on their chest as they fell asleep, just like it lays on my chest now? it’s all a little romantic isn’t it? — comment a book you wish you could meet for the first time again :) — #books #bookstagram #bookstore #reading #bookstagramer #bookcommunity #readingcommunity #bookclub #booktok #bookreview #nyc #filipino #bookshelf #reading #readinglist #bookrecommendation #booksbooksbooks #booklover #read #readerlife📖 #reading #readreadread #thesecrethistory #donnatartt #littlefireseverywhere #celesteng #tenderistheflesh #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #mexicangothic #aportraitoftheartistasayoungman

"L'excellence n'est pas toujours un cadeau." Après le grand succès de Pachinko, voici le nouveau roman de Min Jin Lee. La famille Han est en réalité son premier roman. Cette fois-ci, l'intrigue se déroule aux États-Unis. Casey Han est la fille aînée d'immigrés coréens, élevée dans le Queens, dans le respect des traditions et valeurs de ses parents, qui se sont sacrifiés pour offrir des études à leurs 2 filles et un bel avenir. Casey ne rêve que d'une chose, faire partie de la haute société new-yorkaise. Mais son père n'a d'ambition que pour elle qu'elle termine ses études. Après avoir terminé ses études à Princeton, elle refuse de faire son droit à Columbia. N'ayant plus d'avenir professionnel, ni travail ni argent, rejetée par son père, il va devenir compliqué d'accéder à ses désirs... Un roman dense de près de 800 pages, richement illustré de l'avenir d'une jeune femme qui veut être libre, tout en étant confrontée à la réalité. Profiter de la vie sans compter, ne plus avoir de dettes, ne dépendre de personne, la route est longue et pleine d'obstacles. Une épopée sur quelques années dans la société coréenne, ancrée dans ses traditions, le poids de la respectabilité qui pèse sur chacun d'eux, la réputation qui doit être préservée. Des valeurs qui peuvent être en totale contradiction avec la société actuelle et son désir d'intégration. Une chouette lecture que je vous recommande. Avez-vous lu Pachinko ou la famille Han, ou les 2 ? #lafamillehan #pachinko #minjinlee #premierroman #freefoodformillionaires #harpercollinsfrance #nationalbookaward #harpercollinspoche #bookreader #bookaddict #bookstagram #chroniquelitteraire #avislivresque #avislivres #bookaddiction #booklimique #booklover #bookreader #instaread #instabook #instalire #lecture #lectureaddict #lectureaddiction #livreaddict #livrestagram #instacat #catstagramcat #bookstacat #princesse

Free Food for Millionaires has been on my radar ever since I read Pachinko, which is one of my all time faves❤️ I recently added it as a bonus to my BOTM order after seeing @kourtsbooknook post about it and the time has finally come to read it! Any other Min Jin Lee fans out there?🙋‍♀️

#이민진 #백만장자를위한공짜음식1 #인플루엔셜 #minjinlee #freefoodformillionaires

⭐️⭐️ Free Food For Millionaires Min Jin Lee 645 pages DNF, not feeling it 😑 . ‘Casey Han’s four years at Princeton gave her many things, but no job and a number of bad habits.’ . From the author of Pachinko comes and an absolute epic, which was ultimately just a bit long and drawn out for me. When I kept getting distracted thinking this book could have been trimmed down to make it more dramatic I knew it was time. Very promising start following Casey Han, the daughter of Korean immigrants. She has just finished at Princeton with a degree in economics but no job and an addiction to things she cannot afford. First published in 2007. I hope you still don’t mind hearing about the DNFs. There are too many good books in the world so I don’t feel an obligation to finish them all! . #thephrasebook #auskiwibooksta #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #bookstagram #reading

𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 Free Food For Millionaires by Min Jin Lee I read Lee’s Pachinko last year, a sweeping, historical, family saga, and really enjoyed her character driven style of telling a history and little did I know she had a backlist. Free Food for Millionaires was her debut and it follows a group of Korean women in New York City, think K Drama meets Sex in the City meets Lit Fic. It’s both maudlin and real. The characters in this are just entering real adulthood, some are talking marriage, some are looking at career paths and some are listless and lost. The book journeys through these tumultuous early years as each woman discovers the joy and agony of their decisions. There is a ton of character study and growth, like any naive twenty something these characters often behave badly, selfishly and with great abandon, each one of them is forging a path forward differently. I was completely enthralled and invested in each journey, Lee offers enough juice to keep it soapy and entertaining while making it deeply relatable. As the book turns from frivolity to real deep seeded issues like infidelity, debt, children, parents and the like the characters mature and grow with the story, adulthood is hard and this book highlights those realizations. If you enjoyed books like The Interestings, Another Brooklyn, or Swing Time this would be a perfect fit. 4.25★

Is mid-February too late to be posting my 24 in 2024 list? I started compiling this mega tbr back in December, but I’ve been extra indecisive lately, so it’s taken me a minute to get it finalized. ✨ My 24 in 2024 list is made up of four classics, ten nonfiction titles and 10 fiction. Since we’re partway through the year, I’ve read a few. Last year I barely read 10 off my 23 in 2023 list, so I’m hoping to do better this year. ✨ Have y’all decided to pick 24 books to read in 2024? Do you organize your list in a particular way, or is it all gut-feeling? ✨

“Well, this was unexpectedly wonderful! 📘 I admit that I approached Free Food for Millionaires with a bit of scepticism, as I didn’t think anything would live up to the brilliance of Packinko! The plot, following Casey Han through her 20s in modern New York City, seemed far removed from the multi-generational historic epic I adored. However, I was so wrong. This story was multi-generational, it had an exquisite cast of characters, and I could have read another 562 pages of it! Whilst the parallels to Pachinko are few (the length and the occasional cultural reference), this was a great novel in its own right. 🗽 I loved the fraught relationship Casey had with her parents, especially her mother. Her relationships were well fleshed out and complicated, and every character she interacts with gets their own back story. And I even had a love-hate relationship with Casey herself (which is why I’ve chosen the book for Bad Women Book Club this March)! Korean cultural expectations and modern America combine in this coming-of-age debut!” - Steph 💸 #betterreadthandead #betterreadbookshop #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #staffpick #brtdbookreview #books #bookstagram

📚 january reads A busy month filled with quality reads. I am working my way through some Ishiguro novels and now that I’m 4 books in, I get why the two pictured here are widely read, but I’d argue they are maybe less compelling than some of his other novels. I have to think on that some more though, and I want to read a few others to fine tune my thinking. The Centre gave me what I’m looking for in South Asian lit and it was a really fun reading experience. It’s not necessarily well executed, but I am here for anyone writing into new ideas and playing with a mash of ideas in new and interesting ways. Free Food for Millionaires is fantastic and I’m so grateful this book exists. On to February!

RED STACK for Chinese New Year 🧧 (also known as Lunar New Year) ✨ In case you’ve been seeing red and gold everywhere, particularly in shops, yes it is time to prepare to say bye to the Year of the Rabbit 🐰 and hello to the Year of the Dragon 🐉!! I love this time of year because it forces me to clean the house from top to bottom 😂 getting into every corner, sweeping the dust away from doors, washing windows and getting into the nooks and crannies of the house. It’s a way to sweep out the old and dusty to welcome new energy, and it always feels like I’m letting go of some things emotionally too. In this red stack are: 1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone Minalima edition 2. Spice Road by Maiya Ibrahim. An Arabian inspired fantasy set in an enchanting world of tea magic and desert monsters. 3. Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee. An inter generational fiction about the Korean-American community set against the backdrop of New York society. What is your ritual to prepare for a culturally significant occasion? ✨ #redbooks #bookstack #lunarnewyear #harrypotter #spiceroad #freefoodformillionaires #bookstagram #red

다양한 사람들의 모습 속에서 30대, 지금의 나를 생각하게 하는. 한국계 미국인 이민자 2세의 삶을 넘어 인간으로서 혼란 속 극복을 응원하게 되는. 책👏🏻 #이민진 #백만장자를위한공짜음식 #freefoodformillionaires 화려한 실패가 안전보다 낫다. -1권, p.323 인간을 판단할 때 그녀의 눈은 틀리는 법이 없었다. 눈빛은 사람의 인격을 모두 드러낸다. 성공한 직물상이었던 사빈의 아버지는 얼굴을 넘어 그 속을 잘 들여다보아야 한다고, 그것이 가능하다고 기르쳤다. 누군가를 친구로 삼기 전에 아주 오랜 시간 지켜보아야 한다고 가르쳤다. 그녀의 아버지에게 친구로 삼을 만한 사람은 드물었다. 모든 사람이 친구가 될수는 없다. 그는 인기 많은 사람을 보고 코웃음 쳤다. ”세상 사람들이 다 좋아하는 사람은 좋은 연인이 될 수 없는 법이지.“ 말은 중요하지 않다. 상황이 중요하다. 아버지는 말했다. 절박할 때 어떻게 행동하는지를 보아야 한다. 그것이 그 인간의 본질이다. 아버지는 경고했다. -1권, p.324 엘라, 테드, 델리아, 아빠의 건물, 티나의 인턴 자리와 결혼. 인생은 무너지거나, 융합되고 있었다. 그녀는 새로운 일에 도전하고 있었다. 지금 이 순간 이후 자신에게 어떤 인생이 펼쳐질지 상상하기는 어려웠다. 케이시는 동생에게 또다시 새로운 일에 도전한다고 말할 수 없었다. 또다시 실패할지도 모르니까. -1권, p.3?? 사랑했던 사람을 기억한다느 것은 묘한 일이다. 망가지지 않은 과거를 떠올리면서 그런 추억을 통해 가삼속의 엄연한 어둠을 조금이나마 밝힐 수도 있지만, 때로는 상처의 기억이 오롯이 그림자를 드리우고 끈질기게 떠나지 않는 이런저런 질문들로 머릿속을 어지럽힌다. -1권, p.360 서로에게 이런 관심을 주는 사람들은 거의 없다. 누군가에게 관심을 준다는 것은, 또한 주어진 시간에 최대한의 배려를 그 사람에게 보여준다는 것은, 그 어떤 물건보다 더 소중했다. -1권, 케이시는 알고 싶었다. 인생이 마음대로 흘러가지 않는다면, 그것은 원래 그렇게 될 운명이 아니었기 때문일까, 혹은 스스로 믿음이 없기 때문일까. 혹은 내게 요구되는 노력만으로는 마음먹은대로 흘러 갈 수 없는 것일까. ”인생은 복잡한 일투성이이고, 모든 걸 혼자해낼 수 있는 사람은 없어, 케이시. 굳이 그 길을 선택한다면 너무나 느리게 한 걸음 한 걸음 가지 않을 수 없단 말이다.“ ”사장님은 혼자 하셨잖아요.“ 케이시는 이제 소리 지르고 있었다. ”무슨 말도 안되는 소리냐. 날 도와준 건 한두 사람이 아니야.“ -2권, p.171 ”어떤 면에서 대단하지 않아?“ 그는 물었다. ”자기가 주관적으로, 객관적으로 가치있는 뭔가 만들어냈다고 생각하는 거이 자기들의 시가 남들이 훔치고 싶을 만큼 훌륭하다고 믿는 거잖아.“ -2권, p.??? ”어떤 사람이 고르는 아내는 그 사람의 개인적인 자아와 사회적인 자아를 비추는 거울과 같아. 그 사람이 자기 자신을 어떻게 바라보는지 알려주지.“ -2권, p.246 ”난 이런 걸 쓰면 영 이상하다니까요.“ 헤이즐은 모자를 쓸 때 목을 밀대처럼 꼿꼿하게 세우곤 했다. ”무슨 말씀이세요. 자기 모습을 직접 보세요. 괜찮아요. 보면 괜찮다니까요.“ 케이시는 부드럽게 말했다. 자신의 모습에 감탄하지 않으려는 것이 그녀로서는 약간 어리둥절했다. -2권, p.455 ”어른으로 산다는 건 생각보다 힘든 일인 것 같아.“그는 말했다. ”장난 아니야.“ 둘다 키들키들 웃었다. -2권, p.??? ”케이시, 너한테는 부족한게 없어.“ ”난 남의 집 손님방에서 지내고 있고, 가진 물건이라고는 슈트케이스 하나에 몽땅 집어넣을 정도야. 당신도 마찬가지잖아.“ 은우는 꿈쩍도 하지 않았다. ”지금 잠시 그런 것 뿐이야. 난 그게 창피하지 않아. 난 지금껏 다른 사람들을 많이 도왔어.“ -2권, p.467 마지막페이지

Hasard d’internet et de l’algorithme, je découvre avec deux semaines d’avance la parution prochaine de La Famille Han de Min Jin Lee en poche, et avec un an de retard la publication de cette chronique dans le Monde des Livres! #premieroman #traductionlittéraire #litteratureetrangere #minjinlee #freefoodformillionaires #pachinko #bookstagram

-보고만 있어도 좋은 것 오랜만에 교보 산책. #역시책은종이책 #책스타그램 #나폴레옹 #보통이하의것들 #만남이음악이된순간그역사 #파견자들_김초엽 #이탈리안홀리데이 #알레스카샌더스사건 #베르베르씨오늘은뭘쓰세요 #허즈번드시크릿 #백만장자를위한공짜음식 #선넘은여자들 Une pomenade culturelle. #joeldicker #leeminjin #napoleon #freefoodformillionaires #linfraordinaire #affairealaskasanders #italianholiday #lianemoriarty . #EJ의서울라이프 #보물일상 #패션유튜버 #옷을요리하는여자 #01162024EJ #EJsSeoulLife #fashioncook #fashionyoutuber

Recent Reads It’s cold out there, and perfect weather for reading. Tom Lake- LOVED! This was my first Ann Patchett and I’m looking forward to reading more. Nostalgic, simple and deep, and beautiful. I loved the structure of a mother telling her daughters the story of one summer long ago, with added parts that she reflects on to herself. This would be a great one to read next summer or if you’re wanting to warm-up during these cold winter days, pick it up right now!! I’m now off to read Our Town! The Secret Garden- I did not adore this re-read. The Yorkshire dialect got in my way a bit (it was much easier on audio which is where I started it). And the wholesomeness was a bit tainted by the simple message of, if you believe hard enough you can be well again. Free Food for Millionaires- Really Liked! This book was long, depressing and highly readable. Min Jin Lee can write complex characters with the flick of a wrist and even if you don’t love Casey, you’re still somehow rooting for her. I was definitely a bit shocked by parts of this one and I usually don’t like books with unhappy marriages, but I’ll make an exception for this modern Victorian novel set in New York. It felt like I was looking inside the windows of everyone’s apartments, seeing it all unfold in front of me. A Lady’s Guide to Scandal- LOVED! I adored Irwin’s first book and this one did not disappoint. This is perfect for those Regency lovers that don’t usually read a lot of romance but love the witty banter, complex social dynamics and glances across the dance floor. The plot was a little contrived, but I am absolutely willing to suspend belief for the crackling tension and moments of shock it provides. #januaryreads #allthebooks #annpatchett #tomlake #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #thesecretgarden #classiclit #aladysguidetoscandal #booksbooksbooks #allthebooks #winterreads #canadianbookstagram

Not as good as Pachinko, but enjoyable. 📚 #bookstagram #bookaddict #booklove #bookworm #booknerd #bibliophile #FreeFoodForMillionaires #fiction #readallthethings #ebook #alwaysreading #literacy #getLITerature #ilovereading #library #idratherbereading #readallday #bookish #booklover #readersofinstagram #books #readersofig

🎠 Free food for Millionaires 💸 I was lucky to attend a talk by Min Jin Lee, the author of this book, in person. She was eloquent, quick-witted, and very much like a scholar or a professor in both how she talks and how she researches and writes her book it turns out. Some parts of the book oddly reminded me of <>, a book-turned-movie also based in NYC and a shopaholic (who’d have guessed) with enormous card debt. If I remember correctly, both protagonists even put their credit cards into the fridge to refrain from using them. But there was one very natural yet important difference - this book is centered around Korean-Americans. Many of them. All different and unique in their own ways, all flawed, some rich some poor, some more beautiful than others, but all human. It portrayed deeply realistic, deeply embedded Korean characteristics that I absolutely hate but cannot ignore. In some ways, this book helped me to unlearn some of those values as well. I wish this was made in a TV series because it’ll be far more interesting than Gossip Girl. Xoxo 💋 “You have to take what’s offered.” “How quickly you got your food revealed the likelihood of achieving your goals.”

📚1월의 책 📚 <백만장자를 위한 공짜음식/이민진> 나 이민진 작가 ✍🏻 넘 좋아한다😍 파친코 이후 이거 읽고 싶었는데 겨울이라 산에도 자주 못가고 집콕엔 👍🏻 이제 이민진 작가 책이 나란히 책꽂이에 🥳📚 요즘 다 싫고 , 귀찮고 , 우울한데 기분 좀 좋아짐 Thanks 😘🛍️고맙게 잘 읽겠습니다! 영문판도 부탁 좀 🥰해요🙏🏻 #백만장자를위한공짜음식 #이민진 #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #pachinko #bigfan📚💖 #books#📚#✍🏻#📖 #diaspora#책#겨울#집콕엔책 #1월#인플루엔셜 #책 @lee_minjin 😘

Didn't make it to 40 books this year but surpassed my 30 book target! 🎉🎉 Here are my top 3 from 2023: #stilllife #sarahwinman #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #thenighttiger #yangszechoo First book for 2024 is for book club with the genre "Worst Rated on Goodreads", clearly in for a treat with that one! #bookrecommendations #readinglist #bookstagram

5 star reads of 2023. I read 64 books this year and only these 5 were given 5 stars. So when I say these books are good, I SO mean it.

Book 62, 2023: Free Food For Millionaires by Min Jin Lee #bookstagram #readinglife #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee

What I brought on vacation. #bookstagram #books #eileen #thewretchedoftheearth #voicesofthenakba # #freefoodformillionaires

Book 81 of 2023, 132 together! Free Food For Millionaires by @lee_minjin . . . #sirreggiethecorgi #ladytillythecorgi #reggiereads #tillyreads #corgi #corgipuppy #corgiofinstagram #instapuppy #instadaily #corgireads #corgilove #pembrokewelshcorgi #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #book #reading

“History has failed us, but no matter.” “I’m not interested in fairness. And your God doesn’t seem interested in fairness when He gives out talent. I see mediocrity or ambition most of the time. You have talent, but no ambition. That’s why you’re stuck here.” Read these big babies in 2023 and got over my fear of big books! these didn't put me into a slump, I thoroughly enjoyed Min Jin Lee’s work & can’t wait for her third novel “American hagwon”, which might take a decade but I’ll wait, it's worth it✨ #bigbook #pachinko #minjinlee #freefoodformillionaires #reading #2023 #reads

READING BLUE (colouring my bookshelf part VI) Probably my favourite 🔟 selection so far… There are some amazing books and authors I would recommend. Addie LaRue is a gorgeously written book, Small Pleasures was an enjoyable quick lit fic read, Stuart Turton has fast become one of my favourite authors, and of course SJM every time… I’m particularly excited to read The Song of Achilles, Shrines of Gaiety and Under the Whispering Door. 💙🩵 📖 Small Pleasures by Clare Chambers 📖 Gwen and Art Are Not in Love by Lex Croucher 📖 The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton 📖 Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune 📖 Alone With You in the Ether by Olivie Blake 📖 Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson 📖 The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 📖 House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas 📖 The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab 📖 Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee #smallpleasures #gwenandartarenotinlove #thedevilandthedarkwater #underthewhisperingdoor #alonewithyouintheether #shrinesofgaiety #thesongofachilles #houseofskyandbreath #sarahjmaas #crescentcity #theinvisiblelifeofaddielarue #veschwab #freefoodformillionaires #books #literaryfiction #bookstagram #bookstoread #reading #yafiction

📚December Book of the Month📚 Since it is December I guess I felt like it was appropriate to go ahead and gift myself the maximum 5 books allowed per month through Book of the Month club! This months choices are: ✨The Unmaking of June Farrow✨ by Adrienne Young (Chosen for an online author event in January with Chapters & Chats. Hosted by Kelly @kellyhook.readsbooks and Ivana @beachesbooksnbubbles) ✨The Last Love Note✨ by Emma Grey (Also chosen for an online author event with Chapter & Chats hosted by Kelly & Ivana taking place in February) ✨The Storm We Made✨ by Vanessa Chan (Main selection, chosen because historical fiction is my favorite genre and this one sounded like something I haven’t read before) ✨Again and Again✨ by Jonathan Evison (Picked because I saw this local author at an author event with @jamieford earlier this year and found him to be a great storyteller in person but have not read any of his books yet) ✨Free Food for Millionaires✨ by Min Jin Lee (Grabbed this modern day classic because I enjoyed Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko so much) 🤦🏻‍♀️With the addition of these 5 BOTM books my new count of unread BOTM books is 58! Hoping to get to more of them in 2024! 💬 If you are a BOTM member, what were some of your favorite books that you read from your subscription this year? ❤️Happy December Reading❤️ ~Jill #theunmakingofjunefarrow #thelastlovenote #thestormwemade #againandagain #freefoodformillionaires #adrienneyoung #emmagrey #vanessachan #jonathanevison #minjinlee #botm #bookofthemonthclub #botmpicks #decemberbotm #bookofthemonth #bookofthemonthbox #pnwreader #tbrbooks #bookstoread #tbr #readinginthepnw #bookofthemonthpicks #tbrstackofbooks #alwaysreading

🎠 Free food for Millionaires 💸 I was lucky to attend a talk by Min Jin Lee, the author of this book, in person. She was eloquent, quick-witted, and very much like a scholar or a professor in both how she talks and how she researches and writes her book it turns out. Some parts of the book oddly reminded me of <>, a book-turned-movie also based in NYC and a shopaholic (who’d have guessed) with enormous card debt. If I remember correctly, both protagonists even put their credit cards into the fridge to refrain from using them. But there was one very natural yet important difference - this book is centered around Korean-Americans. Many of them. All different and unique in their own ways, all flawed, some rich some poor, some more beautiful than others, but all human. It portrayed deeply realistic, deeply embedded Korean characteristics that I absolutely hate but cannot ignore. In some ways, this book helped me to unlearn some of those values as well. I wish this was made in a TV series because it’ll be far more interesting than Gossip Girl. Xoxo 💋 “You have to take what’s offered.” “How quickly you got your food revealed the likelihood of achieving your goals.”

‘Free Food for Millionaires’ by Min Jin Lee 📚 “A spectacular failure was better than safety.” FINALLY, I can say I’ve finished this book. At 661 pages, this chunk-o took me exactly a month to get through. Worth it? I’m still deciding. ‘FFFM’ follows Casey Han, a young twenty-something New Yorker from a Korean immigrant family as she navigates life after university & tries to keep her head above water in Manhattan. While entertaining at points, this novel didn’t quite hit the mark for me. It is sweeping & told through omniscient narration - a nod to the Victorian novels that inspired Min Jin Lee. With this type of narration, we hear the thoughts & motivations of all the characters. And in this book there are A LOT of characters. There is excruciating details of their day-to-day lives, yet oddly enough I found myself wanting more of a fleshing out of other matters such as how certain relationships progressed (ex. Casey & Ella). So much happened off the page that I found myself disconnected from all the characters & found I didn’t “know” them enough - and as an individual who loves character-driven stories, you can bet that I want to feel connected to at least one of them in a 500+ pager! Having said this, I did really enjoy the parts of this novel that showcased the Korean American experience in New York & I felt that I learned a lot from that. My favourite part about this book was actually the 10-year anniversary preface. Min Jin Lee’s journey to becoming an author is remarkable & truly inspiring - after reading her preface, I felt like I could go out & do anything. I also found myself completely immersed in the excerpt for ‘Pachinko’, & could already tell from the four short chapters provided that I will likely prefer it over ‘FFFM’. So while this particular novel didn’t blow me away, I am still looking forward to more from Min Jin Lee. As always, I have the @fictionmatters book club to thank for a wonderful discussion on this one - the majority of our group really enjoyed it, so I encourage others to try it out for themselves! #freefoodformillionaires #bookreview #bigbooks #fictionmattersbookclub #contemporaryfiction #pachinko #inspiringauthors

REVIEW | Free Food For Millionaires, by Min Jin Lee. IN A SENTENCE: Mid-20s Casey Han has an Ivy League degree and a rich white boyfriend, but she can’t stop clothes shopping, find a job, or win her father’s respect. READ IF: You’re in a slump, seeking summer reading, a fan of Pachinko, or want your next book to delight and enthral. SHAKAS: 🤙🤙🤙🤙 LONGER: Millionaire’s first line and central thesis—competence is a curse—reveals what looks on its surface to be a glittery, glamorous, Wall Street caper as the truly heartful story of ambition, loyalty, pride, debt and family it is: this is both a brilliantly entertaining book and a beautiful work of craft. Lee toiled for 13 years over this debut (the predecessor and, in my view, complement to her smash hit Pachinko—Millionaires is similarly multigenerational Korean immigrants, this time in 1990s Queens), and the care is evident: this is a delightfully detailed, rewarding, rich book. Characters are nuanced and complex and even the bad guys are deeply likeable (a third-person perspective that zooms in frequently works well here); Casey’s fondness for fashion, millinery and literature get satisfyingly specific and lively descriptions, and the author is unafraid to push her characters around and end a scene on action. The writing is presentational; clear and direct, much like our characters. I was glued to this, and finished its 700 pages in a (very busy) fortnight. It’s funny, engrossing, and smart. Critiques are: for all its energy, this is not a plot-driven book—we drift through incidents; the writing feels more like tv episodes than a cohesive novel (I am THRILLED it’s being developed for Netflix; that will work). Some members of our ensemble cast aren’t well fleshed-out and their motivations unclear or actions feel unbelievable. But who cares! It’s a caper! We’re going to live forever! Let’s get a town car to the golf course and expense a lobster. Books like Millionaires, simply, make me love reading. I adored this. #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee

| 𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗠 𝗕𝗢𝗢𝗞𝗠𝗔𝗜𝗟 💌💙📦⁣ ⁣ My December BOTM box finally arrived after a slight delay! I had a free book this month because of my birthday & because I skipped last month, I decided to get 3 books! ⁣ ⁣ I went with 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴 because I love The Nutcracker & am excited to see what this take is like...I know it's a darker version, but I love reading retellings & haven't read any different versions of The Nutcracker yet. ⁣ I also selected 2 older books that I've had my eye on for a while - 𝘍𝘳𝘦𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘴 & 𝘔𝘺 𝘍𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘯𝘯𝘢.⁣ ⁣ ⁣ 👉 If you are a #BOTM member, what did you get this month? If you don't subscribe, do you have any book box subscriptions?⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #bookofthemonth #bluebox #botmpicks #TheKingdomOfSweets #FreeFoodForMillionaires #MyFriendAnna #bookblogger #bookinfluencer #booksbooksbooks #bookishpost #holidaydecor #alwaysreading #alwayswithabook # #k2reader ⁣

“네 나이 때 나는 길거리에서 김밥 장사를 했다. 내가 파는 음식이었지만 단 한 입도. 한 입도 먹어볼 여유가 없었어.” p.020 “겁이 날수록 주인처럼 당당하게 걸어 다녀야 해.” p.150 “웃긴 건 이 사무실에는 연봉이 무려 일곱 자리나 되는 사람들도 있는데, 그런 백만장자들이 누구보다 앞장서서 접시를 채운다는 거에요. 부자들은 공짜라면 사족을 못 쓰거든요.“ p.162 “어른으로 산다는 건 생각보다 힘든 일인 것 같아.” 2권 p.466 1993년 미국, 한인 가족의 맏딸 케이시는 이제 막 대학을 졸업했습니다. 변변한 직업도 목표도 없는 케이시를 아버지는 한심하게 여깁니다. 한국전쟁을 겪은 세대인 보수적인 아버지와 저녁식탁에서 갈등을 겪다가 폭발한 그날 밤, 케이시는 집을 나옵니다. 한국인으로써 남부끄럽지 않게 성공해야 한다는 큰 틀 안에서 케이시는 그 틀을 깨부수고서라도 자아를 찾고 싶습니다. 주변에 성공한 또래 이민세대 친구들 및 여동생을 보면 한없이 스스로가 초라해보입니다. 깨어진 사랑과 보수적인 부모, 위태로운 경제력, 그 모든 것의 위기로부터 벗어나서 케이시는 오롯이 일어날 수 있을까요. 그녀의 가장 큰 장점은 이 모든 약점들에도 불구하고 꺾이지 않는 마음 이라고 생각합니다. 상대방이 자신을 무시하거나 조롱하면 당차게 대응할줄도 압니다. 나의 존엄을 스스로 지킬 줄 아는 여성이라는 것이죠. 그래서 책을 읽으면서 그녀와 함께 하는 여정이 매우 즐겁습니다. 이 책에는 사랑 때문에 울고 웃는 인물들이 등장합니다. 때로는 가해자로, 때로는 피해자로, 때로는 죄의식으로. 고구마처럼 답답할때도 있었지만 인생이라는게 감정이라는게 늘 사이다일 수는 없다고 생각해요. 참 다양한 사연들이 녹아있고 호흡도 길어요. ‘파친코’의 이민진 작가가 2007년 처음으로 발표한 소설입니다. 파친코도 매우 훌륭했지만 개인적으로는 이 소설이 더 재밌네요. 미국에서 살고 온전히 흡수되고 싶지만 언제나 뼛속깊이 새겨져있는 한국인이라는 DNA 때문에 갈등을 겪는 케이시의 모습에서 이민세대의 고충이 느껴졌습니다. 냉혹한 자본주의 미국사회에서 부모세대는 허리띠를 졸라가며 금욕적인 삶을 살았지만 케이시는 그렇게 살 수가 없습니다. 겉모습으로 사람을 판단하는 세상에서 보여주기식의 삶을 포기하기란 어렵습니다. 그리고 자신의 욕구도 삶에서 빠트릴 수가 없습니다. 섬세한 표현력과 흡입력, 등장인물들의 생생한 캐릭터, 가독성 모두 좋았습니다. 타국에서 뿌리내는 다양한 한국인들의 이야기가 궁금하다면 읽어보세요. 무엇보다도 벽돌책 매니아인 저로서는 두꺼운 책이라 더 좋았어요. 한권에 500 페이지 가까이 되는데 무려 두 권 짜리라니! 작가는 현재 ‘한국인 디아스포라 3부작’의 완격작을 집필 중이고 합니다. 매우 기대되네요. #백만장자를위한공짜음식 #이민진 #인플루엔셜 #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #소설 #독서후기 #북스타그램

Behold the birthday book haul 🎉 My folks and various friends and fam often gift me vouchers and money to spend at bookshops since I AM actually kinda hard to buy for - I guess I own a lot and I’ve read a lot. But I always very much appreciate getting to add more to my growing pile! A few new releases - The Reformatory by Tananarive Due has been getting quite a bit of buzz and bonus, it’s out in B-format here already which is pleasing to me. I had to get Day by Michael Cunningham, because his books are beautiful and generally a hit for me. But the Girl is by Australian writer Jessica Zhan Mei Yu; it’s been highly praised by @brandonlgtaylor AND it’s Sylvia Plath adjacent in terms of plot, so. A no brainer. I was excited to find a Siri Hustvedt novel I don’t own yet, and I recall someone telling me that Light Years by James Salter was an enduring favourite of theirs - both swiftly came home with me. Free Food for Millionaires has been on my wish-list since it first came out - it felt right to pick up this nice new paperback version! Same again for The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin. I can’t go past a New York novel, and though I was initially worried about the fantasy element, I’ve been assured that it’s easy to consume and most importantly, you can read it perfectly well as a stand alone in case I don’t feel like following it up with the second book. Et voilà, there we have it! Any here you’ve enjoyed or want to read?

December hopefuls ❄️ Here it is, my December TBR! Having finished only 1 book in November, I’m keeping my expectations low for this month. I was meant to finish ‘Free Food for Millionaires’ last month for Fiction Matters Book Club, but the 600+ pager got the best of me. Once I’ve finished, I’ll move on to ‘Moon of the Crusted Snow’ for this month’s book club, followed by ‘Into the Great Solitude’, a recommendation from my dad. That’ll bring me to 25 books for the year, which was the goal I set for myself for 2023. I’m so excited about December & plan on spending most of it soaking in the holiday season with family - something about the end of the year always makes me feel so happy 🥰What are you most looking forward to this month? #decembertbr #decembertoremember #decemberbaby #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #moonofthecrustedsnow #waubgeshigrice #intothegreatsolitude #robertperkins #fictionmattersbookclub #bookclubs #bookclubreads #endoftheyear #tbrpile #toberead #whatimreading #currentlyreading #noseinabook #bookworm #nevernotreading #bookstack #readinggoals

🍁 ℕ𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕞𝕓𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕣𝕒𝕡 𝕌𝕡 🍁 I think everyone agrees, Nov felt like it passed by in five days. How I read so much, who knows! Lots of books not so many reviews so here we go! ✨ Iron Flame, I read it. ✨ #FreeFoodforMillionaires I liked a lot. Like Pachinko, I think you have to have patience and be into following the characters & tiny happenings that sum up a big life, not a fast paced pow read but I love her writing how it is! ✨Rouge was weird. Cool if you wanna feel uncomfy. ✨Looved the vibes I got from #TheUnmakingofJuneFarrow #TheDissapearanceofAstridBricard will be out Jan 30th! Great historical fiction! ✨ #SJTilly is everythingggg & I love King & Dom!! Hans is coming out soon!!!! I’m glad I gave into the hype and read #OneDarkWindow & #TwoTwistedCrowns , perfect fall reads & something different from a lot of the fantasy I’ve read! Absolutely loved! ✨ I ranted about my perfect day reading #TheHousemaid & I loved it!! So so much fun reading it!! ✨ Also finished Courting Samira & reading Of Mice & Men as a buddy read! 💕💕💕💕💕 That was all longer than I expected but swiiipppeee for my #jenreadsalattemustreads for the month! 💕💕💕💕💕💕 I had to pick 3, these were all too good not to recommend! You get a little spice (ok lots of spice like hottt), fantasy or thriller here! I posted previously about all 3, if you’re in a funk or looking for something you know will be great - these are it!! Check back on my previous posts this month if you’re interested! #wrapup #mustread #fallbooks #bookstagram

📚November Reads📚 I read 15 books in November, including several very long books (Wellness, Free Food for Millionaires and Grant) and a few shorties (Morisaki Bookstore, Open Throat, Kill Show). I read four books from the Aspen Words longlist, and a few from the NBA longlist (that I think should have made the shortlist!), and am looking forward to rounding out my reading year to cross off a few more 2023 releases before the new year! Superlatives: Best overall, and best relationship book: Wellness Weirdest Little Book: Open Throat Best generational story and Under-the-Radar Gem: A Council of Dolls Best short stories (always enhanced by the #reluctantshortstoryreader crew): Holler, Child Best Book Club Discussion (with @fictionmatters) and Best New York novel: Free Food for Millionaires Best Cover and best dual perspective: The Berry Pickers Best near-future/dystopian: Land of Milk and Honey Beat book in translation: Days at the Morisaki Bookshop Best (and most incredibly thorough…) biography: Grant (1,000+ pages!!!) Worst Protagonist and Most Cringe (but that was the point): The Laughter #wellness #openthroat #acouncilofdolls #hollerchild #freefoodformillionaires #theberrypickers #landofmilkandhoney #daysofthemorisakibookshop #grant #thelaughter #youagain #killshow #whathappenedtoruthyramirez #whentryingtoreturnhome #wintering #aspenwordsbookclub #aspenwordsliteraryprize #oprahsbookclub #fictionmatters #fmbookclub

I’ve been on a roll with recent @fictionmatters book club pics and recs recently, and Free Food for Millionaires was no exception this month. Pachinko was a five star read for me, and this one came close! Free Food for Millionaires opens with our main character, Casey, being kicked out of her home after continued disputes over how to live as a Korean American and physical violence towards her. She is young and broke with dreams of a posh lifestyle and we watch her try to obtain that. We also learn a lot more about her parents and friends as they navigate the immigrant experience in NYC. Class, race, loyalty, and coming of age are at the center of all nearly 700 pages here. Casey, to me, was an unlikeable yet understandable character and I found myself deeply invested in her story. I’ve seen some readers comment on how they just wanted to shake her, and yes! Same. And also, her shakability comes with glimmers of recognition into the mind and decision making of someone in their young ‘20s not ready to launch. While this is a nod to the Victorian novel, I found it quite readable and even page turning at times. (I have to admit I sometimes struggle through the Victorian novel). Sara also mentioned in our discord that this feels very influenced by Vanity Fair and yes! This could have been shorter and was certainly frustrating at times, but I’m so glad I read it! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ #freefoodformillionaires #debutnovel #bookstagram #victorian #victoriannovel #vanityfair #minjinlee #bookworm #readthis #bookrec #bookreview #fictionmattersbookclub #fictionmatters #fictionlover

current read ⭐️ I got into a kind of slump the past few weeks and just stopped reading my current books but i’m slowly getting back to them. I started Free Food For Millionaires and im breezingggg through the book. It just an easy read but it’s still entertaining and you are able to really understand casey’s character and her not so great decisions. I think i’ll finish it pretty soon! I also really like the cover. • • • #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #currentreads #bookaesthetic

💰 Free Food for Millionaires💰 By Min Jin Lee The difference between Casey Han and her fellow college graduates is that although she went to Princeton, she’s not of Princeton. The distinction that sets her apart from her peers is wealth and race. I really enjoyed this long novel about a young woman trying to make it in New York City. We see Casey repeatedly try and fail setting herself up financially for the future, where she has the odds stacked against her being an Asian woman, while also being stubborn in her resolve to act on her pride rather than accept help. After I read Pachinko, I was quick to buy Min Jin Lee's debut novel Free Food For Millionaires - only to leave it on my shelf for years. The length of the book kept me away for a while, but tackling this on my e-reader made it so much easier. There are many side stories in this novel, my favourite being Ella's story, portraying that anyone is vulnerable to gaslighting, emotional abuse, and being minimised in a relationship. There was a quote of Ella's that really struck home for me "With David, she was allowed to make a suggestion about how to get to places and where to go. It was liberating, but she felt the added responsibility for his happiness. What happened if he didn't want to do what she wanted? It had yet to happen, but it would eventually. It was easier in life, then, to just go along." I didn't enjoy the side story of Casey's mother Leah and the church choir, I found it deviated from the central characters and didn't add value to the overall story. Have you been wanting to pick this up since reading Pachinko? ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Embracing the nap trap (iykyk). #coffeeandcurrentlyreading #currentlyreading #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #readinginbed #booksandcoffee #booksinbed #literaryfiction #fictionmattersbookclub #naptrapped #embracethenaptrap #readingwithbabies #noseinabook #nevernotreading #bookworm #whatimreading #bookclubreads #bigbooks #ilikebigbooksandicannotlie #grandcentralpublishing

I’m 83 pages in and I love it so far. @lee_minjin #freefoodformillionaires

Hey readers, how is your TBR going?? A few days ago I finished Icebreaker, a romance which I was anticipating so much but unfortunately it ended up being only a 3-star read for me. Now I’m gonna read Beartown and then I’m definitely gonna try and tackle the other two books in this photo. 📚 What book are you most excited to read this month? -E

Coming at you with three mini reviews of my recent reads, split by length! S H O R T (47 pages): SO LATE IN THE DAY by Claire Keegan was a quiet read that i found to be highly affecting. It’s a novella/short story about a man who reflects on a recent relationship with a woman whom he could’ve spent his life with. Despite its size and simplicity, it manages to look at the themes of misogyny and impacts of generosity (or lack thereof) in a relationship. Keegan’s writing is incredibly assured, so much so that i read it twice: once on audio, and another time physically. My first title from her and i’ll definitely be tracking down her backlist. [gifted @allenandunwin] M E D I U M (320 pages): THE RACHEL INCIDENT by Caroline O’Donoghue was as good as everyone said it’d be. The writing and storytelling were rich and sophisticated and, frankly, different to what i anticipated. I blame that cover — it really does not do it justice. I still think about the characters often, and that’s no easy feat. O’Donoghue built the setting and atmosphere well, making it difficult not to love the overall Irish-ness of the backdrop and details. It also pushed me to start listening to her pod, Sentimental Garbage, which is brilliant. L O N G (648 pages): FREE FOOD FOR MILLIONAIRES by Min Jin Lee is wholly different to Pachinko, a title you might be more familiar with. It’s a sweeping family saga set in the contemporary United States. Through her wide cast of characters Lee portrays the complicated Asian American family dynamics that’s also affected by gender and class. This would’ve been more of a slog if i only read the physical copy, and i could’ve done without the storyline of Leah and Charles specifically. That alone would’ve condensed the book by 100p. Thankfully swapping to audio helped! I noted down the phrase “complicated Korean hearts” that i came across in the book and i think it epitomised the whole novel really well. Have you read any of these?

Free Food for Millionaires by Min Jin Lee oh my! so on my top five books list Free Food for Millionaires is an ode to figuring out what it means to be a woman in a man’s world, learning self respect, facing financial struggles, the immigrant experience, relationships (intimate & platonic), fashion, living in NYC, and so much more. The main character Casey Han, a fresh (& jobless) Princeton graduate and the eldest daughter of a Korean-American immigrant family, finds herself navigating the shimmering, extravagant, and expensive streets of Manhattan. (She’s reminiscent of another fav character: Dorothea Brooke!!) Thoughts continued on my Substack [link in bio].

My childhood was continually informed by immigration, class, race and gender. Afterward, Free Food for Millionaires Min Jin Lee • I first read FFFM back in 2019 and it was a five star experience. I read the physical copy and never felt the almost 600 page length. I am always game for an NYC setting, but I found the story of the Han family, Korean immigrants with two daughters, to be very compelling. This was one of the first stories of generational immigration that I’d read. And by that I mean the parents immigrated and placed very high expectations on their American born children. • Fast forward to my 2023 re-read for the @fictionmatters book club. I opted for the audio because I didn't think I had time for the physical book right now. And wow - what a difference listening made. • I'll start with the basics. In my opinion, the narration of this is downright terrible. The reader's delivery is pedantic and droll. It is made 100% worse by the fact that there are quite a few male characters, and her portrayal of them caused me to have to forward the audio - it was impossible to listen to. I was so floored by the poor quality that I read reviews, and it wasn't just me - there were tons of "this narration is horrible!" - so at least I wasn't off the mark. • All of this does not pertain to the story of course, but I can't separate the two because it totally destroyed the reading experience for me. I found that the characters felt incredibly flat and annoying (even the sympathetic ones) and Casey, our main character, was one of the most self-centered protagonists in recent memory. I don't remember feeling this way when I read it! • The 10th anniversary edition has a prologue and an afterward by Min Jin Lee that added a lot to my appreciation of the novel and she shares just how autobiographical it is. At its core, this is an important story of immigration and the American dream seen through two generations and I'm so shocked at my change in feelings. The Goodreads ratings sit at 3.84, so VERY average, and I may drop my 5 stars down a notch. I can’t wait to discuss this with the @fictionmatters bookclub! • Have you ever changed your opinion of a book?

Free Food For Millionaires, Min Jin Lee ⁣ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/ 5 ⁣ 😊: An excellent portrayal of the complex dynamics within Asian immigrant families, superb character development and a gripping plot. Casey was hard to love and yet impossible not to love simultaneously - and pieces of her relatable for any audience learning to become an adult and face life’s tribulations around wealth, social status, and what it means to succeed. ⁣ ☹️: Pretty dark scenes and a disappointing ending. ⁣ Similar 📖: Yolk, Mary H.K. Choi ⁣ 📝: “The world was cruel with its rations.” . ⁣ . . . . #literarybites #booklovers #bookreview #bookworm #bookrecommendations #readmorebooks #bookishfeature #mybookfeatures #bookstagram #instabooks #igreads #freefoodformillionaires #minjinlee #readersofinstagram #sgreads #whatareyoureadingsg