I don't know about you, but December and the beginning of January is a time of the year that I really hold dear to my heart because this is when I can catch up with family and friends and reflect on what I want to do in the new year.
One of the ways I have been preparing for the new year was by reading during the winter holidays. My favourite books are ones that leave me feeling inspired and motivated to pursue my goals and dreams. And to leave you inspired, today, I am going to share two of my favourite online sources on Korean books and cartoons.
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| People reading in 교보문고 (source: naver) |
And, also, make sure to drop by a book cafe like this one in Jeju Island called "Rest Coffee Shop" (레스트커피숍)
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| 레스트 커피숍 in 제주도 |
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| You can read and... |
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| eat delicious food :) |
**back to the main article on my two favourite sources for reading in Korean
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I prefer this site to other similar ones because the layout is simple and has information on all of the major bookstores in Korea.
This is a great site for those of you who already are able to read and understand some han-gul (한글) (but if you can't check out my last entry on great online sources for learning Korean).
On Naver Book, you can find reviews on various books, weekly best-seller lists, and books introduced by famous personalities.
Here are three books from the YES24 (an online bookstore) best-seller list (as of Saturday, January 14, 2012) above that I wanted to introduce:
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| 아프니까 청춘이다 (roughly translate to something like, "It's difficult because you're young") |
1. 아프니까 청춘이다 is the only book that I have read on the best-selller list. This is an inspiring book targeted to young people in their 20s and 30s who are anxious or nervous about the future. I am glad that I can read Korean because there always seem to be great motivational books such as this one that tops the best-seller list in Korea. They are encouraging and motivational and I hope you will be able to read them too!
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| 해를 품은 달 (The moon that embraces the sun) |
2. If you are a fan of Korean dramas, you may have heard of the title of this second book called 해를 품은 달 (The moon that embraces the sun). This book was turned into a drama recently this year and since then, the book has gained popularity. If you are watching the drama, you should definitely read the book afterwards.
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| 스티브 잡스 Steve Jobs |
3. This last book, Steve Jobs, is an international best-seller and also a big hit in Korea. This is definitely not a surprise as Korea is one of the top 10 wired countries around the world with a fascination for high-technology.
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2. My favourite source for Korean cartoons online is Daum 만화속세상 Cartoon Daum: http://cartoon.media.daum.net/
As far as I know, all of the cartoons on this site are free and you don't need to make an account with Daum (Daum, along with Naver are two of the most popular search engines in Korea).
My favourite cartoon here is the third one in the second column called 보고 있으면 기분 좋아져라 (translates into something like "Cheer Up!")
This cartoon definitely cheers me up and usually there are more pictures than words, so whatever level of Korean you read, you should check it out.
Here's an illustration by the cartoonist :)
And this is a music video with drawings by the cartoonist set to music by Acoustic Radio. If you're studying, this is great music to be studying to. Have a listen :)
And, that's a wrap for this month's entry on Chomsongdae!
Hope you enjoyed it :)
Yours truly,
Sunflowerchocolate
