books i want to read

about midway into every semester, swamped with work, i get the "what else is out there" itch. despite that i've got so much reading to do, i can't help but peak at things not related to my immediate coursework or research. i end up taking breaks from homework to indulge in some amazon window shopping, scoping out interesting texts, reading introductions and first chapters, and longing for more. here are some books that have caught my interest this month (mostly having to do with north korean life, as told by north korean refugees and their allies):

escaping north korea: defiance and hope in the world's most repressive country by mike kim

this book is written by a korean american who has helped to operate the north korean underground railroad (maybe there is more than one...), which stretches from pyong yang all the way to thailand and helps north korean refugees escape north korea through china and make their way to relative safety. kim also documents the lives of north korean refugees living in china, as well as the torture, human trafficking, and famine that has and continues to plague those living in and escaping north korea.

nothing to envy: ordinary lives in north korea by barbara demick

this book is written by an NYT writer who has spent many years living and working in south korea, china, israel, and other countries. she documents the lives of six north korean "defectors," but writes in a beautiful narrative style (i def checked out the first 20-30 pgs on amazon... so good) that fuses the everyday human experience with the historical and political contexts of north korea to kind of show the peculiarly nuanced ways that the ideologies of the dictatorship infiltrate every aspect of daily life and identity, including people's ability to trust their own judgment, act on their natural feelings (such as love), and build close relationships with community and family members.

this is paradise!: my north korean childhood by hyok kang and philippe grangereau

this book is about hyok kang, who was born in north korea and lived there until age 13 (in 1998), when he and his family escaped to south korea. he writes about his and his family's experiences, about the famine that wiped out most of his classmates, and about the disappearances and executions of community members that he and his family witnessed. this might be the most important book of the three, since it is written by a north korean "defector" about his own life. i can't help but notice that i'm the same age as kang... that he has lived lifetimes and had experienced things at 13 that i couldn't have imagined.

in case you're interested, all three books are available at the penn library. i kind of want to pick up kang's book myself, but i've got school reading to do! i'll save these for december.