It's been a while since I read a book. Not that I don't like to read, just that I read a few books (usually non-fiction) at a time switching between them when it gets too heavy. I like fiction books but my darn mind feels that it is more worth the time to read non-fiction than fiction.
Recently, I bought a few books during the Kinokuniya Promotion when I tend to stock up on books to make good use of the 20% discount. Among the books, was a book
'Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea' by Barbara Demick that I picked up on a whim. You may read reviews via this official
link. The
website also has a host of photos and a video offering an insight to the lives in North Korea.
The author won the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize 2010, which is one of UK's most prestigious literary prizes to reward best non-fiction works. And I heart their tagline -
All the best stories are true.
I was actually "chasing" for the ending of the book and could not put this book even for more than 5 minutes (of course, with the exception of shower). I actually finished reading the book in a day. It's such a mesmerizing read offering insights to the lives in North Korea that are not often shown. Her writing style made it easy to read and she manages to weave the accounts of 6 different North Koreans into a coherent and enthralling read like a novel.
The book comes in 2 covers.
Cover #1
Cover #2
I got the book in cover #1 which was the only available at the bookstore.
Although I like the book quite a bit, there are those who don't. So I guess different readers have different expectations and taste perhaps. You may read another review of this book from
The Luxury Yacht Review.
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
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