2021 Summer is approaching us fast and we can finally enjoy a relaxing trip to the beach. Now that everyone is able to go out again Post-COVID, all we have to worry about is grabbing a good book and some cold drinks by the ocean. Whether you like being on a floatie in your pool or laid out by the air conditioner in your bedroom, a summer book list is a must-have to breeze through the hot summer for anyone this fiery season. 

After last year’s Parasite by Director Bong Joon Ho won six Oscars for several categories and Minari by Lee Isaac Chung also won six Oscars at the 2021 Academy Awards, Korean movies and books have become increasingly popular on the market. 

 The Hole by Hye-Young Pyun

If you loved the film Parasite for its spine-chilling scenes that kept you on the edge of your seat, The Hole is a great thriller for the summer. Thriller and horror novels are wonderful for the summer because they keep you chilled during the heat waves. The Hole is a story about the protagonist Ogi, who wakes up from a coma after being in a horrible car accident. He realizes that he killed his wife in the accident and Ogi became paralyzed. He wakes up to his mother-in-law who takes care of him at the hospital. Mysteries unravel slowly as Ogi tries to uncover the dark secrets that led him to his accident. Ogi must endure his feelings of loneliness, grief, and sorrow while unraveling hidden truths.

I’m Waiting For You By Kim Bo Young

I’m Waiting For You by Kim Bo Young is an amazing science fiction novel that is also similar to Parasite and Inception. The novel plays with time and space while questioning humanity and philosophy. Compiled by separate short novellas into one novel, all of the short stories are emotional and leave the audience wondering what the ending means. 

The short story The Prophet Of Corruption examines the relationship between humans and gods. Digging deeper behind Korean mythology and Buddhism, Kim explores the relationship between different deities. The book is perfect for this summer because it allows the reader to escape to another universe and let their imagination run wild. 

Summer Outside Korea by Kim Ae Ran

Summer Outside Korea by Kim Ae Ran is a book that touches the hearts of readers with its powerful and sensitive subject. The overarching subject of the story is one of the worst tragedies that happened in the spring of 2014 in South Korean history, the Sewol Ferry incident. Touching upon culture and history, the book explores ideas of South Korean identity, traditions, and life after trauma.

 Kim Ae Ran returned after five years to write the book after many successful preceding novels. She returned after the huge success of My Palpitating Life (2011) that was adapted into a movie in 2014 called My Brilliant Life. The book won at the 48th Dongin Literary Awards, and the book has sold over 200,000 copies just in Korea alone. 

The book is a response to the incident that had killed 304 people in a ship catastrophe near Jindo Island. The novel explains the lives of the family members who live through pain and grief. Seven stories follow the lives of seven different families living through everyday life. Kim Ae Ran also writes about hope and rising above the pain in times of crisis, and teaches people that life should be appreciated. The story follows the lives of those victims claimed in the accident, and also about their surviving family members. The book explores themes of human relationships and emotions. 

Crying in H Mart: A Memoir by Michele Zauner

Crying in H Mart is a memoir published recently in April 2021 about author Michele Zauner. Zauner is a Korean-American rockstar who is in an indie solo band. In her book, she explains the heart-wrenching story about her relationship with her strong mother. Zauner’s mother was diagnosed with cancer, but she was strong and never showed any emotion. 

She explains that H Mart was a Korean supermarket that brought her back to her memories of childhood. Zauner explains her relationship with her mother and her cultural roots. She searches for herself while talking about her grief for her mother. Renowned critics have acclaimed her book as “impeccable” and “wholehearted.” 

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

When mentioning summer books of 2021, one cannot forget Pachinko, which has been awarded multiple times for National Book Award Finalist, New York Times Notable Books, and Finalist For The 2018 Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Pachinko has been on the Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Washington Post, and New York Times bestseller list multiple times as well.

Pachinko is a historical fiction novel that takes place from 1910 during the Japanese colonization until 1989. Min Jin Lee tells a story about a family that takes place over four generations. The story is about the cultural and historical context in relation to the struggle between Korea and Japan.

The story starts off with the main character called Hoon in the first family, who has a deformed foot. The book talks about the annexation of Korea and how Hoonie suffers from having no food to eat with his family.

Always And Forever Lara Jean (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Book 3) by Janny Han

If you have been catching up on the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before series, you may know the trilogy from one of the most popular Netflix series with the same name. Author Jenny Han wins hearts again with her latest book that was published in 2017. The Netflix show aired in February 2021 and is a romantic comedy that focuses on the life of a high school student, Lara Jean. 

Lara Jean’s beautiful love story focuses on teenagers’ identities and how they grow up to be adults. The book explores Lara Jean’s Korean American culture as well as growing up under a White father and a Korean mother. The first part of the third book focuses on her travels to Korea as she goes sightseeing around Seoul and tries amazing Korean food.

Whereas the first two books focus more on her life in high school and her romance with her sweethearts, the third book is more about finding her true self and moving on in life. Author Jenny Han is a New York Times Bestseller and earned an MFA in creative writing at the New School in New York.