Ju An Jang, 

Yonsei GSIS Newsletter, Junior Editor

There's something about summer that makes me want to read books that unsettle me a little — stories that sit heavy in the chest, that make the heat feel intentional rather than just uncomfortable. This round of recommendations leans into that: cosmic horror, loneliness, girlhood, campus gothic, and one very whimsical department store of dreams. There's something here for whoever you are this season.

Before we dive in, I have some bittersweet news: this is the last newsletter I'll be writing for you all. It's been such a joy putting these together, and I want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who's read, replied, or just quietly enjoyed these from afar. Your kindness and support over the last couple semesters has meant more than I can really put into words. I will miss you! Okay — now let's get into it.

OUR WIVES UNDER THE SEA - JULIA ARMFIELD

Genre: Cosmic Horror, Literary Fiction

It tells the story of Miri and her marine biologist wife, Leah. Leah's submarine sinks on a deep-sea mission. Trapped for six months, she returns home physically and psychologically transformed, forcing Miri to cope with her slow disintegration. What if the people we love become something we don't fully recognize?

This was a recommendation from one of my dear friends in the literature department, so expectations were high. And though I have my qualms with Armfield's writing, which sometimes seems stretched just a little too long, it's one that will grab your attention from start to finish. The book is woven with a thick, humid atmosphere that anyone experiencing the stuffy Seoul summers will perfectly understand — though there is a chill in the narrative that may offer a little relief.

Recommended listening: Pearl Diver by Mitski

Lyrics: Those creatures of your working mind, don't fear them or their hunger / Forgive the sea, follow the tide, with the monsters on your shoulder

THE LONELY CITY - OLIVIA LAING

Genre: Biography, Fiction

When she moved to New York City in her thirties, Olivia became intimately familiar with the concept of being lonely while surrounded by people. Loneliness becomes not so much a feeling, but a space that we inhabit. Blending her own experiences with the lives of several artists, she explores loneliness — which she calls the most shameful of feelings, and one which resists the very thing that would resolve it: human connection.

I read this during a massive shift in my life, and I found so much comfort in the knowledge of how we can both be lonely and connected, alone and together, and how easy it is to forget the feeling once we leave it behind.

Song to listen to whilst reading: Dance away by Roxy Music

Lyrics: Loneliness is a crowded room, Full of open hearts turned to stone, All together all alone

DOGS OF SUMMER - ANDREA ABREU

Genre: Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age

It's the searing summer of 2005 in a working-class neighborhood in northern Tenerife, and ten-year-old Isobel can't stop thinking about her best friend Isora, who is loud and brave where Isobel is quiet and shy, and who seems to be racing toward adulthood at a dizzying speed that Isobel can't seem to keep up with. The oppressive heat in this novel is partly the weather and partly the violence of girlhood, the tight bonds of the local community, and the warmth of developing desire.

Perfect for reading on a sunny terrace or on the beach, accompanied by the most iced drink you can possibly imagine.

Song to listen to whilst reading: Obsesión" by Aventura 

Lyrics: No es amor, lo que tú sientes se llama obsesión ("It's not love, what you feel is called obsession"

BUNNY - MONA AWAD

Genre: Dark Academia, Horror, Literary Fiction

Will I ever stop recommending this book? No. It is weird, it is unsettling — it's the type of book that, if I were to be so pretentious, I'd say requires familiarity with a lot of literary frameworks. If you enjoy stories with a clear A-to-B plotline, this one is not for you. But if you're willing to let a story drag you across the pavement, buckle in and enjoy. This book is one of my absolute favorites, and the one I'd recommend you take into the fall semester, as it takes place in a distant, elite university.

It's Dark Academia meets cheerleader-mean-girls-Heathers-Scream Queens vibes, and it is one hell of a journey. It's sugary academic elitism meets bloody, grotesque magic and body horror. My original Goodreads review for this was, in short: it left me breathless, and I'd let it happen all over again. Take that as you will.

Song to listen to whilst reading: Bubblegum Bitch - Marina and the Diamonds

Lyrics: Don't care if you think I'm dumb, I don't care at all / Candy bear, sweetie pie, wanna be adored / I'm the girl you'd die for / I'll chew you up and I'll spit you out

DALLERGUT’S DREAM DEPARTMENT STORE - MIYE LEE

Genre: Fantasy

The story follows Penny, an enthusiastic young woman who gets hired to work at the most popular store in a whimsical town: a magical, multi-story department store located within our collective subconscious, which sells dreams to people and animals alike. The kicker? Customers don't pay with money, but with the emotions they feel when they wake up from their dreams. Anger, joy, sadness… all desired currencies.

Throughout her days, Penny meets an eclectic collection of individuals and learns that what you think someone needs might not be what they actually need at all. It's a wonderfully cozy fantasy that's funny and endearing, but also doesn't shy away from talking about grief and loss with such tenderness that I shed a few tears in several chapters.

I read this one in Korean, and it was manageable even with my questionable TOPIK 4-level Korean, but there's also an English translation available.

Song to listen to whilst reading: Homesick - Wave to Earth

Lyrics: Erase me from here and set me free / All I wanted was to fly high

That's it for this list — and for me. Thank you for reading my words all this time. I hope at least one of these finds its way onto your shelf, and that it does to you what good books always do: makes you a little different than you were before you opened it. Happy reading, and goodbye.

Frédérique (And if you can’t get enough of me, I do have an instagram and a substack, both under @viafrederique  perhaps a little self promo is allowed, just this once.)