<center><i> Hello everyone! Today I want to share with you three books I picked up at my local library recently as my final reads for this year and first ones in 2022. I wasn't planning to get any books this time as I have to focus on other important things but these three really caught my attention so I took them home with me. :) </i></center>

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<p><div class="text-justify"> My Goodreads goal for this year was to read 30 books and so far I finished 25 books. I am not sure if I'll be able to achieve this goal, I'm sure I would if I didn't have other things I really need to prioritize now but we will see... If I manage to finish these three I got, maybe I'll find two books in PDF format that don't have a lot of pages just to reach that 30 mark, haha. I'm sure if I manage my time well. I'll have time to read in the evening, before bed during these cold days/night when I don't feel like going outside that much at all! </div></p>

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<h4> Shan Sa - The Girl Who Played Go </h4>

<p><div class="text-justify"> As you will notice from this post, my picks for December are all Asian, Chinese and South Korean writers, to be more precise. Since my interest in these countries (plus Japan) I was really excited when I randomly found these books and I am looking forward to explore literature from these Asian countries. </div></p>


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> As the Japanese military invades 1930s Manchuria, a young girl approaches her own sexual coming of age. Drawn into a complex triangle with two boys, she distracts herself from the onslaught of adulthood by playing the game of go with strangers in a public square--and yet the force of desire, like the occupation, proves inevitable. Unbeknownst to the girl who plays go, her most worthy and frequent opponent is a Japanese soldier in disguise. Captivated by her beauty as much as by her bold, unpredictable approach to the strategy game, the soldier finds his loyalties challenged. Is there room on the path to war for that most revolutionary of acts: falling in love?

<sub> Credit: [Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/92315.The_Girl_Who_Played_Go?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=vOgCujr34t&rank=2) </sub>

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<h4> Hong Ying - The Concubine of Shanghai </h4>

<p><div class="text-justify"> Another Chinese author I found! What I noticed about all three books is that their reviews on Goodreads go from 3.26 to 3.85 (as I'm writing this) so I am very curious to see if I'll like them. I never read reviews there as I don't want to accidentally come across spoilers and I believe we all have different taste so I cannot really rely on stranger's reviews. </div></p>


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> Sold by her uncle in 1907 to the First Salon of Gifted Girls, a reputable brothel, sixteen-year-old Cassia is plucked from the ranks of servant girl by a powerful client. Power Chang is the boss of the fearsome Shanghai Triad. In spite of her large feet and pendulous breasts, both unbound, Cassia swiftly becomes his favorite mistress and enjoys her first passionate encounters as well as her first taste of luxurious living.

> The story follows Cassia after the violent death of Power Chang and her subsequent rise to “godmother” of Shanghai. She not only seduces the next Triad boss, Huang, after he hears her opera troupe, but also his lacky, Yu, who replaces the murdered Huang as the next Triad leader.

<sub> Credit: [Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1199175.The_Concubine_of_Shanghai?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=8WyXmkxag8&rank=4) </sub>

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<h4> Kyung-sook Shin - Please Look After Mom </h4>

<p><div class="text-justify"> From my brief research about this South Korean author, seems like she is well-known in South Korea and won a decent amount of awards for her work. It looks like Please look after mom is her most known book which makes me excited to read it. </div></p>


![20211206_125243.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/nikolina/23xyZSaUVKtfHu2eXzbssjor13vwTU2NWsWM8U5q8Xppgm3Ag3RXtVdyc65zDRufLDHct.jpg)


> When sixty-nine year old So-nyo is separated from her husband among the crowds of the Seoul subway station, and vanishes, their children are consumed with loud recriminations, and are awash in sorrow and guilt. As they argue over the "Missing" flyers they are posting throughout the city - how large of a reward to offer, the best way to phrase the text - they realize that none of them have a recent photograph of Mom. Soon a larger question emerges: do they really know the woman they called Mom?

<sub> Source: [Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8574333-please-look-after-mom) </sub>

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<p><div class="text-justify"> I am still not sure which book is going to be the first I'll read but I am planning to start one tonight. I know I'll be bothered if I don't complete my Goodreads challenge but at the same time I am aware I have more important things to focus on. :D </div></p>

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<center><h5> What are you currently reading? Do you have yearly reading goals? Let me know in the comments! :) </h5></center>

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