2024 is almost over, and how many books have you read this year? I’ve read zero. I started plenty but finished none.
Recently, TikTok started showing me ads for the Kindle 2024, which reminded me of my Kindle from 2012, a birthday gift to myself. It’s now 12 years old, and the last time I checked if it still worked was about two years ago. I charged it with little hope, thinking it was probably dead for good—but wow, it’s alive! What a monster.
It got me wondering: why did I stop reading? I can’t even remember. Maybe it was when I moved to Australia? Back in Korea, I wasn’t a bookworm, but I read a fair amount compared to others. After moving to Australia, though, it became harder to find Korean books. (I guess it’s easier now compared to 10+ years ago.) Back then, the Eastwood Korean bookstore charged nearly double, so I switched to Ridi, a Korean e-book app. But I wasn’t a fan because:
- iPads were heavy back then, still is, compare to kindle
- My eyes hurt from staring at blue screens.
Life also shifted into “survival mode.” Someone had to pay the bills, and there was no time to read. But as I write this, I realize that’s a garbage excuse. I found time for yoga, freediving, and jiu-jitsu, even knitting and cycling, even, DRUGS —so I clearly had time and money. I just gradually lost interest in reading.
When I bought the Kindle in 2012, I had big dreams of improving my English by reading books. My English back then was far worse than it is now, and reading was torture. Every sentence had words I didn’t understand. I’d look them up, only to find dictionary explanations using other words I didn’t know. By the time I understood one word and returned to the book, I’d forget what the paragraph was even about. Reading a paragraph took hours, a page could take days. And I made it worse by starting with Penguin Classics—absolute misery.
Eventually, I gave up on proper books. Instead, I read 4chan, Reddit, Twitter, and many other forums. These days, I enjoy threads. I lost interest in well-crafted, properly written stories. Now I like debates, even petty arguments. I love analyzing why people express themselves in certain ways—it’s fascinating. And honestly, reading threads makes me feel better about myself. So many people out there seem unhinged, and I used to think I was the worst. Turns out I’m fairly normal in comparison.
I almost gave up on my 12-year-old Kindle, planning to toss it if it didn’t turn on. But here it is, still in mint condition. I love it. Meanwhile, people replace their phones yearly (I’m still on the Google Pixel 8 Pro, by the way). Especially iPhone users
So, the real question is: what book should I buy?
A Korean book? But I don’t know what’s good these days. An English book? I’m not sure I can fully enjoy it; I think I’m traumatized from past attempts.
If I want to completely lose myself in a book, reading in Korean would be better. But there aren’t many Korean books on Kindle (though I haven’t searched thoroughly). I read on a naver blog that you can buy books from the Google Play Store, download them, and transfer them to your Kindle using a program called Calibre.
But honestly, I use Kindle for convenience, and I don’t want to involve any other machine in this whole process. If I’m buying books from the Google Play Store, why not just read them on my Pixel 8 Pro? Last night, I tried three books:
- 수치심 탐구생활 (no English version available)
- A Supposedly Fun Thing I’ll Never Do Again by David Foster Wallace (short stories)
- 어른이 된다는 것 by Banana Yoshimoto.
They were quick, easy, and cheap to access. I even logged into Ridi to check my balance and found 5+ books I’d started but never finished. Maybe Kindle will thrive for another 10 years, and by 2034, more Korean books will be available. Who knows?
I haven’t written in 6 months. My original plan was:
- Start writing when I’m pregnant (I didn’t).
- Start writing while traveling (I went to Malaysia last month but didn’t write—excuses, excuses).
Beyond that, I got sick of the fact that all I had to talk about were things like expensive restaurants, wines(that i have no idea with), business class, and unnecessary colourful water bottles(this, I haven’t talked about yet), and so on. And the worst part is, none of it was even stuff I earned myself—it was all on L’s credit card… It made me feel self-loathing.
I’ve been working at a psychiatric hospital for about a month now. When I told my mom, she immediately said, “No! Don’t do it!” before I even finished explaining. She doesn’t know I was a psych patient not long ago. ㅋㅋ
It’s only 10 hours a week, and I barely make enough to cover rent, but honestly, it feels like the best shift I’ve ever had. It’s like having a “title” again, instead of just being a “stay-at-home girlfriend.” Now, I can justify buying more colourful, heavy, and unnecessary water bottles—and many other random stuff—on L’s credit card. 😂
Maybe I’ll try to finish all the books I started in December.
