Hello book luvers of r/bangtan! September is flying by so fast, and we’re already over half-way to the next month. Since we last talked, did you have fun celebrating Namjoon, seeing fashion angels Jungkook and j-hope, and learning that Jin has yet another new job?
The boys have been busy, and so have we keeping up with them, but we didn’t forget about the book club! If you’d like to join us next week and want to be tagged when the post drops, let us know!

📖 📣Discussion on ‘Kitchen’ starts on September 23rd

I do wish me a lovely night chat

Below is a discussion guide. Some book-specific questions and some sharing suggestions!

• Mikage's favorite place, the place she likes best in the world, is the kitchen. Yuichi says “pick a room, then I'll know what kind of person you are”. What is that room for you, and what do you think that says about you?
• The book intertwines grief, food, dreams, and nature (plants, weather). How do these themes interact to drive the story forward and what do they reveal about the characters’ healing journeys?
• How does the theme of "found family" manifest in Mikage, Yuichi, and Eriko's relationships, and how does their connection inform their support system in the face of loss?
• The book contains two distinct stories, "Kitchen" and "Moonlight Shadow." How do these two stories function as companion pieces, and looking at them together, what messages do they convey about isolation/loneliness, love, and moving forward?
• Gender and gender expression are treated matter-of-factly throughout the book, though this might not have been met with much acceptance in the time of its being published (1980’s Japan). What could the book be saying about the role of identity and transformation in society?
• Which characters or themes did you relate to the most? Read by both RM & Suga, what do you think they related to the most? And what songs of theirs (and other BTS members) popped up in your mind while reading?

Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto

Kitchen is an enchantingly original and deeply affecting book about mothers, love, tragedy, and the power of the kitchen and home in the lives of a pair of free-spirited young women in contemporary Japan.

All I need is you… to know how to get this book

See below for options on how to get the book

Say that you’ll remember!

You know where to find us if you have any questions or concerns regarding the book or the thread. Feel free to tag me or any of the mods or BWL Volunteers.

• u/EveryCliche
• u/HopHope98
• u/munisme
• u/mucho_thankyou5802
• u/repressedpauper

…and the r/bangtan Mod Team