Hi book luvers of r/bangtan! Are we okay, have we recovered from this morning’s excitement?? What a fabulous way to mark the official start of (my favorite season) autumn! While we wait for more fashion week ‘fits and BTS Movie Weeks screenings, come join us for our September discussion!

If you missed getting in on August’s book discussion on ‘The Book of Form and Emptiness’ and you want to share your thoughts, you can do so here!

You don’t need to hide it – tell us your thoughts!

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

You can scroll down this thread to see the question and reply to them in the comments!

• 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?

B-Side Questions/Discussion Suggestions

• Fan Chant: Hype/overall reviews
• Ments: favorite quotes
• ARMY Time: playlist/recommendations of songs you associate with the book/chapters/characters
• Do The Wave: sentiments, feels, realizations based on the book
• Encore/Post Club-read Depression Prevention: something the book club can do afterwards (on your own leisure time) to help feel less sad after 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.

You think you’ve got taste, Oh baby, let us know!

If you have come across any books you think would be perfect for any of the BTS members, or maybe the book just makes you think of any of them, do tell us below so we can add them to our TBR list.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the book or the thread, feel free to tag me like so u/mucho_thankyou5802 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