Podcast Episode 151: Angie Kim (Author of Happiness Falls)

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Ep. 151: Angie Kim (Author of Happiness Falls)

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Episode 151 brings author Angie Kim back to the podcast with her sophomore novel, Happiness Falls. Angie is carving out her niche with literary mysteries featuring children with disabilities or illnesses, drawing inspiration from her own family’s encounters. I broke my own rules for podcast guests because Happiness Falls is now in the running for my #1 book of 2023 and it’s the smartest book I’ve read all year!

This post contains affiliate links through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!).

Highlights

Angie shares a spoiler-free summary of Happiness Falls.
Angie’s own life experiences that shape her stories.
How Angie’s move as a pre-teen to the United States from South Korea influenced the happiness experiments in this novel.
Angie’s expectations going into her sophomore book release.
How long Angie had been ideating and writing Happiness Falls.
The differences in Angie’s approach to writing this novel compared to her debut.
How Angie discovered Angelman’s Syndrome and decided to include it in her novel.
The differences in perspectives between a parent of a child with disabilities and and the sibling of a child with disabilities as portrayed in Miracle Creek and Happiness Falls.
Angie gives a small teaser about her next book!

Angie’s Book Recommendations [40:34]

Two OLD Books She Loves

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell | Amazon | Bookshop.org [40:45]
Chemistry by Weike Wang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [42:48]
Other Books Mentioned:
- Joan Is Okay by Weike Wang [44:47]

Two NEW Books She Loves

Greek Lessons by Han Kang | Amazon | Bookshop.org [45:10]
Hestia Strikes a Match by Christine Grillo | Amazon | Bookshop.org [48:05]
Other Books Mentioned:
- The Vegetarian by Han Kang [45:27]

One Book She Didn’t Love

The Godfather by Mario Puzo | Amazon | Bookshop.org [50:48]

NEW RELEASE She’s Excited About

Same Bed Different Dreams by Ed Park (November 7, 2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org [53:05]
Other Books Mentioned:
- Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell [54:09]

Last 5-Star Book Angie Read

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin | Amazon | Bookshop.org [54:24]

About Angie Kim

Website | Facebook | Instagram | X (formerly Twitter)

Angie Kim moved as a preteen from Seoul, South Korea, to the suburbs of Baltimore. After graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy, she studied philosophy at Stanford University and attended Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Her debut novel, Miracle Creek, won the Edgar Award, the ITW Thriller Award, the Strand Critics’ Award, and the Pinckley Prize and was named one of the best books of the year by Time, The Washington Post, Kirkus, and the Today show. One of Variety Magazine’s inaugural “10 Storytellers to Watch,” Angie has written for The New York Times Book Review, The Washington Post, Vogue, Glamour, and numerous literary journals. She lives in northern Virginia with her family. Happiness Falls is her second novel.

Next Episode

In two weeks (October 4), Liz Nugent, author of Strange Sally Diamond, will join me to discuss her latest novel and share some book recommendations.

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