The stories behind their books

“I’m going to read my first book (manga) today!”

“Until now, making music was the only way I knew how to talk about myself. I’m not someone who likes to go on at length to people about myself, so I had only put my voice into music. Now that I’ve had the opportunity to talk about myself through a book, in writing and photographs, I decided that since I was doing it, I might as well be honest.”

“The three books I read during this South American tour. They have different themes, but perhaps they form a mysterious combination that ultimately leads to one thing. In this era when everything is changing rapidly, what kind of mindset should we have as we prepare to face the world? What kind of mindset do those who, unseen, quietly bring about change in the world have? The reunification that is sure to come is not simply a burden but an ‘opportunity.’ The very foundation and basis for all of it is the ‘Gospel.’ This Gospel is not simply a message of love; it is the power of God that has come upon us, sinners. I’ve gone on a bit, but anyway, it was really good.”

“I really want to recommend the book I’m reading right now to you all. A Man Called Ove. I bought it and started reading it without giving it much thought, just because people said it was fun. As I read, there were times I laughed, I almost cried, and I learned a lot. You should definitely read it 👍”

“A book that spoon-feeds you.”

“It's interesting.”

“I recalled my solo trip, which moved between excitement and apprehension, anxiety and comfort.”

““TWICE’s Nayeon gave me I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki as a birthday present. We used to talk about books from time to time. That book gave me a lot of comfort.””

“I did my reading with those.”

“Then, when the members made their remarks, I was really moved. “Ah… this is crazy, like a movie. Right, this is what I had been missing.””

“I’m studying Japanese on my own using Japanese books. I work hard at it whenever I have free time between schedules.”

““Don’t compare yourself to anyone else; compare yourself only to who you were yesterday. When someone else is speaking, think of them as someone who may tell you something you need to know. Speak clearly and precisely. Keep company only with people who expect the best of you. Choose the meaningful path, not the easy one. Through these and all twelve rules, I hope you can end a meaningless life and wisely ‘navigate’ the sea of life.””

“There’s a book by author Kim Eana called *Ordinary Words*.”

“He gave me a book as a gift.”

“It’s a book called The Joy of Young Werther.”

“I haven’t read it yet, but I think my dad gave me a book he’d already read. It wasn’t new!”

“Not that famous book! I think it’s another essay!”

“Actually, I haven’t read The Sorrows of Young Werther either, so I’m going to start with The Joy of Young Werther!”

“Yeah, yeah, maybe he hoped I’d find the wisdom in the conversations I’d had with my dad in this book, too. I should read it!”

“Anyway, I thought that someday I want to be someone who can pass on this kind of wisdom to someone else in my own way!”

“I find that wisdom in our ATINY, too, so I should become that kind of person myself.”

“I love the story, too,”

“I sympathize with the fox, waiting for the Little Prince [to express his desire for friendship.] When it comes to relationships, I usually take time to observe and wait for the other person [to express their feelings] first.”

“Living in a different environment [is] like living on a different planet,”

“I have a larger heart in understanding the difference between others than I had before.”

“I hope many musicians studying composition don’t read this book. Let me be the only one!”

“Perhaps it means that you shouldn’t worry so much about other people’s opinions and should live at ease. I think they want me to know that even if I live according to my own opinions, the world won’t change all that much.”

“At the time, I really liked the great insight I gained from the story of the Indians in writer Park Min-gyu’s book *Pavane for a Dead Princess*.”

“I really like reading mystery novels, and there’s a book called *The Awakening of Magic* that I started but didn’t finish a while ago. It’s a quiet book, but the ending isn’t quiet; I think I might read it again.”

“I’m not really into scary movies, but I find it so much fun to feel tense while reading a book. I like thrillers and mystery novels.”

“I find it so amazing too, and hearing that the song I made as a gift for my child is coming out as a picture book like this feels quite moving.”

“I recently bought this book. It’s called *8 Rules of Love* by Jay Shetty. Um, it’s a cute title, right? It feels a little cheesy. So normally, I don’t think I would have picked it up at a bookstore.”

“This book carefully explains how both cats and their guardians can be happy, accompanied by cute and fun illustrations. When you run into a problem that affection alone cannot solve, I’m sure you’ll be able to find an answer in this book, just as you might ask Teacher Nyaongshin for advice.”

“I hope that those who long to take some time for themselves and find themselves will be sure to read this book.”

“In the end, both those inside the book and all of us outside it were alive, and living.”

“I went to Canada to study abroad when I was 12. I compiled the diary I wrote at the time and published it as a book.”

“I brought a book”

“I read it straight through for eight hours on the 15th, which was a weekend, and my mother, whom I had buried deep in my heart and forgotten about in my everyday life, came to mind, and I sobbed uncontrollably.”

“When I feel that my heart is short on kindling, the many thoughts and experiences that came to mind while reading this book rekindle a fire in my heart. A mysterious, time-machine-like book that took me back to happy, passionate moments.”

“What I kept close to me all along was the novel the film is based on. I wrote down separately the sentences in the novel that reveal Gye-na’s personality, and always carried them around with me.”

“An Ordinary Existence.”

“I think at least The Attributes of Money / Rich Dad Poor Dad are books really worth reading two or three times.”

“The book I read recently is *I Almost Lived Diligently*. Because I almost did, too.”

““I also read a book called ‘Shoko’s Smile.’””

“Among the aphorisms in this poetry collection, the poem conveying the advice of a 19th-century queen—“Be neither too strong nor too weak”—really resonated with me. The part about Van Gogh wanting to meet the woman he loved and saying, “Let me meet her, if only for as long as I can bear to put my hand to a candle flame,” also moved me as something that lifts the soul.”

“I’m reading Erich Fromm’s The Art of Loving.”

“In conclusion… I recommend reading it at least once.”

“I'm reading *Contradiction* right now.”

“Today's book”

“I thought people working in the music industry would get a lot out of reading this.”

“I somehow ended up holding an exhibition, and apparently a woman saw it and cried. Then she left me a letter.”

“For anyone nurturing a dream of making music, this book lays itself bare, offering many treasures to take away.”

“It was the last birthday present my late grandfather gave me. He also wrote me a letter. Since it was a story about a grandfather and granddaughter, a lot of it really resonated with me. I kept reading it again and again—two or three times.”

“It’s provocative and captivating. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to turn to the next chapter faster.”

“The book I recently enjoyed reading was Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist.”

“Even amid those circumstances, the very act of somehow turning poignant episodes with the people I love into poetry made me feel a certain kinship with it. Maybe that’s why I like it all the more.”

“The book I’m reading is There Is No Such Thing as Nothing Now. I get a lot of comfort from it, and I’m learning how to think differently.”

“In The Hedgehog’s Wish, when none of his friends come to visit, the hedgehog gathers his courage and decides to invite the animals, but in the end, he can’t bring himself to do it.”

“I’m Karon’s mom, Kim Jae-kyung, pleased to greet you as an author.”

“Excuse me Jungkook has bought a copy of Crying in H Mart!!!!!”

“Writing a book had been one of my New Year’s plans since I was young. In 2014, I felt I had to do it.”

“I recently read the book *Philosophy Changes the Weather*.”

“This book is fun~!”

“I’ve been active for about 13 years. I’ve worked with SHINee, pursued solo activities as Taemin, and also worked on a new project with SuperM. I thought I’d like to slightly change the familiar world I’ve experienced and built up so far, and show you a new side of myself.”

“When I go to a bookstore, I sit down, pile up a ton of books, and read. I like bookstores because people there don’t pay attention to others. I brought home a whole stack recently, too: “Children of Gaeng-i-buri Village,” “The Little Prince,” “Confession,” “March Is a Red Ravine,” and “Norwegian Wood.” I also have a poetry collection by poet Lee Byeong-ryul. I get a lot of book recommendations, really often.”

“As I read it, I kind of feel like I don’t know that much after all.”

“A few days ago, I took that book out and read it again... It’s still on my desk... I’m grateful to you as much as you loved me—no, even more than that... Rest in peace.”

“Among the books I’ve read recently is one called *Reading Schopenhauer at Forty*. I wanted to read it when I was 20, so I did.”

“When I get stuck writing lyrics on my own, I find myself wondering, “How would Aunt Ina work it out?” As someone who does that, I’m genuinely glad this book exists.”

“My all-time favorite comic book from my school days was Comic MapleStory. I don’t know if you know it, but it was really fun. I think people from the first generation will relate.”

“Whenever I’m exhausted from practicing all day or performing overseas, Professor Shim, my spiritual mentor, has always awakened my self-esteem—the sense that I am the protagonist of this world—and given me courage. At last, he has published a book for young people. From now on, I should always carry this book in my travel bag. I sincerely want to recommend it to everyone I know.”

“I found myself feeling drawn in by a book I had picked up casually, so I’m writing this.”

“When I read those lines, I felt so comforted that I even had the ridiculous illusion that perhaps all the time I had lived through and experienced was for the sake of reading this poem.”

“I’m not sure yet what kind of thoughts and feelings the poet is speaking to me with.”

“And I, too, as I suddenly began writing down the poet’s poem, am not sure what on earth I’m trying to say to you all.”

“But one thing I can say for certain is that those lines brought me great comfort, and rather than offering you the usual, countless, dazzling pleasantries, I wanted to return that comfort to you by writing down my sincere thoughts, one character at a time.”

“I was interested in negotiation studies. I thought it would be good to apply them to everyday life.”

“You have to put down deep roots so that you can stand more firmly as you grow.”

“This time, I bought a book called The Practice of Not Reacting. I wanted to calm my mind. (Laughs)”

“I like Kafka’s The Metamorphosis.”

“Next, this book. That book too, now, Mr. Na Tae-jun...”

“Dad, you watched over my incredibly demanding training and supported me all along—what a thoughtful dad! I’ll keep the “empty jar theory” you told me so often engraved in my heart, and keep trying to fill it with clear water and fragrant oil. You can do it too, Dad!”

“좋은 책이에요. 한번 보세요. 가볍게 보시기도 좋고 추천드립니다. 남녀 노소 모두가 봤으면 좋겠어요.”

“It’s kind of giving me chills, but when I read this first sentence, I realized I’m the one who became Spencer as Holfield grew up.”

“Because I never even imagined that I would publish a book, I feel more fulfilled than I did when releasing an album.”

“After Blonote, I think this book may become the book of my life.”

“It felt very fresh to learn that the sijo poems in *Cheonggu Yeongeon*, which I had encountered only in textbooks, are being newly reinterpreted as K-pop lyrics.”

“I reread The Alchemist, and I felt this when I read it again after a long time.”

“At age 20, I suddenly remembered a book called *Reading the Analects Happily*. At the time, while reading it, I felt for the first time that my thinking was awakening, and”

“고등학교 때, 서양고전문학 수업을 들었는데요. 『군주론 』, 『일리아스 』 같은 어려운 고전을 매주 1권씩 읽고 서평을 썼어요.”

“Reading a book in Queensland, where my parents live, made me even happier and more excited. The writers describe places that are good to stay in while visiting—not only Brisbane and the Gold Coast, but also other parts of Queensland—in their own distinctive language. It was interesting to read, almost like looking through a diary.”

“I've been reading a book lately. It's called The Bare Minimum of Korean History. It does a very good job of explaining things concisely, from Gojoseon through modern and contemporary history. It made me think, “I should study more history,” and I hope many people will read it.”

“When I first encountered God, I had so many questions. This book played a major role in helping me resolve them. It was also the first Christian book I read. What especially impressed me was how the author, who had lived as a Buddhist for nearly 50 years, explains why Jesus is the answer and the truth.”

“How wonderful it must have been”

“Ah, yes, yes, and then the one with three holes cut in a box, with something inside it, and things like that.”

“After reading it, I was completely influenced by it.”

“These days, I’m reading *So My Heart Won’t Get Hurt*.”

“Personally, when I read the book, I was moved by the line, “Even if I am tainted, I will give you only white things.””

“Nevertheless, it was still such a beautiful novel.”

“I’ve only read a few pages of I Haven’t Said Goodbye so far.”

“It feels as though the pieces of Motown I already knew are falling into place.”

“Ah, the book is too difficult.”

“Please see it as an honest account of my experiences, not an autobiography.”

“The last book I read was in middle school—Life at Nine?”

“A while ago, a director I know gave me What Is Death? as a gift. It compiles lectures by Professor Shelly Kagan of Yale University, but honestly, it’s very difficult.”

“Recently, I read José Saramago's *Blindness* and *Seeing*.”

“As I read this book and worked through the problems, I don’t think “really good” is enough to describe it.”

“I didn't start writing because of any particular occasion. I gathered the things I had jotted down—fleeting thoughts, like entries in a diary—and they came to be a book.”

“The book I wrote, ‘Girl Group Yoga,’ is a book that even beginners can easily follow.”

““Usually, I write with a different attitude than when I rap. For starters, I take out a lot of the playfulness.””

“A considerate gene.”

“The lyrics and poems by poet Won Tae-yeon that touch my heart are always a gift. 『Today, Here, Us』 feels like an even more special gift.”

“I collected about 20 volumes of the Conan manga.”

“I bought those three books by myself.”

“These days, I'm reading Three Kingdoms again.”

“I wanted to express the thoughts I usually have not only through music but also in other ways.”

“#Coloring”

“La Divina Commedia Written by Dante Alighieri 1308-1320 (The Divine Comedy written by La Divina)”

“i recently read a book called <me before you>. it was really touching. you should read it.”

“as i said earlier, there's a book called <me before you> and i hope you try and read it once. i think it'll be really fun if carats read it.”

“I read a poetry collection called *Forgiveness of the Sky* on a holiday. One line I wrote down was, “Would even angels know that their wings are symmetrical?” Isn’t that so cute?”

“I read it during a time in high school when I was very lonely, and it comforted me. I’ve read it several times since, and each time I find new comfort in it.”

“I found it interesting while reading Small Things Like These, so I finished Foster and am having coffee now.”

“Wow, author Shim Yong-hwan’s new book #365DaysOfKoreanHistoryInOnePage is coming out soon 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻”

“The book I read quickly and enjoyed just as much is Dante’s Divine Comedy. Turning each page is so enjoyable and fun.”

“I think I used to follow it a bit like a fandom thing, reading comics too, reading Lee Mun-yeol’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, and watching Chimchakman’s Three Kingdoms.”

“It’s very good.”

“I’m really enjoying it.”

“There is a poetry collection by Na Tae-joo called I See You as a Flower. It was a book that helped lift me up when I was feeling a little down.”

“It shocked me a lot, and it was a book that gave me many realizations and resonated deeply with me.”

“So I really, really recommend reading it.”

“Perhaps the process of experiencing contradictions firsthand and making choices ultimately enriches a person’s life. I, too, want to live while gradually expanding the breadth of my life.”

“Finally 😭 I finished reading it”

“I read Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, and I also read One Night When Little Things Became Something.”

““Thrillers are the best airplane reads and this one is an all-time fave when I need a little escape from reality. I am personally addicted to stories about people who will go wild lengths to get what they want.””

“I think it’s nice because I can write down the things I like—something I can enjoy at least a little—as part of my routine.”

“There’s a book I finished in two days. It’s called The Greenhouse at the End of the Earth. It’s really good.”

“The Little Prince is, ah, really a song that's kind of like a fairy tale for adults. Um, it's inspired by the original novel, The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, uh...”

“It was my first time being photographed wearing lingerie, so please pay attention.”

“Among baseball manga, my favorite manga is H2.”

“Jeolchang is really fun.”

“I was also very impressed by Anxiety.”

“I’m very interested in other people’s stories. How could one live without opening one’s ears to the world?”

“And this is a line from the novel Dallergut Dream Department Store.”

“There’s also a book I recently bought after it was recommended to me, which I’m planning to read: The Laws of the Mind by Volker Kitz and Manuel Tusch. My acting mentor, Min Jun-ho, head of the theater company Ganda, recommended it, and I’m planning to read it soon.”

“When I first started writing, I felt more fear than excitement, but now I’m glad I can share my stories in writing.”

“A Thousand Years of Love, Father.”

“I read *Human Acts* while in the military. Congratulations.”

“Lily's book rec for today: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Agatha Christie.”

“I’ve only read about twenty pages, but you know that thrilling feeling, that kind of feeling…”

“Although it's really gross, I also like this kind of manga.”

“The sentences in between, connecting one story to another, are also so, so beautiful, so I’m really enjoying reading it.”

“I want to return to my childhood and reread Jules Verne’s classic science-fiction novels, Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days, which I read a long time ago. These days, getting in touch with my inner child helps me relax.”

“The book I’m going to read to you today is *As Long as I Can Remember* by author Baek Eunbyeol.”

““One familiar poetry collection, one I want to read anew. And this one is one I really love. I always carry three poetry collections in my bag.””

“It was a book my older brother had received as a gift and that was at home. When I read it, it was so good. It’s a book I take out and read whenever I’m having a hard time.”

“Another one is a book called *All the Time in the World*. These days, everything moves so fast, and it’s hard to imagine life without videos like Shorts, right? This book is about a life of slow accumulation, in connection with quantum mechanics, and offers various perspectives on letting time rest, bending it, and stretching it. It’s a good read for people who want to create some breathing room in their lives.”

“I started reading books because of internet novels. There’s a book by Baekmyo called *Cinderella and the Four Knights*. It’s a romance novel, and it was made into a book. I think that’s what got me started on reading physical books properly.”

“The scenes where Tsuchida, a bookstore clerk, delivers monologues about impressions he has formed while watching customers, family members, and others are striking.”

““I also read the slice-of-life novel The Uncanny Convenience Store,””

“Sometimes my self-esteem hits rock bottom and I feel my sense of self wavering. People around me say you need a hobby to relieve stress, but I still haven’t found one. So whenever I’m having a hard time, I read books like “Look at This Poem” and “Even So, I Love You.” I’m not very good at reading long texts, so I mainly read books with lots of pictures and the words I want to hear.”

“Inspired by Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, it explores the themes of birth, love, conviction, and reaching the peak.”

“I read *The Art of Wandering*.”

“After that, I started seeking out and reading Murakami’s major works, such as *Dance Dance Dance* and *Kafka on the Shore*.”

“I think I got through it by continually reminding myself, “Let’s not fear the difficulties at the beginning.” It gave me so much strength.”

“"Thus Spoke Zarathustra" was also written by Nietzsche; those ideas began with this book.”

“We also read it very carefully like this. Right before it came out, we were really meticulous about the parts that were wrong...”

“The moment you embrace hope, a miracle happens.”

“Through this book, I want to share the happiness of cooking for yourself.”

“When I hear this song, I think of the book Toward the Place Where the Sun Sets.”

““I’m really often hurt by words, and when that reached its peak, I needed kind words. When I thought I should soothe my heart with a book, I came across a book called The Temperature of Language. The title felt warm from the start, so I was drawn to it. Since then, I keep reading it whenever I have time. It gives me a sense of calm whenever I’m tired. I often feel the depth of words and the power of words with a ‘warm temperature.’””

“He wrote poems that brought me great comfort.”

“A piece that once again reminds us how precious and radiant it is, in the midst of life, to ask one another how we are.”

“What do pigs live on? A delicious read recommended for thinking pigs.”

“Kim Do-hoon is truly a hit songwriter. This book does not simply focus on explaining theory; it also explains the know-how of a popular music composer, so I believe it will be a great help to aspiring composers.”

“The book I always recommend to SWITH as my all-time favorite is Hector and the Search for Happiness (François Lelord).”

“The book gave me time to think about the wounds of the victims and their families, the perpetrators and their families, and the people around them.”

“I bought a book, not a poetry collection. <Quiet Excitement>. It's a book about what happened during the author's three-month trip to Europe. Even the really trivial things are written down, and they're all so cute.”

“Reading this book helped spur me on in that mindset.”

“I did buy it when I was just thinking, among the people around me, “Why is everyone so weird?””

“When I was in my teens, I was deeply impressed by Bernard Werber’s book *Papillon*, and its story remained in my heart even into my twenties.”

“The Little Prince!”

“Watching this, I thought, “The mystery novels I’ve read up to now were only fragments. The real roots were here.””

“When I was grappling with questions about life, I drew a lot of strength from Hwang Sok-yong’s The Evening Star.”

“Like the title says, I’d recommend it to everyone moving toward their purpose in life.”

“For me, who has been running nonstop since my debut, books give me a little breathing room and help me gain insight.”

“After reading the book, I also gained the courage to take on a field I want to study, using my spare time even when I’m busy with group activities.”

““I mainly like poetry collections. Poetry seems like the genre that best reveals a poet’s temperament and sensibility. Poets look at things we often see in everyday life from a different perspective and express them in a few words. I think those words often resonate deeply. In this collection, I like the poem ‘Knot.’ In particular, when I read the passage, ‘Do not call it a knot. The hardest part—once, this too was so tender and fragile. It was only that passion went too far, and after a single wound, it could never bloom again,’ I thought that a poet could see a tree’s ‘knot’ in this way, too, and something about it really struck me.””

“The immersion is insane,,, I have nothing to say,, my heart feels so unbearably heavy. What on earth do people who call this painful history the Gwangju Incident usually think about as they go through life,,, Would I have been brave enough to join them? I don’t usually think much for long after reading a book, but this one has given me so much to think about. Why am I only reading it now?”

“Thanks to this book, I learned a lot about what I hadn’t known about everything that goes into an artist coming into being. I felt grateful to everyone who was with me, and is still with me, on the journey to becoming the ‘Baek A-yeon’ I am today. If you’re curious about the idol industry, this book will be a great help.”

“Yoon Ji-un’s <Pahanjip>. I started reading it a few years ago, and I pick it up once in a while when I’m bored.”

“Through the book, I came to realize that when you think of a person as a kind of “vessel,” they can become a much finer vessel only after being broken once.”

““I have lived in Korea for four years and have read many Korean literary works in English. Each time, I felt, ‘Ah, this is a translation.’ But I was surprised that the two works released this time were written in such excellent English. I think the level is higher than the English I use. (Laughs.)””

““They say that there are five languages of love: ‘words of affirmation,’ ‘quality time,’ ‘gifts,’ ‘acts of service,’ and ‘physical touch.’””

“I haven't shown it to PD Park Jin-young yet.”

“As a member of the K-pop group tripleS, being able to witness the CEO’s concerns and decisions up close was an experience that taught me a great deal. At every moment of choice, I could feel the CEO’s sincerity and determination to do more than simply establish a company—to usher in a new era of K-pop. That journey is captured in its entirety in this book. I also found it deeply meaningful that I had become part of the CEO’s journey. I think fans will discover the passion and sincerity behind the scenes, while people in the industry will find new inspiration. I hope this book gives you the strength to set out on a new path, too.”

“Until now, I’ve thought imagination was the greatest power music gives us. Songs leave their beginnings and endings open. When you sing about a breakup, no one tells you why the couple broke up or what happened afterward. I wondered whether a single story running through my music, whose beginnings and endings are ambiguous, might bring out more complex emotions and clearer images. That curiosity led me to write it.”

“Recently, I enjoyed reading author Kim Ho-yeon’s book *The Inconvenient Convenience Store*. It’s about a homeless man who works part-time at a convenience store, comforting various customers and reflecting on himself. It’s a book with an emotional impact I can’t convey just by explaining it this way.”

“Since I’m not a children’s book author, it was difficult to create new characters. I thought it might be a good idea to use Tori and Seoa, the dogs who actually live with us at home.”

““An exquisitely beautiful and abundant work of art, meticulously refined over thousands of years.””

“This book shakes readers and ultimately changes them.”

“I’m going to read my first book (manga) today! This was a recommendation. Actually, Ni-Ki has also mentioned this series before. So, I’m going to give it a go.”

“I hope you’ll love it. You won’t regret it.”

““This book contains stories that are hard to encounter in textbooks. If you enjoy history, I recommend that you read it at least once.””

“I looked it up, and apparently one of them is water residue.”

“It’s a book that brings so many emotions, from warmth to sadness. In particular, it made me reflect on my mother once again.”

“I did my reading with those.”