The stories behind their books

“I’m honored to receive the Content of the Year award. Grapefruit Apricot Club is a work that sincerely captures the reality the children face and the pure solidarity through which they hold on to one another and try to make it through.”

“As I read the book, I found myself agreeing and thinking, “Oh, that’s right, I was born in the ’90s too.” I think it could help people born in the ’70s and ’80s understand those born in the ’90s. As time goes by, we could become “old fogeys” too. People born in the 2000s might find us really hard to understand. In that sense, I think it would be good for people born in the 2000s to read it as well.”

“I bought this book, “Magnolia Flower Blooms Again,” from Aladin.”

“My grandmother once told me, “You’re like a magnolia flower.””

“That really touched me and resonated with me. (Touched) (Almost teary)”

“So I went to Aladin bookstore and found this pink book—the color I really like! (Pink) (Pink)”

“The title, “Magnolia Flower Blooms Again,” felt like a message meant for me.”

“When I was going through an anxious, difficult time, I felt withered, like a flower...! But this book says “blooms again,” and that made me feel so comforted!”

“So I bought it as soon as I saw the title.”

“While I was reading this book, I felt lonely.”

“[Recommended for these people!] If you want to feel understood and comforted, reading this poetry book will really help.”

“It has helped me a lot, so I often recommend it to people around me.”

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

“Prince is actually my favorite of the whole series”

“It's a book I really like.”

“I brought “20th Century Boys,” which I’ve really enjoyed reading recently. It’s so good. I have the complete series.”

““I find myself chuckling, yet somehow there isn’t a single scene that doesn’t leave some corner of my heart sad. Conversely, even in a single leaf, even in one cheerful line of dialogue from the radio by my late senior Shin Hae-chul, an inevitable sadness lingers. But perhaps I’m intoxicated by the velvetleaf forest; strangely, I keep chuckling.””

“Nietzsche’s Words”

“I hope this book can offer even a little strength and comfort to those standing at a crossroads of choice or feeling exhausted and weary.”

““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.””

“My life will be divided into before and after this book is published. If my life up to now was given to me so that I could write this book, then I think my life from now on has been given to me so that I can make people want to read it.”

“I bought volumes 1 and 2. I’ve finished volume 1, and I have about half of volume 2 left.”

“I watched the film Three Sisters. It left a long-lasting impression on me, so I couldn’t help reading The Story of Three Sisters all the way to the end. I wanted to share it with more people.”

“I’m not saying this because I’m an emotional person, but give this book a read. It’s the kind that will annoy you… A person’s life is supposed to have a mix of happy and sad days, but they keep giving this person a hard time in life… Sigh… It made me think, “Wow, the author is cruel,” but it is fun to read.”

“It’s a work that allowed me to get absorbed in the story and completely focus. It’s also good for killing time. It was made into a movie, too, but I recommend reading it as a book.”

“These days, I’m reading *Reading Schopenhauer at Forty*.”

“One of the books I’ve read recently is Scythe.”

“It’s about a world where, with the emergence of something called the Thunderhead in the future, people no longer die, and a figure called a Scythe regulates the population. I think the concept is so unique: when an age comes in which people no longer die, someone still has to die, so the question is who should be the one to die.”

“When I go to a bookstore, I sit and read with a huge pile of books. I like that people at bookstores don’t pay attention to others. I bought a whole stack recently, too. There’s “Children of Gwaengiburi Village,” “The Little Prince,” “Confession,” “March Is a Red Abyss,” “Norwegian Wood,” and a poetry collection by poet Lee Byeong-ryul. I get so many book recommendations all the time.”

“Like imagining myself as a character in a novel, for example.”

“A perfect novel in every respect—the readability of the prose, the characterization, the trick, and the structure! It was what got me hooked on Keigo Higashino’s works and on mysteries.”

“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.”

“It's an interesting book. It's fun.”

“I’d like to talk about Osamu Dazai’s *No Longer Human*, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s *The Little Prince*, and Han Kang’s *Human Acts*.”

“That's why it has become a truly unforgettable novel of my life, even to this day.”

“Poet Park Jun’s distinctive witty style was moving and touching.”

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

“Through Demian, the embodiment of the perfect, ideal human being, I discovered the essence of jealousy within myself.”

“I read Gu Byeong-mo's book *Gills* three times.”

“A book one must read”

“Whereas my previous book told, almost in diary form, various stories about life that a woman in her twenties learns while living with a cat, with Sweet Remedy I wanted to use as few words as possible and, alongside the flow of the photographs, give readers the feeling that we are traveling “together.””

“There are times when my self-esteem hits rock bottom and my sense of self wavers. People around me say you need to have a hobby to relieve stress, but I haven't found one yet. So whenever I'm having a hard time, I read books like “Look at This Poem” and “Still, I Love You.” I don't read long texts very well, so I mainly look at books with lots of pictures and the words I want to hear.”

“The fact that I got through today without any trouble helps me get through the next day. The small joys of everyday life become the links that connect life.”

“I also liked Hideo Okuda’s The Aerial Trapeze. Each short story features unusual patients who receive counseling and suggested treatments. I wanted to get counseling from Ibura, the doctor in the novel, 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.”

““After reading The Power of Positive Thinking and The Secret, I changed even more.””

“I also bought a book called *People Born in the ’90s Are Coming*. Try challenging yourself [to read] this book too 😄”

“I really empathized with it to the point of experiencing catharsis.”

“But I apparently read it.”

“Book: The Little Prince”

“The book I’d like to introduce to you is this graphic novel called Asterix Polly Wi.”

““These days, I think I’ve come to prefer books or works with this kind of humanism.””

“I like books, so I try to read.”

“올해 읽었던 책인데”

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

“This book is called “Anyway, Memo” by Hyeyoon Jung.”

“I was worried that I might write down too many notes, but I felt comforted as soon as I read the title.”

“And I felt like my actions were being validated.”

“The first chapter is called “I Should’ve Written It Down.””

“This is the thought that comes to mind most often.”

“So I thought that as I read this book, I’d feel like my thoughts were really understood.”

“So if you write down notes as much as I do,”

“or if you’re the opposite and want to build a habit of taking thorough notes,”

“I recommend reading “Anyway, Memo” by Hyeyoon Jung. (Recommend) (recommend)”

“I even recommended If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light on Weverse.”

“It’s about how she became a star when she was young and what life as an actor was like; it’s a really sad story.”

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

“As I turned the last page of the book, I thought how lucky I was to have met you, teacher, as a child who could hear those precious stories for free.”

“After finding the answer in the Bible, I became able to answer without hesitation when asked, “Why do you live?” That answer became the anchor of my life and the source of my passion. (Omitted) I earnestly hope this book can give a clear reason to live to someone who feels empty, lonely, isolated, anxious, afraid, or depressed—and, above all, to someone who is thinking of giving up on life (p. 10).”

“It’s a very warm novel about things that happen in a convenience store. They’re stories that could happen in our everyday lives, and they move and comfort you. I read it all in one sitting.”

“I was so immersed in the work that I read it in one sitting despite being busy with activities. I even recommended it directly to the members.”

“It’s a work that reflects on the value of human life through a doctor named Sashal, who is a metaphor for a “lucky person” in modern society, where most people are unhappy. But more than that, what resonated most with me was Sashal’s way of embodying the ideal human relationships I hope for.”

““I also like the Analects. I didn’t like it before, but after reading it, a lot of it really resonated with me, and I like learning from it.””

“Personally, I found the book more interesting.”

“When I go to a bookstore, I sit down, pile up a ton of books, and read. I like that people at bookstores don’t pay attention to others. I bought a whole bunch just recently, too. There are The Children of Gwaengiburi Village, The Little Prince, Confession, March Is a Red Ravine, Norwegian Wood, and a poetry collection by poet Lee Byung-ryul. I get a lot of book recommendations all the time.”

“I heard it was fun.”

“It’s very good.”

“I think being a singer or entertainer is a profession where you’re only recognized if you achieve something big. You always have to come in first, set records, and win the grand prize at award ceremonies. People who are used to focusing only on major achievements—which can seem futile in a way—need to learn, as this book suggests, to appreciate the small joys of everyday life, or I don’t think they’ll avoid depression.”

“Shoko's Smile is so much fun, too. Honestly, there were a few episodes I didn't quite understand, but it was still a novel that moved me deeply.”

“Milan Kundera’s *Slowness* was good too. It was exactly what the word says: “slowness.” It felt like a book telling people who have to live in this fast-paced modern age that they should live slowly. I’m really slow myself.”

“It’s Kim Byeol-ah’s novel Passionate Love. I haven’t actually read it recently, but it’s a book I recommend.”

“Through that book, I discovered for the first time the nature of the jealousy within me.”

“I was able to look back on my jealousy toward the boys in my class who were tall, handsome, good at school and sports, and popular with girls.”

“I read this book four or five times.”

“Thanks to it, I had the opportunity to naturally encounter the wonderful wisdom left by the preceding generation.”

“This is a book I'm reading. It's about how the story keeps going back through the generations—my mother's mother, my mother's mother's mother, and so on. So it's really interesting and has a great atmosphere. It's a healing book to read.”

“I really enjoyed reading the book. It helped me see the world a little more deeply and broadly.”

“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 define a singer as “someone who conveys.” Elements like pitch and performance are certainly important, but in the end, the most important thing is conveying a song and its meaning to someone.”

“When I opened my eyes in bed, I imagined what the window would look like if I were in the protagonist's position in the novel, what the desk would be like, and how I could open the drawer.”

“Even when I read books, I imagine all the scenes as I go.”

“Knulp is a book I found after reading Demian and becoming curious about Hermann Hesse’s work.”

“I'm slightly in love with it”

“Each chapter in this book is organically connected to an album track.”

“In books, you can see all the thoughts the protagonist has before taking action, and that’s so interesting.”

“I guess I replied to another post... As for books, I’m trying to read The Vegetarian now...”

“이어서 카뮈의 또 다른 작품 <반항하는 인간>까지 읽고 나니까 그 마음을 얼추 이해하게 됐어요.”

“I immediately bought this author’s Brunch Award-winning book, “An Uncloying Essay Collection.””

“This book is called “Schopenhau to Read Before Bed.””

“You can see there are so many bookmark tabs.”

“There were so many passages I could relate to and wanted to learn from! [How YVES Reads #2]”

“So I can’t finish this book! lol I have to read it over and over again.”

“So that’s what he said. But on the very next page, he says, “In life, suffering and concerns are necessary.””

“Then I get all confused while reading!”

“I’m like, “But you just said they’re the two enemies!””

“And then again, it’s like, “Suffering and concerns are common in life.””

“Ah, I see.”

“Mmm... I see what you mean.”

“This book is also very realistic, and it’s a great book to read if you want to be comforted and clear your mind of your worries.”

“So I recommend this book too.”

““I got into poetry by reading ‘Love, as if You Have Never Been Hurt (Ryu Si-hwa).’””

“Oh, I did like that. I did like that classic. That was was a good book,”

“It’s really good, and...”

“There’s a book by bell hooks called *All About Love*. In English...”

“People seem to be born as light as feathers, then gradually shoulder more weight as they live.”

“My life will be divided into before and after this book comes out.”

“I remember reading this book while crying. I hardly ever cry when I’m reading. The protagonist has a terminal illness.”

“I enjoyed reading Han Kang’s Love of Yeosu and The Vegetarian, Yang Gwi-ja’s Contradiction, and Jung Dae-geon’s Torrent, among others.”

““In difficult moments, reading this book makes me feel as though there’s nothing in the world to be angry about.””

““When that happens, if I read that book, there’s nothing in the world to be angry about.””

“'Contradiction'”

“Writer! I read *Human Acts* in the military.”

“After discovering Keigo Higashino through The Devotion of Suspect X, I’ve read everything of his that has been translated into Korean, and this was one of the books I picked up relatively early on. “It really pulls you along.””

“I also recommend <Happiness Doesn't Come Alone> and Sister Lee Hae-in’s essay book <Just Cry When Things Are Hard>.”

“Jeolchang is really fun.”

“Professor Jung Jae-seung’s *Twelve Steps*. It was the first book I read in the military. It made me realize that what I’m worrying about and finding difficult right now is actually perfectly natural. It was a book that guided me so I wouldn’t fall into self-pity.”

“I have it open to a page.”

“The hidden track ‘Sea’ was inspired by the quote “Wherever there’s hope, there’s a trial” in ‘1Q84’.”

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

““As I was working on my book, I read Jeong You-jeong’s *The Origin of Species* and Shim Eun-hee’s *The Wind Blew in Ireland. Waves Rose in My Heart*.””

“After that, I also read a book called <Miracles of the Namiya General Store>.”

“Miracles of the Namiya General Store”

“My members. Books → Miracles of the Namiya General Store lol.”

“I think every artist should read it at least once”

“It isn't a classic itself, but I have a book about classics: 『Classics Answered: On the Life We Ought to Live』.”

“It's a book about how we ought to live this difficult life. Nothing in it feels difficult; it just tells you plainly, point by point. It's very clear.”

“Classics are actually difficult, and you can interpret them in so many different ways. I think that's part of the appeal of reading a book about a classic, too. You get to read that author's distinctive interpretation, and there's the pleasure of thinking, 'I found that classic difficult or it didn't really resonate with me when I read it, but I can read it this way too.' I think it's a really good thing. I think the real answers lie in the classics.”

“Although many stories I didn’t want to make public became known, I had never properly told my own story. As I kept those things bottled up, they began to fester.”

“My mom told me to take another look at this.”

“I think I was tempted by that blurb and read it. But it was such a predictable story... I read it in the bookstore and left it there.”

“I also recommend “One Person on Earth” (Jung Se-rang).”

“It really feels like a book tailored just for Lily.”

“I tend to have a lot on my mind, especially before album promotions. I recently picked up again a book I read when I need to find my center.”

“I first read Siddhartha in November 2025. My family is Buddhist, and that summer we all went to see a monk we had been close to for a long time. He gave it to me as a gift, saying, ‘It’s a book I truly cherish and have read over and over, and one that helped me a lot in not losing myself.’”

“Before, whenever things got too hard, I would turn away from the situation and hide behind a mask. That was how I got through life. But I recently realized that someday I would have no choice but to face the weaker side of myself. I also came to understand that when that time comes, I can meet my true self, and the path forward becomes clearer. While I was thinking about those things, I came across Siddhartha, and its sentences came to me as if by fate.”

“That’s right. I remember a childhood moment when I saw my younger sister playing guitar and asked her to teach me too. After that, I taught myself guitar by watching YouTube and started writing songs. It was a turning point that made me who I am today.”

“I think that’s the central message this book is trying to convey. I, too, am constantly changing like a river, but at the same time, I was able to firmly inscribe in my life the wisdom that I am the river, and that my existence as me does not change.”

“It’s good. Especially then, it’s good too. My mind gets very calm, and I can think a lot, so I’ve been writing quite a lot of lyrics as well. It’s good.”

“This is a book I started reading because it was at the TWICE dorm, and I think this book is exactly what its title says: “doing something for myself.””

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

“When you’re working, there are moments when it gets difficult, and when that happens, if you read this book, there’s nothing in the world to get angry about.”

“Personally, my goal this year is to read more than twenty books. I really enjoyed reading Human Acts again last year, so this year I’ll read lots of interesting books too.”

“Congratulations, I read 'Human Acts' while in the military,”

“When I finish this book, I plan to read *Seven Years Later*.”

“I thought this really summed up the book The Contradiction very well.”

“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.”

“This book reminds me that life is worth living, so I confidently recommend it.”

““It’s something like a debate among philosophers about love. It makes you think seriously once again about how love is being consumed in modern society and about our attitudes toward dating.””

“If you find out the title of the book, most of you will probably give up [trying to read it]... The Perpetual Fluctuation of Wealth ^^ Hahahahahaha, everyone will give up. You should read it all. I also bought a book called People Born in the ’90s Are Coming. Try challenging yourself [to read] this book too 😄”

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

“So I brought it with me”

“I bought the book! I'll enjoy reading it.”

“Reading it at the same age, I found another point of interest. I wondered whether, when I was that age, I could do serialized labor like that, and whether I could put my story out there so starkly for the world to see. I guess I’m not there yet.”

“Since it's about professional conversation techniques, it's difficult, so I can't read for long. I read a little at a time, a chapter at a time.”

“Hello! I'm Lily. The book we're reading together this time is [The Man Who Died Twice] by Richard Osman, the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series we read last time! You're curious about how the story continues, aren't you?! I am too! I want to read it together…”

“It’s really fascinating: by coincidence, I always end up reading a book connected to our next album. After ‘EASY’ wrapped up and before we started promoting ‘CRAZY,’ I read a book called *The Madman* by Lee Hyuk-jin. The protagonist was literally a real madman. (Laughs.) So I read it thinking, ‘CRAZY—this person is really CRAZY.’ It was a book about how you can go that far when you become obsessed with something. So this book came to mind when we were promoting ‘CRAZY’ and then ‘HOT.’”

“Of the books I’ve finished recently, the one I liked best was I Said It Was Goodbye ㅠㅠ”

“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.”

“I enjoyed reading Han Kang’s *Love of Yeosu* and *The Vegetarian*, Yang Gui-ja’s *Contradiction*, Jeong Dae-geon’s *Torrent*, and others.”

“I found ‘The Buddha’s Words, Newly Translated’ an impressive read.”

““It’s a book called The Psychology of Money. It made me think that it was something I really needed, too.””

“I heard it was interesting.”

“The premise of the novel is very unique.”

“This is also a book read by Heath Ledger, an actor I like. It's Gustave Flaubert's novel Sentimental Education. After seeing the book appear in the documentary film I Am Heath Ledger, I became curious about what he was thinking when he read it.”

“It is set during the Japanese colonial period, a time when society was highly unsettled. Although women had relatively fewer opportunities than men at the time, she fought for the social course she believed was right. It was a book that made me reflect on myself.”

“I think this passage very well symbolizes the lives of artists who carried art like a divine punishment until the day they died, so it seems to be a passage that broadly symbolizes the book.”

“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 recommend it to you.”

“[Recently Read Book #2] This is The Path of the Dinosaur's Movement by KIM HWA JIN.”

“On my day off, I went to Kyobo Book Centre with my sister.”

“I just wanted to spend a day browsing books and stuff… [A literary girl's day].”

“So I went with my sister, browsed around, and bought this book.”

“[The reason she picked this book] When I got to Kyobo Book Centre, there were so many books—well, it is a bookstore—so I felt overwhelmed.”

“I wanted to buy a good one, something fun that I’d really enjoy reading. I wanted to pick the perfect book.”

“So, inside Kyobo Book Centre, I looked up book descriptions on my phone and tried to see which book caught my eye.”

“[The title alone sounds fun] I saw the title The Path of the Dinosaur's Movement.”

“[GAWON is a famous dinosaur lover] I love dinosaurs, right?”

“I thought, “I’m not sure about it, but let’s just go for it.””

“It’s also a novel, which I love. There was a line that really got to me.”

“Before I buy a book, I read the whole blurb.”

“[GAWON later found it and sent it] There was a line in the blurb that really resonated with me.”

“This book has a strong slice-of-life vibe, and the perspective changes in every section.”

“[The story of four friends] You can read each person’s perspective on the process of losing a cherished friend and the emotions they experience as they go through it.”

“I enjoyed reading that, too. There were lots of cute and relatable lines.”

““I wrote to hold, to leave behind, and to remember.” “So I wouldn’t forget.” “To record it before I forget.” “To keep it by recording it.””

““I still can’t tell apart the moments when lies and truth are stuck together. A lie is nothing else but the act of deceiving oneself—truly believing that what I’m saying right now is sincere. Lies come from sincerity.””

“Lines like these come up throughout the book.”

“So even within this kind of everyday story, thoughts you usually keep to yourself pop up from time to time, which made it a fun book to read.”

“The book for February was supposed to be this one, [the book in question] The Path of the Dinosaur's Movement, but I couldn’t finish it, so I finished it in early March.”

“Hahaha, if my mom sees what I read, she might say something, but these are the books I picked up from January through March at the beginning of this year while talking about things like “the energy of the universe.” I think The Nature of Money and Rich Dad Poor Dad are really books worth reading two or three times, and the other books left me with a lesson along the lines of “use your heart for good.” People shouldn’t live narrow-mindedly, you know.”

“Still, I thought, “I hope lots of people get to know about this,” and I really hoped it had helped, even a little.”

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

“I read a memoir recently called Everything I Know About Love where the author pursues romantic love her whole life, only to realize something profound in the end: She had always been surrounded by amazing friends, and always been loved, and always gave love—that she’d been experiencing it all along, and that love had always been there by her side. When I read that, I kept thinking about the other members of the group. When I think about the future together with them, I feel like I could end up thinking something similar to the author. Being with them has made me learn to appreciate friendship even more.”

“And maybe that’s essentially what love is—learning to be kind through friendship, then practicing and showing it, like the book says.”

“I still like this song, just as I did before the album came out.”

““The person who knows how to love themselves is the greatest person.” (From *315 Proverbs Worth Reading Even a Hundred Years from Now*)”

“Reading this book made me think that I should cherish and love myself more.”

“Anne Napolitano’s novel Hello Beautiful”

““I was deeply impressed by ‘Words of the Buddha in a New Translation.’””

“Because *Memoir of a Murderer* was the book that introduced me to the world of books, and”

“What is the most important book you have read?”

“I asked a friend: “Hey, I want to read! Do you have any books to recommend?” And he got really excited and recommended books by Han Kang and Keigo Higashino. So, that was literally everything I read. There was also a book called “Eleven Steps.” It was kind of a book about philo…”

“Recently, I had a short flight schedule, so I once brought only two books. One of them was so entertaining that I finished it on the plane. It was Lee Do-woo’s *Mail from Mailbox No. 110*. It’s a love story about people in their thirties, and it’s really fun. The book is a bit thick, but I read it almost as if I were watching a drama.”

“As I read it, I found it incredibly delicate. Not only the expressions and descriptions, but also the emotional threads are woven together so intricately that it pains my heart as I read. I think it’s a book every Korean should read.”

“I read it on the flight to Europe and at the hotel. Even though I was in a good situation, reading that book weighed on my heart.”

“Your writing is so vivid and skillful that I was impressed as I read it.”

“When I read books, I imagine everything in the scenes. These days, I’m reading a book called Dallergut Dream Department Store, and when they talk about the dream department store, I can see it in my head. I imagine I’m shopping there as I read. It’s not just novels, but other books, too—for example, if there’s a sentence where Einstein is talking, I imagine him saying it. (Laughs) That’s probably why I was able to learn video production so quickly.”

“If I were to buy [a dream], it’d be one where I’m flying through the skies or swimming freely in the deep sea. But those kinds of dreams don’t sell well.”

“I read Dallergut Dream Department Store.”

“For me, I’d buy one where we become whales and swim together in the sea. What’s the relation? Because it’s a whale, I’m a whale shark.”

“I’ve told this to CARATs several times. After reading Dallergut Dream Department Store, I haven’t been able to read a book because I’ve been busy with work.”

“I think every artist should read it at least once”

“Narin had recommended me a book called No Longer Human...”

“Books are difficult. I didn’t understand it, so I closed it around halfway through.”

“My favorite series is Percy Jackson.”

“That book is also really good.”

“As for books, I enjoyed Ito Ogawa’s The Snail Restaurant.”

“I held back until the end, then burst into tears. It makes you cherish life.”

“I was so absorbed in the work that I read it in one sitting even while carrying out activities. I even personally recommended it to the members.”

““I read The Buddha’s Words: A Modern Translation and was deeply impressed by it.””

“I regretted not having read your books sooner.”

“Love as if you've never been loved.”

“The book I read yesterday was one called Maldok, and it was really interesting.”

“I read *Romantic Love and Its Aftermath*. It’s such an adult book that I couldn’t understand all of it, but there was this line: “You can’t be in a relationship on feelings alone.” It meant that feelings of love or liking someone aren’t enough to be with a person; their tastes, depth of thought, and values have to align for you to become truly close to them. Just because you like someone doesn’t mean you can have a deep relationship with them. It made me think that the adults who say that, as time passes, only one or two friends remain really have a point.”

“It’s something like a debate among philosophers about love, and, well, it lets us seriously think once again about how love is being consumed in modern society, and about our attitudes toward dating and things like that.”

“Slam Dunk is a manga I revisit regularly; it’s one of my all-time favorites. I’m not much of a crier, but works like Slam Dunk, which make my heart burn with passion, bring me to tears.”

“So we bought it together.”

“Saying, “Am I a fan or a disciple?”—the book I’ve been working hard to read lately. I wonder if I’m going to stop being a fan and become a disciple now, or if I’ve become more resolute at heart. Because I’ve lived like a fan, I find stories about life in the world really interesting; I’ve thought I was lucky, liked having lots of money, and felt proud when I achieved my goals. But I don’t want to miss it.”

“One of my all-time favorite classic books is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I love the descriptions of nature.”

“I remember crying so much when I read The Giving Tree as a child.”

“Guillaume Musso's *Will You Be There?* is a book I read in middle school. I liked it so much that I read it several times.”

“In life, you do things with many different people, and this book helps you keep the focus on yourself amid all that. I especially want to share the words, 'You don't have to do it well.' I recently tried acting. Wanting to do well matters, but that desire can also make you feel pressured and nervous. 'So what if I don't do it well?' Sometimes it's good to take things lightly”