The stories behind their books

“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.”

“This book is neither about what is right or wrong, nor is it writing that is overly boisterous or gloomy; it is simply the perspective of my twenties and thirties. It is the way I look at myself—nothing more.”

“I also like Sapiens, which I’ve been reading recently, in a similar vein.”

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

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

“I’m especially enjoying the webtoon <The Return of the Mount Hua Sect>.”

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

“These days, I’m reading a book called “Why Do Smart People Believe Nonsense?””

“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 really deserves it. It’s entertaining, and I imagine a lot as I read.”

“I told that friend I really enjoyed reading *Gills*.”

“#RomanceWillKillMe I met lyricist Seo Ji-eum, who has such a girlish air~ Please show lots of love for writer Ji-eum’s book too~”

“After reading Edgar Allan Poe's Short Stories, I wrote the lyrics for the song “Curse,””

“I couldn't finish reading The Three-Body Problem because it had more pages than I expected.”

“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.”

“I think it's a book that even people with no interest in philosophy can approach easily, and that gives them a stepping stone toward developing a philosophy of their own.”

“To recommend books I enjoyed reading, first, “Ordinary Words (Kim Eana).” Even though I’d only read it, I thought, “The author’s thoughts are so healthy and profound,” and the author felt like a “senior in life” to me. And then, “On My 29th Birthday, I Decided to Die a Year Later (Amari Hayama).””

“I spent a long time with him, but knew absolutely nothing about him. In fact, I never really asked. He was someone who laughed a lot, but his laughter didn’t seem particularly genuine. There was a bitter taste to his laughter and words, so I didn’t casually cross his boundaries. I wanted to help him protect himself in his own way, and that was my way of being a friend. I thought it was so like Yoon Seol-ya to put it into writing only now and tell his life story, and I was so glad there was at least this outlet for letting it all out. In a word, he’s such a romantic. I’m honored that one of the songs I wrote was included in it (I was a little surprised by the unexpected song choice)!”

“I stopped watching The Ravages of Time partway through.”

“This is exactly the book I want to find. It’s about the number 88 bus.”

“Well, first of all, the reason I started reading it is—there’s a producer. The producer who first got me to debut on a program called New Nonstop, Producer Ginisi, and I have a book club, just the two of us. I was going to introduce this book…”

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

“I was really burdened by it. When I heard they were making a musical about Big Bang’s story, like *Shout to the World!*, I was scared at first. And since this was only my second musical, I also wondered whether it was too soon to perform our songs. There were a lot of things I felt cautious about.”

“A book that spoon-feeds you.”

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

“I became a fan after reading The Fruit of My Woman.”

“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.”

“It broadened my perspective and comforted me.”

“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.”

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

“After that, the first book by Annie Ernaux I bought was *Writing Like a Knife*. It’s an interview-style essay that leaves out Ernaux’s more unconventional side, and it’s the kind of book that gives you an idea of the mindset she brings to writing.”

“After Blonote, I think this book is going to become my all-time favorite.”

“Yes. I think I came to appreciate novels like that through The Unbearable Lightness of Being.”

“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.”

“Oh, I started reading Guns, Germs, and Steel, but then I stopped, remember? It was so hard.”

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

“The books I’m reading these days are The Picture of Dorian Gray and Contradiction.”

“Watching that, I resolved to make an album the way I wanted.”

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

““I’m proud of my mentor.””

“I read it too, and the elements were interesting.”

“I started reading *Darkness at Noon* the day before yesterday.”

“I remember being captivated by Jules Verne’s Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea when I read it as a kid.”

“I read *The Art of Wandering*.”

“I read a book called “Courage To Be Disliked” which something you read in life, it really helped when I was stressed, it also helped me to become more mature.”

“Perhaps it was a book that comforted and encouraged me at the time, as I acknowledged that period—which may have been full of mistakes and failures—and worked toward a better future.”

“A Thousand Years of Love, Father.”

“As soon as you turn the first page of this book, the voices you’ve missed may come tumbling out in a lively chorus.”

“I watched Bait, and it wasn't childish at all. I really enjoyed it.”

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

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

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

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

“The first flapping of wings toward freedom”

“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.”

“Since it was a book that prominently covered stories about Italy, the birthplace of poisoning, I brought it along on my business trip to Italy and read it twice during the journey.”

“I did my reading with those.”

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

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

“I realized that Gu Byeong-mo’s books really aren’t for me. I’m not a fan of adding long-winded, supplementary passages... I just wish someone who draws handsome people well would illustrate it like a webtoon. It felt like reading an obsessive, domineering-gong romance web novel.”

“A book called Iroseok, on the topic of… Looking at this book, I thought the keyword “god” was just right for you, experiencing life for the first time, to whom everything in the world is unfamiliar and difficult. So I bought this book too, and since I declared it and lay down…”

“I recently read Harry Potter.”

““I recommend ‘Laugh Like Haha’s Mom.’””

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

“Like the picture diary you kept as a child, try drawing your own memories each day, following wherever your heart takes you. Finding little moments of happiness in everyday life is quite a joyful thing.”

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

“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 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.”

“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.”

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

“This is a book I really recommend to people wondering how they can do their work well.”

“If there were no music in our lives, it seems the whole world would look black and white. Even after 23 years as a musician, classical music had always felt unfamiliar to me, but I was able to feel close to it through this book. The lively chronicles of the great classical music masters of the world, so vivid they felt like watching a drama, were truly captivating. If you’re looking for the easiest and most enjoyable book about classical music, I recommend this one without hesitation. Discover the birth of world-famous masterpieces in an enjoyable, accessible way.”

“I like the title ‘Knowledge and Love’ better than ‘Narcissus and Goldmund.’”

“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.”

“All I could bring was a book and two pairs of AirPods.”

“As a celebrity, there are times when people criticize you and times when people offer you comfort. Reading this book, rather than blaming others, I had various thoughts along the lines of, “That’s just how people are; I should at least try not to be that way.””

“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.”

““Let’s take courage from reading this book. Aging is a disease.””

““Even with my busy schedule, I try to make time to read. I love those moments when I can focus and organize my thoughts as I read.””

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

““I know how avid readers actually read books and how intellectual people think, so I hope people will just read it casually.””

“A considerate gene.”

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

“When that exact verse appeared before my eyes among the tens of thousands of pages on the shelf, I had no choice but to collapse completely before the presence of the living Lord. It was supernatural confirmation that ‘God is dealing with me right now.’”

“When I come across a passage I like while reading, I take a photo of it on my phone.”

“I thought it was art that I, as a Korean Confucian girl, couldn't understand. Maybe it was because some parts were difficult, or because the characters were hard to remember. Let's try reading it again in about six months.”

“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.”

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

“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.”

“The professor explained positively that being sensitive means you’re someone with highly developed senses and someone who can stand out in a particular field, so this is a book that gives me even more comfort.”

“I wondered how a lie could be elegant, and I was interested because it was by the author of Wandeuk.”

“The 8 Rules of Love, by Jay Shetty.”

“I didn't really like it before, but after reading The Analects, so much of it resonated with me, and I enjoyed learning from it.”

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

“In a book, you can see everything the protagonist is thinking before they act, and that’s so much fun.”

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

“There are times when I feel that way too, but it made me think I should pull myself together again and work hard at living.”

“The works I keep rereading are Phoenix and Buddha.”

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

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

“I brought it because Demian is my favorite.”

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

“Rather, I think it’s a book that makes me look back on myself, so it has a lot of meaning.”

“This book and the “Gen Z Bookshelf” interview sparked my interest in reading.”

“I like reading books.”

“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.”