The stories behind their books

“Recently, among the books I’ve read, there’s one called *Schopenhauer at Forty*… People read it at forty, but I wanted to read it at twenty, thinking it might be good to know about it at twenty… So Schopenhauer is quite, kind of… pessimistic…”

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

“My favorite series is Percy Jackson.”

“The books I'm currently reading—I’m reading two at the same time: one called *Consolation for Sorrow* and *Strange Comfort*.”

“When I was really into novels, I read the Japanese novel *The Age-70 Death Bill Passes*.”

““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.”

“I regretted not having read this book sooner.”

“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.”

“A book I found because I was feeling a strong thirst for travel”

“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’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*.”

“I’m also reading Banana Yoshimoto’s *Kitchen* because I had it at home.”

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

“And I like poetry collections. I really enjoyed reading the collection The Definition of Love Is a Cat.”

“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.”

“I think I can take one step closer to becoming that kind of person only if I’m happy first and receive energy.”

“I had read it once before, and it was really difficult.”

“I like it. I especially like it then, too. It makes me feel very calm and lets me think a lot, so I’ve been writing quite a lot of lyrics. I like it.”

“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.”

“This book helped me a lot. It says exactly what I want to hear. I didn’t read it just once; I read it several times. There are sentences that speak to me the second time, and sentences that speak to me the third time. It’s a book I keep reaching for, so I recommend it to ONCE.”

“'Contradiction'”

“I found that fun too.”

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

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

“It was impressive because it had so much to say.”

“It’s Hwang Sok-yong’s The Evening Star. I first read this book in my second year of high school. By chance, I picked just one book from the many in the library, and it was The Evening Star. I was thinking a lot about my future at the time, so the main character, Yu Jun, felt just like me.”

“This is a book called *Mythology*.”

“I’ve been really interested in Greek mythology since I was little. When I was young, I only liked the main figures, but there are so many other gods too, you know. I want to read about them because I’m curious about them…”

“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…”

“I started reading it for the first time on the plane, and it was so interesting that I read about half of it.”

“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.”

“My brother had received this book as a gift, so it was at home. I tried reading it and liked it so much that I take it out whenever things are hard. The saying is really true: when I'm in a good mood, I can laugh off a bad situation, and when I'm in a bad mood, even a small thing feels big. Managing your mood may not be easy, but it made me reflect on myself a little. Since I'm the one living my life, I think everything begins with me. If I have good qualities, they'll spread a pleasant scent like perfume and have a positive influence”

“I actually don't like science fiction that much. I hardly ever watch sci-fi movies, either. Did I get this book recommended to me on social media? Not directly, but I saw someone recommending it, got interested, and decided to read it.”

“This book—[there's so much to say about this one]—as you can see, is incredibly long and hefty... [in a nutshell,] not an easy book to take on. But! [Here comes the sales queen] The appeal of a long novel is that... once you get past the beginning, where you memorize the characters' names and get some explanation of the situation, [the twists never end &] there really are endless twists and [one shocking scene after another] so many scenes that leave you stunned.”

“Honestly, I find these doorstopper books challenging, too. I tend to read them over the course of several months. Me, too? But this book is really difficult in terms of its ideas. It makes you think a lot, but the sentences themselves aren't difficult! [Thoughts that keep spiraling / Easy to read, but full of ideas you can't simply brush aside] It's a book that's easy to read, but makes you go back and think about it afterward.”

“When I try to sell people on this book, I tell them that even in a world this advanced, after so much change, the feeling of love is still so precious and powerful. [If you don't understand how wonderful love is, I feel sorry for you] There are so many things the characters do because they love each other. Rowan thinks he could die in Citra's place because he loves her, and Citra risks danger and takes action because she loves Rowan. Watching things like that made me feel that, in every generation, [an emotion that transcends time: love] emotions have such a powerful effect on people. That's what lies at the heart of who we are.”

“That's right. I felt the same way while reading it, too—the translator, Lee Soo-hyun, seems to have done a great job. [A style that draws you in without difficult sentences] There aren't any difficult sentences, so every line really catches your eye, and each and every one is a gem. I really want more people to know about the red-covered book Scythe. [I want to finish it and talk about it with everyone] While reading Scythe, [a book that makes you reflect on respect for life and ethics], I found myself thinking a lot about how we regard life and about ethics.”

“I always carry around about two books like this.”

“It’s a book written for artists, and I felt like it really opened up my perspective.”

““That’s the right answer.””

“I have so much I want to talk about that even writing it as an epic novel on the scale of *Toji* wouldn’t be enough, but…”

“So I brought it with me”

“I heard it was fun.”

“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.”

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

“A book I read while at the TWICE dorm. A book that made me focus on myself. A book that helped me not be consumed by pressure.”

“This is a very warm and easy-to-read book.”

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

“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.”

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

“I’m really enjoying it.”

“Author! Human Acts. I read it in the army. Sob, congratulations!”

““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.””

“Still, I’ve read three of this author’s books, and From the Shore is number one. I was reading it at a bookstore, then bought it right away and kept it.”

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

“I had a strong feeling that this book by Park Jun, Nothing Will Change Just Because You Cry, seemed to contain his own life.”

“There are so many parts I relate to that I sometimes take photos of them and share them with fans.”

“I like Bright Night, too,”

“That is a definitive answer. If this is the Gertrude Stein who supported Picasso and Matisse, then isn’t this a kind of conclusion from someone who supported artists endlessly? It’s a book I enjoyed reading six or seven years ago.”

“I received a book called The Creative Act as a gift. I don’t often read self-help books, but this one made a strong impression because I related to it and found a lot to learn from it.”

“I really, really recommend this poetry book”

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

“Strangely, I feel as though I’ve taken one step closer to Park Jun-myun through a single cookbook.”

“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.”

“Managing your mood means managing your life.”

“I regretted thinking, “Why did I only read your books now?””

“And this book—I'm reading it now.”

““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.””

“So, it was a fun book to read.”

“I heard it was interesting.”

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

“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.”

“That is so true. I’m in such a good mood today. Even if something bad happens while I’m feeling happy, I feel like I have the leeway to just laugh it off.”

“I think I first saw this in the bestseller section [Actor Park Jeong-min’s PICK, “The Real Thing”]. I also understood that actor Park Jeong-min had recommended it, and hearing that made me even more curious about the novel.”

“[I like long novels] I tend to like long novels, but since The Real Thing is a short-story collection, it reads really easily and quickly × 2, you know? So [Gaeul’s Book Club reading journal / Recommended for people who find reading difficult] I think it would be a really good book for people who find books difficult and want to challenge themselves.”

“[Munsu: left behind by Granny Jangsu, a shaman with no god] And since the subject itself is shamanism, [Granny Jangsu / Sin-aegi: Granny Jangsu, who left Munsu and became the tutelary deity of a spirit-afflicted person] it feels very fresh, but also has that eeriness. And I didn’t know this, but when I looked it up, [honmono: real / nisemono: fake] I found that “honmono” means “real.” So, between me (Munsu), who goes mad and devotes myself to it like that, and Sin-aegi, who received the spirit initiation, which one is the real one? At the end, the two of them perform a gut ritual like mad [Spoiler warning]. That scene was, as expected, the most memorable. [A book that made me think a lot about “what does ‘real’ actually mean?”] It was a book that made me think a lot about what it means to be real.”

“[Author Sung Hae-na, born in 1994] So I understand that this author is young, and our generation really is one that grew up watching videos rather than reading books, right? I heard that when the author writes, she writes in a way that makes it play out like a video, and I felt that too. I was impressed, thinking, “So a picture can form in my mind just from imagining it.” But I think it would be fun if this came out as a drama or a movie. I think that would be even more fun, because a gut ritual has such strong imagery.”

“I can now carry the collection of poems by Han Kang, which I received as a gift, in my bag.”

“I was surprised while reading because things I usually thought about were expressed so well in words.”

“I recently read Philosophy Changes the Weather. I’ve always been quite interested in philosophy and found it fascinating, but this book discussed philosophy through everyday topics that were easy to relate to, so I really enjoyed it. After reading it, I wanted to try books that explore philosophy in greater depth.”

“I first read Itaewon Class as a webtoon a long time ago.”

“If I were to recommend a book I've read recently... it would be Alain de Botton's Why Do I Love You?”

“A book that gave me strength.”

“A book that says exactly what you want to hear.”

“A book that feels different every time I read it.”

“A book I keep reaching for.”

“I regretted thinking, “Why did I only read the author’s book now?””

“The premise of the novel is very unique.”

““I want to look back on everything from our debut up to now before more time passes.””

“A book I’ve enjoyed reading this year is *Goo’s Proof*.”

“He has written many books, such as *Save Me*, *Will You Be There?*, and *Returning in Search of Love*.”

“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.””

“Elizabeth, the protagonist of the novel Pride and Prejudice. I admire her bold approach to life, even in a time when women were socially oppressed.”

“It felt like a drama that portrayed a very mature love.”

“[Unread Book with a Pretty Cover #1] 'Don't Let Your Mood Become Your Attitude' by Lemon Psychology”

““Strangely enough, with just one cookbook, I feel as though I’ve taken a step closer to senior Park Jun-myeon. Perhaps it’s because this book resembles the senior I know.””

“This is also a book I really did order from Yes24 recently, you know? It arrived really quickly (laughs). I bought volumes 1 and 2; I’ve finished volume 1, and have about half of volume 2 left.”

“This book was written by my uncle, you know?”

“Jeolchang is really fun.”

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

“Alain de Botton’s books are difficult even for adults, so there are many parts I don’t understand. But if you read them five or six times, you come to understand, “Oh, that’s what it means.” There’s a shock that comes from that.”

“Since I like mystery novels, even just the cover and title made this feel so exciting. If you’re a mystery novel fanatic, this is exactly the kind of thing you’d love.”

“I made Zeze from the perspective of Mingyu, the lime-orange tree in the novel. Zeze is innocent, but cruel in some ways. Looking only at the character, Zeze has many contradictions. That’s why I found Zeze appealing and sexy.”

“Rather than self-help books that offer comfort, just something intuitive…”

“When asked to recommend a book to readers, IU mentioned Haruki Murakami's *Hear the Wind Sing*.”

“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.”

“A little while ago, I read a book called *The Wizard’s Bakery*.”

“I thought about it a lot. Our fans range across different age groups, but there are quite a lot of younger fans.”

“So I brought some must-read books that I hope you’ll read during your teenage years.”

“Recently, I enjoyed reading a book called Little Nicolas. It's like a fairy tale for adults.”

“Because I enjoyed reading Animal Farm so much”

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

“I chose Hermann Hesse’s novel Siddhartha as my first book. Appearing on Minumsa TV’s YouTube channel got me interested in classical literature, and since it was a story about Buddhism, I thought it might calm my mind. I usually like mystery and thriller genres, but for the first book of this year, I wanted to start with one that could help me find peace of mind.”

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

“This book was written by my uncle—my aunt’s husband, you know?”

“Even as it makes you chuckle, there isn’t a single scene that doesn’t somehow leave a corner of your heart sad.”

“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.”

“That author had a lot of books listed as bestsellers in Korea, including one called *Save Me*, and”

“So, if it hadn’t been this cover…”

“I recently finished reading My Brilliant Friend.”

“I regretted not having read the writer’s book sooner.”

“It's really fun. I read it in no time.”

““I enjoyed 'Animal Farm,' so I’ve been exploring more of his works. These days, I often talk about books with IVE member Ahn Yujin.””

“I really enjoyed reading a book called *One Very Light Feather*.”

“I enjoyed reading Animal Farm, so I’ve been trying other books too. Recently, member Yujin and I have been having lots of book talks.”

“I’m reading the Neapolitan Novels!!”

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

“I'd like to recommend Osamu Dazai's *No Longer Human*.”

““I enjoyed reading Animal Farm, so I’m looking for other works, too.””

“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.”

“So, if I were to recommend one, there’s a book called Snowball. It’s really dynamic and fun, so I think it would be nice to read it together.”

“It’s difficult 🤤”

“I naturally found myself listening to the Analects. If the Analects seem difficult, maybe you could start with short phrases like this so they’re a little easier to read?”

“<The Sound of Your Heart> is really entertaining. I don't think I've ever seen a comic this entertaining in my life.”

“I find myself drawn to the second brother, Ivan.”

“Not long ago, I read The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which tells the story of four men and women who are very different from one another. It seems to me that people are born as light as feathers and gradually take on weight as they go through life. Personally, I thought Sabina’s life was wonderful.”

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

“I recommend the Japanese novel *Please Eat Something Warm*.”

“I read when I’m bored. The book I’d recommend is <Castella>. It’s a short story collection by author Park Min-gyu. I really enjoyed reading it. It’s psychedelic, really!? So at first it can be a little disconcerting, but as you keep reading, you can get completely absorbed in it.”

“The Door of Morning is a really, really shocking and good work. It’s a beautiful work, so I’ll recommend it to you.”

“Orbital”

“These days, I'm reading a book called *Such Clumsy People* for about the fifth time...”

““It’s really, really interesting.””

“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.”