The stories behind their books

“Recently, I read Stephen King's Billy Summers.”

“This is a book I'm reading. It's called The Consciousness of Seth Nutter. I went to the store, saw it right there, and thought, “Oh, I'm curious,” so I opened it up. I was struck by one sentence, and that's why I bought the book.”

“Lyrics are different from poetry, so it’s difficult to use words that are too unfamiliar, and one shouldn’t use expressions that are excessively obscure either. Since they need to come easily to the ear when heard, everyday words that anyone might use are the main ingredient. Lyrics that flamboyantly reveal the lyricist’s individuality and philosophy are, rather, awkward and quickly grow tiresome, making it a rather peculiar genre. Even so, some lyrics have a power that’s hard to explain: one day, you happen to hear them and burst into tears, or they only truly find their way into your heart after many years. Where does that power come from? Reading this book, I finally realize the power of ordinary words. This perspective, which pinpoints the “time lag” in discordant relationships, the aggression contained in the phrase “I don’t understand,” the subtle syllables of “radiant,” and the similar direction and differences of “anger” and “courage,” is intellectual yet kind. I think I now understand a little why the lyrics Kim Eana creates so precisely soothe the hearts of so many people. The way we use and handle words is ultimately connected to the way we live, too, and as I close the book, I find that I have come to genuinely like this sensitive and honest person.”

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

“This is a mystery novel I read recently.”

“Reading this script while imagining the drama can be helpful and fun. Everyone, try reading it this way sometime.”

“Whenever that happens, I reread it, and perhaps because my own experiences are added to it, I feel that what moves me changes with age.”

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

““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 wanted to share with more people my everyday thoughts and feelings that I couldn’t fit into song lyrics.”

““The love and psychology between men and women in many different situations are captured like a movie.””

““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 also read a book called ‘Moss Forest.’””

“When I first heard about this book, I couldn't help laughing. ‘A whole book about Bibi Curry?’ But after reading it to the end, I completely changed my mind. I could feel how the owner, who likes me, had thoughtfully put each and every word on the page with sincerity and honesty. It's wonderful and impressive, and I feel both pleased and proud. Someday, I'll definitely take Bibi to have Bibi Curry. Bibi can't eat curry, but they'll give Bibi an apple, right? Lucky you, Bibi. They say they like you more than me. Let's go soon. Let's just drop by. Even if I can't go inside, I'll have the car waiting out front.”

“Nothing Big Happens to the Two of Us”

““A book Choi Ja recommended to me; it was written based on research on aging.””

“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.”

“Maybe because I read it when I was young, something about it has stuck in my memory.”

“Everyone, love one another~”

“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 👍”

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

“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.”

“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…”

“How wonderful it must have been”

“A few days ago, I took that book out and read it again. It’s still on my desk.”

“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.”

“Thank you, poet #NaTaejoo”

“I should read books diligently and live diligently!!”

“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.”

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

“The Little Prince is such a famous work, you know. I first encountered it as an animated film, and later read it as a book. I want to express the feelings I experienced through contemporary dance.”

“That book, Na Tae-joo’s *Wildflower Life Lessons by Na Tae-joo*—my dad went to a bookstore, bought it, and got me a copy to read on the way.”

“As I was writing this book...”

“I liked Raymond Carver’s distinctive dry style more than the content. His writing was understated yet conveyed emotion, and never felt excessive—that approach really stood out to me. Maybe it caught my eye even more because it resembled the style I wanted to write in when I was young.”

“I’ve been interested in investing lately, but I can’t afford to invest carelessly.”

“As I read this, I was able to learn a little about the CEO’s life before I joined the company, since I first got to know the CEO after I started working there. It was also a chance to spend that kind of time.”

“A book that made me realize that everyone has mistakes in the past they wish they could fix, but even those mistakes are what made me who I am today.”

“The first flapping of wings toward freedom”

“I’ll definitely finish reading Eragon!!”

“So I started reading Guillaume Musso's books. As I read love stories such as Save Me and The Paper Girl, I wanted to read other kinds of stories too.”

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

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

“After reading this book, I thought I wanted everyone to find their own happiness and live at their own pace. We can run, but we can also walk or crawl. Everyone has a different way of living, so this book made me realize that we should respect and be considerate of one another. It's a science fiction novel, but its warm, sensitive expressions touch your heart, so anyone should be able to read it without difficulty.”

“A book that spoon-feeds you.”

“It's interesting.”

““Reading is the foundation of music creation.””

“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.”

“This book is so good ❤️❤️”

“This is a silent human drama. It’s such a joy to see a friend you care about succeed. It brings back all those ambitions we had back then: we especially loved the weird and wanted to be even weirder, in some way. Thanks to this book, I feel as though a passion that will never rot, like Kim’s fruit, and the spirited Moonchi I was back then have come back to me. Thank you so much! And there’s nothing about me in it, huh?”

““The Temperature of Language” is a book I always keep close and read whenever I’m having a hard time. The title itself felt warm and drew me in. So I read it whenever I have a moment. It gives me a sense of stability whenever I feel worn out.”

“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 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 recommend it to you all too❤”

“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 read books whenever I have a moment to gain indirect experiences.”

“I think it would be good to read it with a light, relaxed mind.”

“The 8 Rules of Love, by Jay Shetty.”

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

“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.”

“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.””

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

“To briefly explain the story, a pilot who crash-lands in the desert is one of the protagonists, and a little prince who suddenly appears before him asks him to draw a sheep. The two then build a friendship and get to know each other; it’s that kind of enjoyable novel.”

““The part I like best is when the man, who had kept his heart closed off, opens up to the woman and says, ‘Stay with me tonight, Clara.’ Even in the film based on the novel, that scene is the best.””

““My time is musical notes; I’m making notes day by day. I find myself thinking, ‘I hope that on the day the piece is complete, I’ll be able to sing it with a smile.’” Is that the kind of meaning that comes to mind?”

“If I were good at English too, I would have read it that way.”

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

“I think I found a lot of comfort.”

“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.”

““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 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 Little Prince feels different every time I read it—now, five years from now, or ten years from now."”

“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.”

“The command of language is so impressive, and it really draws you in. Right, it has that immersive quality.”

““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.””

“Ah, recently, for the first time in my life, I closed a book while reading and cried. I sobbed.”

“What I would recommend to you is The Catcher in the Rye.”

“I love it so much that I’ve even memorized the page.”

“It felt new to imagine the personalities and ways of speaking of the characters in the book.”

“It contains ways for creators to express how they communicate with the public and inspire empathy, as well as methods for finding inspiration.”

“While filming this drama, I always carried two books with me on set and read them: Shin Young-bok's *Memories of the Cheongguhoe* and Park Wan-seo's *His Lonely and Lonesome Night*.”

“There are so many slim people in the broadcasting industry. It seems that being skinny has become a measure of popularity. Being surrounded by so many thin people, I find myself worrying about my weight every day.”

“Something you absolutely must not miss”

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

“The Devotion of Suspect X.”

“A considerate gene.”

“I wanted to watch the movie Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight, but I didn’t get to. Then I happened to find the original novel at a bookstore and started reading it. I thought the novel was interesting too, so I’ve been reading a few books.”

“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.”

“After reading this book, my image of The Great Library changed a little.”

“A book I want to take out and read whenever I think of my beloved pet who went to Dog Star. I related to Jiyul’s feelings and was deeply moved by Byeol’s love!”

“This book is fun~!”

““The heart that finally wells up with tears” reads to me as “a heart that I could not bring myself to let pass by.””

“I read 'The Vegetarian' (2007) while serving in the military. Congratulations,”

“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.”

“Show proof of Homo Deus first, you long-tailed tit.”

““I read it when I was young, too, but it seems to mean something different each time I read it. As I get older, and at each stage of my life, my interpretation changes. There are lots of plays on words in the book, and it’s a world of make-believe, isn’t it? They stimulate my imagination, and it’s fun to picture a Wonderland in my mind. And above all, I think the book’s strength is that it doesn’t force a lesson on you.””

“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.”

““Watching people from all walks of life take on challenges with courage filled me with a sense of adventure!””

“Meeting this book was a great stroke of luck. It helped me understand my fans a little better and made me want to become a better person. I want to hold on to the precious feeling of liking someone, too.”

“Sometimes in life, a single word from someone else can easily bring us down. This book talks about how to protect yourself and love others through “just the right amount of positivity and just the right amount of courage.” I sincerely hope that all of you readers will come away from this book with “just the right amount of positivity and courage.””

“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.”

“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?”

“Actually, while creating the music for this show, I think I drew a lot of inspiration from books and videos I liked when I was young. For example, I worked with books like Peter Pan and Snow White, and videos of myself playing outdoors as a child playing in the background.”

“It's called 'The Big Picture' by Douglas Kennedy.”

“I read this in middle school... or high school.”

“It's very fun and provoking.”

“I read almost every book he wrote. I like this one the most among all.”

“Paulo Coelho once said, “Travel alone or with your wife.” To me, it sounded like, “Travel alone.””

“Wow ㅠㅠ Make sure you read it all!!”

“I’d like to recommend it.”

“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 didn’t study music theory separately, and there’s a book called Popular Music Theory. It’s a thick book that teaches you things like the basics of arranging and how chord progressions work. That’s how I learned.”

“I was surprised by the content, which seemed to look into the joys and sorrows I experienced while promoting as a member of H.O.T.”

“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.”

“Biases block the path to healing and change. To address the root of the problem, we must begin with affirmation through prevention and education, not law and punishment.”

“I hope that through this book, readers can truly empathize with the dangers of drugs and focus on healing.”

“I am trying to convey a message of prevention and healing through music. I hope this book will also create a peaceful world where you do not doubt yourself at the end of a day, just like after a test.”

“I immediately bought and read the translated original novel.”

“A friend from my hometown whom I met then gave me a book by writer Yeonjeong called *The Sun Will Rise Tomorrow, but What About Tonight?* Rather than explaining how to overcome hardship, it simply presents difficult and happy moments as short episodes. It also has lots of beautiful words and comforting phrases. I was happy because, as I read it on the rooftop, I realized for the first time that I was enjoying that moment.”

“Among the books I’ve read recently, I read a book called Reading Schopenhauer at Forty. Schopenhauer is pessimistic, but there are times when I actually find comfort in that aspect of him.”

““Since the book came out, I’ve been getting a lot of requests to write, so these days I’ve been focusing on writing. Writing song lyrics feels fresh and enjoyable. The appeal of creative writing is that you can take your time with it.””

“It’ll be a happy ending anyway”

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

“The Recovering Mind is a book revised and supplemented from columns originally serialized in a newspaper.”

“These days, I’ve been copying passages by hand from a book called *The Buddha’s Words, Reinterpreted*. Regardless of religion, I chose this book because I personally found a lot to learn from the sentences in it.”

“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.”

“I was also very impressed by Anxiety.”

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

“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.”

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

“It feels like only yesterday that I started yoga, and I’m truly happy to have earned my instructor certification and even published a book like this.”

“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.”

“My mom bought it for me.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

“I like the scene where the protagonist is standing in first place among the other aliens.”

“It broadened my perspective and comforted me.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

“I was immediately drawn into that book.”

“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…”

““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*.””

““I’ve been living 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 by how excellent the English was in these two works published this time. I think it’s at a higher level than the English I use. (Laughs.)””

“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.’”

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

“So I brought along Amélie Nothomb’s *Hygiene and the Assassin*, which I enjoyed reading.”

““I’m proud of my mentor.””

“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?”

““The label ‘chick lit,’ applied to novels read by young women, contains sexual denigration and contempt.””

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

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

“A book you must read.”

“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.”

“I think it’s this very moment. I’m looking at “You Have to Look at It for a Long Time to Find It Lovely” right now. It’s a book I’ve been reading lately, and at some point while reading it, I just felt something romantic. I tend to find romance even in the smallest things.”

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

““I was greatly inspired while working on the album Legend.””

“Just as I comforted myself by saying, “Not everything is like that,” I hope that through this book, you too will find words of comfort or a perspective of your own.”