The stories behind their books

“Publishing a photo book wasn’t something I had planned. Since these were photos I’d taken on my phone in my spare moments, I was hesitant to release them, but thinking of it as leaving a record of everyday life, I’ve made it this far.”

“A time when I looked back on my own capacity for empathy, wondering whether I had been viewing socially disadvantaged people through a biased lens all this time.”

“I’d read a book called *The Secret* before, too, and it was similar to the law of attraction described in it...”

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

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

“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?”

“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.”

“Among the books I read this year, it was one of the books that resonated with me the most.”

“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!”

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

“This book is fun~!”

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

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

“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.”

“There was nothing to do at the training camp, so I read books. I also kept a diary, and I cried twice.”

““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.””

“It’s a book called My Pinky Son. I wrote a recommendation for it because of my longstanding connection with Hong Won-gi, who has the rare disease progeria.”

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

“This quote was very motivating for me.”

“I put a bookmark sticker on this part because I really liked it.”

“And I search for what it means right away. [How YVES reads #3]”

“And I try to use that expression in my daily life! [How YVES reads #3]”

“Because then I think that's when that expression becomes mine.”

“So that's how I try to expand the world of language.”

“This book is very good for writing too.”

“And it'll be helpful for those who want to start blogging.”

“I ended up making an effort to get away from the media world a bit.”

“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.”

“For me, this is another bittersweet seize-the-day story about the preciousness and fleetingness of all the beauty around us. And it’s a heart-stopping, heartbreaking romance, rolled into one. I just love the way Jojo Moyes creates such compelling, emotionally layered characters.”

“Actually, I haven't even read the book The Sorrows of Young Werther yet, so I think I'll start with joy!”

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

“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.”

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

“I’d like to recommend it.”

“I enjoyed reading it.”

“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.”

“There’s a book I’ve been reading lately. It’s a novel called *Mail from Postbox No. 110*—it’s heart-fluttering and gentle in tone.”

“I recommend it. Give it a read.”

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

“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.”

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

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

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

“At the time, I read Han Kang’s novel The White Book, recommended by the head of my agency, and from the line, “Even if I am sullied, I will pass on only white things,” I thought, “I should become this kind of singer…”

“An Ordinary Existence.”

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

“I’ve read a lot of Bernard Werber’s works, and I’ve read almost all of the Thanatonauts series.”

“I was also very impressed by Anxiety.”

“Even deciding what to eat is a negotiation.”

“Scary Stories Are the Best!”

“Though our nationalities, languages, and ways of expressing ourselves are all different, I feel that sincerity always gets through.”

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

““I’ve always liked author Kim Yeon-su. Many people may sometimes feel as though they’re losing, even when they try to find strength in their own circumstances. I feel that way, too. At times like that, a warm book that says nothing can become a very good friend. The author says he came to a realization while considering the various meanings of ‘the words that we don’t lose’ and discovering concrete examples of them: ‘To reach hope, one must inevitably accept despair.’ We’ve come to live through a difficult time, with many unavoidable realities, when everyone is having a really hard time. Even so, I recommend this book, hoping that each of us will find a way to make things better in our own way.””

“Art is close to us. I sincerely respect CEO Kim Do-hoon, who takes it and creates another kind of art. I think this book, too, is a “work” made from another part of Kim Do-hoon’s blood.”

“I usually don’t like rereading books because I want to hold on to my initial impression of them. I happened to find this book while tidying my room and read it again, and it was fun because it felt different from when I first read it.”

“I remember being interested in this when I was really little, borrowing Lovecraft’s short story collection, and thinking, “What is this…?””

“My mom bought it for me.”

“Uh, lately there’s an author I’ve been really into. I’ve been reading a lot of Hwang Jungeun’s books. The recently released Didi’s Umbrella is really good too, but I’m still reading it…”

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

“I hope this book can offer even a little strength to people who are at a crossroads or feeling exhausted.”

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

“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.”

“Achilles. I really love that book.”

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

“I would rather say that I listened to this book than read it. In this book, I listened to the author’s lecture, and I heard God’s heart. I feel God’s heart, which longs to bring young mothers and babies aboard the ark of salvation—the salvation we so earnestly desire. It is God’s heart speaking of wanting to save these children born to young mothers who have been coldly marginalized.”

“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.””

“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.”

“카뮈의 <이방인>을 재미있게 읽었어요.”

“If your memories were slowly fading, who would you least want to forget?”

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

“Thank you, poet #NaTaejoo”

“The Giving Tree, but this feels less like it’s a person I am and more like an ideal I want to become.”

“Finding this book was a great stroke of luck. It helped me understand fans a little better and made me want to become a better version of myself. I too want to hold on to the precious feeling of admiring someone.”

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

“Today's book”

“Personally, I think a truly cool person is someone who has a poem memorized in their heart.”

“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’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.”