The stories behind their books

““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.”

“I looked up some of her older works and read the new book, and she was just the very embodiment of a poet. It’s a book called I Should Go to Stillness.”

“An Ordinary Existence.”

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

“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.”

“Likewise, I'm really into Stewart Lee Allen's *In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food*, which is now out of print. It's kind of a world history told through food.”

“That's right, people would tear it out and take it.”

“When I go to a bookstore, I sit down 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 just the other day, too. I have *The Children of Gaeng-i-burimal*, *The Little Prince*, *Confession*, *March Is a Red Ravine*, *Norwegian Wood*, and a collection of poems by poet Lee Byeong-ryul, too. I get a lot of book recommendations all the time.”

“올해 읽었던 책인데”

“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’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.)””

“거기에서 감명받아 동이혼이라고 지었습니다.”

“The one I liked best among them was a writer named Cheongchun Yuri. It had this feeling of walking through the seasons. But it was really colorful.”

“Father, I thank you for letting me know, even if only vaguely, the joy of a life focused on you.”

“To all musicians in Korea, Mr. Kim Chang-wan is music and words themselves. I wanted to make a point of listening to the radio program he hosted, but I couldn’t, so this book feels all the more welcome. *Even If It’s Squashed, It’s Still a Circle* gathers, one by one, the words of the man who opened a window onto mornings across the country for 23 years. I can picture, almost within reach, the many mornings I’ll welcome with this book. I love you, Uncle!”

“Thank you, poet #NaTaejoo”

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

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

“Someone recommended a book called Look at This Poem to me.”

“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 was interested in negotiation studies. I thought it would be good to apply them to everyday life.”

“Jeolchang is really fun.”

“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.”

“How wonderful it must have been”

“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.”

“These days, I'm reading Three Kingdoms again.”

“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 was also very impressed by Anxiety.”

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

“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).”

“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.””

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

“These days, I'm reading Jonas Jonasson's novel *Killer Anders and His Friends*.”

“I read To Kill a Mockingbird back in school, and...”

“Yoon Ji-un’s <Pahanjip>. I started reading it a few years ago, and I pick it up once in a while when I’m bored.”

“So I really enjoyed reading this book, too!”

“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.”

“Amid a busy schedule, I picked up a book that deeply moved me. The book I really want to recommend to others is The Five-Percent Miracle by my senior Lee Dong-woo, the comedian formerly of Tintin Five.”

“Next, this book. That book too, now, Mr. Na Tae-jun...”

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

“작은 위로라고 해서 마냥 작지 않거든요.”

“I realized that Gu Byeong-mo's books really aren't a good fit for me.”

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

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

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

““The way it looks at events from a fresh perspective felt refreshing, and it’s an immersive book that allows you to think about the human nature the author intended to portray.””

“I bought There Are Days Like This, a book that seemed nice to read together with children by a café window on a rainy day.”

“Scary Stories Are the Best!”

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

“Please show lots of interest in my yoga book.”

“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.”

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

“I thought about what would be interesting and worth watching all the way through. It’s about a girl who’s a born idol but is actually hiding a huge secret, and makes it into the underground scene…”

“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.”

“It explains humanity’s past and future from multiple perspectives.”

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

“It broadened my perspective and comforted me.”

“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.”

“I’m going to read my first book (manga) today!”

“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.”

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

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

“This dog-food book is, of course, also a book I wrote to repay dogs for the happiness I’ve received as a dog owner. I think it’s especially a book for people who have lots of dogs, but actually, I wrote it in a fairly conventional format.”

“Nothing Big Happens to the Two of Us”

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

““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.””

“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.””

“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.”

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

“I started reading books because of internet novels. There’s a book by Baekmyo called *Cinderella and the Four Knights*. It’s a romance novel, and it was made into a book. I think that’s what got me started on reading physical books properly.”

“Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s The Little Prince”

“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…”

“Wow, author Shim Yong-hwan’s new book #365DaysOfKoreanHistoryInOnePage is coming out soon 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻”

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

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

“I recently read Almond, but I don't know what it was about. I'm the type who only reads the beginning and can't make it to the end.”

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

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

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

““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.”

“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).””

“A Thousand Years of Love, Father.”

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

“Ah, the book is too difficult.”

“The book gave me time to think about the wounds of the victims and their families, the perpetrators and their families, and the people around them.”

“I think I’ve read these three books many times: You Too Are a Sky Mallow and Yeontan-gil.”

“There’s a book called The Shell with Two Sides. The Shell with Two Sides. I thought it was one story, but it turns out there are several episodes. So I’ve been reading it, and I think it’s fun.”

““I’m proud of my mentor.””

“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.”

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

“I’ve been reading a lot of books lately. I read Kim Ji-young, Born 1982, and I also read One Night When Little Things Became Big Things.”

“SODA’s first Photobook: Candid🍬”

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

“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.”

“This is exactly where my heart is.”

“After reading Anne of Avonlea thoroughly, I felt a strong pull…”

“There was also a book called _Eleven Steps._ It was kind of a philosophy book. But with any of the different books, I found myself putting myself into the text. Like imagining myself as a character in a novel, for example. I was so deep in my imagination at the time. Was it helpful? I’m not sure.”

“I shouldn’t laugh, but that last line is so powerful.”

“It had such a strong pull that I’d throw my entire last paycheck at it. Reading this, I got such an intense feeling, and this kind of reading as a 10-minute read...”

“They say the book is called A Thousand Blues. If many of you also felt a strong pull toward this passage, I recommend giving it a read.”

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

“If it was a book whose ending resonated more with me, and that was something I liked about it...”

“I recently read Harry Potter.”

“I rarely imagine, while reading a novel, “What if I were to play this character?” But I feel like I might want to play Nakahara, the protagonist of this novel. Though it seems difficult.”

“This book shakes readers and ultimately changes them.”

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

“The three books I read during this South American tour. They have different themes, but perhaps they form a mysterious combination that ultimately leads to one thing. In this era when everything is changing rapidly, what kind of mindset should we have as we prepare to face the world? What kind of mindset do those who, unseen, quietly bring about change in the world have? The reunification that is sure to come is not simply a burden but an ‘opportunity.’ The very foundation and basis for all of it is the ‘Gospel.’ This Gospel is not simply a message of love; it is the power of God that has come upon us, sinners. I’ve gone on a bit, but anyway, it was really good.”

““Finally😭 finished reading””

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“I first read this book in high school. As a trainee, I felt slightly off the usual path, while my friends seemed to be studying hard, going to university, and following a smooth course. I felt anxious because I didn’t know when I would debut as an idol singer. What God says to Knulp felt as though it was being said to me, and it brought me great comfort.”

“The Little Prince!”

“I wanted to build my own stage with “Ruby.””

““One Piece””

“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.”

“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.”

“If I were to become a singer, perhaps I should be the kind of singer who passes on only white music, even if nodules form on my vocal cords.”

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

“DinDin reading at 4 a.m., photographed by my salon buddy Seon-ho hyung #TheInterpretationOfMurder #ILoveYou #KimSeonHo #JongminHyungToldMeToVote #DontBeUpset #DinDin #2DaysAnd1Night #DanbiIProtectedYou”

“These two passages describe my life.”

“After reading No Longer Human, I sought out and read The Setting Sun as well.”

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

“It defines and interprets social issues I haven't experienced from the perspective of justice, and I think there are many questions you have to think through and judge for yourself.”

“I cried a lot, especially at the parts about parents.”

“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.”

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

“The first flapping of wings toward freedom”

“The last book I read was in middle school—Life at Nine?”

“The 8 Rules of Love, by Jay Shetty.”

““I found The Buddha’s Words in a Modern Translation really impressive when I read it, and hearing the words gave me so much strength, so that’s what stayed with me.””

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

“Even recently, the works I keep rereading are Phoenix and Buddha.”

“This book is fun~!”

“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 like Kafka’s The Metamorphosis.”

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

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

“A piece that once again reminds us how precious and radiant it is, in the midst of life, to ask one another how we are.”

“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.”

“Actually, when I'm having a hard time, I don't seek comfort from anyone. I can't even read books like *You Did Well Today*.”

“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.”

“I also ordered Chinese House, the previous work by Quiet Malgan, right away, and am reading it now.”

“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.”

“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.”

““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.””

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

“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.”

“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.”

“The book is called "Verbal Abuse of Comfort."”

“It's a poetry book by Doyoon Na.”

“This book is summarized in one sentence on the cover.”

“Although it's a poetry book, it's like... realistic, and it describes negative and sad emotions so well.”

“You might wonder, "Huh? How's reading that book gonna help you get comforted?" but...”

“Just like the title of this book "Verbal Abuse of Comfort,"”

“So here's a poem. Let me read it to you.”

“So there are lots of poems with this kind of a vibe.”

“I think the overflowing comfort from these poems really will comfort you.”

“So I recommend you read this poetry book when you're exhausted and going through a hard time.”

“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.”