The stories behind their books

“Sometimes, as I walk down the street or travel by subway, I find myself wondering about the many people who pass by.”

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

“Tongue Fu! is a book I've read several times.”

“If I were to recommend a book I enjoyed reading, first of all, it would be *Ordinary Words* (Kim Eana).”

“I really like it, and <A Certain Secret>.”

“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.”

““Hatrick” was actually inspired by The Great Gatsby, which I was reading while trying to improve my SAT reading scores.”

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

“I read a novel called Horrorstör.”

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

“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.”

““Rebonds” is a particularly special project to me. I’m very proud and excited to be part of this project supporting UNICEF. This initiative shows how important it is to protect and support those in need, especially children. Every child deserves equal opportunities in life, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that the most vulnerable receive essential support.”

“I’m not very interested in novels, but this book made me so curious about what would happen next that I kept reading.”

“While working on this essay, I had the chance to look back on my life from childhood through my twenties and return to my original intentions. It also helped me make plans for the future, not only for the rest of my playing career but also for after retirement.”

“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.”

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

“Of course, you need to have practiced enough, and you also need to be fully prepared in terms of how you look onstage. But what matters most is believing in yourself and enjoying the stage.”

“This song was inspired by Anne of Green Gables, a classic masterpiece and the core of our Craze Angel universe.”

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

“I recommend it. Give it a read.”

“It's been quite a while since I bought Douglas Kennedy's The Big Picture, but I've been so busy that I still haven't started it.”

“While reading that book called Tools of Titans”

“It's interesting.”

““It’s a book called At Ease Without Trying Too Hard.””

“This book is so good ❤️❤️”

“I read *At the Edge, But I Haven’t Fallen Yet*! It’s divided into various topics, so I enjoyed reading it, and it warmed my heart. It’s a book that really helps you regroup. Now let’s get moving!”

“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 really hope you’ll read this work.”

“I hope many musicians studying composition don’t read this book. Let me be the only one!”

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

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

“This is really interesting. You absolutely have to read it. People who create things absolutely have to read this. It’s a book called Sparks of Genius.”

““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.””

“It’s okay not to read it all at once. Keep it on your bookshelf and take it out whenever you need it or feel curious.”

“It’s really good, and...”

“There’s a book by bell hooks called *All About Love*. In English...”

“When I go to a bookstore, I sit down, pile up a whole lot of books, and read. I like that people at bookstores don’t pay attention to others. I bought a whole pile just the other day, too: The Children of Gwaengiburi Village, The Little Prince, Confession, March Is a Red Ravine, Norwegian Wood, and a collection of poems by poet Lee Byeong-ryul. I usually get a lot of book recommendations.”

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

“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.”

“Actually, there were many more kinds of baby food I fed Seo-a. I recorded them in a notebook or on my phone each time. They said the book shouldn’t be too thick, so I included about 20 recipes and snacks for each stage, making a total of 131 recipes.”

“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.”

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

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

“Maybe it’s also similar to the story of *Peter Pan*. So before this round of activities, I started digging into *Peter Pan* and went through various dark fairy tales. The dark fairy tales in particular felt new to me because they were different from what I knew as a child.”

“I was able to spend time with the makeup team and photography team as if we were family, and the shoot was fun in a warm atmosphere.”

““One familiar poetry collection, one I want to read anew. And this one is one I really love. I always carry three poetry collections in my bag.””

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

“Dad, you watched over my incredibly demanding training and supported me all along—what a thoughtful dad! I’ll keep the “empty jar theory” you told me so often engraved in my heart, and keep trying to fill it with clear water and fragrant oil. You can do it too, Dad!”

“Even deciding what to eat is a negotiation.”

““I think writing is a journey of refining, one by one, the countless thoughts in your mind. I hope this book motivates you on your own journey, too.””

“Ah, is that it?”

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

“I brought a book”

“Since it’s time, I bought this book collecting stories about dreams from Franz Kafka’s writings, along with merchandise made based on the book—including a bag.”

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

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

““There are a few rules I dislike. (…) First, rhymes are usually grouped in sets of an even number, and one criterion is that the two words shouldn’t both be nouns. I also tend to dislike rhymes like ‘did something, would do something, did something? would do something?’ On the other hand, the rhymes I consider best follow all these criteria, while still making the content clear in your mind just from reading the rhymes. For example, there might be 16 bars of lyrics, but even reading only the rhymes should bring the content to mind. (…) (In the hook of ‘Jakdu,’) ‘Jakdu’ and ‘ssakduk’ rhyme, but one is a noun and the other is an onomatopoeic word. The rhyme works, their parts of speech are different, and the meaning makes sense. That’s what I think makes a good rhyme. _p.354””

““I’m proud of my mentor.””

“I've been really enjoying Alain de Botton's book The Sorrow That Brings Joy lately.”

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

“The book I’d like to introduce to you is this graphic novel called Asterix Polly Wi.”

“It is a quick-results diet book for getting bikini-ready for summer.”

“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 talk about Osamu Dazai’s *No Longer Human*, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s *The Little Prince*, and Han Kang’s *Human Acts*.”

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

“Last fall, an artist senior to me whom I’ve been close to for a long time recommended this book, and that’s how I learned about it. I’ve always trusted their recommendations, so I naturally became interested and opened the book to find inspiration while working on a project. I’ve read about half of it so far.”

“It opened my mind to the thought that anyone can live creatively in their own way. I was impressed by the idea that creativity isn’t something only special people have.”

“Creating something often comes with profound loneliness, and this passage helped me learn how to manage myself. After reading it, I felt more mature.”

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

“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.”

“From the very first page, I felt excited. As someone who loves foreign languages, I found so much that resonated deeply with me that I kept nodding as I read. This book is a guide that helps you learn foreign languages easily and enjoyably. It also gives great encouragement to those who want to study a foreign language but lack the confidence, and to those who want to rekindle their passion. The book lays out the entirety of author Son Mina’s “language treasure map.” It felt not like I was “peeking” at a secret map, but like everything was being shown to me without concealment. If someone came to me for advice about foreign languages, I would give them this book. It contains not only study methods and information, but also precious insights from someone with more life experience. You cannot know the boundless world of languages unless you experience it. Now it is your turn to take the treasure map and venture into a wider world!”

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

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

“It’s a name taken from a character in the webtoon *Tower of God*. I was so gentle-natured, so the CEO gave me the name to make me tougher.”

“Every sentence, every sentence is beautiful, and I want to recommend it.”

“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 long ago. These days, my inner child helps me relax.”

“I hope that those who long to take some time for themselves and find themselves will be sure to read this book.”

“Among the many books, one is Music Short Story Collection, a book that gathers short stories inspired by music by five novelists.”

“These days, I’m reading *The Courage to Be Happy at 40: Schopenhauer*.”

“I came across the author’s book Why Are We Like This? at a bookstore. Through that book, I discovered the author, learned about love, and received a lot of comfort.”

“Thanks to this book, I learned a lot about what I hadn’t known about everything that goes into an artist coming into being. I felt grateful to everyone who was with me, and is still with me, on the journey to becoming the ‘Baek A-yeon’ I am today. If you’re curious about the idol industry, this book will be a great help.”

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

“I went to a bookstore, bought the book, and read it. It was written by an 89-year-old, and says not to put too much emphasis on whether someone is old or young.”

“Wouldn’t it be good to do something like “So What”? With something like this, it doesn’t have to be about this subject; it could be about something else too.”

“I heard this book was a bestseller, so I bought it.”

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

“Ah, the book is too difficult.”

““When I ask you an awkward question, you know? (Announcer Kim Ju-woo) smiles and politely turns me down.””

“Wow ㅠㅠ Make sure you read it all!!”

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

“The book I read recently is Kim Young-ha’s <Two People>. I love Kim Young-ha’s short stories, which let me experience rich emotions even amid the hectic pace of everyday life.”

“I’ve been very interested in composing lately, and the book contains a lot of things that people like me, who want to compose popular music, would want to know for themselves. People tend to think composing is difficult, but it explains very clearly and simply what composing is and how to do it. One of our songs is included in the book, too, so I thought, “That’s how this song was made,” and it brought back a lot of memories of recording and singing it at the time. It also helped me with composing.”

“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.”

“A little arboretum breathing in the palm of my hand”

“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 enjoyed reading the novel Coffee Prince, 1st Shop.””

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

“The book has so many meanings and I have a lot to learn from the Prince. [Despite his age], he’s emotionally more mature than adults. His values are incredible,”

“She doesn’t express her feelings well, but in every action, sincerity is included. I think she and I deal with things similarly. I try to express my real thoughts and emotions truly to others, but it’s not easy.”

“I believe that sincerity does reach others eventually,”

“the bond depends on how much each [person] cares about developing that particular relationship.”

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

“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.”

“I brought it because I wanted to share it with you all.”

“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.”

“Even the small, uneventful days without any big events must be one of countless foreshadowings in the movie of life.”

““At the time, the bestseller was The Courage to Be Disliked. I came out with a lot of courage to be disliked.””

“Today's book”

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

“This is a mystery novel I read recently.”

“This book is fun~!”

““A favorite book? The one I read this time was My Own Secret.””

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

“I started reading so that I could live as an ordinary person. I’m reading to find out what I want to become and what I need to do from now on.”

“I did my reading with those.”

“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.”

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

“So I lowered the level a bit and set myself the goal of reading all of Minumsa’s World Literature Collection before I die.”

“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.”

“Then I remembered that I had read Musso’s earlier book, Call from an Angel, some time ago…”

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

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

“Even though I may seem easygoing, I get hurt a lot. The book I read when the hurt caused by those words reached its peak was [The Temperature of Language]. I read whenever I have time. It gives me a sense of stability whenever I’m exhausted. And I feel the depth of words and the power of words with a ‘warm temperature.’”

“I found myself feeling drawn in by a book I had picked up casually, so I’m writing this.”

“When I read those lines, I felt so comforted that I even had the ridiculous illusion that perhaps all the time I had lived through and experienced was for the sake of reading this poem.”

“I’m not sure yet what kind of thoughts and feelings the poet is speaking to me with.”

“And I, too, as I suddenly began writing down the poet’s poem, am not sure what on earth I’m trying to say to you all.”

“But one thing I can say for certain is that those lines brought me great comfort, and rather than offering you the usual, countless, dazzling pleasantries, I wanted to return that comfort to you by writing down my sincere thoughts, one character at a time.”

“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.”

“The Courage to Be Disliked.”

“When I was thinking about my stage name as I was making my debut, I read Han Kang’s The White Book on my CEO’s recommendation. It’s a book that contains reflections on various white things.”

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

“The wit in Berlin Diary was really something.”

“Writer Yoo Hee-seon, your warm heart comes through. I’m cheering you on. #I’llReadItWell #Don’tCarelesslyTalkAboutMe book”

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

““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.””

“When I feel powerless, I mutter a little spell .. 🪄💫”

“If I had read The Stranger earlier, I wouldn’t have chosen my original name, Rap Monster.”

“There was a time when writing by people whose thoughts were completely different from mine felt refreshing. But as time goes by, writing by people who think much like me—and writing that awakens in me the small feelings and reflections of everyday life that I might otherwise pass by when I'm busy—resonates with me more and more. In that sense, Kang Se-hyung's *I'm Still a Long Way from Becoming an Adult* is not just her story. It is the diary of “us,” which we failed to write down because we kept putting it off and giving in to laziness, making one excuse after another.”

“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.”

“A book that comes to me when I make time to read, even for just five minutes, because I want to clear my mind and feel happy.”

“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.”

“I love the story, too,”

“I sympathize with the fox, waiting for the Little Prince [to express his desire for friendship.] When it comes to relationships, I usually take time to observe and wait for the other person [to express their feelings] first.”

“Living in a different environment [is] like living on a different planet,”

“I have a larger heart in understanding the difference between others than I had before.”

“I found some time to relax on this trip.”

“I like reading books.”

“One of my all-time favorite classic books is Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier. I love the descriptions of nature.”

“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!”

“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.”

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

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

“There’s a book called Kind People Win that I read recently. I really found it very relatable.”

“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 used to read a lot. If I become interested in a movie, I look for the original work. The one I remember most is Pride and Prejudice. To be honest, the story was a little difficult, but I found the process of understanding it interesting.”

“Oh, I did like that. I did like that classic. That was was a good book,”

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

“The way it unfolds is so unique and captivating that I read the whole thing in one sitting. I had been caught up in a hectic routine amid my busy schedule, but throughout the book, its gripping storytelling gave me a very new feeling.”

“Seongju speaks English so naturally. It’s not as if he learned it; it’s more like he’s always been good at it. And the fact that he kindly shares all his secrets like this—there’s no reason not to try following his example!”

“The Devotion of Suspect X.”

“One of the books is the novel *To Where the Sun Sets* by author Choi Jin-young. I thought that book was written so, so beautifully...”

“God, this is not an illusion but a true, faithful answer from You. From now on, I will live not as Kwon Gi-beom of the world, but as a holy child of God!”

“The 8 Rules of Love, by Jay Shetty.”

“It’s an era for people like him.”

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