The stories behind their books

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

“When I finish this book, I plan to read *Seven Years Later*.”

“At first, it was hard because I kept trying to write only grand, impressive words. I completed it by making a great effort to take the force out of my writing.”

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

“When I first encountered God, I had so many questions. This book played a major role in helping me resolve them. It was also the first Christian book I read. What especially impressed me was how the author, who had lived as a Buddhist for nearly 50 years, explains why Jesus is the answer and the truth.”

“If we're talking about books that have stayed with me, I think I've read these three books many times: The Lighthouse Keeper, You Too Are a Daylily, and Yeontan-gil.”

“I decided to take part in this project because I thought this book could give many people an experience like the one they might have from a moving film or song.”

“Ah, is that it?”

“While reading that book called Tools of Titans”

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

“I bought those three books by myself.”

“This book is so good ❤️❤️”

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

“Almost everything I know about love, I learned from my relationships with my longtime female friends. Love is laughing together so hard you can hardly breathe. It’s walking down the street together on a Saturday night and feeling that the whole city belongs to us.”

“I recently read the memoir Everything I Know About Love. The author talks about what she realized after spending her life pursuing romantic love.”

“I hope you’ll love it. You won’t regret it.”

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

“Because I enjoyed reading Animal Farm so much”

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

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

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

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

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

“Make notes.”

“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.”

“It’s a work that reflects on the value of human life through a doctor named Sashal, who is a metaphor for a “lucky person” in modern society, where most people are unhappy. But more than that, what resonated most with me was Sashal’s way of embodying the ideal human relationships I hope for.”

“This book lets you see again, feel again, and think again about the things around us that we miss and pass by, through the perceptive and discerning eyes of Kim Hyung-seok. When you read this book, you too will feel what I feel when I talk with Kim Hyung-seok. I hope you will immerse yourself in a conversation with Kim Hyung-seok.”

“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.”

“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.”

““One Piece””

“The lyrics and poems by poet Won Tae-yeon that touch my heart are always a gift. 『Today, Here, Us』 feels like an even more special gift.”

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

“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.”

“It’s an era for people like him.”

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

““Finally😭 finished reading””

“It's called 'You Shine in the Moonlight'”

“This book is fun~!”

“As I was writing this book...”

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

“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.”

“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.”

““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*.””

“And the book I’d like to recommend today is The Tea House at Cape Rainbow. It’s a book I read as I entered my thirties. Lately, I’ve found myself drawn to the author’s descriptions of scenery and flavors. When I encountered abstract and emotional ideas, I felt a deep attraction to the writing, savoring it as I formed my own images from my experiences.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

““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””

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

“I also read poet Kim Seung-il’s *Prometheus*. Poet Kim Seung-il’s poems were very difficult, but I was shocked in many ways.”

“I got interested while reading Small Things Like These, so I finished Foster and am drinking coffee now.”

“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.”

“The professor explained positively that being sensitive means you’re someone with highly developed senses and someone who can stand out in a particular field, so this is a book that gives me even more comfort.”

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

“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!”

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

“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.”

“It's interesting.”

““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.””

“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.”

“So I really, really recommend reading it.”

“I learned about Almond through a recommendation from an acquaintance, and I finished reading it in one sitting.”

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

“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.”

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

“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.”

“Book: The Little Prince”

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

“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.”

“Everyone, love one another~”

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

““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.””

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

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

“I really enjoyed reading the book. It helped me see the world a little more deeply and broadly.”

““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’m especially enjoying the webtoon <The Return of the Mount Hua Sect>.”

“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.”

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

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

“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.”

“I couldn't finish reading The Three-Body Problem because it had more pages than I expected.”

“I read Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, and I also read One Night When Little Things Became Something.”

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

““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.””

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

“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.”

“The Courage to Be Disliked.”

“When I go to a bookstore, I sit 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 recently, too. There’s “Children of Gwaengiburi Village,” “The Little Prince,” “Confession,” “March Is a Red Abyss,” “Norwegian Wood,” and a poetry collection by poet Lee Byeong-ryul. I get so many book recommendations all the time.”

““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.)””

““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.””

“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.”

“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!”

“I find it so amazing too, and hearing that the song I made as a gift for my child is coming out as a picture book like this feels quite moving.”

“Among the books I’ve read recently is one called *Reading Schopenhauer at Forty*. I wanted to read it when I was 20, so I did.”

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

“I read with lines drawn under passages, so I don’t lend her books to my friends. Among them, 『Run, Pop, Run!』 was the first of her books I read.”

“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.”

“I brought a book”

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

“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 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.”

“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.””

“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 was happy because, while reading that book on the rooftop, I realized for the first time that I was enjoying this moment.”

““I recommend ‘Laugh Like Haha’s Mom.’””

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

“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.”

“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.”

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

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

“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.”

“Through Demian, the embodiment of the perfect, ideal human being, I discovered the essence of jealousy within myself.”

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

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

“I recommend it. Give it a read.”

“i recently read a book called <me before you>. it was really touching. you should read it.”

“as i said earlier, there's a book called <me before you> and i hope you try and read it once. i think it'll be really fun if carats read it.”

“Thank you, poet #NaTaejoo”

“I have read the manga since I was little, so its characters have influenced me.”

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

“Hello! I'm Lily. The book we're reading together this time is [The Man Who Died Twice] by Richard Osman, the second book in the Thursday Murder Club series we read last time! You're curious about how the story continues, aren't you?! I am too! I want to read it together…”

“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 think I found a lot of comfort.”

“But these days, I’ve been reading a book called An Unexpected Season.”

“As I got further into the latter half, I found myself thinking how astonishing it was. This is the first book that has made me feel that way. I was amazed by how it planted clues and then brought them back later.”

“The first flapping of wings toward freedom”

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

“This is a book I came across when I was inexperienced and had many worries about my career, relationships, and everything else as a young person just starting out in society. It was full of stories I desperately needed at the time, and I loved it so much that I underlined almost every page as I read. Meeting this book in my twenties was truly a great stroke of luck. I sincerely recommend it to everyone who wants to live a little better. Now that I’m in my thirties, I plan to open this book again and try to feel once more the excitement I felt then.”

“When I hear this song, I think of the book Toward the Place Where the Sun Sets.”

“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.”

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

“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?”

“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.”

“Our mountain grandfather, who grades our pointy day as a long oval.”

“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.”

“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.”

“After reading the book, it resonated with me so deeply that it hurt both my body and my heart.”

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

“I recently read Harry Potter.”

“I looked it up, and apparently one of them is water residue.”

“Even things I had never tried and couldn’t say I liked often turned out to suit me and become things I cared about once I actually experienced them.”

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

“My favorite is the knit outfit I wore while roller-skating. It’s sexy, sporty, and cute. I think I was able to show different sides of myself.”

“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.”

“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.”

“Two people, each with their own wounds, meet and make each other's everyday lives feel okay. To me, you're that kind of friend.”

“I ended up reading it on a whim because Chanyeol recommended it. When I read essays like this, I feel like I come to understand a wider range of lives a little better, and somehow feel more personally connected. I thought it was the kind of book that draws you into the situations and makes you laugh and cry along with them because they’re so absurd.”

“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.”

“Before my debut, I read Han Kang’s novel The White Book and was deeply moved. In particular, the line “Even if I am sullied, I will pass on only the white things” resonated deeply with me, and I chose the stage name “Heen (HYNN)” because of it.”

“I also, in any case, started out as a reader, so the texts I read...”

““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.””

“You might think that a story about losing someone precious and getting the chance to see them one last time is a familiar premise, but the stories and heartfelt longing of each character will move you. I especially want to recommend this book to anyone who misses someone, or who wants to make up with someone after a fight but is hesitating. I hope you don’t lose someone precious in a moment of impulsive emotion and regret it later.”

“I’ll definitely finish reading Eragon!!”

“Something you absolutely must not miss”