The stories behind their books

“I was impressed by that and named it Dongihon.”

“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.”

““That’s the right answer.””

“Nietzsche’s Words”

“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.”

“예전에 봤던 책인데 가슴에 계속 남는 책이어서 한 번 더 가져와 봤습니다.”

“I recommend it.”

“Recently, before watching the film Pavane, I read the original novel, “Pavane for a Dead Princess.””

“I brought it along to read on the plane or during waiting time while filming in Japan, and I finished it there.”

“When a film based on a book comes out, I tend to read the book first.”

“A film clearly shows you a particular image, whereas with a book, I can imagine things in my own mind as I read, and I like being able to immerse myself in it in my own way.”

“The book I’d like to give as a gift—I’d like to recommend this book.”

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

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

“It’s a book written for artists, and I felt like it really opened up my perspective.”

“The most recent book I read was a novel called Whale, which comedian Park Ji-sun gave me.”

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

“This time, I bought a book called The Practice of Not Reacting. I wanted to calm my mind. (Laughs)”

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

“I thought this really summed up the book The Contradiction very well.”

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

“Through “Professional Lyric Writing,” I’m also learning a lot about writing lyrics that comfort people’s hearts.”

“I want to reread Norwegian Wood. I read it so long ago that I don't remember it.”

“I wrote the book thinking that I hoped it might give someone strength.”

“Perhaps the process of experiencing contradictions firsthand and making choices ultimately enriches a person’s life. I, too, want to live while gradually expanding the breadth of my life.”

“The book I read quickly and enjoyed just as much is Dante’s Divine Comedy. Turning each page is so enjoyable and fun.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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 don’t know much about painting, but I found the story of solving the riddle very interesting.”

“Even amid those circumstances, the very act of somehow turning poignant episodes with the people I love into poetry made me feel a certain kinship with it. Maybe that’s why I like it all the more.”

“Please see it as an honest account of my experiences, not an autobiography.”

“I recently read Harry Potter.”

“It is one of the works I love so, so much.”

““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.)””

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

“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.”

“This is exactly the book I want to find. It’s about the number 88 bus.”

“That’s why the book is titled *Sometimes I Think About What Happiness Is*.”

“I like reading books.”

“I recommend it to people who enjoy stories about women. It’s an easy, fun, and comfortable book to read.”

“Thank you, poet #NaTaejoo”

“If I remember correctly, it’s The Jindo Dog Baekgu Returns.”

“A writer who portrays a natural attitude toward life with purity and precision. The moment I read her writing, I already belong to happiness. It is a clear and sturdy world that only those who live as themselves can enter.”

“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.””

“It’s a story about my cat. It’s called *I Love You Every Day*. But after I finished writing it, I realized there was a lot about my dad in it.”

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

“Just because it’s called Small Comfort doesn’t mean it’s simply small.”

“I've been reading Norwegian Wood lately. I've almost finished it.”

“Ah, the book is too difficult.”

“In the early hours of Friday, I finished reading A Little Life.”

“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.”

“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!”

““I also like the Analects. I didn’t like it before, but after reading it, a lot of it really resonated with me, and I like learning from it.””

“I guess I replied to another post... As for books, I’m trying to read The Vegetarian now...”

“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.”

“A Thousand Years of Love, Father.”

“Those points weren’t written to be funny, but I find them so funny. As I read, I keep thinking, “Ah, this person is a T.” I’m really enjoying it.”

“I always carried two copies of Park Wan-suh’s <i>His Lonely and Lonesome Night</i> with me on location and read them.”

““Finally😭 finished reading””

“A book that gave me a lot of courage.”

“These days, I’m reading *So My Heart Won’t Get Hurt*.”

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

“I like the title ‘Knowledge and Love’ better than ‘Narcissus and Goldmund.’”

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

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

“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.”

“Alain de Botton’s books are difficult even for adults, so there are many parts I don’t understand. But if you read them five or six times, you come to understand, “Oh, that’s what it means.” There’s a shock that comes from that.”

“I first read it in middle school at a church student council book club, and when I picked it up again recently, I ended up sobbing all over again.”

““I also read the slice-of-life novel The Uncanny Convenience Store,””

““When I was 20, I suddenly remembered a book I had come across called ‘Happy Reading the Analects.’ At the time, while reading it, I felt for the first time that my thoughts were awakening. That memory led me to learn about thinkers other than Confucius, and I found ‘Essay on Eastern Philosophy,’ which clearly explains the main ideas of the Hundred Schools of Thought. I liked that the different philosophies and interpretations weren’t dressed up or presented narrowly, so I could read the book using my own judgment and thoughts. I think it’s a book that even people who aren’t interested in philosophy can easily approach, and that can serve as a first step toward developing a philosophy of their own.””

“I thought it was art that I, as a Korean Confucian girl, couldn't understand. Maybe it was because some parts were difficult, or because the characters were hard to remember. Let's try reading it again in about six months.”

“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.”

“SODA’s first Photobook: Candid🍬”

“I even recommended If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light on Weverse.”

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

“When that exact verse appeared before my eyes among the tens of thousands of pages on the shelf, I had no choice but to collapse completely before the presence of the living Lord. It was supernatural confirmation that ‘God is dealing with me right now.’”

“Shin Hae-wook’s *A Book for One*. I really liked it. I’m a huge fan of novelist Kim Ae-ran, and when I read her work, it feels as if I can hear the author’s voice. I like writing like that. I like writing that feels light and delicate, and I got that same feeling from Shin Hae-wook’s book. Someone recommended it to me, and I liked it so much that I’m reading it slowly, savoring it—two or three at a time each day.”

“I read *The Art of Wandering*.”

“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.”

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

“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!”

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

““I was drawn to the line on the first page of this book, ‘You’re crazy because of the person you love,’ so I bought it right away and read it.””

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

“Today's book”

“I watched Bait, and it wasn't childish at all. I really enjoyed it.”

“I enjoyed reading it.”

“Like imagining myself as a character in a novel, for example.”

“Prince is actually my favorite of the whole series”

“My all-time favorite comic book from my school days was Comic MapleStory. I don’t know if you know it, but it was really fun. I think people from the first generation will relate.”

“I was also very impressed by Anxiety.”

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

“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.”

“I really, truly, uh, loved it so much that I was like, “This is the book of my life.””

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

“I think Nausea should be read slowly, at a measured pace. One of the characteristics of the humanities is “slowness,” isn’t it? That is about “oneself” …”

“A book one must read”

“After reading this book, I learned that it was a blessing just to have witnessed something invisible.”

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

“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.”

“I received a book called The Creative Act as a gift. I don’t often read self-help books, but this one made a strong impression because I related to it and found a lot to learn from it.”

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

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

““TWICE’s Nayeon gave me I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki as a birthday present. We used to talk about books from time to time. That book gave me a lot of comfort.””

“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.”

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

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

“He wrote poems that brought me great comfort.”

“길을 잃었다고 생각하고 진짜 인생 x 같다 갱각하는 수준이면 정말로 한번 빌려서든 사서든 읽어봐.”

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

“A considerate gene.”

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

“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.”

““I wasn’t someone who read novels often. But as I was transitioning into acting, I thought I should read a full-length novel. Then I remembered that I had read Musso’s earlier work *Call from an Angel* some time ago, so I picked up his new book, *A Paris Apartment*.””

“When I was in middle school, I received The Age of Loss as a gift from my aunt and read it.”

““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.”

““A Thousand Blues,” something like that.”

“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.”

“It is set during the Japanese colonial period, a time when society was highly unsettled. Although women had relatively fewer opportunities than men at the time, she fought for the social course she believed was right. It was a book that made me reflect on myself.”

“I decided to publish a book to share the happiness of cooking for myself.”

“The 8 Rules of Love, by Jay Shetty.”

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

“I became a fan after reading The Fruit of My Woman.”

“This book is fun~!”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“This is a book I would recommend to everyone who is interested in art.”

“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*.”

“Even today, when the word “sublime” has been reduced to a tedious and stifling word, it is unavoidably sublime.”

“This book shakes readers and ultimately changes them.”

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

““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.””

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“This book is called “Schopenhau to Read Before Bed.””

“You can see there are so many bookmark tabs.”

“There were so many passages I could relate to and wanted to learn from! [How YVES Reads #2]”

“So I can’t finish this book! lol I have to read it over and over again.”

“So that’s what he said. But on the very next page, he says, “In life, suffering and concerns are necessary.””

“Then I get all confused while reading!”

“I’m like, “But you just said they’re the two enemies!””

“And then again, it’s like, “Suffering and concerns are common in life.””

“Ah, I see.”

“Mmm... I see what you mean.”

“This book is also very realistic, and it’s a great book to read if you want to be comforted and clear your mind of your worries.”

“So I recommend this book too.”

““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.””

“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.”

“I also want to reread the Sherlock Holmes series, haha.”

“Ah, yes. Among the members, I like reading, so I often seek out books. I haven’t been able to read lately, but during the <Mansae> promotions, I’ve been reading <Sherlock Holmes>. I really like detective novels, especially the Holmes series; it really suits my taste.”

“I really like it.”

“Was it The Hound of the Baskervilles?”

“I learned about it through the novels and watched the English drama, too.”

“I like the Sherlock Holmes series.”

“Sherlock Holmes: The Hound of the Baskervilles”

“Sherlock Holmes, haha.”

“I did my reading with those.”

“I’d like to recommend it.”

“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.”

“The Little Prince is, ah, really a song that's kind of like a fairy tale for adults. Um, it's inspired by the original novel, The Little Prince, by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, uh...”

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

“I read it too, and the elements were interesting.”

“Personally, when I read the book, I was moved by the line, “Even if I am tainted, I will give you only white things.””

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

“It’s very good.”

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

“There are times when we can’t open up to anyone about anything, shut ourselves away, and feel empty. When our hearts are lonely like that, I think the most important—and truly necessary—thing is for someone to reach out first. The author describes that hand as “connection.” Just as I hope my music can reach someone like a hand reaching out, I hope this book will be like that hand, too. Hoping that love and peace will spread through the world instead of isolation, I recommend this book.”

““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.””

“Eugene’s book is packed with content.”

“I’ve read a lot of books recently. I read “Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982.” There are other books I can’t remember. I read a lot of books while on vacation.”

“I was intrigued by the way he invited people close to him to a funeral before he died, so they could share their memories of one another. It even made me want to have a funeral like that before I die.”

“Kim Do-hoon is truly a hit songwriter. This book does not simply focus on explaining theory; it also explains the know-how of a popular music composer, so I believe it will be a great help to aspiring composers.”

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

“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.”

“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.”

“In particular, an encyclopedia of food called *Jeongjoji* (鼎俎志) was a great help.”

“올해 읽었던 책인데”

“I bought volumes 1 and 2. I’ve finished volume 1, and I have about half of volume 2 left.”

“Because I want to make the contents of the book my own.”

“Pachinko was a book that made me enjoy reading again after a really long time.”

“While browsing Instagram, I saw a book posted by an upperclassman from school and bought it. It was a book called *Lessons in Self-Esteem*.”

“It's a book I really like.”

“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.”

“It's an interesting book. It's fun.”

“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.”

“Yes. I think I came to appreciate novels like that through The Unbearable Lightness of Being.”

“I hope this book can offer even a little strength and comfort to those standing at a crossroads of choice or feeling exhausted and weary.”

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

“It really deserves it. It’s entertaining, and I imagine a lot as I read.”

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

“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’m honored to receive the Content of the Year award. Grapefruit Apricot Club is a work that sincerely captures the reality the children face and the pure solidarity through which they hold on to one another and try to make it through.”

“I collected about 20 volumes of the Conan manga.”

“Among baseball manga, my favorite manga is H2.”

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

“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…”

“This was the first book that made me cry while reading it to the children.”

““When I first read Blindness, I had a primal feeling.””

“One thing that really stuck with me from it was the line, “It was possible because I didn’t know it might be impossible.” I tend to think positively, so I always read it believing that anything was possible.”

“Writing a book had been one of my New Year’s plans since I was young. In 2014, I felt I had to do it.”

“As I read it, I found it incredibly delicate. Not only the expressions and descriptions, but also the emotional threads are woven together so intricately that it pains my heart as I read. I think it’s a book every Korean should read.”

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