The stories behind their books

“I recommend the Japanese novel *Please Eat Something Warm*.”

“I brought a book, an iPad, and headphones with me, you know? Once I finish eating, I’m going to read a book. I’m going to read while listening to music.”

“It broadened my perspective and comforted me.”

“It's another manga I like. I bought all the collected volumes. It really feels like actual people are in it.”

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

“I read a novel called Horrorstör.”

“I didn't start writing because of any particular occasion. I gathered the things I had jotted down—fleeting thoughts, like entries in a diary—and they came to be a book.”

“Achilles. I really love that book.”

“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.”

“Jeolchang is really fun.”

“A considerate gene.”

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

“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.”

“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 heart that finally wells up with tears” reads to me as “a heart that I could not bring myself to let pass by.””

“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.”

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

“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.”

“While reading that book called Tools of Titans”

“I think I used to follow it a bit like a fandom thing, reading comics too, reading Lee Mun-yeol’s Romance of the Three Kingdoms novel, and watching Chimchakman’s Three Kingdoms.”

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

“I’m Going to Be Lovely Next Year Too”

“I enjoyed reading it.”

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

“I'm reading *Contradiction* right now.”

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

““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.””

“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, I was in the library club in my first year of high school, and around my second year I joined another club. Was it the economics club? We read things like 『The Prince』 and 『An Essay on the Principle of Population』, summarized them, and gave presentations in PowerPoint.”

“I like Kafka’s The Metamorphosis.”

“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 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.”

“I’ve read it all once, but it made such an impression on me that I wanted to read it again, so I brought it: Even If This Love Disappears from the World Tonight.”

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

“My life will be divided into before and after this book is published. If my life up to now was given to me so that I could write this book, then I think my life from now on has been given to me so that I can make people want to read it.”

“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.”

“The photo and title on the cover caught my eye. Once I finish the books I’m reading now, I’d really like to read it if I have time.”

“I like books, so I try to read.”

“It's interesting.”

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

“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.”

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

“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.”

“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 an era for people like him.”

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

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

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

“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.”

“As I was writing this book...”

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“The Three Kingdoms story seen from Cao Cao’s perspective—that’s what’s unusual about it, and it’s interesting.”

“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.”

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

“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.”

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

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

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

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

“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.”

“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.”

“This book reminds me that life is worth living, so I confidently recommend it.”

“I hope you will try to live with the Bible as your standard.”

“I brought a book”

“This book is so good ❤️❤️”

““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*.””

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

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

“The Courage to Be Disliked.”

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

“I spent a long time with him, but knew absolutely nothing about him. In fact, I never really asked. He was someone who laughed a lot, but his laughter didn’t seem particularly genuine. There was a bitter taste to his laughter and words, so I didn’t casually cross his boundaries. I wanted to help him protect himself in his own way, and that was my way of being a friend. I thought it was so like Yoon Seol-ya to put it into writing only now and tell his life story, and I was so glad there was at least this outlet for letting it all out. In a word, he’s such a romantic. I’m honored that one of the songs I wrote was included in it (I was a little surprised by the unexpected song choice)!”

“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*.”

“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!”

“So I really, really recommend reading it.”

““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.””

“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.”

“And this is a line from the novel Dallergut Dream Department Store.”

“Wow ㅠㅠ Make sure you read it all!!”

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

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

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

““I read it when I was young, too, but it seems to mean something different each time I read it. As I get older, and at each stage of my life, my interpretation changes. There are lots of plays on words in the book, and it’s a world of make-believe, isn’t it? They stimulate my imagination, and it’s fun to picture a Wonderland in my mind. And above all, I think the book’s strength is that it doesn’t force a lesson on you.””

“It 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.”

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

“I really enjoyed reading Anchor Kim Jin’s book.”

““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*.””

“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.”

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

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

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

“I did my reading with those.”

“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.”

“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.”

““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.””

“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.”

““One Piece””

“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 Devotion of Suspect X.”

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

“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.”

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

“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.”

“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.”

“The fact that I got through today without any trouble helps me get through the next day. The small joys of everyday life become the links that connect life.”

““The noble-minded are open and at ease; the petty-minded are always troubled.””

“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 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.”

“I think they came up with a really good title. We often say, “I want to die.” But even while saying we want to die, it’s true that we also feel like having soju or eating tteokbokki. As someone who has also gone through dark times, I couldn’t help but relate deeply.”

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

“Shall I recommend Pride and Prejudice?”

“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.””

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

“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.”

“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.”

“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.”

“I’m going to read my first book (manga) today! This was a recommendation. Actually, Ni-Ki has also mentioned this series before. So, I’m going to give it a go.”

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

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

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

““I want to look back on everything from our debut up to now before more time passes.””

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

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

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

““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.””

“#Coloring”

““I’m proud of my mentor.””

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

“The book we'll read 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, right?! Me too! I want to read it together… It was so much fun reading the first book 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.”

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

“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”

“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.””

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

“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.”

“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?”

“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!”

“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*.”

“Be sure to read this book.”

“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.”

“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.”

“I really recommend 0 to people like that.”

“I was impressed by reading *Illionaire Life*, written by my senior, Dok2.”

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

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

“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.”

““I read Tuesdays with Morrie with my private tutor while studying English.””

“Everyone, love one another~”

“Ah, is that it?”

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

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

“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.”

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

“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!!”

“Today's book”

“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 recalled my solo trip, which moved between excitement and apprehension, anxiety and comfort.”

“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.”

“Each chapter in this book is organically connected to an album track.”

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

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

“The moment you embrace hope, a miracle happens.”

“Eugene’s book is packed with content.”

“I recently started reading a book called I Want to Go Home Even Though I’m at Home.”

“I received a lot of comfort and empathy.”

“I had only just read the cover.”

“At age 20, I suddenly remembered a book called *Reading the Analects Happily*. At the time, while reading it, I felt for the first time that my thinking was awakening, and”

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

“I was also very impressed by Anxiety.”

“I really want to recommend the book I’m reading right now to you all. A Man Called Ove. I bought it and started reading it without giving it much thought, just because people said it was fun. As I read, there were times I laughed, I almost cried, and I learned a lot. You should definitely read it 👍”

““An exquisitely beautiful and abundant work of art, meticulously refined over thousands of years.””

“The Little Prince is such a famous work, you know. I first encountered it as an animated film, and later read it as a book. I want to express the feelings I experienced through contemporary dance.”

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

““I really like the actor Park Jung-min, and he wrote a book called *A Useful Human*. I first read it in print, then listened to the audiobook once. Hearing it in the actor’s own voice made it resonate with me even more. It was so nice to have him read his own story aloud.””

“The command of language is so impressive and captivating. Right, it has that immersive quality.”

“I think I read it when I was about six, starting around 11 a.m.”

““A book Choi Ja recommended to me; it was written based on research on aging.””

“Professor Jung Jae-seung’s *Twelve Steps*. It was the first book I read in the military. It made me realize that what I’m worrying about and finding difficult right now is actually perfectly natural. It was a book that guided me so I wouldn’t fall into self-pity.”

“Financial security creates creative freedom.”

“Scary Stories Are the Best!”

“A Thousand Years of Love, Father.”

“The first Korean poetry collection I read when I was first learning Korean was *You Sometimes Think of Me, While I Sometimes Think of Something Else*.”