The stories behind their books

“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.”

“For me, I would definitely say five stars.”

“On my birthday, TWICE’s Nayeon gave me a book as a gift. I received a book called *I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki*; its title was unusual, and it was a book I had wanted to buy.”

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

“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.”

“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.”

““This book contains stories that are hard to encounter in textbooks. If you enjoy history, I recommend that you read it at least once.””

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

“This is a mystery novel I read recently.”

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

“I like reading books.”

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

“I changed even more after reading the books The Power of Positive Thinking and The Secret.”

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

““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.””

“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.”

““I’m proud of my mentor.””

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

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

“As a member of the K-pop group tripleS, being able to witness the CEO’s concerns and decisions up close was an experience that taught me a great deal. At every moment of choice, I could feel the CEO’s sincerity and determination to do more than simply establish a company—to usher in a new era of K-pop. That journey is captured in its entirety in this book. I also found it deeply meaningful that I had become part of the CEO’s journey. I think fans will discover the passion and sincerity behind the scenes, while people in the industry will find new inspiration. I hope this book gives you the strength to set out on a new path, too.”

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

“The book I’m reading is There Is No Such Thing as Nothing Now. I get a lot of comfort from it, and I’m learning how to think differently.”

“I’m rereading Almond, a novel that whisks me straight back to my middle-school days.”

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

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

““Even with my busy schedule, I try to make time to read. I love those moments when I can focus and organize my thoughts as I read.””

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

““I read a book called ‘Stakes’...””

“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.”

“it looks like the illustrations from the book the little prince.”

“on the side, it looks like the boa constrictor from <the little prince>.”

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

“I really empathized with it to the point of experiencing catharsis.”

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

“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.”

“If there were no music in our lives, it seems the whole world would look black and white. Even after 23 years as a musician, classical music had always felt unfamiliar to me, but I was able to feel close to it through this book. The lively chronicles of the great classical music masters of the world, so vivid they felt like watching a drama, were truly captivating. If you’re looking for the easiest and most enjoyable book about classical music, I recommend this one without hesitation. Discover the birth of world-famous masterpieces in an enjoyable, accessible way.”

“The books I’m reading these days are The Portrait of Dorian Gray, Contradiction…”

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

“I have a really prized item that I actually own and keep.”

““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 was so immersed in the work that I read it in one sitting despite being busy with activities. I even recommended it directly to the members.”

“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 recommend giving it a read.”

“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.”

“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.”

““While reading *Contradiction*, I was struck by the phrase ‘the volume of life.’””

“when I was younger reading like Lord of the Rings Harry Potter and the Narnia books”

“I brought it because Demian is my favorite.”

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

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

“When I was stressed, I went to a bookstore and a book called *That Sort of Person, Still a Person* caught my eye. At first, I was drawn to the cover and title (laughs). The passage I remember most from the book is: “Today is the only time when I can choose and put into practice what I want. If today, too, passes by like this, it will become yesterday, and I’ll miss it.” I think I was hurt and having a hard time back then, and I made up my mind to try to live this one day well. After reading those lines, I mean.”

“When I’m stressed, I think just going to a bookstore and looking at books can be comforting. Even if I don’t read it right away, just buying a book and bringing it home somehow makes me feel cozy and healed.”

“Poet Park Jun’s distinctive witty style was moving and touching.”

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

“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.”

“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.”

“The first manga I saw when I was seven was a slightly older manga, so I was like, “What is this? Glass Mask, Glass Mask.””

““The music video was inspired by Georges Bataille’s book *Erotism*. It deals with the theme of breaking taboos, and I thought about how that could be reflected in the music and in what I would show. For example, revealing bare skin is still considered taboo in some ways. If a male performer takes off his shirt and the audience goes wild (because bringing a taboo before the public and having it accepted means overcoming that taboo), I wanted to understand and incorporate the idea of breaking taboos through that.””

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

“I did my reading with those.”

“That’s really funny.”

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

“It's interesting.”

“When I first started writing, I felt more fear than excitement, but now I’m glad I can share my stories in writing.”

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

“Biases block the path to healing and change. To address the root of the problem, we must begin with affirmation through prevention and education, not law and punishment.”

“I hope that through this book, readers can truly empathize with the dangers of drugs and focus on healing.”

“I am trying to convey a message of prevention and healing through music. I hope this book will also create a peaceful world where you do not doubt yourself at the end of a day, just like after a test.”

“I've been reading a book lately. It's called The Bare Minimum of Korean History. It does a very good job of explaining things concisely, from Gojoseon through modern and contemporary history. It made me think, “I should study more history,” and I hope many people will read it.”

“Whereas my previous book told, almost in diary form, various stories about life that a woman in her twenties learns while living with a cat, with Sweet Remedy I wanted to use as few words as possible and, alongside the flow of the photographs, give readers the feeling that we are traveling “together.””

““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.”

“Which one should I choose?”

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

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

““I enjoyed 'Animal Farm,' so I’ve been exploring more of his works. These days, I often talk about books with IVE member Ahn Yujin.””

“I had to appear on a broadcast and comment, and I referred to *The Temperature of Language* at the time.”

“Could this be what you call a fateful encounter?”

“A time when I looked back on my own capacity for empathy, wondering whether I had been viewing socially disadvantaged people through a biased lens all this time.”

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

“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.”

“It was something that gave me insight and resonated with me.”

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

“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.”

“I’m not someone who reads a lot, but I started reading books while working. I like philosophy.”

“I don’t usually like fantasy romance books, but I read through the night without realizing how much time had passed. I read the entire series. The male lead, Edward, makes my heart flutter so much. And Bella’s lines are ‘so’ sweet, too. (laughs)”

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

“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.”

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

“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.”

“Little Women also goes really well with spring. When I was young, you know how there’s always that thing that suddenly comes to mind… So this was a book I used to read when I was in elementary school, because we were told to read it during school vacation.”

“This book is fun~!”

“Books by Bernard Werber. I have read The Ants, The Thanatonauts, The Butterfly of the Stars, Third Humanity, and others since middle school.”

“A book I’m so glad to find, for me, who dreams of becoming a showbiz singer at sixty.”

“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.”

“To recommend books I enjoyed reading, first, “Ordinary Words (Kim Eana).” Even though I’d only read it, I thought, “The author’s thoughts are so healthy and profound,” and the author felt like a “senior in life” to me. And then, “On My 29th Birthday, I Decided to Die a Year Later (Amari Hayama).””

“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.”

“It was my first time being photographed wearing lingerie, so please pay attention.”

““Finally😭 finished reading””

“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.”

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

“I was deeply impressed by Michael Ende's *The Neverending Story*, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's *The Little Prince*, and Ralph Isau's *The Secret Library*.”

“It’s a book I really hope you’ll make time to read.”

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

“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.”

“It was the last birthday present my late grandfather gave me. He also wrote me a letter. Because it was a story about a grandfather and his granddaughter, so much of it resonated with me. I’ve read it over and over—two or three times.”

“#RomanceWillKillMe I met lyricist Seo Ji-eum, who has such a girlish air~ Please show lots of love for writer Ji-eum’s book too~”

“LOL, my mom might say something if she sees that I read these, but these are the books I picked up from January to March at the beginning of this year while talking about things like “the energy of the universe.” The Nature of Money and Rich Dad Poor Dad, at least, seem like books worth genuinely reading two or three times, and the other books left me with a lesson along the lines of “use your heart for good.” You shouldn’t live a narrow-minded life, you know.”

“I read one web novel this week too. “Inherited 50 billion won?” lol.”

““As time has passed, I’ve matured, and reading the stories I could see their rough edges. But I felt that the Tablo of today shouldn’t tamper with them, so I translated them as faithfully to the originals as possible. Reading those stories from back then, I often found myself thinking, ‘Why was I so sad and lonely then?’””

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

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

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

““It’s something like a debate among philosophers about love. It makes you think seriously once again about how love is being consumed in modern society and about our attitudes toward dating.””

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

“I started receiving psychological counseling in 2018, and I was advised that it might be good to try writing a book. I thought sharing my writing as well might help people understand my music.”

“There are many ways to win people's hearts. Among them, let's take a look at one... where is it? How to persuade busy people quickly.”

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

“That is so true. I’m in such a good mood today. Even if something bad happens while I’m feeling happy, I feel like I have the leeway to just laugh it off.”

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

“I’ve read a lot of Bernard Werber’s works, and I’ve read almost all of the Thanatonauts series.”

“I’m a sucker for emotional romance and this one has all the feels. It’s a truly beautiful love story and shows a strong woman adjusting to her new normal. I had seen the movie but had to come back and find the book this year in anticipation of the sequel!”

“A book that made me realize that everyone has mistakes in the past they wish they could fix, but even those mistakes are what made me who I am today.”

“Until now, I’ve thought imagination was the greatest power music gives us. Songs leave their beginnings and endings open. When you sing about a breakup, no one tells you why the couple broke up or what happened afterward. I wondered whether a single story running through my music, whose beginnings and endings are ambiguous, might bring out more complex emotions and clearer images. That curiosity led me to write it.”

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

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

“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.”

“There was a book I enjoyed so much that I finished the whole thing on the plane.”

“the wings of kirin”

“Slam Dunk is a manga I revisit regularly; it’s one of my all-time favorites. I’m not much of a crier, but works like Slam Dunk, which make my heart burn with passion, bring me to tears.”

“Yes. I think The Unbearable Lightness of Being made me appreciate the appeal of classic novels.”

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

“I really, really recommend this poetry book”

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

“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 underlined it because I really related to this description. When I have some kind of realization or feel really happy, I feel the same way: “Ah, this is what it feels like.””

“I read it some time ago, but it has stayed with me, so I brought it again.”

“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.”

“Book: The Little Prince”

“In a book, you can see everything the protagonist is thinking before they act, and that’s so much fun.”

“when I was younger reading like Lord of the Rings Harry Potter and the Narnia books”

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

“Because of the parking fee, my mom told me to pick out anything, so I picked one from the bestseller section.”

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

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

“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.”

“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.”

“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.””

“That book is also really good.”

“I brought “20th Century Boys,” which I’ve really enjoyed reading recently. It’s so good. I have the complete series.”

“I also like comic books such as Conan and Naruto.”

“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.”

“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.”

“I also liked Hideo Okuda’s The Aerial Trapeze. Each short story features unusual patients who receive counseling and suggested treatments. I wanted to get counseling from Ibura, the doctor in the novel, too.”

“Inspired by Shakespeare’s play As You Like It, it explores the themes of birth, love, conviction, and reaching the peak.”

“I enjoyed reading Jules Verne's Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea when I was young. A song inspired by a part of that novel.”

“'Contradiction'”

““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*.””

“I also liked *The Little Prince* and *Harry Potter*, among others.”

“I found it interesting while reading Small Things Like These, so I finished Foster and am having coffee now.”

“How to boost your courage and confidence, recommended by Hyeongseop 🐰🩵📚📖”

“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.”

“I didn't really like it before, but after reading The Analects, so much of it resonated with me, and I enjoyed learning from it.”

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

“This one is a novel. I told you all about it, right?”

“That author had a lot of books listed as bestsellers in Korea, including one called *Save Me*, and”

“Teacher, you taught us that the world is full of sounds, and when those sounds come together, they become music. You loved music and people until your final moments. May you have a peaceful journey on your long, long journey.”

“Books by Bernard Werber. I have read The Ants, The Thanatonauts, The Butterfly of the Stars, Third Humanity, and others since middle school.”

“My life will be divided into before and after this book comes out.”

“There’s a book I finished in two days. It’s called The Greenhouse at the End of the Earth. It’s really good.”

“At first, I read it as a print book, and then I tried listening to it as an audiobook too; hearing it in the actor’s voice made it resonate with me more.”

“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.”

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

“Finally 😭 I finished reading it”

“Author! I read Human Acts while I was in the military. Sniff, congratulations!”

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

“When I go to a bookstore, I sit down and read with a huge pile of books. I like that people at bookstores don’t pay attention to others. I bought a whole stack just the other day, too. I have *The Children of Gaeng-i-burimal*, *The Little Prince*, *Confession*, *March Is a Red Ravine*, *Norwegian Wood*, and a collection of poems by poet Lee Byeong-ryul, too. I get a lot of book recommendations all the time.”

“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.”

“I think it’s nice because I can write down the things I like—something I can enjoy at least a little—as part of my routine.”

“I think at least The Attributes of Money / Rich Dad Poor Dad are books really worth reading two or three times.”

“I like writing by people who aren’t professional writers. They didn’t live in order to write; as they lived, their lives became writing.”

“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…”

““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.””

“Through that book, I discovered for the first time the nature of the jealousy within me.”

“I was able to look back on my jealousy toward the boys in my class who were tall, handsome, good at school and sports, and popular with girls.”

“I read this book four or five times.”

“Thanks to it, I had the opportunity to naturally encounter the wonderful wisdom left by the preceding generation.”

“Facts are sacred. Facta sacra sunt”

“I’d like to recommend A World of Children to people who enjoy watching My Golden Kids and want to understand themselves and others a little better.”

“Anyway, I recently bought a book about psychology.”

“I recommend it.”

“Ah, recently, for the first time in my life, I closed a book while reading and cried. I sobbed.”

“A perfect novel in every respect—the readability of the prose, the characterization, the trick, and the structure! It was what got me hooked on Keigo Higashino’s works and on mysteries.”

“I think it might be worth reading at least once.”

“I also recommend <Happiness Doesn't Come Alone> and Sister Lee Hae-in’s essay book <Just Cry When Things Are Hard>.”

“To briefly explain the story, a pilot who crash-lands in the desert is one of the protagonists, and a little prince who suddenly appears before him asks him to draw a sheep. The two then build a friendship and get to know each other; it’s that kind of enjoyable novel.”

“So, Dune is a novel that's been around for a long time, and I really like the book. It's very big and thick, but the story is really solid. I've known about it for a long time, so I've read the book and looked into it, but I haven't actually read it in English. You have to read it as a book.”

““This author’s book, Cocktail, Love, Zombie, too…””

“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.”

“The protagonist, Jun, resembles me in his habit of not judging anything hastily and thinking things over again and again.”

“This is a book I'm reading. It's called The Consciousness of Seth Nutter. I went to the store, saw it right there, and thought, “Oh, I'm curious,” so I opened it up. I was struck by one sentence, and that's why I bought the book.”

“But I apparently read it.”

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

“The command of language is so impressive, and it really draws you in. Right, it has that immersive quality.”

“I enjoyed reading Han Kang’s *Love of Yeosu* and *The Vegetarian*, Yang Gui-ja’s *Contradiction*, Jeong Dae-geon’s *Torrent*, and others.”

“I read it this year.”

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