(soompi) eight k-pop idols who know how to enjoy a good book

[byeolbyeol.livejournal.com]

8 K-Pop Idols Who Know How To Enjoy A Good Bookhttps://t.co/Q58OTkLJux pic.twitter.com/bw7EE3gdHu

— Soompi (@soompi) August 22, 2017

Because they are performers, it can be easy to assume that idols don’t do much reading. With their impossibly busy schedules, it would be difficult to find time to sit down with a good book. However, some idols have the motivation and mental strength to continue their literary passions. As a celebration of their intellectualism, we present a list containing eight well-read idols (in no particular order).

1. GOT7's Jinyoung

Jinyoung is incredibly well-read. From classic authors such as Ray Bradbury, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and F. Scott Fitzgerald to more modern ones like John Green, James Dashner, and Haruki Murakami; Jinyoung has read them all.

Additional authors that Jinyoung has read: Baptiste Beaulieu, Alain de Botton, Rhonda Byrne, Osamu Dazai, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Romain Gary, E. L. James, Jonas Jonasson, Kim Eun Joo, Kim Jin Myung, Milan Kundera, Harper Lee, François Lelord, W. Somerset Maugham, Miyuki Miyabe, Jojo Moyes, Ryu Murakami, Guillaume Musso, Vladimir Nabokov, Ngọc Thuần Nguyễn, Amélie Nothomb, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, J.D. Salinger, Chen Zhou, José Mauro de Vasconcelos, Bernard Werber.

2. IU

Though she does read for pleasure, IU is someone who reads books in order to get inspired with ideas for her music. For every track in her “Chat-shire” album, there exists a book character that was the source of inspiration. The most obvious example of this influence is in “Twenty Three” which emulates the Cheshire Cat from “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”. This is where the whimsical, childlike vibe of the title track comes from. [Fun fact: "The Red Shoes" was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale of the same name.]

Additional authors that IU has read: L. Frank Baum, Paulo Coelho, Osamu Dazai, Kaori Ekuni, Hermann Hesse, Hwang Sun Won, Kim Jung Eun, Milan Kundera, Lee Hye Rin, Lee Kyung Hye, Haruki Murakami, Ito Ogawa Leo Tolstoy, José Mauro de Vasconcelos, Virginia Woolf.

3. BTS's Rap Monster

Rap Monster’s love for reading began years before he became an idol, and this habit has greatly influenced him as an artist. Fans have found evidence of literary influences in BTS’s more recent releases. Here is a screenshot from the backstage of Music Bank during their “I Need U” promotions, in which Rap Monster is seen reading Herman Hesse’s “Demian” long before “WINGS” came to be.

Additional authors that Rap Monster has read: Albert Camus, Chung Ho Sung, Hwang Kyung Shin, Hitomi Kanehara, Jojo Moyes, Haruki Murakami, Ryu Murakami, Friedrich Nietzsche, Tony Porter, Arthur Rimbaud, Ryu Shi Hwa, J.D. Salinger, Andrew Solomon, Sun Mi Hwa, Henry Thoreau, Yun Dong Ju.

4. SNSD's Seohyun

Youngest Girls’ Generation member Seohyun is often seen with a book in her hand. She often enjoys reading self-help books or books that teach some sort of life lesson. For example, Seohyun once recommended Park Seung Il’s “Writing Hope With Eyes”, which tells the story of a Korean basketball player who was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Additional authors that Seohyun has read: Ban Ki Moon, Cha Dong Yeop, Daniel Gottlieb, Paul Harrington, Judy L. Hasday, Lee Dong Woo, Lee Ji Sung, Og Mandino, Phil McGrawn, Yoko Ogawa, Linda Picone, Michael J. Sandel, Yang Sung Chul.

5. SEVENTEEN’s Wonwoo

Known to be one of the biggest introverts among the SEVENTEEN members, it comes as no surprise that Wonwoo is a big reader. Some of his recommendations include Yu Hua’s “The Seventh Day”, Keigo Higashino’s “Miracles of the Namiya General Store”, and “Me Before You” by Jojo Moyes.

Additional authors that Wonwoo has read: --

6. CNBLUE's Jonghuyn

As a songwriter in the industry, it’s no surprise that Jonghyun is a reader as well. His taste in books is a bit unique, as he seems to prefer more historical and informational content. Some of his choice picks include Machiavelli’s “The Prince“ and Michael J. Sandel’s “Justice: What’s The Right Thing To Do?“; both of which discuss more real world issues.

Additional authors that Jonghyun has read: Alain De Botton, Robert Descharnes, Jared Diamond, Paul Johnson, Kang Shin Joo, Kim Heung Sik, Kim Sang Hoon, Robert B. Marks, Walter Moers, Park Si Baek, Robert and Michael Root-Bernstein, Nanami Shiono.

7. EXO's Kai

Contrary to his powerful image on stage, Kai knows how to relax and enjoy a good book. He and Suho have been cited as the group’s most avid readers, with Kai favoring the works of Keigo Higashino and Bernard Werber.

Additional authors that Kai has read: Jojo Moyes

8. SHINee's Jonghyun

Maybe people with the name Jonghyun like to read? That’s probably not true, but the fact that two Jonghyuns made the list is funny nonetheless. From Franz Kafka to Edgar Allen Poe, Jonghyun has read an impressive amount of books. Additionally, he even wrote a book called “Skeleton Flower”, sharing his short stories and expanding upon his song lyrics. [Fun fact: SHINee's "Obsession", which Jonghyun wrote the lyrics to, was inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's "The Black Cat". SHINee's "Juliette", which he also wrote the lyrics to, was loosely inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet". Jonghyun has said before that he's usually inspired by books or films when writing lyrics - for example: SHINee's "Orgel" was inspired by the film House of Wax.]

Additional authors that Jonghyun has read: Bertolt Brecht, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Hermann Hesse, Keigo Higashino, Haruki Murakami, Han Kang, J.K. Rowling, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, José Saramago, J.R.R. Tolkien, Bernard Werber, Maurice Blanchot, Lee Oi Soo, William Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Pascal Quignard.

source(s): soompi (+ twitter link)

an excuse for a book post, tbh. also are there any idols missing from the list, yada yada? (also: ignore the last submission, please, mods! i noticed some coding issues after i submitted, blegh.)

Comments

[dynamite-state.livejournal.com]

SHINee's "Juliette", which he also wrote the lyrics to, was loosely inspired by Shakespeare's "Romeo and Juliet"



Maybe one day I'll get back into books but, just like with TV shows, I've been feeling burnt out for some time now.
So I don't have much to contribute other than I love the formatting(!) haha.

[broadcities.livejournal.com]

my inner harry potter nerd loves that jonghyun has read it

what are you all reading? i recently started a book club and our first book was the handmaid's tale which was such a great read. i just finished go tell it on the mountain by james baldwin and i'm currently reading the girls.

[giriboy.livejournal.com]

did you like the ending of the handmaid's tale? i read most of it during high school—was on the curriculum—but i don't remember finishing it. barring spoilers for everyone else, the last scene i remember reading was the bathroom scene with offred and moira. i tried to read oryx and crake, too, and she did a retelling of some shakespeare (googled, it's called hag-seed) and i couldn't get into either of them. i'm also a super slow reader, tho & half the time i drop books before i get into them

i've heard really good things about the girls, it's on my list... we'll see if i get to it, lmao

[icedevil0289.livejournal.com]

I know seohyun recently read or was reading khaled hosseini's a thousand splendid suns and I know during a fan meet, a fan gave her Roxane Gay's, bad feminist. I wonder if she ever started that book and what she thinks of it.

[theharleyquinn.livejournal.com]

i would be so fascinated to hear her opinion on bad feminist. it's interesting enough that a fan gave it to her.

[burningleaf.livejournal.com]

i'd just literally found a link detailing books namjoon's read/rec/seen with, and i'm ashamed to admit how much trash i've been reading when i compare it with the list :3

i'll start reading again! i think!

[sheisagentleman.livejournal.com]

omg hmu with that link

[ironicmustache.livejournal.com]

wow at jinyoung's bookshelf! also LMAO at the thought of him reading 50 shades.

i'd think idols would read a lot, since they have a lot of travel time, but then i remember that's when they probably catch up on their sleep :/

i hadn't read anything in a looong time (thanks, grad school). but this summer i actually started reading again! my favorites were:
- Love & Gelato, Jenna Evans Welch
- Quicksand, Malin Persson Gilolito
- Pachinko, Min Jin Lee
... but school just started up again last week, so bye bye reading!

also, i just keep the HP audiobooks on straight loop at work .. but idk if that counts since it's basically just background noise at this point lol. currently on CoS on my 3rd listen-through.

[keytfelt.livejournal.com]

I just added Pachinko to my to-read list, it looks really interesting. Love & Gelato also looks super cute.

[giriboy.livejournal.com]

i'm screaming at the fact that jonghyun watched house of wax (...presumably the remake? it) and got inspired by it

i don't think i've read a book in full since my junior yr of hs, tbh. my english teacher that yr totally ruined it for me. i bought sirens of titan (vonnegut) at the beginning of the summer and i'm only 20 pages in. aaand i've been reading keith haring's journals literally since my junior year and haven't even got close to finishing them

i wanted to read sad girls, by lang leav, but lost interest because it's first person. i've read most of the essays in so sad today (melissa broder), tho

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

Sirens of Titan is CRAZY and it only gets crazier as the book goes on, you should finish it tbh.

I think if you can get 1/3 of the way through a book, you have basically bought into it and the next 2/3 go by a lot faster. Most of the books I give up on, I'm less than 50 pages in.

On the other hand, it took me almost 10 years to finish Noonday Demon...

[pineepie.livejournal.com]

Oh oh oh, books! that's my thing! i love reading and collecting them, so this is a great opportunity to brag about my book collection
about books themselves:

recently finished: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared && All For Love. Great Love Affairs. Great Stories

now reading: Dolores Claiborne by S.King

fav books: Light in August, The Knights of the Cross, The Doll , The Witcher saga, Moll Flanders, everything Jane Austin wrote, Great Expectations and many many more...

[oxfordowls1.livejournal.com]

your shelf is super pretty and organised!! I have a small-ish shelf that now has books on top of books thanks to being a lit grad lol (im side-eyeing the Jane Austin but everything else ive put in my goodreads)

[msgrottesca.livejournal.com]

he's so predictable lmaoooo

[rosiemotleymind.livejournal.com]

I never really judge people for what they read since like...who cares lol. I read a bunch of classics when I was younger and got burnt out on them so I usually stick with YA books or science fiction. I'm re-reading all of Octavia Butler's books because she was a queen and I love her. But it's my job to read YA so I've been reading one called Bad Romance and The Smell of Other People's Houses. Both are depressing lol.

Namjoon actually has my favorite list probably and not because I'm biased but everything by Haruki Murakami is right up my alley. Plus it's funny that he has Me Before You on there. He would like some sappy romance.

[giriboy.livejournal.com]

what do you like for sci-fi? i haven't read, like, any—not even hitchhiker's guide to the galaxy which is supposedly required reading for sci-fi :P

(also, sidebar: do you work at a hs lib or??? i remember you mentioning working at a library but not much else)

[frequency.livejournal.com]

i mostly like mystery/horror novels... but i haven't read any books since i blew through the mr. mercedes trilogy a few months ago. t(ツ)_/¯

my library has a website i can use to search for books, renew books, and even have them delivered to my house! my card is also good for any library in the entire county.

if anyone has some good YA recs, i'd like to know! but none of that ~dystopian~ crap. i tried to read the hunger games a few years ago and couldn't get past the writing.

[ironicmustache.livejournal.com]

i was reading lots of YA this summer, cause i found it's so easy to read when i've been going through a reading drought. some that i read and liked.
Love & Gelato
Girl Against the Universe
The Hate U Give (I actually listened to this audiobook and hated the narrator which soured my opinion, but I think I would've liked it a lot more if I just read it)

[sparkb.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised that cnb jonghyun read The Prince... thats right up my alley...

[leavesabound.livejournal.com]

It's super fun hearing about what people are reading/likes to read.

Earlier this summer I joined what seemed like every single person on instagram and read A Little Life and while it was wonderfully written, it was also really emotionally draining. To take a break from all of that I read Sleeping Giants which was an easy enjoyable read. Yesterday I started on American Gods which is a bit of a reread, I read about half of it ten years ago and then had to return it to the library. I remember almost nothing from it, but I think I'm enjoying it more now than I did then.

Jojo Moyes seems to be a hit with everyone, I still don't know if I have any interest in reading any of her books. Me Before You is definitely not something I would be into, but maybe one of her other books?

[keytfelt.livejournal.com]

I read The Girl You Left Behind by Jojo Moyes a few years ago on a recommendation from a friend and really enjoyed it, it's a mix between current day and German-occupied France in WWI and a painting is what connects the two stories (though the historical storyline is infinitely better). I'm not really interested in Me Before You either but one day I guess I'll get to it since that same friend bought it for me and it's been sitting on my bookshelf for years.

[sra-interesante.livejournal.com]

yes, i took a couple of recommendations from iu fancafe when she used to talk about Haruki Murakami ... my god! took me too much understand the wind-up bird chronicle but i know it was my fault for trying to read the book in english instead of look for a spanish version lmao

At least José Mauro de Vasconcelos & Paulo Coehlo were easier to find and understand in spanish

currently i'm reading anne from green gables serie because i cant wait until next season
i cant with all those shirbert feelings

[existingisfunny.livejournal.com]

aaaaaahhhh anne i need s2 now!!

[tungatunga.livejournal.com]

I love reading about what other people like to read, it's often inspiration to read something new. Usually I stuck with non-fiction, cookbooks with UF and cozy mysteries for relaxation.

[msgrottesca.livejournal.com]

every annoying faux deep heterosexual I know cape so hard for haruka murakami lmaooo

[chimpansee.livejournal.com]

I read Norwegian Wood a long while back and remember being weirded out by the sex but not actively disliking it. Then I tried reading South Of The Border and I was just like ???? who enjoys this?

[365daysafter.livejournal.com]

I think I should get back into reading as much as I can before I head off the grad school, when I won't have any time anymore. I've only started getting back into reading since I got out of college; before I read a lot.

When I do read nowadays, it's usually romance or comics lmao. But I'm trying to branch out, I've been in a science fiction mood lately, in the middle of Hyperion. I also like books on religion and self help.

But tbh, ever since I bought my ps4 I've been into video games. I usually obsess with one form of media at a time, either tv shows, games, or books, etc etc.

[giriboy.livejournal.com]

what do you read for comics?

the only thing i keep up w/ is snotgirl but it's only on its second volume so there's not a ton of content for it :/ just the 6 issues that've come out so far... i bought the first volume of paper girls but i haven't read that yet, i just thought the colors were really cool

[gathyou.livejournal.com]

I haven't properly read in such a long time!!! Before I could get totally lost for hours in a books, forgetting everything else. Now I have to take breaks when I'm reading, what am I becoming 😯 so I'm often sticking to teen books but in English lol (not my mother tongue) at least it feels like I'm doing something right.
I still read classics of course, but it takes so much time lol. I've gaven up on Farenheit 451 (usually I like dystopias... not this one tho) and the last "adult" book I really got lost into was Wurthering Heights, but it was two years ago.
Anyway atm I'm re-reading His Dark Materials by Pullman, but for the first time in English! This book honestly marked my childhood as much as HP despite not having read it a lot lol, the end made me so sad. It's nice to re-discover it with the original words.

Among the idols mentioned here, I'm more impressed with those that manage to use their readings in lyrics or concepts like Rapmon, Jonghyun and IU. It adds another layer to their songs, and it's interesting to see what kind of book inspired them!
Tho Jinyoung has an impressive list!

[lemonadetea.livejournal.com]

So much Murakami Haruki. I liked a few of his books (Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World), but I got fed up with his writing around five pages into 1Q84 and gave up.

We're missing Christian ChimChim, believed by many to have read 50sog lmao.

[torontok.livejournal.com]

I haven't been in the mood for anything very heavy lately so I've been indulging in a lot of YA. One of Us is lying is on my current to-read list. I'm probably going to reread Let The Right One In soon,it's still my favorite novel year after year

[keytfelt.livejournal.com]

Yay a book post! I love lurking in book posts on ONTD and getting recs so I'm excited to add things to my to-read list. I've read 42 books this year and my goal was 45, so I'm pretty proud of myself. Currently reading A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab, I really liked the first book and am enjoying this one so far. I'm also a few books into Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad books on a recommendation by amyho and I really enjoy her writing.

Favorite books I've read this year has to be Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi, Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys (not a 50 Shades book, just an unfortunately timed coincidence), and The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey. There's a lot of books I didn't like that much but still read anyway--my friend and I struggled through A Court of Thorns and Roses because A Court of Mist and Fury was supposed to be better and I ended up hating the second book even more haha.

I'm always a sucker for a good fairytale retelling and mysteries and I read a lot of YA-esque books, but I'm trying to expand into other genres. I usually ending up finishing books at like 1 am and, instead of going to bed like a normal person, start something new and it's usually some YA scifi/fantasy.

[callherblondie.livejournal.com]

I have the same issue over and over again with Tana French's books -- 80% of it is fascinating and absorbing and atmospheric (if often with plot holes and nonsensical stuff) but the other 20% at the end from the climax to the solving of the crime and the resolution is always a big disappointment to me. She's great at building up a story and suspense but then it falters and just kind of limps towards an unsatisfying end. For me, that's like an unforgivable flaw with mystery/thriller novels. I keep reading her stuff hoping that one day she'll learn how to actually solve a mystery she's built up well in a satisfying manner that merits all the suspense she's created.

I have to say I found her most recent one The Trespasser to be her most boring and difficult to slog through (and again with the problem of the solution and explanation of the crime being a big OH OK MEH).

[chimpansee.livejournal.com]

I wish I read more but honestly between reading a shitton for university (law) and trying to keep up with articles etc on the news in the Economist and other magazines in my native language, sitting down with a book isn't exactly my 'relaxing time' at the end of a day. I need that story spoon-fed to me.

Since it's the holidays now I've been reading, though not as much as I'd like.

I read 'Call Me By Your Name' which was v pretentious but in the best way and I thought it was very lovely. I've also read The Song Of Achilles before that which I loved as well. Tried to get through Murakami's South Of The Border while I was in Portugal but found it horrible. Quirky man who isn't understood by the world loves quirky woman? It reminded me a lot of Norwegian Wood, but I read that when I was younger and I don't remember disliking that one.

Anyway, I picked up The Color Purple from my library. I'd wanted to go for Lolita but they didn't have that one and this was another classic I've been wanting to read. Will be doing that on my trip to the seaside next week.

Anyone into non-fiction? I want to buy Girls Like Us and I've had Far From The Three on my nightstand for quite some time now, but I find the English is a bit above my usual level lol so it's not exactly nighttime reading. I'll read it though, someday.

[mewgical.livejournal.com]

I haven't read much lately or well in the last 2-3 years. I always say each year I'll get better, but I never do.

I've been trying to get back into poetry and just read Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur. I liked some of it but I just found it to be a little too on point with recent poetry and feeling too much like motivational quote poetry and I don't get the hype about it. I guess I'm being a poetry snob but the kind of "love yourself before you try and love anyone else" to be some faux deep poetry. I know there are people who do need that message and women who need Rupi's message of self love and guiding through a break up. But idk some of it feels so bumper sticker to me. But idk maybe that's just me and I'm an old woman writer yelling at the clouds.

Anyone else here a poetry nerd?

[leavesabound.livejournal.com]

Can't call myself a poetry nerd, but I share your feelings about Milk & Honey. Read a bunch of excerpt to make me decide if I was going to get it and was thoroughly underwhelmed and everytime someone posts a picture of a page from it and talks it up I'm at a complete loss. It's so meh.

[by-venoms-sting.livejournal.com]

I wish I could get back into reading more :(

I used to devour books but I've only read one in the past year.

[lessvocals.livejournal.com]

Currently reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being, which I've been wanting to read but never got around to it until Namjoon mentioned on one of his vlives that he was reading it hahaha #impact

[dio-elaclaire.livejournal.com]

call me when they read more female authors

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

They've all mentioned at least a few...

Jinyoung and Namjoon have prestige lists, those are more male due to the nature of who decides which titles are prestige titles I suppose...