Small habits that help K-pop star make time for books
For many travelers, a long-haul flight is for catching up on sleep or finally watching the movies they’ve been putting off. For Aespa’s Karina, it is time to finish another book.
The 26-year-old K-pop star is often spotted carrying an oversized bag. She has jokingly described herself as a “bobusang,” a term originally used for traveling peddlers but now referring to someone who carries everything they might need. And among the cosmetics and everyday essentials, one thing is almost always tucked inside: books.
Karina has revealed more than once that she always carries at least one book in her bag. On one occasion, she recalled pulling out six books and notebooks from her oversized tote.
Over the years, the singer has quietly built a reputation as one of K-pop’s most enthusiastic readers. Through social media, she frequently recommends novels she has enjoyed, while her “Study With Me” videos offer glimpses of her reading, copying down favorite passages and spending quiet hours with books.
Stories that stay with her
In a recent video released on Aespa’s official YouTube channel, Karina took time to introduce several books she had recently enjoyed, sharing her thoughts on the stories that had left an impression on her.
Among the titles she highlighted was Kim Hong’s award-winning mystery novel “Stakes,” which follows an ordinary office worker drawn into a surreal phenomenon involving human-shaped wooden figures while uncovering buried truths about memory, loss and social injustice. Karina called it “thrilling” and said it felt “like a movie.”
She also talked about Gu Byeong-mo’s “Incised Wound,” a novel she has recommended several times, saying its scenes played out so vividly in her mind that she could easily imagine it as a television drama and even imagine what it would be like to play one of its characters.
Taken together, her comments suggest a preference for highly visual storytelling — novels where scenes unfold so vividly that she can imagine them playing out on screen.
Other favorites included Cho Ye-eun’s “Fins Inside the Mouth” and “Cocktail, Love, Zombie,” both known for blending the uncanny with emotional storytelling. She also shared her love for Chung Se-rang’s “From the Gaze,” a multigenerational story centered on the lives of women, saying it reminded her of the beloved television series “Gilmore Girls.”
Secret to Karina’s reading habit?
Looking across Karina’s interviews, videos and social media posts, a few patterns begin to emerge — small habits that may explain how she manages to read so consistently despite her hectic schedule.
First, she keeps books within easy reach. Whether heading to the airport or packing for an overseas trip, she is almost always carrying at least one or two books. She uses a book cover designed to hold two volumes at once, complete with color-coordinated bookmarks.
Second, reading appears to be a shared habit among the people closest to her. Her family frequently recommends books, especially her mother, who sometimes lends her novels together with handwritten notes highlighting favorite passages.
One of the books her mother recommended was Michiko Aoyama’s “Beneath the Tree, the Cat’s Message,” which Karina described as a gentle and comforting read rather than an intensely dramatic one. Reading conversations extend beyond her family. She has said that she and her manager often exchange recommendations after finishing books they enjoy.
And Karina keeps a reading journal.
A fan of stationery, she always carries pens and highlighters, underlining passages that resonate with her as she reads. She divides her notebook into two sections: one for recording her thoughts after finishing a book, and another for copying by hand the passages that stay with her.
After reading Yang Gui-ja’s bestselling novel “Contradiction,” she shared one line that stayed with her: “It is for that very reason that we begin to love, and for that very reason that we come to hate. Such is the endless contradiction of being human.”
Celeb Reads explores how K-pop stars, actors and other public figures are reshaping the publishing world through heartfelt book recommendations that revive forgotten titles and create new bestsellers. The series highlights the books that shaped them — and may shape your next read. — Ed.
