VOL.96/2026.07

New Books

 

Contradictions and Hopes of Life,
Unfolded Through Intimate Conversations

 

 

2026.07

 

 

 

The Books We Loved by Kim Hye-ri, is a reflection on the truths and shadows of life examined from various angles. As a veteran film journalist, Kim has long communicated with the public through reviews and columns. She has been praised by fellow critics as a model of film criticism, delivering the sincerity, fiction, tragedy, and hope embedded in cinema through her deep and thoughtful perspective. While moving within film circles, her experience introducing movies on the radio led her to launch the specialized film podcast 〈Kim Hye-ri’s Film Club〉 in 2016, alongside producer Choi Da-eun and actress Im Soo-jung.

 

As Kim grew accustomed to discussing cinema through spoken words rather than written text, she began producing 〈Kim Hye-ri’s Quiet Life〉 in February 2021. Positioned as “a month’s worth of curation for those who walk, study, and work alone,” this comprehensive audio magazine expanded her spectrum even further as she encountered experts from various genres to share stories of the world outside of cinema.

 

This book is the culmination of compiled conversations with eight selected guests among those she interviewed on the show. At the end of each conversation, a ‘Playlist’ is included to share the lists of books, movies, and TV series introduced during the broadcast. Whenever drawings or music are occasionally included in these lists, they feel like an unexpected, welcome gift. The guest list featured in the book includes literary critic Shin Hyeong-cheol, documentary director Kim Hyun-woo, actor and bookstore owner Park Jeong-min, picture book author Suzy Lee, literary critic Oh Hye-jin, anthropologist Seo Bo-kyeong, current affairs journalist Jang Il-ho, and ethologist Lee Won-young.

 

While their conversations examine the world through topics as diverse as their respective fields, host Kim Hye-ri’s questions remain comfortable and flexible despite the challenges and unfamiliarity of crossing genres. It is also fascinating to note that this book was produced through crowdfunding, with the support of 539 backers. The depth and breadth of these dialogues are simply too profound to be published quietly. As you follow the charm of Kim Hye-ri as a character navigating this space with absolute freedom and read through the pages as if enjoying a quiet cup of tea, you will soon find yourself fully immersed in the life of someone you never knew before.

 

It is a book that resembles a warm, friendly shopping basket packed with accessible yet thoughtful books, movies, music, and drawings. Transcending the geographical specificity of Korea, it gazes into the tragedies, despairs, and pains of ordinary people living similar yet entirely different lives all around the globe. Ultimately, it captures a heartfelt, desperate effort to stand in solidarity with one another.

 

 

 

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Written by Jung-Ah Shin (Culture Critic, Adjunct Professor, Division of Performing Arts, Baekseok Arts University)

TV documentary writer who has scripted over 400 episodes, the author is deeply interested in the intersection of cultural content and humanistic imagination. With a love for the stories of people and the world embedded in media, she believes in the power of good content to change the world. Major publications include Elderly in Media, Elderly outside Media, Living with AI, New Media and Story-doing, Cultural Content and Transmedia, and Media Literacy Education for Digital Literacy, etc.