Selected by 100% Millie Library Member Voting
Voted by 1,000 Millie Book Masters
Book of the Year - "The Summer Left Behind" by Sung Haena
Audiobook of the Year - "Honmono" by Sung Haena
Rising Author of the Year - Kim Ayoung
KT Millie Library announced on December 11 that at the "2025 Millie Awards" held at the Shilla Hotel in Seoul on December 10, "The Summer Left Behind" by Sung Haena was selected as Book of the Year, earning the honor of receiving the award.
Now in its second year, the Millie Awards is an annual year-end reading ceremony that selects and honors the authors and works most loved by Millie Library readers throughout the year. The event was attended by around 100 people, including authors, editors, marketers, publishing industry professionals, booktubers, influencers in the publishing field, and Millie Library members.
The ceremony featured major award categories such as "Book of the Year," "Audiobook of the Year," and "Books of the Year by Genre." All winners were selected through 100% member voting by Millie Library users.
In the Audiobook of the Year category, "Honmono" by Sung Haena was also selected. The work, known for its unique characters and chilling narrative, was praised for delivering the emotions and flow of each scene even more vividly in audiobook form, resulting in a highly immersive experience.
Other Books of the Year by Genre included: ▲Economics & Business - "Scarcity: The New Science of Having Less and How It Defines Our Lives" (Sendhil Mullainathan & Eldar Shafir, Billy Button) ▲Humanities & General Knowledge - "Youth’s Reading" (Yoo Sihmin, Woongjin Knowledge House) ▲Self-Development - "No Excuses!: The Power of Self-Discipline" (Brian Tracy, Hyundae Jiseong) ▲Essay & Poetry - "The Happiness of Adults Is Quiet" (Taesu, Page2Books).
The "Rising Author of the Year," chosen by votes from 1,000 Book Masters in the top 3% of Millie Library's reading rate, went to Kim Ayoung for "Every Step Has a Reason." This essay, which depicts a journey to find one’s own pace and meaning amid the pressures of career and social expectations, resonated deeply with many readers.
Alongside the awards ceremony, the event included a presentation session reviewing Millie Library's achievements in 2025 and sharing business plans for the coming year. Lee Sungho, Head of the Reading Party Division at KT Millie Library, highlighted this year’s changes, including the launch of new services such as Millie Place, webtoon and web novel offerings, and participation in the Seoul International Book Fair and Frankfurt Book Fair, all aimed at expanding the reading experience. He stated that, ahead of the 10th anniversary in 2026, the company plans to strengthen collaboration with authors, refine communication with users, expand reading experiences across various devices, and increase support for reading statistics and data provided to publishers.
Lee commented, "The Millie Awards is a time to celebrate the works loved by readers throughout the year and to honor the efforts of everyone who contributes to the publishing scene, including authors, editors, and marketers. We will continue to foster the growth of the reading ecosystem in partnership with publishers, establish this as an annual year-end event, and further expand experiences centered around books."
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