After an almost three-year hiatus due to mandatory Korean military service, internationally renowned K-pop group BTS has finally returned to the spotlight with the release of their highly anticipated new album, ARIRANG. As they travel the world on tour to reunite with their eager fan base—known officially as ARMY—let’s dive into the media they enjoy and take a look at just a handful of the books they’ve recommended. As they sing in ARIRANG’s title track, SWIM, for nights where you want to get lost with the moon and the sharks, get lost in the books that have shaped the members’ mindsets and music over their 13-year-long career.
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
With over 230 songwriting credits to his name, it’s no surprise that BTS’s steadfast and eloquent leader, RM, is also the most avid reader in the group. The rapper’s past livestreams have revealed his packed, artfully arranged bookshelves and stacks of books, as well as his current reads, ranging from philosophy to fiction. Also known by his real name, Kim Nam-joon, RM has shared so many book recommendations over the years that ARMYs have curated lists of them for others to peruse online, such as Namjoonie’s Library.
One of his recommendations is the romantic drama Me Before You, which was adapted into a film starring Emilia Clarke and Sam Claflin. It follows Louisa “Lou” Clark as she is hired to be Will Traynor’s personal assistant. They’re opposites—Louisa previously lived an ordinary, steady life without traveling far beyond her hometown, while Will, who became wheelchair bound after an accident, reminisces about his eventful life full of extreme sports and worldwide travel. He’s bossy and acerbic, but Lou refuses to coddle him and instead shows him that life is still worth living.
Me Before You is the first book in a trilogy. It is followed by After You and Still Me.
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo, Translated by Jamie Chang
RM also recommends the feminist novel Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo and translated by Jamie Chang. Thirty-something-year-old Jiyoung lives on the edge of Seoul and has just quit her full-time desk job to care for her newborn daughter. But when she starts impersonating the voices of other women—alive and dead, known and unknown to her—her alarmed husband sends her to a psychiatrist. Jiyoung recounts her history to the psychiatrist, and it becomes clear that her life and behavior have always been dictated by the men around her. Her father says it’s her fault that men harass her, and like many Korean men, her husband believes it’s her duty to abandon her career so their family can grow. As she spills her life story, the psychiatrist wonders if he can cure her or even discover what exactly truly troubles her.
1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
Another RM-recommended book is Haruki Murakami’s 1Q84, whose title is a reference to George Orwell’s novel 1984. Set in Tokyo in 1984, Aomame gets out of a taxi and realizes she has somehow crossed into an alternate reality she dubs 1Q84. While she navigates 1Q84, her childhood friend, Tengo, sets out to rewrite a novel by a teenage girl named Eriko Fukada. Their stories intertwine over the course of a year, and their lives become entangled with a cult, a reclusive dowager, a ruthless bodyguard, and more unique characters as they try to return to reality.
1Q84 directly inspired the hidden track Sea on BTS’s album Love Yourself: Her. As an avid fan of Murakami’s work, RM has also recommended Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood, and Killing Commendatore.
The Miracles of the Namiya General Store by Keigo Higashino, translated by Sam Bett
Jin is BTS’s eldest member and one of the group’s four dedicated vocalists, known for his silver voice and charisma. One of the books he recommends is the Japanese fantasy novel, The Miracles of the Namiya General Store. After a successful robbery, three delinquents hide in an abandoned general store. To their surprise, a letter falls through the store’s mail slot. They discover that the store formerly belonged to an old man named Yūji Namiya, who was beloved in the town for helping others with their personal troubles, and that the letters can travel through time. Together, the thieves start writing back to the letter senders, who all live in the past, and realize that their advice is helping to shape the future.
Jin is a fan of manga and manhwa, including the popular franchises One Piece and Dragon Ball. A fictional version of him is also the protagonist of SAVE ME, an official BTS-centered webtoon from their record label, Big Hit Entertainment.
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
This recommendation comes from Suga, one of the group’s three designated rappers. Also known as Agust D for his solo projects or by his real name, Min Yoon-gi, Suga has written and produced for not only BTS but also artists like IU, Psy, Halsey, and more. He has at least 160 songwriting credits and is known for his thoughtfulness and willingness to explore vulnerable topics, such as mental health, depression, and anxiety, in his music.
The Alchemist is about Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd who sets out across North Africa towards the Egyptian pyramids in search of treasure. He meets various people during his journey, such as a king and an alchemist, and learns to always follow his heart and dreams.
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne
Another one of BTS’s rappers, J-Hope, also known by his real name, Jung Ho-seok, is a lively, precise performer who serves as one of the group’s main dancers. He pulls inspiration from everyday life and his roots in street dancing, and alongside his own prowess in songwriting and producing, helps elevate and sharpen BTS’s choreography. The opening track on his debut mixtape of the same name, Hope World, was inspired by Jules Verne’s works. He also recommends Around the World in 80 Days.
In 1866, the US launches an expedition to hunt down a mysterious sea monster spotted along global trade routes. French marine biologist Pierre Aronnax, his servant Conseil, and harpooner Ned Land are thrown overboard when their ship attacks the beast, which is, in fact, a submarine called the Nautilus. The submarine’s captain, Captain Nemo, captures them and brings them along on a journey through the seas. The sights are unlike anything they’ve ever seen, but Nemo refuses to let them go to protect his secrets, leaving the men debating their freedom.
Essays After Eighty by Donald Hall
The recommendation for this book, written by a former Poet Laureate, is from Jimin, another vocalist and member of BTS’s dance line. His music is emotional, often switching between delicate and dramatic, and marked by his unique vocal range. Graceful and poised with a beautifully distinct tenor voice, it’s no surprise that Jimin would gravitate towards Hall’s moving memoir.
In his collection of essays, Donald Hall recounts the past decades of his life and how words have shaped him. He recalls winning the National Medal of the Arts and reflects not only on memories, but on the everyday realities of aging. He describes his past as a smoker and teacher, details the way he’s treated in his old age, and observes the world from his home, Eagle Pond Farm.
Love for Imperfect Things by Haenim Sunim
This self-help book is recommended by vocalist V, whose real name is Kim Tae-hyung. Famous for his alluring stage presence, taste in fashion, and buttery-smooth, low voice, he matches the mindful, soothing books he gravitates towards. He has also mentioned reading books by Keigo Higashino and Han Kang, as well as Eleven Steps by Chae Sa-jang.
Written by Seon Buddhist teacher Haenim Sunim, Love for Imperfect Things discusses how we treat ourselves and others with love and compassion. One of the core teachings is that we must first treat ourselves with care before we can truly be at peace with the world and each other. By doing so, we can forgive ourselves more easily, rise from failure, and connect more deeply with the people around us. With 35 different illustrations spread throughout the book, Love for Imperfect Things reminds us that we are worth loving, even with all our imperfections.
Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner
Jung Kook is the youngest member of BTS, another designated dancer and vocalist with golden pipes (his solo album is quite literally called GOLDEN) and a playful attitude. He frequently holds livestreams on the idol-centered social media platform Weverse, where he sings karaoke in his room, cooks, and chats with viewers about whatever’s on his mind, such as movies and the occasional book. He shouted out Michelle Zauner’s memoir during one such livestream, prompting Zauner to respond with several exclamation points on social media.
Written by the lead singer-songwriter of the band Japanese Breakfast, Crying in H Mart details Zauner’s childhood as the only Asian-American student at her school in Eugene, Oregon, her struggles with her Korean mother’s high expectations, and the bonding they shared over plates of food. The title references the Asian supermarket chain of the same name, which Zauner made frequent trips to after her mother died of pancreatic cancer. As she navigates the world after her mother’s death and tries to find her footing with her band, Zauner uses food to reconnect with her Korean side and overall identity.
Crying in H Mart is set to receive a movie adaptation directed by Will Sharpe, though Zauner announced in early 2025 that the film is currently on pause.
Demian by Hermann Hesse
Demian inspired BTS’s critically acclaimed 2016 album, Wings. Each song title and member’s Wings solo track follows a theme from the book, such as self-discovery, internal struggles against expectations, and more. The music video for the title track, Blood Sweat & Tears, is chock full of Demian references, such as Jin mirroring the protagonist, visual allusions to the god Abraxas, and even RM reading and showing it to Jung Kook at the very beginning.
Emil Sinclair is raised in a bourgeois home amid what is called a Scheinwelt, a word meaning “world of light/illusion.” His existence is a struggle between the world of illusion and the real world of spiritual truth. When he meets the mysterious Max Demian, he begins to question the world and the standards imposed on him to realize his true self.
Almond by Sohn Won-pyung
BTS’s rapline—RM, Suga, and J-Hope—loves Sohn Won-pyung’s debut novel for its beautiful writing and story. It follows Yunjae, who has alexithymia, a neuropsychological condition that makes it difficult for him to process and describe his emotions. He doesn’t have friends but is content with his mother and grandmother until he meets Gon, a hotheaded, troubled teenager who begins bullying him at school. Intrigued by each other’s emotional experiences, they begin a surprising friendship and learn how to step out of their comfort zones. Defined by friendship and persistence, it is a story that reminds readers that compassion takes real, special effort.
Additionally, Suga has a song titled AMYGDALA, released under the Agust D name and named after the part of the brain alexithymia is heavily linked to.
Even though these books are only the tip of the iceberg of what BTS enjoys and consumes in their downtime, there’s something for everyone! Keep an eye out for whatever books they recommend next and stream ARIRANG!
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