Hello book club of /r/bangtan! Is everyone in a food coma from being so well-fed (emotionally and literally)? I know I am! We’ve been so blessed and busy with OT7 lives (this and this), the long awaited Yoongi live with his Sugar baby and it’ll be Tae-bear’s birthday tomorrow so I’m gonna take this opportunity to wish him an amazing year ahead! Aren’t you glad we took a break in December? 😉
We are back with five BTS-adjacent books to choose from: each month our options are based on a group/member song and connected theme. Over the last few years, we’ve concentrated on books that were either seen with or being read by a member, recommended by or for them, or books about BTS and their music. We thought they might be too restrictive on the chosen theme (our boys love themselves some self-help!), so we’ve expanded our options but you may still see them throughout the year as our ult-list is quite long.
This month’s song and theme are: Yet To Come & Moving Forward
Take a look at January's picks and vote on what we should read next!
Some key dates to remember
(All dates/time are in KST)
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Dec 29 | Poll opens now – ends Dec 31 11:59pm |
| Jan 2 | Voters’ choice book announced |
| Jan 24 | Books with Luv discussion meeting |
Was it honestly the best? Cause I just wanna see the next… book
These are the 5 books you get to choose from for the month of January!
| Title – BTS Connection | Description | Page Count |
|---|---|---|
| The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (1988) – Yoongi recommended this book on the BTS fan cafe saying the book is difficult to comprehend but it’s worth reading. | A shepherd boy journeys across continents in search of a treasure, only to discover that meaning and purpose are found within. A classic tale about following your path, trusting the unknown and allowing life to unfold. | ~208 pages |
| Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop by Hwang Bo-reum (2022) – A book club recommendation from back in August 2024. | A gentle, healing novel about a woman who starts over by opening a small neighbourhood bookshop, slowly rebuilding her life through quiet routines and unexpected connections. Soft, hopeful and comforting. It’s a story that reminds us that new beginnings often arrive quietly. | ~309 pages |
| I Decided to Live as Me by Kim Su-hyun (2016) – Kookie was spotted reading this in Bon Voyage 3 in 2018 | A gentle and affirming collection of essays that encourage readers to stop comparing themselves to others, embrace their own path and move forward with intention and self-compassion. | ~214 pages |
| Essays After Eighty by Donald Hall (2014) – In 2020, Jimin mentioned the book during a Vlive during BTS’ new album concept meeting | A candid, humorous and deeply reflective collection in which poet Donald Hall looks back on aging, memory loss and the unexpected joys of still becoming. With clarity and warmth, he shows that life continues to unfold with meaning and possibility. | ~144 pages |
| A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (2013) – A book club recommendation for Joon from September 2024 | A Tale for the Time Being weaves together the story of a Japanese teenager writing a secret diary and a novelist in Canada who discovers it washed ashore after the tsunami. Deeply reflective and moving, it’s a novel about time, connection, resilience and the invisible threads that carry us toward the future. | ~448 pages |
I’m not playin’. Nah, for sure.
Vote for the book you would like to discuss in the next book club!
To vote for the book you would like to discuss in the next book club, CLICK HERE
Please note, it may say “Your Name Will Be Shared” below the poll. To maintain anonymity, don't login to your Canva account, should you have one. That way your name and email will remain anonymous and we will only see the poll response count.
Back to one
As always, if you have questions or suggestions on how we can make discussions even better please let us know. You can post it here or feel free to reach out to any of our lovely volunteers and mods!
With luv,
Our book club volunteers:
And the r/bangtan Mod Team
by munisme