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BTS members are well known for having a variety of interests and hobbies, and reading books is one of them. All of the members have recommended their favorite books to ARMYs over the years.
ARMYs have even had book challenges, vowing to read the books BTS has mentioned reading on various social media platforms and interviews.
Books recommended by each BTS member
1) A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney by Martin Gayford - RM
A Bigger Message: Conversations with David Hockney by Martin Gayford is one of the many books RM, the leader of BTS, was seen reading. RM went to a David Hockney exhibition where he was gifted the book by the author himself.
He was seen reading the book backstage, in between his schedule, in a bangtan bomb, while getting hair and make-up done.
RM is known for his love of books and art. He has a personal library and has collected various art pieces over the years. He has also been spotted at various museums and has donated to causes of art and literature as well.
So it is to no one’s surprise that he would be reading the biography of the renowned artist, David Hockney.
2) Life Balancer by Kim Jin-Woo - Jin
Jin, an avid believer in healthy work-life balance, recommended the book Life Balancer by Kim Jin-Woo, who is a well-known life-balance personal trainer. He was also incharge of BTS’ health and condition management during their WINGS world tour.
Jin has not only advocated for a good balance in life but has also strived to practice it in his life. BTS members have busy and erratic schedules and whenever they do get some downtime, Jin uses it to recuperate to the best of his abilities and he has also advised ARMYs to do the same.
3) The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho- SUGA
Paulo Coelho and BTS are mutual fans of each other. The writer has penned many classics that people around the world love to read, and SUGA is one of those people. He has mentioned on multiple occasions that one of his favorite books is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
The author even shared on his Twitter account that he was signing copies of the Korean version of The Alchemist for BTS members and the photo he uploaded showed a post-it note on the book with SUGA’s name on it.
SUGA has also used the camel metaphor from the book to make Jungkook feel better, which can be seen in an episode of BTS' documentary series, Break The Silence.
4) Living, Loving & Learning by Dr. Leo F. Buscaglia - J-Hope
J-Hope, on a VLive broadcast, recommended the book Living, Loving & Learning by Dr. Leo F. Buscaglia. After this VLive, a new edition of the book was republished to celebrate 35 years of the book.
The book showers readers with life learnings and anecdotes the author has gathered throughout his life. It is a profound book full of experiential learning and everyone should read it at least once in their lifetime.
J-Hope was reading the book during BTS’ Love Yourself era and he mentioned in the broadcast that the book connected very well to the theme of their album. The book also deals with the idea of giving love to others by first learning how to give love to yourself.
5) Between Calm and Passion by Kaori Ekuni and Hitonari Tsuji - Jimin
Jimin recommended the book Between Calm and Passion by Kaori Ekuni and Hitonari Tsuji in the 5th ARMY kit interview on BTS Fancafe in 2018.
The book tells the story of the reunion between two lovers who made a promise of love but had to part. The book has two volumes Rosso, written from the female protagonist’s perspective and Blu, written from the male protagonist’s perspective.
The book was originally written in Japanese but Jimin has read the Korean translated version. Unfortunately there is no English translation of the book but there is a Japanese movie based on the books called Calmi Cuori Appassionati, released in 2001.
6) The Power of Words by Shin Dohyun and Yoon Naru - V
V, in 2019, was spotted at the airport holding the book The Power of Words by Shin Dohyun and Yoon Naru. The book takes readers through eight stages needed to become a better speaker. The book revolves around the topic of conversations and how people can learn to be more fluent and thoughtful speakers.
The book's sales skyrocketed in South Korea after pictures of V holding the book circulated on the internet. The authors thanked V for his support towards their book. The publishing company of the book even changed their Instagram profile picture to a picture of V holding a copy of The Power of Words.
7) I Decided To Live As Me by Kim Soo-Hyun - Jungkook
In an episode of Bon Voyage 3, released in 2018, Jungkook was seen with the book I Decided To Live As Me by Kim Soo-Hyun. Jungkook is a strong advocate of living life as one pleases without any hesitations.
His motto in life is "I’d rather be dead than cool", which means that he wants to live life with passion or not at all. He even has these words tattooed on his arms.
As the youngest member of the group, he had to suffer a lot of vitriol from the general public who were trying to control him for wanting to live life the way he wanted. However, he has proven time and again that happiness in life can only be achieved if one is truly themselves.
The book also deals with the topic of identity formation amongst young adults who feel lost in the world. People find this book highly relatable and reassuring.
Sharing is BTS' love language towards their fans and they love to recommend their current interests to ARMYs so that even fans can try to enjoy and experience what the members are finding joy in.
