Kim NamJoon, or BTS RM is undoubtedly known for his leadership skill. He mentioned that one of his inspirations for writing lyrics or making speeches is from books that he read in an interview. BTS RM reads, as well as he sings and dances. Here we give you some recommended books from BTS RM for you to read.
BTS RM Spends His Time Reading Books
In BTS “In the Soop“, each BTS member has a chance to do whatever they like and enjoy. No doubt, BTS RM brings along his books. In one of the episodes, Suga and Jungkook prepared breakfast, while Jin practiced his piano and RM went straight to the river with his book as companion. Suga then found out the book RM read and Suga also read the book RM brought.
RM revealed, “What I like about this place the most is that I can read my book while looking over at the scenery. When I tried to read books in Seoul, I would try to find a park to read my book in. I would put on my mask and put in the effort to get some outside air but I like how I can feel the outside automatically.”
BTS RM Books Recommendation
1. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
The first book BTS RM recommends was written by Franz Kafka and was published in 1915. Metamorphosis tells about George Samsa after he undergoes odd “metamorphosis” into a monstrous verminous bug. He has to deal with consequences, including how it affects his family.
2. Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
BTS RM recommends lots of books written by Haruki Murakami, like Kafka on the Shore, Norwegian Wood, 1Q84, and Killing Commendatore. The story in the Kafka on the Shore is about a teenager, Kafka, who runs away from home though he has no experience. At the same time, the book also talks about an older man named Satoru Nakata. Their lives somehow connect.
3. The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas by Ursula K. Le Guin
Next BTS RM books recommendation is in the book of The Wind’s Twelve Quarters, and one of them is titled The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas. The story is set in a utopian community, and it is mentioned to be the inspiration of BTS Spring Day.
4. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
According to Amazon, this romance novel is the #1 bestselling piece of Jojo Moyes and is adapted into a movie. As we know, a romance novel won’t be so simple. Me Before You is the first in a trilogy, After You and Still Me. The story is about William Traynor and Louisa Clark, who find each other at an important time in their lives. The trilogy tells about their relationship with its ups and downs, which will have you shedding a few tears. No wonder this is one of the recommended books from BTS RM.
5. Please Look After Mom by Shin Kyung-Sook
According to SBS Australia in 2018, BTS RM reads the book written by Man Asian Literary Prize Winner, Shin Kyung-Sook. The one RM reads is a novel entitled Please Look After Mom, which explores subjects like family relationships, motherhood, and guilt.
6. A Bigger Message: Conversation with David Hockney by Martin Gayford
This book also appears on Koreaboo’s list of books that RM reads. Martin Gayford, the author of A Bigger Message: Conversation with David Hockney, has written biographies of many painters. One of the painters in his book is a British painter, David Hockney. It’s not surprising that RM reads this kind of book as he also loves arts.
7. Demian by Herman Hesse
One of the classic books RM reads is Demian written by Herman Hesse. This book inspired BTS music video Blood, Sweat & Tears, as well as their WINGS album.
8. The Stranger by Albert Camus
RM reads books published in 1946, too! No wonder that his thinking is very broad. The Stranger by Albert Camus tells a story of an ordinary man who is unwittingly drawn into a senseless murder on an Algerian beach. This book is also in the list of RM books recommendation.
9. The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
The next RM books recommendation is a novel by J.D. Salinger, entitled The Catcher in the Rye. It tells about an ancient sixteen-year native New Yorker named Holden Caulfield. In this book, readers can witness how the teenager grows in his pains.
10. Breaking Out of the Man Box: The Next Generation of Manhood by Tony Porter
RM reads not only classics and novels but also various genres like this book by Tony Porter. Breaking Out of the Man Box: The Next Generation of Manhood “tackles the collective socialization of manhood and provides an in-depth look at the experiences of boys and men,” as written in Amazon. This is one of recommended books from BTS RM that you have to read.
11. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adam
Does anyone love space travel? One of RM books recommendation is this sci-fi adventure by Douglas Adam. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.
12. Almond by Won Pyong Sohn
This novel is one of the most recent books RM recommends and reads initially published in April 2019. It tells about two people with special conditions. Stated in Amazon, “The Emissary meets The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime in this poignant and triumphant story about how love, friendship, and persistence can change a life forever.” Almond is seen in BTS “In The Soop.” Suga noticed RM reading this novel by the river and asked if it is good. RM convinced Suga that the novel is good, and Suga decided to read it too.
Other Recommended Books from BTS RM
Besides those books, according to BookDB, here are other books BTS RM recommends for you to read:
Asterisk (*) means English and/or English-translated books
1. Non-Fiction
- 11 PM, One Bite Elephant by Hwang Kyung Shin
- Days at The Small Store Buying Happiness with Coins by Lee Me Kyeoung
- When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi *
- I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokpokki by Baek Se Hee
- I’m Glad to Live Like Bonobono by Kim Sin Hoi
2. Fiction
- Norwegian Wood, Kafka on the Shore, 1Q84, Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami *
- Almost Transparent Blue by Ryū Murakami *
- Snakes and Earrings by Hitomi Kanehara *
- Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto *
- The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera *
- Human Acts: A Novel by Han Kang *
- Kim Ji-young, Born 1982 by Cho Nam Ju *
3. Poetry
- For This Short While, We From Some Star, Dear Daffodils by Jung Ho Seung
- If I Knew Then What I Know Now, Love As If You’ve Never Been Hurt by Ryu Shiva
- Seoul-Si by Ha Sang Wook
4. Classics
- 1984 by George Orwell *
- Nature by Ralph Waldo Emerson *
5. Others
- Broad and Shallow Knowledge for Educated Conversations by Chae Sa Jang
- How to Live by Rhyu Si Min
- Justice: What’s the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J. Sandel *
- The Noonday Demon: An Atlas of Depression by Andrew Solomon *
- Don’t Take It Personally by Barbel Wardetzki *
- Art in Literature by Kim Tae Jin
- Basic Writings of Nietzsche by Friedrich Nietzsche *
- Music: A Very Short Introduction by Nicholas Cook *
- Denken wie Einstein by Theresa Bäuerlein (Translated in Korean)
Chian Kim 
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