Reading Recommendations: Books for the K-Pop Fan

A new month means another batch of reading recommendations! Since I love listening to K-Pop I decided to make July’s theme is Books for the K-Pop Fan. These titles are all about and inspired K-Pop and K-dramas. Enjoy these picks!

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Seoulmates

Hannah Cho had the next year all planned out—the perfect summer with her boyfriend, Nate, and then a fun senior year with their friends.

But then Nate does what everyone else in Hannah’s life seems to do—he leaves her, claiming they have nothing in common. He and all her friends are newly obsessed with K-pop and K-dramas, and Hannah is not. After years of trying to embrace the American part and shunning the Korean side of her Korean American identity to fit in, Hannah finds that’s exactly what now has her on the outs.

But someone who does know K-dramas—so well that he’s actually starring in one—is Jacob Kim, Hannah’s former best friend, whom she hasn’t seen in years. He’s desperate for a break from the fame, so a family trip back to San Diego might be just what he needs… that is, if he and Hannah can figure out what went wrong when they last parted and navigate the new feelings developing between them.

I always love a good summer romance which drew me initially to this book. Add in some mentions of K-Pop and K-Dramas and I was absolutely hooked into the plot. This novel follows a friends-to-lovers trope while also channeling themes of family, self-discovery, and a coming-of-age narrative. Both Jacob and Hannah are forced to reckon with their own pasts and relationships with each other. They try to heal the rift between them while also picking up their friendship where they left off.

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Comeback

Emery Jung is living his dream. Known by his stage name M, he is loved by millions of fans around the world as a member of the rising K-pop group NEON, but all fame comes with a cost, especially when one slip up can have viral consequences.

Alana Kim is trying to forget. After a tragic loss sends her spiraling, she escapes to her family in Korea, abandoning her love of music along the way. However, her plans are derailed when she literally runs into M, the famous K-pop idol.

When their paths collide, Emery and Alana must work together to prevent a scandal from ruining NEON’s success, sparking a journey of friendship, love, and healing. Unfortunately, fame and love aren’t easily compatible, especially in the world of K-pop. 

I think this is a novel that will not only appeal to K-Pop fans but people who enjoy music-themed Romance novels. It’s lighthearted for the most part but also deals with multiple discussions around grief, losing a loved one, identity, and societal pressures. I like that the novel switched back and forth between the perspectives of Alana and Emery and their views on the industry from both sides. Music is what pulls them together but their positions in the industry give the book a more realistic feel and tone. 

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Somewhere Only We Know

10 00 p.m.: Lucky is the biggest K-pop star on the scene, and she’s just performed her hit song “Heartbeat” in Hong Kong to thousands of adoring fans. She’s about to debut on The Tonight Show in America, hopefully a breakout performance for her career. But right now? She’s in her fancy hotel, trying to fall asleep but dying for a hamburger.

11 00 p.m.: Jack is sneaking into a fancy hotel, on assignment for his tabloid job that he keeps secret from his parents. On his way out of the hotel, he runs into a girl wearing slippers, a girl who is single-mindedly determined to find a hamburger. She looks kind of familiar. She’s very cute. He’s maybe curious.

12:00 a.m.: Nothing will ever be the same.

This novel is light-hearted and fun I love that the descriptive writing that take readers through the sights and sounds of Hong Kong. From the food stands, karaoke bars, scenic ferry rides, and nightlife; I was excited to read where the story would take me. Even though Lucky and Jack’s romance was a one-day whirlwind, I felt that it was genuine because they have so many heart-to-heart moments in the story. This was a cute story about fame, K-pop stars, growing up, and finding your passion!

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Twelve Hours in Manhattan

Two worlds. One heart. Twelve hours.

Bianca Maria Curtis is at the brink of losing it all when she meets Eric at a bar in Manhattan. Eric, as it turns out, is the famous Korean drama celebrity Park Hyun Min, and he’s in town for one night to escape the pressures of fame. From walking along Fifth Avenue to eating ice cream at Serendipity to sharing tender moments on top of the Empire State building, sparks fly as Bianca and Eric spend twelve magical hours far away from their respective lives. In that time, they talk about the big stuff: love, life, and happiness, and the freedom they both seek to fully exist and not merely survive.

Twelve Hours in Manhattan will instantly speak to any romance or K-drama fan with its plot of star-crossed lovers whose chance meeting turns into something deeper. The story is most lighthearted however, it does cover a lot of heavier topics in its narrative. Most of all I think this is a story about never giving up and it’s never too late. The focus or goal for the main characters is learning to cherish the smaller moments on top of an overarching theme of moving on/overcoming grief.

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Scandalized

Fi Legaspi is living the dream working in Seoul as a road manager for one of South Korea’s hottest bands, East Genesis Project. Until she isn’t.

When she finds herself in the middle of a scandal and a hostile fangirl witch hunt, Fi seeks the comfort of home, and to her surprise, not the person she had been pining for years. All too suddenly it’s no longer her career on the line, but also her heart. Will she walk away from everything that matters to her or fight to keep her dream alive?

Centered around the fictional K-pop group East Genesis Project, the story follows their road manager Filipina (Fi) as she helps the boys on the road and in their careers. But things become more entangled as scandals arise within the group and are linked to the group and Fi’s heart is torn due to her crush on one of the band’s members. I also appreciated that it goes through the ups and downs of the entertainment industry and the repercussions that people face.

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The Noh Family

When her friends gift her a 23-and-Me test as a gag, high school senior Chloe Kang doesn’t think much of trying it out. She doesn’t believe anything will come of it–she’s an only child, her mother is an orphan, and her father died in Seoul before she was even born, and before her mother moved to Oklahoma. It’s been just Chloe and her mom her whole life. But the DNA test reveals something Chloe never expected–she’s got a whole extended family from her father’s side half a world away in Korea. Her father’s family are owners of a famous high-end department store, and are among the richest families in Seoul. When they learn she exists, they are excited to meet her. Her mother has huge reservations, she hasn’t had a great relationship with her husband’s family, which is why she’s kept them secret, but she can’t stop Chloe from traveling to Seoul to spend two weeks getting to know the Noh family.

Not only is this a story about family but this is a novel that will instantly appeal to K-Drama lovers too. Chloe is an avid K-Drama watcher and the author, Shim drops plenty of nods to popular shows and K-Drama cliches making it an overall fun reading experience. What I appreciated most about this novel is that it really tackles the thoughts and feelings surrounding moving towards the next chapter of your life. Chloe is trying to determine what career she really wants to pursue and not what others tell her to do. This trip is a way for her to make her own choices while finding the definition of what family means to her.

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That concludes my reading recommendations for books all about K-Pop and K-dramas! What books do you recommend or what are your favorites? Comment below!