Hello book club of /r/bangtan! How in the world are we already at the end of January?!? While I’m so so happy we’re even closer to spring and I’m sure I’m not the only one with this version of Arirang stuck in my head, I'm not gonna lie when I say these past few weeks have felt… heavy. Between immediate ticketing stress, living in the US, snowstorms, and delayed ticketing stress (why couldn’t my friends tell me they wanted to sit next to me before presale and not after, when everything was sold out!!!), I’m finding myself ever more in need of breathing exercises and reminders/hopes that everything will be okay (X link)
If you’re anything like me, know you’re not alone, we’re here with you, and please be kind to yourself. And what better time to connect over things that bring joy and light like when we chit-chat in our little book club?
Speaking of book clubs, thank you to all who participated in our January discussion of "Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong BookShop" by Hwang Bo-reum. If you haven’t gotten a chance yet, head on over and share your thoughts!
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: Still Life and Art
Take a look at February's picks and vote on what we should read next!
Some key dates to remember
(All dates/time are in KST)
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| Jan 29 | Poll opens now – ends Feb 1, 11:59pm |
| Feb 2 | Voters’ choice book announced |
| Feb 21 | Books with Luv discussion meeting |
Can’t give ‘no name’ cuz these are titled
These are the 5 books you get to choose from for the month of February!
| Title – BTS Connection | Description | Page Count |
|---|---|---|
| Ways of Seeing by John Berger (1972) | Based on a four-part 1972 BBC documentary series of the same name, it is considered one of the most influential and accessible works of writing about art in the English language. Consisting of four textual essays and three picture essays bereft of text, this book deconstructs the dominant cultural ‘gaze’ towards art and connects it with the way we regard and ascribe meaning, both to works of art and to the world around us. | 176 pages |
| Georgia: A Novel of Georgia O'Keefe by Dawn Tripp (2016) | A work of historical fiction, this novel is based on the life of Georgia O’Keeffe, the iconoclastic American painter. The book spans the course of her life, but primarily focuses on her love story with photographer Alfred Stieglitz, and her quest to come of age as a woman. In this novel of a couple, and of passion, betrayal, and art, Georgia comes alive as never before. | 336 pages |
| Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (2017) | This novel peers into the intertwined lives of two families in the planned community of Shaker Heights, Ohio: the seemingly perfect, wealthy Richardson family and the enigmatic, nomadic artist Mia Warren and her teenage daughter, Pearl. When old family friends of the Richardsons attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town. The story explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art, identity, and race, and the ferocious pull of motherhood. | 338 pages |
| BLK ART: The Audacious Legacy of Black Artists and Models in Western Art by Zäria Ware (2023) | A fun and fact-filled introduction to the dismissed Black art masters and models who shook up the world. From paintings of majestic kings to a portrait of a young girl named Isabella in Amsterdam, these models lived diverse lives while helping shape the art world along the way – Black history like never seen before. | 224 pages} |
| At Dusk by Hwang Sok-Yong (2019) | At Dusk tells the story of Park Minwoo, a successful architect living in Seoul. After a talk he gives in the city, a young woman comes up and thrusts a piece of paper at him before disappearing into the crowd. Written on the paper are a phone number and a name, Cha Soona, a woman he once loved, and then betrayed. As memories return unbidden, Minwoo recalls a world he thought had been left behind. In this novel, one of Korea's most renowned and respected authors continues his gentle yet urgent project of evaluating Korea’s past, and examining the things, and the people, that have been given up in a never-ending quest to move forward. | 192 pages |
Show how you voting, like “Look at my stain”
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.
Trendsetter? I’m a friend better
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
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