Book recommendations by BTS' RM: Looking for your next read? Check out books on societal expectations, alienation, love, friendship, regret, life choices and relationships, recommended by Kim Namjoon

BTS leader RM, aka Kim Namjoon, has once again given fans a glimpse into the books that shape his world, with his recent recommendations during the ongoing Arirang World Tour adding to a long list of literary favourites. From literature exploring sexism and existentialism to books about love, loneliness and life’s biggest “what ifs”, RM’s reading list offers clues to the ideas and emotions that often surface in his music.

Known among fans for his love of reading and ‘Namjooning’, RM has frequently recommended books that explore the complexities of human nature. His literary interests have also become closely linked to his songwriting, with the BTS leader drawing inspiration from literature, philosophy and art throughout his career.

Here are five books recommended by RM that offer a closer look at the influences behind his lyrics and creative world.

1. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo

In the foreword to the English edition of Cho Nam-joo's bestselling 2016 novel, RM described the book as “The book's implications were unlike any other, and I was impressed. It's a thought-provoking book.”

Inspired partly by the author's own experiences, the novel examines the sexism deeply embedded in South Korean society through the story of Kim Jiyoung, a stay-at-home mother and housewife struggling with depression.

The story follows different stages of Jiyoung's life as she tries to establish her own identity while dealing with social expectations and responsibilities imposed on women.

The book also holds particular significance in the context of RM's own growth. After facing criticism over misogynistic elements in some of his earlier songs, Kim Namjoon took steps to understand the issue better, including consulting a women's studies professor about feminism and the impact of his lyrics.

2. The Stranger by Albert Camus

As the leader of one of the biggest bands in the world, RM has often explored the complexity of human emotions rather than viewing life in simple terms. His philosophy of “life is grey” can also be seen in the themes running through his music and solo work.

One book that reflects this perspective is Albert Camus' The Stranger.

The 1942 classic follows Meursault, a French Algerian shipping clerk whose emotional detachment becomes central to the story after his mother's death and his killing of an unnamed Arab man.

The novel explores Camus' absurdist worldview and questions ideas of morality, meaning and emotional convention. RM has drawn inspiration from the book, particularly its famous opening line: “My mother died today. Or maybe yesterday, I don't know.”

3. The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

RM has revealed that The Little Prince remains one of his favourite fairytales.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's 1943 novella follows a young prince from another planet who travels to Earth and meets a pilot stranded in the Sahara. Through their conversations, the story explores loneliness, friendship, love and loss.

For RM, part of the book's appeal lies in how its meaning changes as readers grow older. A story that feels one way in childhood can take on an entirely different meaning in one's 20s, 30s or 40s.

That idea also mirrors the layered emotions often found in BTS' music, particularly songs from the Love Yourself and Map of the Soul eras, including Intro: Persona and Black Swan.

4. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

RM recommended Matt Haig's The Midnight Library to V during an episode of BTS' travel show In the SOOP.

Published in 2020, the introspective novel explores the possibilities hidden within life's “what ifs”.

The protagonist, Nora Seed, finds herself at the lowest point in her life before entering a mysterious library that exists between life and death. There, she gets the opportunity to experience different versions of her life based on choices she could have made.

As she explores these alternate lives, Nora eventually begins to understand and embrace the life she originally had.

The book's exploration of regret, choices, identity and finding meaning makes it a fitting recommendation from RM, who has often spoken openly about his own emotional struggles and personal growth.

5. The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm

Erich Fromm's The Art of Loving, published in 1956, explores love not simply as an emotion but as something that requires understanding, patience and discipline.

Fromm argues that love can be an answer to loneliness and existential anxiety, while also suggesting that genuinely loving someone is a skill that requires practice and maturity.

The book's ideas closely echo one of RM's most memorable messages to BTS fans: his call to “love yourself”.

His emotional speeches encouraging ARMY to use BTS and their music as a source of strength while learning to love themselves resonate with Fromm's belief that love is an art — something that must be cultivated rather than simply felt.

Together, these five books reveal another side of RM: an artist whose songwriting is shaped not only by music, but also by literature, philosophy, human relationships and the complicated emotions that come with being human.