Hello my dear 친구 (friends)!

I hope you are doing well and I hope you’re having a great day! Intriguing title right? I think it’s better to give you a little context first so you’ll understand the inspiration behind this blog post. 

The pandemic completely changed my life in very different ways – some bigger than others, of course -, and one of the things that happened is that I’ve become a huge fan of k-pop and k-dramas. What are those, you may ask? K-pop is korean pop music and k-dramas are korean soap operas! 

The funny thing is that I never understood the hype around both of those things. I never hated it, but I just didn’t understand it and why people were obsessed with it. But one faithful day I went down the rabbit hole… and I never came back! 

I can honestly say that these amazing things that I discovered during that time gave me a lot of happiness and helped me go through those hard times. And so a new love began! After listening to a good amount of k-pop and swooning my way through a few k-dramas, I started diving into books inspired by them – as a dedicated reader should!

So here we are today! I decided to honor my love for k-pop and k-dramas through today’s recommendation post, and I hope you enjoy it! Here are today’s recommendations:

 Good looking list, right? Let’s dive into them individually!

1. Bias: A K-Pop Romance by Lucy Gold

This was my first ever k-pop inspired read and it was everything I ever hoped for! This is a typical romance between a fan and her bias (her favorite person in a k-pop group). It was romantic, super cute and fluffy and as a plus… there was a lot of food talk! I kept getting hungry while I was reading this book! I believe this is a great option for k-pop lovers! Definitely recommend it.

Synopsis:

“K-pop star Wooyeong is hot, talented, and jaded from his fame. He’s also dead-set on one unwritten rule: Dating a fan would be social suicide.
So why can’t he stop thinking about her?
American fan Madison has just moved to Seoul, South Korea. It seems like every fan’s dream come true when, by a one-in-a-million chance encounter, she finds herself sitting across from her bias, the idol Wooyeong. Little does she know things have only gotten more complicated…
This snowy Korean romance by debut author Lucy Gold is sure to be a new favorite for K-pop fans and romantic souls alike.”

2. XOXO by Axie Oh

Another book I loved is the amazing “XOXO” by Axie Oh! This is more of a kpop themed book with a forbidden romance. Starring an average girl who plays the cello and a Kpop idol from a boy group, this story is every kpop fan’s dream!
They both attend the same fancy music school in Seoul and, of course, after they meet they fall in love. But like it would probably happen in real life, Jaewoo (the kpop star) can’t start any dating scandals.
What I liked about this book is that it has a really good balance of fluff and seriousness. Also, the setting is very fun and it’s cool how they kept bumping into each other at school.
It was a very light and fun read for me! Definitely recommend this one. You can find my full review of this book here and the synopsis below.

Synopsis:

“Cello prodigy Jenny has one goal: to get into a prestigious music conservatory. When she meets mysterious, handsome Jaewoo in her uncle’s Los Angeles karaoke bar, it’s clear he’s the kind of boy who would uproot her careful plans. But in a moment of spontaneity, she allows him to pull her out of her comfort zone for one unforgettable night of adventure…before he disappears without a word.
Three months later, when Jenny and her mother arrive in South Korea to take care of her ailing grandmother, she’s shocked to discover that Jaewoo is a student at the same elite arts academy where she’s enrolled for the semester. And he’s not just any student. He’s a member of one of the biggest K-pop bands in the world—and he’s strictly forbidden from dating.
When a relationship means throwing Jenny’s life off the path she’s spent years mapping out, she’ll have to decide once and for all just how much she’s willing to risk for love.”

3. Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho

This is a good option if you prefer a Korean-American book. The reason for this is because iIt has k-pop… but it also has a very American prom! This is also a really cute book because the main characters were childhood best friends, but the boy grew up and became a big k-pop star. When they were little they promised each other they would go to prom together, so the girl was shocked to find her long lost best friend standing at her door with a rose in his hand and asking her to go to prom with him. Like I said, this is a very cute book as well and I loved the characters! You can check the synopsis below for more info.

Synopsis:

“What would you do if the world’s biggest K-pop star asked you to prom? Perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Sandhya Menon, this hilarious and heartfelt novel brings the glamour and drama of the K-pop world straight to high school.
Elena Soo has always felt overshadowed. Whether by her more successful older sisters, her more popular twin brother, or her more outgoing best friend, everyone except Elena seems to know exactly who they are and what they want. But she is certain about one thing – she has no interest in going to prom. While the rest of the school is giddy over corsages and dresses, Elena would rather spend her time working to save the local community center, the one place that’s always made her feel like she belonged.
So when international K-pop superstar Robbie Choi shows up at her house to ask her to prom, Elena is more confused than ever. Because the one person who always accepted Elena as she is? Her childhood best friend, Robbie Choi. And the one thing she maybe, possibly, secretly wants more than anything? For the two of them to keep the promise they made each other as kids: to go to prom together. But that was seven years ago, and with this new K-pop persona, pink hair, and stylish clothes, Robbie is nothing like the sweet, goofy boy she remembers. The boy she shared all her secrets with. The boy she used to love.
Besides, prom with a guy who comes with hordes of screaming fans, online haters, and relentless paparazzi is the last thing Elena wants – even if she can’t stop thinking about Robbie’s smile…right?”

4. Flip the Script by Lyla Lee

My first k-drama recommendation of this list is “Flip the Script” by Lyla Lee. This a very cool read because the main character goes from a k-drama watcher to actually starring a role in a k-drama! This book is a queer YA romance between two girls, and you can find the synopsis below!

Synopsis:

“The first rule of watching K-dramas: Never fall in love with the second lead.
As an avid watcher of K-dramas, Hana knows all the tropes to avoid when she finally lands a starring role in a buzzy new drama. And she can totally handle her fake co-star boyfriend who might be falling in love with her. After all, she promised the producers a contract romance, and that’s all they’re going to get from her.
But when showrunners bring on a new girl to challenge Hana’s role as main love interest—and worse, it’s someone Hana knows all too well—can  Hana fight for her position on the show while falling for her on-screen rival in real life?”

5. Seoulmates by Susan Lee

Nate, one of the characters of this book, is just like me: obsessed with k-pop and k-dramas! But not Hannah. And this book is great exactly for that: it’s very different and out of the box! This is more of a k-drama inspired book, but also it’s mostly a coming of age story with romance! Definitely worth checking out. Check the synopsis below if you’re curious!

Synopsis:

“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.
Her ex-boyfriend wants her back. Her former best friend is in town. When did Hannah’s life become a K-drama?”

And there you have it friends! These are some kpop/kdrama inspired books I loved and will always recommend to my bookish friends. I hope you found this recommendation post interesting and I hope you found yourself some new books to read! As usual, I’m always looking for book recommendations so let me know if you have any for me!

Have a great day!