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Books Featured in K-Drama
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items K-drama are known for their emotional storytelling, beautifully crafted characters, and meaningful details that add depth to the narrative. One subtle yet powerful element often seen in K-dramas is books. Whether casually placed on a desk, read by a ...
In Hi Bye, Mama!(Ep. 11), in a quiet moment, Gang-hwa is seen reading If Cats Disappeared from the World late at night, his expression unreadable. This novel, about a man who makes a deal with the devil to erase things from the world in exchange for ...
If Cats Disappeared from the World by Genki Kawamura
In the drama Because This Is My First Life (Ep. 8), Se-hee and Ji-ho are quietly reading in their apartment when Ji-ho picks up The Vegetarian from the table. She flips through a few pages and frowns slightly, lost in thought. This novel, about a wom...
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
In While You Were Sleeping (Ep. 5), Hong-joo finds Me Before You in her room and playfully teases her mom for leaving such a sad book on her shelf. But as she skims through it, her teasing fades into a quiet, pensive expression. The book, about love,...
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
In Extraordinary Attorney Woo ep. 12, Woo Young-woo has Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine on her desk, its bookmark showing she’s halfway through. The book, about a socially awkward woman learning to navigate relationships, mirrors Young-woo’s own ...
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine
A gossip journalist in "Celebrity ep.7" is seen reading The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, smirking at its scandalous story. The book, about fame, secrets, and media manipulation, is a perfect parallel to the drama’s portrayal of influencer culture a...
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
In drama See You in My 19th Life ep. 6, Ji-eum visits a bookstore and absentmindedly picks up Before the Coffee Gets Cold, reading the back cover. The book, which tells the story of people traveling back in time for one last conversation, makes her p...
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
In Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha (Ep. 3), Hye-jin sits in her clinic, reading The Alchemist while waiting for patients. She smirks at a passage about following your destiny, as if she doesn’t quite believe it. Having left Seoul to start fresh in a small town,...
The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho
In Our Beloved Summer (Ep. 2), Woong is lying on his couch, half-reading The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, half-ignoring his work emails. He flips a page and scoffs, muttering that the author makes a good point. The book’s message about letting go...
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
In The Glory ep 10, Dong-eun sits in her apartment, surrounded by revenge plans, with Circe open on her desk. She taps her fingers on the book as if deep in thought, before getting back to her strategy. The book, about a woman who goes from exile to ...
Circe by Madeline Miller
In "Tomorrow" ep.3, a young woman struggling with depression is seen holding I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki in her hands, hesitating before making a tough decision. This powerful moment highlights the drama’s mental health theme, as the b...
I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki
In Start-Up (Ep. 4), Dal-mi wakes up early, picks up The 5AM Club, and nods in determination before heading to her startup’s office. The book’s message about morning routines for success aligns perfectly with her ambition to become a successful entr...
The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.
In Doom at Your Service (Ep. 9), Ji-na reads this books in a café and sighs, muttering, “Why do I always pick tragic stories?” At this point in the drama, Dong-kyung’s fate is uncertain, and the book’s theme of making the most of your time before dea...
They Both Die at the End
In Backstreet Rookie (Ep. 5), Saet-byul finds this book while organizing books at the store. She reads a few pages and laughs, saying it’s weirdly relatable. The book, about a woman who finds stability in her simple job, mirrors Saet-byul’s unexpecte...
Convenience Store Woman: A Novel by Sayaka Murata
In drama It’s Okay to Not Be Okay (Ep. 6), Moon-young finds Into the Magic Shop in her collection and scoffs, saying she doesn’t believe in self-healing. Ironically, the book’s theme of emotional healing is exactly what she and Gang-tae need as they ...
Into the Magic Shop by James R. Doty
In Business Proposal ep. 2, Tae-moo casually flips through How to Win Friends and Influence People, showing his business-driven mindset. Ironically, despite reading a book on relationships, he struggles with understanding real human emotions—especial...
How to Win Friends and Influence People
In drama Penthouse: War in Life ep. 14 Seo-jin’s daughter reads We Were Liars, a novel about family secrets and deception. The book’s themes eerily match the drama’s story of betrayal and hidden truths among the elite.
We Were Liars
The book appears in Dr. Romantic Season 1, ep 10. In this scene, Master Kim (Dr. Kim Sa-bu) is seen reading the book in his office, deeply focused while underlining certain passages. Thus Spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche discusses rebelling against nor...
Thus Spoke Zarathustra: A Book for Everyone and No One
This book appeared in drama Goblin ep. 3, 6, 7. Kim Shin is seen reading Les Misérables multiple times in the drama. In ep 3, he gives the book to Eun-tak, telling her it’s a masterpiece about fate and redemption—mirroring his own tragic yet hopeful ...
Les Miserables
Appear in Crash Landing on You ep. 7,9. Ri Jeong-hyuk gives Se-ri 'Anna Karenina', saying he found it interesting. This book, about a love affair between two people from different worlds, reflects their own forbidden love—Se-ri from South Korea and ...
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
In Sky Castle ep. 11, Ye-seo has this book in her study room, a novel about a young woman under extreme pressure. The book foreshadows her mental breakdown due to her mother’s suffocating expectations, showing how toxic ambition can destroy a person’...
The Bell Jar (P.S. Series)
In drama Celebrity ep. 10, Seo A-ri is seen with Malibu Rising, a novel about a famous family dealing with the cost of fame. The book directly parallels her own rise to social media stardom and the dark side of being in the public eye.
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
In drama Mine ep. O9, Seo Hi-soo is seen reading The School for Good Mothers, a novel about how society controls mothers and judges them harshly. This directly connects to her struggles as a mother in a wealthy, controlling family, where she is expec...
The School for Good Mothers
This book appeared in drama The Glory ep. 11. Park Yeon-jin has Verity, a psychological thriller about secrets, lies, and manipulation. This perfectly reflects her dark past and the lies she’s built her life upon, as well as the twisted relationships...
Verity by Colleen Hoover
In drama Doctor Cha ep. 10, Cha Jeong-suk reads this book. This is a novel about a woman fighting against gender discrimination in the 1960s. This directly parallels her own journey of breaking free from societal expectations and pursuing her career ...
Lessons in Chemistry
In drama Start-Up ep. 11, Nam Do-san is seen flipping through Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, a novel about game developers chasing their dreams. This mirrors his own struggles in the tech industry, dealing with failures, and finding purpose be...
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow
In drama The Good Bad Mother ep. 12, Young-soon has Reminders of Him, a novel about a mother trying to reconnect with her child after being separated. This perfectly represents her deep regret and longing to make things right with her son after year...
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
In drama Welcome to Samdalri ep. 7, Jo Yong-pil is seen reading The House in the Cerulean Sea, a heartwarming novel about finding family in unexpected places. This connects to his journey of healing and finding a sense of belonging in his hometown.
The House in the Cerulean Sea
This book appeared in drama King the Land ep. 8. Sa-rang has this romance novel about starting over and finding unexpected love. The book reflects her own blossoming romance with Gu Won, despite their different worlds and past struggles.
Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score
In drama Not Others ep. 4, Eun-mi’s mother is seen reading A Man Called Ove, a book about a grumpy old man who slowly opens his heart to his neighbors. This represents her own transformation and evolving relationship with her daughter, as she learns ...
A Man Called Ove