Dua Lipa is not only one of the most talked-about artists today but also an avid reader.
At the start of the year, the artist behind hits like "Dance The Night" and "Levitating" initiated a book club via her content platform, Service95. Each month, Lipa selects a new book that aligns with the club’s ethos of showcasing literature that “represents diverse global voices, narrating compelling tales across fiction, memoir, and manifesto,” as stated on the platform's website.
With each book choice, Lipa provides plenty of extra content, including conversations with the authors, playlists, and guides for discussion. Service95 Recommends, another feature on the website, offers more of Lipa’s preferred books, alongside recommendations from figures such as Lisa Taddeo and Monica Lewinsky. You can explore Lipa's selections and additional content on the Service95 website. View all her recommendations below:
March 2024: 'Trust' by Hernan Diaz
Diaz's novel, which won the Pulitzer Prize, chronicles the lives of a rich couple in Manhattan during the 1920s and '30s, employing diverse narrative forms such as a novel, memoir, and diary, among others. “I was captivated, and you might be as well,” Lipa comments on the book.
February 2024: 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' by Khaled Hosseini
The writer behind The Kite Runner delivers "a revealing tale of Afghanistan’s cultural and political legacy" with this work, according to Lipa. The narrative intertwines the lives of two women from Kabul, linked by the threads of war and destiny.
January 2024: 'The Guest' by Emma Cline
Selected as Lipa’s January recommendation, Emma Cline’s sophomore novel emerges as an ideal pick for your summer beach reading. It traces the turbulent journey of a young woman and her complex relationship with an older man, culminating in a Labor Day celebration. Lipa describes the book as one that “vibrates with suspense” and “dances with peril.”
November 2023: 'The Vanishing Half' by Brit Bennett
Bennett's highly praised second novel explores the lives of the Vignes twins — two Black sisters, one of whom passes as White, and their adult lives. Lipa remarks that the book “masterfully raises numerous questions about race, class, and gender.”
October 2023: 'One Hundred Years of Solitude' by Gabriel García Márquez
Lipa describes this timeless family epic as “captivating.” Additional content for the book features a discussion with the late author’s son and further details on the 1928 Colombia Banana Massacre, an event that influenced scenes in this expansive, foundational novel.
September 2023: 'Just Kids' by Patti Smith
Choosing a musician's memoir aligns perfectly with Lipa, who has selected Just Kids as her sole nonfiction recommendation to date for her September read. In this National Book Award-winning autobiography, iconic punk musician and poet Patti Smith recounts her experiences as an emerging artist in New York City during the 1960s and 1970s, alongside her cherished relationship with photographer Robert Mapplethorpe.
August 2023: 'Half of a Yellow Sun' by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Set against the backdrop of the Nigerian Civil War (also known as the Biafran War), this 2006 novel weaves through the lives of various characters as they traverse the complexities of love and relationships amidst political turmoil. Lipa describes this book as a tapestry of “love, jealousy, infidelity, and forgiveness.” Additionally, author Adichie contributed an exclusive essay discussing the significance of Igbo culture and language in her storytelling.
July 2023: 'Pachinko' by Min Jin Lee
Spanning locations in Korea and Japan, Pachinko traces the saga of four generations of a Korean family, delving into their encounters with identity, womanhood, and colonialism. Min Jin Lee, the author, drew inspiration from the historical presence of Koreans in Japan and the widely played game of Pachinko, discussing how these influences shaped the narrative of her novel.
June 2023: 'Shuggie Bain' by Douglas Stuart
Lipa admits she has “a penchant for heart-wrenching stories,” referring to her June selection. Shuggie Bain, unfolding in the Thatcher-era, within Scotland's working-class milieu, centers on the bond between young Hugh (affectionately called Shuggie) and his alcoholic mother, Agnes. Supplementary book club content features a playlist echoing the book’s Glasgow backdrop, the city where Douglas Stuart, the author, was born and raised.
