Born in London in 1995, British-Kosovar singer-songwriter Dua Lipa has been a powerhouse of contemporary pop since releasing her self-titled debut in 2017. Coupled with her stratospherically successful second album, 2020’s Future Nostalgia, Lipa’s distinct blend of sultry vocals and vibrant, electronic-infused sounds has won over audiences worldwide, while garnering six Brit Awards, three Grammys, and two Guinness World Records.
Beyond her music and modeling career, Lipa launched the editorial platform Service95 in early 2022. Encompassing a website, weekly newsletter, podcast and book club, its aim is to share stories “from some of the world’s most compelling voices – on everything from style and arts to social justice and politics.” Since June of 2023, Lipa’s been offering monthly reading recommendations to celebrate the power of storytelling and shine a light on diverse global perspectives.
Explore her selections below, and complement with the book club lists of Emma Watson, Florence Welch, and Reese Witherspoon.
Dua Lipa’s Reading List
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez (also rec’d by Colson Whitehead, Irvine Welsh, Joan Didion, Lin-Manuel Miranda & Richard Branson)
“This incredible novel put me under a spell. I was captivated by the fantastical elements that live alongside reality and loved how time loops and sways in the fictional town of Macondo. True, at times I had to find my way through the many Aurelianos and José Arcadios that populate the seven generations of the Buendía family. But getting lost and succumbing to the mastery of Gabriel García Márquez’s storytelling is all part of the joy of this epic tale. Along the way, I found myself reflecting on love and war, familial bonds, the consequences of modernity and, of course, the many meanings of solitude. It’s irresistible.” -DL
Just Kids by Patti Smith (also rec’d by Carrie Brownstein, Ethan Hawke, Florence Welch, Malcolm Gladwell, Marianne Faithfull, Marina Abramovic, Michael Stipe, Shirley Manson & St. Vincent)
“It’s hard to define Patti – she is a singer, a songwriter, a poet, a painter and, of course, an author. It’s safe to say that we get something of all of these personas through this beautiful book. Prior to being at the heart of the New York City punk scene, Patti was pushing boundaries in the art world with her lover and best friend, the controversial photographer Robert Mapplethorpe. Their enduring love story – which navigates both romantic and platonic love – forms the warm heart of this book and along the way, we meet artists and musicians such as Andy Warhol and Janis Joplin, literary giants including William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg, to say nothing of the drag queens and socialites that pass through the doors of the Chelsea Hotel. I’d have loved to be part of such a cool era. Patti gives us the next best thing – possibly the most spellbinding account of New York in the ’70s ever written. As we witness the ascent of two legendary artists, both Robert and Patti, it’s clear that her respect and love for artistry never dims.” -DL
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (also rec’d by Uzo Aduba)
“The story takes place in 1960s Nigeria, both before and during the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War. If this is a period of history you are not familiar with, don’t worry, you are not alone. Chimamanda skilfully balances truth and fiction, giving a gripping sense of what was at stake for those who lived through the war, and granting this travesty the attention it deserves. However, this isn’t just a story of war. I guarantee you will be totally absorbed by the parallel love stories between Olanna and Odenigbo, and Kainene and Richard. I found their different outlooks on relationships fascinating including how they each dealt with love, jealousy, infidelity, and forgiveness.” -DL
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (also rec’d by Ali Wong, Emma Watson, Jia Tolentino & Roxane Gay)
“It’s a sweeping saga set in Korea and Japan that follows the fortunes of a Korean family across four generations and eight decades. It’s a story of the search for identity in a hostile country, of what immigrant parents sacrifice for their children, and of the choices women must make in a man’s world. Along the way, I learned so much about the annexation of Korea and early 20th-century Japanese colonialism. If that makes it sound like a heavy lift – don’t worry, it’s not. I was totally absorbed by the characters and, in fact, it’s so readable it will leave you wanting more.” -DL
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
“I clearly have a thing for heart-breaking books and this is no exception. Yet there is so much love within the pages of this book, particularly between Shuggie and his mother Agnes.” -DL
(via Service95)
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