For her 100th book club pick, Oprah Winfrey has relied on the same instincts she has drawn upon from the start — does the story move her? Does she think about it for days after? In a work of fiction, do the characters seem real to her?
“When I don’t move on, that’s always a sign to me there’s something powerful and moving,” Winfrey explains.
On Tuesday, she announced that she had chosen Ann Napolitano’s Hello Beautiful, a modern-day homage to Little Women from the author of the best-selling Dear Edward. The novel was published by Dial Press, a Penguin Random House imprint, and Winfrey believes its themes of family, resilience and perspective give Hello Beautiful a “universal appeal" that makes it a proper milestone.
A Winfrey pick no longer ensures blockbuster sales, but it retains a special status within the industry; for authors, a call from the American host still feels like being told they've won an Oscar. Winfrey says she is in "awe" of the club and its history, "the very notion" that someone might go and buy a copy of Anna Karenina or a little-known book simply because she suggested it.
“She is the queen,” says Jenna Bush Hager, who hosts the popular Read With Jenna club on NBC’s Today show. “I remember being a high school senior, in AP English, and reading [David Guterson’s] Snow Falling on Cedars because I had walked into the local bookstore and seen that Oprah had recommended it.”
Kristen McLean, an analyst for NPD Books, which tracks industry sales, says that Winfrey is especially effective these days when promoting a known author such as Barbara Kingsolver and her novel Demon Copperhead, a bestseller since Winfrey picked it in autumn last year and has far outsold her two previous works of fiction.
Since 1996, Winfrey's book choices have set her on a journey of extraordinary influence and success, frequent reinvention and the occasional controversy. It has endured through changes for both Winfrey and the publishing industry — through the rise of the internet and the end of Winfrey's syndicated talk show, through immersions in the classics and unexpected lessons in the reliability of memoirs and the lack of diversity in book publishing.
Thanks to Winfrey, contemporary authors such as Jacquelyn Mitchard and Jane Hamilton found audiences they never imagined, while picks published decades or even centuries earlier — from Anna Karenina to As I Lay Dying — placed high on bestseller lists. Winfrey didn't invent the mass market book club, but she demonstrated that spontaneous passion can inspire people in ways that elude the most sophisticated marketing campaigns.
Her most troubled choices — James Frey's fabricated memoir A Million Little Pieces and Jeanine Cummins' American Dirt, a novel criticised for stereotypical depictions of Mexicans — made so much news in part because of the spotlight of a Winfrey endorsement.
The club began as the extension of conversations between herself and her producer at the time, Alice McGee. They would talk about the books they liked until McGee finally suggested, in 1996, that Winfrey share the experience with her viewers. The first pick, Mitchard's The Deep End of the Ocean, has sold more than 2 million copies. Other books also became major bestsellers, whether by established authors such as Joyce Carol Oates (We Were the Mulvaneys) and Toni Morrison (The Bluest Eye) or then-emerging writers including Janet Fitch and Tawni O'Dell.
Scroll through images of Winfrey's style evolution over the years below
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Oprah Winfrey wears a floral brooch to speak at a podium early in her career, during her time at WJZ, Baltimore, Maryland on January 20, 1978. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears layered neutral knitwear and statement earrings to host 'AM Chicago' in 1984. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a white fringed gown and fur shawl to attend the 43rd Annual Golden Globe Awards on January 24, 1986 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a white dress with gold detailing to attend 58th Annual Academy Awards with Akosua Busia on March 24, 1986 at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a black fur coat to attend the premiere of 'Native Son' at the Apollo Theatre, New York City on December 8, 1986. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a black and gold sequinned dress to appear on 'Dolly' with Dolly Parton in 1987. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a black gown with sequinned detailing to attend the 59th Annual Academy Awards with Stedman Graham on March 30, 1987. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a red jacket over a black buttoned dress to attend the 14th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 30, 1987. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a light brown fur coat to attend the 'Good Morning, Vietnam' premiere with Stedman Graham in Los Angeles, California on December 17, 1987. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a gold jacket with shoulder pads and jacquard skirt to attend the premiere of 'The Woman of Brewsters Place' at the Director's Guild Theatre in Hollywood, California on February 17, 1989. Getty Images -
Opray Winfrey wears yellow and black tailoring to attend the 19th Annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 23, 1992. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a pink floral corseted dress to attend the Daytime Emmy Awards on May 1, 1994. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a metallic purple two-piece to attend the 21st Annual Daytime Emmy Awards with Steadman Graham on May 25, 1994. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a dusty pink two-piece suit to attend the 'One Smart Lady' Ladies Home Journal Awards on November 11, 1994. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a brown silk gown with a taffeta train to attend the 67th Academy Awards in Los Angeles, California on March 27, 1995. FilmMagic -
Oprah Winfrey wears a full light-blue skirt with a silver top to attend the 1995 Essence Awards with Stedman Graham at the Paramount Theatre in New York City on May 12, 1995. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears an orange jacket during a segment on the 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' with Hillary Clinton in Chicago, Illinois on May 16, 1995. AFP -
Oprah Winfrey, in head-to-toe red, attends The International Radio and TV Foundation Gold Medal award Dinner at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on March 21, 1996. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a navy gown with a gold shawl to attend the 68th Annual Academy Awards on March 25, 1996. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a black suit to attend the 'Before Women Had Wings' premiere in West Hollywood, California on October 20, 1997. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a red-and-black gown to attend 'Ebony Magazine' Celebrate the Dream: 50 Years of Ebony Magazine event on November 17, 1997. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a black dress with a metallic silver shawl to attend the 'Beloved' premiere on October 8, 1998. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a bronze two-piece to attend the 24th Annual People's Choice Awards with Stedman Graham on November 1, 1998. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears an iridescent green and pink gown to attend the first anniversary party for 'O Magazine' in New York City on April 17, 2001. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a white shirt and trouser set on 'The Oprah Winfrey Show' with Stevie Wonder, John Travolta, Gayle King and Tina Turner in Chicago on January 29, 2004. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears blue Gianfranco Ferre to attend the 76th Annual Academy Awards in Hollywood California on February 29, 2004. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears a lilac dress with matching accessories to officiate at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert with actor Tom Cruise in Oslo, Norway on December 11, 2004. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears a pink collared dress to meet pupils who have enrolled in her school in Henley-on-Klip, South Africa, on January 2, 2007. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears co-ordinated shades of brown to attend a Barack Obama campaign rally in Iowa on December 8, 2007. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears a white shirt with a pleated black skirt to attend a dinner in honour of Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday in London on June 25, 2008. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a green rain coat in Copenhagen, Denmark on September 20, 2009. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears an orange shift dress to arrive at Amalienborg Castle, Denmark on October 1, 2009. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears a navy silk Oscar de la Renta gown with a voluminous skirt to arrive at the 2010 Met Ball with designer Oscar de la Renta on May 3, 2010. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears taupe Victoria Beckham to attend Maria Shriver’s Women’s Conference 2010 on October 26, 2010. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears sparkling burgundy to arrive at the formal Artist's dinner held at the State Department with Stedman Graham on December 4, 2010. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears a yellow top and beige capris to dance with Chef Curtis Stone on Hamilton Island, Australia on December 8, 2010. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a full orange dress during a taping of the 'Oprah Winfrey Show' at the Sydney Opera House on December 14, 2010 in Sydney, Australia. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears emerald green Azzedine Alaia to arrive at the 19th Annual Critics' Choice Movie Awards in Santa Monica, California on January 16, 2014. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears purple to arrive at the 20th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California on January 18, 2014. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears Stella McCartney to attend the 2014 EE British Academy Film Awards in London, England on February 16, 2014. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears nude Vera Wang to attend the Vanity Fair Oscars After-Party following the 87th annual Academy Awards ceremony in Hollywood, California, USA on February 22, 2015. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears a fitted sequinned orange gown on stage during her 'An Evening With Oprah' in Melbourne, Australia on tour on December 2, 2015. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a trained pink dress on stage during her 'An Evening With Oprah' tour in Sydney, Australia on December 12, 2015. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears metallic brocade to attend the Tony Awards with Cynthia Erivo and Scott Sanders in New York on June 12, 2016. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears Atelier Versace to attend the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards ceremony at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California on January 7, 2018. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears a black top, statement belt and floor-sweeping Brunello Cucinelli skirt to attend the European premiere of 'A Wrinkle in Time' in London, England on March 13, 2018. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears blush pink Stella McCartney to arrive at St George's Chapel at Windsor Castle before the wedding of Prince Harry to Meghan Markle in Windsor, England on May 19, 2018. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears navy to attend the Stella McCartney show as part of the Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Autumn / Winter 2019 on March 4, 2019 in Paris, France. Getty Images -
Oprah Winfrey wears a white dress and white boots to arrive at the opening celebration of the Statue of Liberty Museum on Liberty Island on May 15, 2019. EPA -
Oprah Winfrey wears a denim skirt with a white shirt and waistcoat to speak on stage during Oprah's 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus Tour in Dallas, Texas on February 15, 2020. AFP -
Oprah Winfrey wears a blush pink sweater and pleated skirt to interview Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for a CBS interview on March 7, 2021. Courtesy OSN
The club was so successful that some suspected a catch. Winfrey remembers Quincy Jones asking her: “How much money are they paying you for that book club, baby?” The process was so informal that Winfrey at first didn’t even bother going through intermediaries.
“I would just call Wally Lamb,” she says of the author of She’s Come Undone, her fourth pick. “In the early stages, I would finish the book and then find the author. When you’d go to the back of the book, it gives you the bio of the author and it would tell you what city the author lives. And, this is when we had phone books, in every instance I was able to get the author’s phone number because the author was listed.”
Winfrey’s system is now only slightly more structured. Leigh Newman, books director of the online/print publication Oprah Daily, will call the publisher first and arrange a “surprise call” with the author and Oprah. Winfrey's staff will research the author’s background to make sure nothing problematic turns up — whether criminal charges or allegations of plagiarism.
The vetting began, Winfrey says, after A Million Little Pieces turned out to have substantial falsehoods, leading to an extraordinary public scolding by Winfrey when she brought Frey back on her show to explain himself. (They have since reconciled).
“I took it so personally,” she says. “I probably should haven’t taken it so personally but I felt like he had let me down and I let the audience down. ... I was the one saying, ‘Can you believe this is a true story?’ and shouting that from the rooftops. I felt foolish for doing that, embarrassed for doing that.”
Winfrey's book choices are still in-house and intimate — mostly just determined by herself and Newman — although Winfrey says she made a rare exception for Hello Beautiful, recommended to her by the co-chairman of Creative Artists Agency, Richard Lovett. Otherwise, Newman will seek out books she thinks Winfrey might respond to — fiction or nonfiction, as long as the story is “compelling,” Newman explains. Winfrey will also come upon books on her own.
The club follows no real formula. For the first few years, Winfrey averaged a selection nearly every month, a pace she came to find exhausting. She paused the club for much of 2002-2003, focused on older works in 2004-2005, and in other years only selected one or two titles. After her talk show ended in 2011, she launched Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 the following year, with the emphasis on digital media.
She is currently aiming for a new book every eight weeks, with author interviews and interactive reader discussions showcased on OprahDaily.com. Winfrey has no plans to stop, and no specific goals for selections. In the aftermath of American Dirt, selected early in 2020, she had vowed to open herself up "to more Latinx books." But she has not since picked any for her club and is not committing herself for the future.
“I’d never choose a book because the author is Hispanic, or Black, or Indian. I’m not going to be put in that box,” she says. “The book has to live on many different levels to me. It doesn’t mean there are not fantastic books by authors of every race and creed. It means I haven’t seen one yet (for the club). But we’re mindful of it and I’ve come close a couple of times.”
Winfrey’s choices are influenced at times by a relatively recent trend — competition.
Over the past few years, Hager and Reese Witherspoon have demonstrated that they too, can win the trust of large numbers of readers, whether Witherspoon’s early promotion of Delia Owens’ blockbuster Where the Crawdads Sing or Hager championing such debut works as Katy Hays' novel The Cloisters. The exuberance of young people on TikTok helped make Colleen Hoover the country’s most popular fiction writer.
Winfrey is respectful: If she hears a book she might choose is also being pursued by Witherspoon or Hager, she will step back and pick another. But she also claims her place. Yes, Witherspoon, Hager and the BookTok kids are all great, but no one should forget who came first.
“We started this conversation," she says. "And I’m very, very proud of that.”
