Oprah. Like Cher or Obama, she needs only one name to command attention. Probably the most recognized woman in the world, Oprah Winfrey was born January 29, 1954 in rural Mississippi, and has lived one of the most remarkable lives in American popular culture. We think that her turning 65 is a milestone that merits a retrospective, especially given that Oprah's official book club, among her greatest achievements, is near and dear to our line of work.  

At 19, Oprah became a news anchor at a local station in Tennessee, going on to daytime television, where she shone and launched her own production company in 1986. That gave way to The Oprah Winfrey Show, the program that made her a household name. (In the first year, she already amassed 10 million viewers.)

While daytime talk shows often dealt in the scandalous and salacious, Oprah took her role more seriously and highlighted pressing issues instead, such as gun violence, mental illness, and sexual assault. In every interview, in every episode, Oprah had a message of peace and healing. She has been an advocate for many causes and has made actual change, especially in the realm of child sexual abuse.

Given her wide-ranging interest in complex topics, it is no surprise that Oprah Winfrey is well-read. In 1996, she turned her passion for reading into something to share with her others—she began to curate books for her followers to read, an eclectic mix of new and classic literature with a heavy emphasis on black female authors.

Every time Oprah released her latest pick, sales of that book would skyrocket and modestly selling titles would become bestsellers within a week. Never before or since has a television personality so influenced the reading public. Oprah inspired new readers, supported authors of color, and worked with public schools and libraries to make sure copies got into everyone’s hands.

As any book clubber will tell you, discussing a book after reading it enhances the experience. You hear different opinions and gain new insights from the people sitting around the circle, whose opinions elevate your own understanding. Oprah chose her picks carefully, knowing the world was listening, and that their reactions would be felt widely. Although The Oprah Winfrey Show ended in 2011, Oprah remains an enduring icon through her many projects—her production company, magazine, acting roles, charitable giving and, of course, her book club, which is still active and vital.

Through March 2019 at Grand Central Library, here in Midtown East, you can see the timeline of Oprah’s book club picks in our window. Once inside the Library, you will be greeted by a 2-D Oprah for your selfie-taking gratification. Yes, it's silly, but the ultimate goal is to promote reading, of course, and to pay homage to the positivity and productivity that Oprah instills in her fans.

Oprah’s Book Club had positive effects on people from day one, and it reminds us of our own wish for more people to read, and to experience the wonders of reading for the first time. With special thanks to Lady O, allow us to introduce some of her most resonant Book Club picks.

 

 

2014
The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd

About this work of historical fiction about race relations in the 1960s American South, Oprah said, "It is impossible to read this book and not come away thinking differently about our status as women and about all the unsung heroines who played a role in getting us to where we are."

 

 

 

2007
Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Marquez's passionate love story had Oprah saying, "It is so beautifully written that it really takes you to another place in time and will make you ask yourself—how long could you, or would you, wait for love?"

 

 

 

2003
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton

This classic from 1948 is about families during apartheid in South Africa. A comment from Oprah: "We travel through the worlds of two fathers who have lost two sons… a homeland that has lost its soul… and the hope and miracle of renewal out of devastating tragedy. Paton’s simple, poetic words speak volumes."

 

 

1996
The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard

This was the first book to receive the honor of the Oprah Book Club sticker. It is about an American middle-class, suburban family that is torn apart when the youngest son is kidnapped and raised by a mentally ill woman, until he appears at the front doorstep of his real mother.

 

Rediscover the joy of reading, or pass the joy to a loved one, with one of these titles or your own recommendation.

"Getting my library card was like citizenship." -Oprah Winfrey