Oprah’s Book Club

Here is BCR’s review of Oprah’s Book Club and the breakdown of the ratings above.

Selection Details

For most book clubs, especially successful major book clubs, the selection details are among the most known and consistent factors of the books the club reads.

Selector

Talk show host, actress, author, and media mogul, Oprah Winfrey, leads this book club and selects the books it reads. Seeing as the club is named after her, it may seem obvious that she is the selector. However, not all book club founders or namesakes pick the books for what appears to be their club. Oprah giving her stamp of approval for each book picked for her club supports the club’s longevity.

Theme

The theme of Oprah’s Book Club is not entirely clear or known. It seems there is no set or discernable theme. At least there wasn’t one defined at the outset or notably since. However, upon reflection on her 100th selection in 2023, Oprah said, “The whole reason I started a book club was to uplift and inspire people.” Others have speculated on emerging themes upon analysis of the selected books and genres. All in all, as the first celebrity-led book club, this book club has had an impact on getting more people to read and talk about books. That in and of itself is an emerging theme we can get behind.

Frequency

Book selections for Oprah’s Book Club are really inconsistent. Overall, it comes out to about four picks per year. Sometimes books have been selected in back-to-back months. Sometimes books have been selected five months apart. Other than the very early days of this club, there is no discernable pattern of when a book might be selected.

BCR’s frequency rating for this book club is not based on the intervals but the inconsistency. It’s not the most inconsistent we’ve seen a book club be but it is not the most consistent. If the intervals were more consistent, the rating would be higher. The frequency and regularity of book selection are important to membership engagement and overall club success. 

Notification

Books selections are inconsistent, therefore notifications of selections are inconsistent. That also means announcements of selections are inconsistent. Finding out if a book has been selected yet for this club requires a bit of effort, especially for casual followers. When a selection is made, it can be reliably found on a page on the club’s website. The website also offers a newsletter sign-up to receive book announcements. BCR signed up to help take the work out of hunting down picks and instead have announcements delivered straight to our inbox. Unfortunately, we have never received a single email for this book club. We continue to visit the site. Announcements are also posted on social media including the club’s Instagram and Facebook. 

Book Details

For most book clubs, the book details of selections are less intentional and less known than the selection details. However, book details can be important underlying elements that influence members, readership, and the success of a club overall.

Availability

As a very popular book club, finding Oprah’s Book Club picks to purchase is not a challenge. However, for library lovers, expect a long waitlist. This is true even of older club picks. If you want to read the book as soon as it is selected, be prepared to buy it.

Format

A benefit of this club’s popularity is that the picks can be found in all of the most popular formats: hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook. This is a plus for readers who may prefer one format over another. Or for readers who are flexible on format, you have more chances of getting the book sooner from the library.

Length

Oprah’s Book Club selections average a length of 390 pages. This average indicates a trend of picking books on what BCR considers the longer side. For reference, almost half of this club’s books are over 400 pages long. The shortest Oprah’s Book Club pick to date is 115 pages (Night by Elie Wiesel). And the longest read is 976 pages (Ken Follet’s The Pillars of the Earth).

Considering the inconsistent timing of this club’s selections, longer books are great when it’s a months-long stretch to the next pick. But when the next selection is announced a month later, it can make it hard for members to keep up.

Rating

BCR considers a rating of 3 or higher as a good rating. On Goodreads, all of Oprah’s Book Club picks have a rating over 3. These club picks have an average rating of 3.96. The highest rating is 4.64 and the lowest rating is 3.39. In our opinion, these are good, strong ratings.

Genre

The genres of Oprah’s Book Club picks are not very diverse. The top five genres are Fiction, Historical Fiction, Contemporary, Literary Fiction, and Adult Fiction. These are all relatively the same, generic categories.

Year Published

If you like reading newer and older books, Oprah’s Book Club is a good fit. This club’s books span decades and even centuries. About half a dozen books were published in the 1800s and early 1900s. Another half dozen are from the mid-20th century. The majority are from the 1980s through today. The club’s revival in 2012 denotes a noticeable shift towards modern book choices.

Authors

For most book clubs, author selections are likely less intentional than the club’s selection details but perhaps given more consideration than book details. Often, BCR finds authors to be subtle but important elements that can influence book selections. Author selection can paint a picture of and guide the intentions and direction of a book club. 

Favorites

It seems Oprah’s Book Club has a few favorite authors, which may or may not be intentional. And given the notable longevity of this club, author repetition is almost inevitable. The following authors have been selected twice:

• Jonathan Franzen
• Jane Hamilton
• Wally Lamb
• Gabriel Garcia Marquez
  

Renowned author Toni Morrison has been selected four times. Additionally, Morrison is the most recurring author across the BCR book clubs. Five of her 11 novels are on three of the Top 5 Book Clubs lists.

Diversity

Oprah’s Book Club list is quite diverse when it comes to authors. The list includes books by both men and women and across several races and cultures. Furthermore, there are several translated books on this list. Perhaps more than any other of the Top 5 Book Clubs. The main critique we have at this time is there are too few LGBTQ+ authors represented in this club. Especially given the number of selections this club has made.

Club Details

All of the above contribute directly and indirectly to factors that make up the club details below.

Book Count

In March 2023, Oprah’s Book Club reached a milestone of 100 books. This is currently the highest number of books of any of the Top 5 Book Clubs. This number is impressive. However, the number is given some perspective when considering that the club has spanned four decades. This demonstrates the impact that breaks and inconsistencies in selection frequency may have on book count. Compared to the other book clubs in the Top 5, the book-count-to-years-active ratio is quite low. Some younger book clubs are quickly approaching the same 100 books milestone in a fraction of the time.

Membership Count

This club’s following has remained strong over the years. It has endured even with breaks and changes to the club and even with the selection frequency and inconsistency. Oprah’s Book Club currently has the second-largest membership of the Top 5 Book Clubs. Membership is estimated to be around 2 million people.

Membership Engagement

Oprah’s Book Club engages members and followers in many ways. First, this club makes it super easy to join. To join, simply follow the club on any of its social media accounts. We love that this club makes it that easy to consider yourself counted as a member. Casual followers and dedicated members can keep up with the club on its website, social media, and newsletter. Again, BCR unfortunately has found the newsletter to be defunct. For the average follower or casual reader, BCR recommends following the club on social media or visiting the club’s website to stay up to date on the latest picks at your leisure.

Years Active

Spanning four decades, Oprah’s Book Club has been active for approximately 27 years. This club’s longevity demonstrates a dedication to the club’s intention, membership, and readership. And it looks like its momentum and popularity will continue to carry on.

Overall Rating

With an overall BCR rating of 3.92, we recommend Oprah’s Book Club. If you are looking for a long, diverse list of good reads that is a mix of modern and older literary works, Oprah’s Book Club might be for you. We do make this recommendation with a couple of caveats. If you are looking for new reads regularly, be aware that this club’s selections are announced inconsistently and rather infrequently with an average of four books per year. Also, consider checking the book’s page count before diving into a pick from this list. This club averages what BCR considers to be longer books. To stay up-to-date on new selections from Oprah’s Book Club, you can find them right here on BCR or the club’s website. The best way to stay updated and engage with other club members and readers is to follow the club’s social media pages.