Oprah Book Club List 2021
Oprah Winfrey started her first book club in 1996 as the OG celebrity book club. In the past 30 years, she has chosen over one hundred books, which makes it difficult to keep track of the books by year. This year, Oprah only chose books in four months, but decided to choose an entire book series for the month of March! This is the Oprah Book Club List 2021, with short descriptions of all the books and reviews of the books I have read.
I have been reading books from the Oprah Book Club for over 20 years. Her books are literary in nature and always great for discussion. When the book club first started, Oprah consistently chose 7-10 books a year. By 2002, her choices began to dwindle, with only one to four book picks a year for the next twenty years! Yes, twenty years. If you want to see all the books on from the Oprah Book Club list, I have that for you!
While Oprah’s book Club version 2.0 technically started in 2012, after her show ended, the choices did not become more consistent until 2020. It may seem easier to keep track of the books when she chooses fewer, but it makes it more confusing for me.
I think it is important to have consistency in a book club. Whether you are choosing books monthly or quarterly, book club members should know when to expect the next book. Without consistency, there is not as much anticipation of the next book, and I think that is a shame. This year, Oprah only chose books in March, June, August, and September. And the March pick is an entire four book series, The Gilead!
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Oprah Book Club List 2021
Gildead
Author: Marilynne Robinson
Year: 2004
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: March 2021 Oprah Book Club Pick, Pulitzer Prize Winner, Gilead #1
Plot
At the end of his life, Reverend John Ames writes a letter to his young son detailing the history of his life. From his life in Maine to his trek to Kansas to become an abolitionist to his time preaching in the Civil War, the Reverend relates his life experiences to his relationship with his father and grandfather, exploring the bonds of fathers and sons.
Home
Author: Marilynne Robinson
Year: 2008
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: March 2021 Oprah Book Club Pick, Gilead #2
Plot
After 20 years away, Reverend Boughton’s unruly son, Jack, has returned home with a drinking problem and decades of secrets. While he constantly butts heads with his father, he is trying to make peace with him while simultaneously forming a bond with his sister, Glory.
Lila
Author: Marilynne Robinson
Year: 2014
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: March 2021 Oprah Book Club Pick, Gilead #3
Plot
Set in Gilead, this story is about a homeless, lonely girl named Lila and the way the Iowa town’s church saved her life by finding her a place as minister John Ames’s wife. It examines Lila’s origin story, from her neglected childhood to moments of desperation as she tries to reconcile her old life with her new one.
Jack
Author: Marilynne Robinson
Year: 2020
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: March 2021 Oprah Book Club Pick, Gilead #4
Plot
Jack, the prodigal son, is back at he center of the fourth book in the Gilead series. In this story, Jack’s interracial relationship with Della, a high school teacher who also happens to be the child of a minister, is examined along with the tension their love causes within the community.
The Sweetness of Water
Author: Nathan Harris
Year: 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: June 2021 Oprah Book Club Pick
Plot
At the end of the Civil War, Prentiss and Landry are now free men, and they are seeking refuge at the home of George and Isabelle Walker. Simultaneously, the love story between two Confederate soldiers is also taking shape, and their stories eventually converge with Isabelle taking on a role of great significance for everyone.
The Love Songs of W.E.B. DuBois
Author: Honorèe Fanonne Jeffers
Year: 2021
Genre: Historical Fiction
More info: August 2021 Oprah’s Book Club Pick
National Book Critics Circle AwardWinner, 2021
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
Wow. This is one of the best books I’ve listened to this year, and yes, I recommend it on audio for a few reasons.
First, the different narrators help tell this dual-timeline contemporary fiction. Through one narrator, we learn about Ailey’s life as an African American woman in the 20th century. The other narrator tells the story of the female ancestors of Ailey’s going all the way back to her Indigenous, black, and white relatives from two centuries earlier.
Through Ailey and her ancestors, the weight of what it means to be a black woman in America means. The sacrifices, injustices, struggles, and harassment endured by Ailey and her kin in the present day and the past are explored with a depth so real, I forgot it was a fictional story at times.
The second reason this book is great on audio? It’s LONG. It clocks in at over 800 pages or almost 30 hours of audiobook time. The narrators sucked me in and those 30 hrs flew by.
Trigger Warnings
Rape, slavery, incest
Why Kirsten loves it
I will say, this book made me consider my White Privilege in a way no non-fiction book could have. It’s a heavy story, but very worth the read and a great book for book clubs. The audiobook was fantastic and the 30 hours of story sucked me in.
Find this book in: The Best Celebrity Book Clubs / Nonlinear Narrative Novels / Books by Female BIPOC Authors / Best Books of 2021Â / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Oprah Book Club List 2021
Bewilderment
Author: Richard Powers
Year: 2021
Genre: Sci-Fi
More info: September 2021 Oprah Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 16+
Plot
This book is a sci-fi fantasy-like book that explores brain treatments to correct behaviors in a child with suspected Autism.
Robin is a sweet child who feels deeply and can have big mood swings, but when a treatment is offered to help him sync his brain to that of his dead mother’s, he jumps at the chance.
As the experiment gains momentum and Robin’s behavior changes, his dad Theo wonders about the potential consequences.
Trigger Warnings
Treatment for ASD may be triggering for anyone with an autistic child
Why Kirsten loves it
This story explores the parent-child bond, the growing climate crisis, and autism in a way that will have you thinking about it for months to come.
Find this book in: Best Sci-Fi Books
Expert Tip
Oprah’s book club is the most literary of all the book clubs and can seem intimidating. Here are some tips if you want to read an Oprah book club pick.
- Allow yourself time to read the books without feeling pressured to rush through them. This way, you can really enjoy the plots and characters
- Jackie and I have not read all of the books on the Oprah Book Club list 2021. If you want to read a book you will love, check out my reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many books are on the Oprah Book Club list 2021?
Oprah chose 7 books in four months. This is unusual for her. Oprah decided to pick an entire 4-book series for the month of March. She chose one additional book in June, August, and September.
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Epilogue
Did you read the Gilead series? What about the other books from the Oprah Book Club List 2021? I am curious which is your favorite.
