Oprah Book Club List 2025
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, unlike years past, Oprah has chosen a book every month (thus far). This is the Oprah Book Club List 2025, 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 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. In fact, this year is the first time that Oprah has chosen a book every month EVER. And I am happy about it.
I think it is important to have consistency in a book club. Whether you are choosing books monthly or quarterly, I think it is important that book club members know when to expect the next book.
*Post contains affiliate links. Purchases made through links result in a small commission to us at no cost to you. Some books have been gifted. All opinions are our own.
Oprah Book Club List 2025
A New Earth
Author: Eckhart Tolle
Genre: Nonfiction
Release Date: 2005
More info: January 2025 Oprah Book Club Pick & January 2008 Oprah Book Club Pick
Plot
This is the first book to be an Oprah Book Club pick TWICE! The book teaches you how to live a happier life by engaging in less conflict and helping you find your purpose.
Dream State
Author: Eric Puchner
Year: 2025
Genre: Fiction
More info: February 2025 Oprah Book Club Pick
Spice Rating:💋
Age Range: 18+
Plot
If you are a fan of Yellowstone and the American West, listen up this epic story spans 50 years and is set in Montana! Cece has arrived at her future in-law’s home in Montana to finish planning her wedding to Charlie. Garrett, Charlie’s best friend, will be their officiate and Cece doesn’t think he’s up to the task.
Cece and Garrett grow close as the wedding draws nearer and it’s threatened by a stomach flu sweeping through the guests. The events of that summer cause a ripple affect through the lives of the three and the lives of their children.
Trigger Warnings
Climate Change, Infidelity
Kirsten’s Thoughts
This was such a miss for me. I wanted to like it, but it was so depressing and left me with so much anxiety that I almost couldn’t finish it. But I did, and I’m not sure it was worth it. I just didn’t understand the WHY of this dramatic story.
Plot
Griffin’s memoir of her childhood trauma was recently chosen as an Oprah book club pick. It starts with her childhood in Texas and continues through her time in Virginia and New York, before circling back to address what made her run from Texas in the first place.
Matriarch
Author: Tina Knowles
Genre: Memoir
Release Date: April 22, 2025
More info: April 2025 Oprah Book Club Pick
Plot
Beyonce’s mom wrote a memoir? Buckle up because I know it’s gonna be good – especially if it’s an Oprah Book Club pick! Tina’s story spans from 1950s Galveston to the birth, raising, and rise of her superstar daughters. You will be inspired by her life, her poise, and strength.
The Emperor of Gladness
Author: Ocean Vuong
Genre: Fiction
Release Date: May 13, 2025
More info: May 2025 Oprah Book Club Pick
Plot
Bestselling author, Ocean Vuong is back with an emotional look at love in dark times. When Hai is about to commit suicide, he’s stopped by elderly, Grazina, a widow suffering from dementia. He becomes her caretaker and they forge a bond unlike any other.
The River is Waiting
Author: Wally Lamb
Genre: Literary Fiction
Release Date: June 10, 2025
More info: June 2025 Oprah Book Club Pick
Plot
Corby is a new father who recently lost his job and is starting to struggle with addiction, all of which is putting a strain on his marriage to Emily. And then he causes a tragedy that tears apart his family, winding up in prison in the process. But prison might be the key to his survival when he befriends his fellow prisoners and the prison librarian.
Culpability
Author: Bruce Holsinger
Year: 2025
Genre: Fiction
More info: July 2025 Oprah Book Club Pick
Age Range: 16+
Plot
Are you looking for a summer read that doubles as a thought-provoking book club pick? Look no further than Culpability.
The story opens with the five members of the Cassidy-Shaws en route to a lax tournament when they are involved in a devastating accident in their self-driving car. Now the family is headed to the Chesapeake Bay for a week to recoup before facing the aftermath of the accident back at home.
But each family member is hiding secrets about the accident. Noah, our protagonist, is grappling with being distracted in the passenger seat when his 17-year-old son, Charlie, is behind the wheel. Lorelei, his wife, is an expert in the field of AI morality, and she was the one insistent that the car they were in was safe.
Scattered throughout the book are interviews on the effects of AI and quotes from Lorelei’s fictional book, which explores the moral consequences of machines without morals. Each family member is reacting differently to the accident, and their week on vacation has the power to push them together or drag them apart.
Why Kirsten loves it
This novel ponders the very real human culpability when AI is involved. And it’s not just examined via the autonomous car — bots, drones, and even smart home systems are examined with a critical eye throughout the story. I love how Lorelei and Noah’s relationship was depicted – while they struggle throughout these events, it was refreshing to see a man supporting a woman who is a rockstar in her field.
Holsinger was able to frame the abstract complexities of the consequences of AI into a compelling story that was as entertaining as it was demanding of deeper study. I hope this book gets into the hands of readers everywhere so that we can all ponder the message within. #gifted by Spiegel and Grau
Find this book in: Thought-Provoking Books / Best Fiction Books of 2025
Bridge of Sighs
Author: Richard Russo
Genre: Fiction
Release Date: 2007
More info: August 2025 Oprah Book Club pick
Plot
Lucy has spent his entire life in Thomaston, New York, where he runs his family’s empire of convenience stores. Now, along with his wife of 40 years, he’s planning to visit his best friend at his Venice home. While visiting, he’s hoping to unravel the mysteries of history.
All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation
Author: Elizabeth Gilbert
Genre: Memoir
Release Date: September 9, 2025
More info: September 2025 Oprah Book Club pick, Author of Eat, Pray, Love
Plot
Elizabeth Gilbert has written her first nonfiction book in 10 years and this is a gripping story of love and addiction. In 2000, Elizabeth met Rayya and the two became inseparable before they realized they were in love. The two started a cycle of addiction and self-destruction. This book looks like a powerful read from the September 2025 book releases.
A Guardian and A Thief
Author: Megha Majumdar
Release Date: 2025
Genre: Fiction
More info: October 2025 Oprah’s Book Club Pick
Plot
In near-future Kolkata, impacted by flooding and famine from climate change, Ma, her father, and her 2-year-old daughter are migrating to Ann Arbor to meet up with Ma’s husband. They board the plane to safety and then find that Ma’s purse with their immigration documents has been stolen.
Over the course of the week, Ma tries to track the thief while feeding her family when little food is available, while we also hear from Boomba, the thief, whose own desperation drove him to the terrible act.
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.
- Give yourself time to read the books without pressure to read them quickly. 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 2025. If you want to read a book you will love, check out my reviews.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best book from the Oprah book club list 2025?
Culpability by Bruce Holsinger is a fantastic book that will really make you think. You will not be able to put it down.
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Epilogue
How many of the books from the Oprah Book Club list 2025 did you read? Which was your favorite?
