Oprah’s Book Club List: The Best Books Ranked for 2024 (+PDF)

From Here to the Great Unknown

Author: Lisa Marie Presley and Riley Keough

Genre: Nonfiction

Year: 2024

More info: October 2024 Oprah Book Club Pick

Age: 16+

Plot

Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir, lovingly finished by her daughter Riley upon her death, tells her story for the first time. Born to one of the most famous musicians in the world, she explores growing up at Graceland, her marriage to Michael Jackson, and what it was like living in the Hollywood scene.

Why Kirsten loves it

I was utterly enthralled by the audiobook version of this book. Julia Roberts narrates Lisa Marie’s words, Riley narrates her own voice, and there are recordings Lisa Marie made scattered throughout as well.

Since Lisa Marie passed before finishing this project, Riley’s words are woven throughout — finishing stories, giving context, and bringing her perspective to her mother’s version of events. Riley showed her mother so much grace and love while acknowledging how unique and difficult Lisa Marie’s life was.

Find this book in: Celebrity Memoirs / Giftable Books / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Best Beach Reads 2025

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 2021  / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books

Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family

Author: Robert Kolker

Year: 2020

Genre: Nonfiction

More info: June 2020 Oprah’s Book Club Pick
#1 New York Times Bestseller

Age Range: 15+

Plot

Stop everything and add Hidden Valley Road to your TBR now!! All I can say is wow! This favorite is one of the best books on Mental Illness and an absolutely fascinating non-fiction book.

This is the amazing story of Don and Mimi Galvin whose family paved the way for schizophrenia research over the past 50 years. Of their 12 children- 10 sons and 2 daughters, 6 of the boys have schizophrenia.

The struggles of this family to survive through the age of lobotomies and institutionalization provide a look into the history of this disorder. It’s unbelievable to think how far we’ve come and yet, we are not even close to understanding this disease.

Trigger Warnings

Suicide, Mental illness, Sexual Assult

Why Kirsten loves it

I think it’s unbelievable to think how far we’ve come and yet, we are not even close to understanding this disease. I could not put this book down.

Why Jackie loves it

I found this book to be absolutely fascinating and heartbreaking at the same time. It is still shocking to me how much we do not understand about the human mind and how much stigma there is with mental illness.

Find this book in: Books on Mental Illness / 20 Best Books of 2020 / The Ultimate List of the Best Non-Fiction Books / Best Books for Book Clubs to Read / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books

Becoming

Author: Michele Obama

Year: 2018

Genre: Nonfiction

More info: November 2018 Oprah’s Book Club Pick

Age Range: 15+

Plot

I am so happy that I finally read this book. Michelle Obama is a brilliant woman who has such an incredible story to tell.  I was intrigued by her life and her upbringing.

I listened to this book and was so happy to hear the story read by Obama herself. Obama is a brilliant woman and it was a pleasure to hear her story told in her voice. There is something about her voice that is so calming and soothing.

Why Kirsten loves it

This is one of my favorite non-fiction books about women in politics. As nonfiction books go, this one is a must.

Why Jackie loves it

I also listened to this one and I think the audio version is a must. I loved hearing this book read by the former first lady!

Find this book in: Ultimate List of Best NonFiction / Feel Good Nonfiction Books / Books about Women in Politics / Books by BIPOC Female Authors / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Celebrity Memoirs

The Underground Railroad

Author: Colson Whitehead

Year: 2016

Genre: Literary Historical Fiction

More info: August 2016 Oprah Book Club Pick, Pulitzer Prize winner, New York Times Bestseller

Age Range: 16+

Plot

The story is about Cora and Caesar, two run-away slaves in the South who run away to the underground railroad which, in this book, is an actual railroad. Each stop along the way is reminiscent of a different place in history and it is interlaced with actual ads placed for runaway slaves. This book is profound and beautiful and a must-read.

Trigger Warnings

Slavery

Why Jackie loves it

I loved this book, and it was one of the first reviews we did on the blog. I love how this book examined the underground railroad with a touch of magical realism. If you are looking for thought-provoking books, look no further.

Find this book in: Thought-provoking Books / Best Historical Fiction Books / Magical Realism Books / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books

One Hundred Years of Solitude

Author: Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Year: 1967

Genre: Magical Realism

More info: January 2004 Oprah Book Club Pick

Age Range: 14+

Plot

This multi-generational family saga is about the Buendiá family and their hometown, the magical Maconda. It’s a comedy, a tragedy, and it looks at the rise and fall of the town’s founding family.

For the record, I read this book BEFORE Oprah picked it! We spent a semester learning about this family saga in high school. Each person was assigned a symbol to report on throughout the book each week.

Mine was goldfish -part of the symbolism of amnesia and the duality between amnesia and nostalgia. Yep. I still remember the lesson. Maybe the teaching contributed, but this remains one of my favorite books ever.

Why Kirsten loves it

I love this family saga. The writing is brilliant and so is the symbolism. This is not an easy read but it is worth every minute.

Find this book in: Kirsten’s Favorites / Magical Realism Books / Classic Books / Amnesia Books / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Best Books in Translation

Night

Author: Elie Wiesel

Year: 1958

Genre: Memoir

More info: January 2006 Oprah Book Club Pick

Age Range: 16+

Plot

This is a must-read non-fiction book about the Holocaust by the Nobel Peace Prize winner.  It is a short but compelling book that will change you and your view of the Holocaust. It’s Elie Wiesel’s account of what happened to him when he was a prisoner at the Nazi death camps.

Trigger Warnings

Death, Antisemitism, Genocide

Why Kirsten loves it

Weisel’s harrowing story can be difficult to read at times, but it is truly essential reading. I read this story as a girl and I continue to think about it all the time. It is probably the most impactful Holocaust autobiography I have ever read.

Why Jackie loves it

I have a personal story about this book.  My husband’s grandmother grew up in the same town as Elie Wiesel.  She knew both him and his wife.  This was the first thing that she told me when I met her (My husband’s name is also Elie, but this is purely coincidental). 

Find this book in: Books About the Holocaust / Best Celebrity Book Club Books / Books that will Emotionally Wreck You / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Best Books in Translation

I Know This Much is True

Author: Wally Lamb

Year: 1998

Genre: Fiction

More info: June 1998 Oprah Book Club Pick

Age Range: 16+

Plot

This is a story of identical twin brothers, one of whom is a paranoid schizophrenic. When he shockingly mutilates himself, his brother must become his caretaker. It is powerful and heartbreaking.

Trigger Warnings

Suicide, Rape, Domestic abuse

Why Jackie loves it

I read this book more than 20 years ago, and I still feel emotional about this book. I have not re-read it to see if it has withstood the test of time, but I do not doubt that it has.

Find this book in: Long Books / Books About Mental Illness / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books

Finding Me

Author: Viola Davis

Year: 2022

Genre: Memoir

More info: April 2022 Oprah’s Book Club Pick

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Viola Davis’s life story had me entranced as I learned what she needed to overcome during her childhood, college, and her early career to become the powerhouse she is today.

Her thoughts on life in Hollywood were enlightening. Her deep love for her family and her roots shone through. And her story made it very clear that she takes nothing for granted.

Trigger Warnings

Racism

Why Kirsten loves it

Viola worked damn hard to be successful and she deserves every accolade she’s received and more. Her narration even earned her an Audie Awards 2023 nomination.

Find this book in: Best Audiobooks of 2022 / Book About Poverty / Books by Female BIPOC Authors / Best Nonfiction Books / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books

American Dirt

Author: Jeanine Cummins

Year: 2020

Genre: Fiction

More info: January 2020 Oprah’s Book Club Pick

Age Range: 16+

Plot

The story starts with Lydia and her 8-year-old son Luca as they hide from the cartel, who are massacring their entire extended family. The opening is heart-pounding — the jolt it gives to your heart never lets up. ⁣

Lydia and Luca then have to make the perilous journey North as migrants. What they go through as they try to outrun the cartel is devastating, thought-provoking, and scary. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I never knew that a scene about putting a band-aid on a blister could be so suspenseful.⁣ I don’t want to tell any details because this story is about the unfolding of real-time events and the backstory that led to the massacre.

Trigger Warnings

Murder, Rape

Why Kirsten loves it

My heart did not stop pounding the entire time I read this book.  I know that there is a lot of controversy surrounding this book.  However, I read this book for what it was- a work of fiction rather than non-fiction.

Find this book in: Books About Immigration / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books

Behold the Dreamers

Author: Imbolo Mbue

Year: 2016

Genre: Fiction

More info: June 2017 Oprah’s Book Club Pick

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

Honestly, I love this story about immigration, Wall Street, and the American dream. Jende and Nedi’s story about their move from Cameroon and how it affects their marriage and their morals was compulsively readable. It starts in 2007 when Jende takes a job as a chauffeur for a wealthy Lehman Brothers executive, and then Nedi gets employed at the family’s summer home in the Hamptons. Just as the Jende and Nedi are starting to settle in, the downfall of Lehman Brothers upends their lives.

Trigger Warnings

 Drug Use, Alcoholism

Why Kirsten loves it

This contemporary fiction story was recommended to me so often in the past few years that I was worried it wouldn’t live up to the hype. My library hold finally came due so I took the plunge. WHAT TOOK ME SO LONG? I couldn’t put it down. Don’t wait as long as I did to read this amazing novel.

Find this book in: Novels About Africa / Contemporary Fiction Novels / Books Set in New York / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books

Where the Heart is

Author: Billie Letts

Year: 1995

Genre: Romance

More info: December 1998 Oprah Book Club Pick

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

This book was all the rage in my youth, especially when the movie adaptation came out starring Natalie Portman. It’s about a pregnant young woman who is abandoned by her boyfriend in the middle of nowhere. She ends up having a baby in the Walmart she’s been living in and is welcomed by the whole town.

Trigger Warnings

Child Abuse, Rape

Why Kirsten loves it

I read this when I was still a teenager, yet I remember connecting with Novalee over her struggles and fight to protect her daughter. Truly a wonderful story about how your family might just be the community you live in.

Find this book in: Novels About Weather / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books

The Invention of Wings

Author: Sue Monk Kidd

Year: 2014

Genre: Historical Fiction

More info: January 2014 Oprah’s Book Club Pick

Age Range: 18+

Plot

I picked this book up in Charleston when I was there for a visit in October of 2018. I wanted to pick up a book about the city. When I found out that our hotel was next to the Grimke sister’s home, I knew this was the book for me.

This book tells the story of Sarah Grimke, one of the first female abolitionists, and the enslaved Handful. Starting in Charleston on a plantation and ending in Philadelphia in the pre-civil war era, the story explores the life of Sarah, the daughter of a slaveholder, as she fights for the rights of women and enslaved people.

Why Kirsten like it

I found the story compelling – the political portion of Sarah’s work was particularly appealing. Sue Monk Kidd is a fantastic writer and the story flowed in such a wonderful way.

While I learned many valuable lessons, it did give me pause that the story was written by a white woman. I would recommend All We Were Promised by Ashton Lattimore if you are looking for an additional account of the problems facing enslaved people at this time.

Find this book in: Biographical Fiction Novels / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books / Fiction Books About Women in Politics

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

The Poisonwood Bible

Author: Barbara Kingsolver

Year: 1998

Genre: Historical Fiction

More info: June 2000 Oprah Book Club Pick

Age Range: 18+

Plot

This novel is about one family’s three decades in the Congo. Nathan Price is an evangelical Baptist who takes his family on a mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. The novel takes place during the Congo’s fight for independence. This epic family saga is told by Nathan’s Wife and four daughters. If you are looking for the best novels about Africa, this one will not disappoint.

Trigger Warnings

Child Death, Racism

Why Jackie loves it

This is another book from Oprah’s original book club that has stayed with me over the years. Oprah chooses books that are emotional and well-written, and this family saga is no exception.

Find this book in: Family Saga / Novels About Africa / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books

She’s Come Undone

Author: Wally Lamb

Year: 1992

Genre: Fiction

More info: December 1996 Oprah Book Club Pick

Spice Rating:💋

Age Range: 16+

Plot

This emotional, character-driven novel covers the female protagonist’s journey through adolescence into womanhood. It’s a heavy story examining her eating disorder, her subsequent stay at an inpatient facility, her suicide attempt, and more. It’s a wonderful, moving story.

Trigger Warnings

Eating Disorder, Rape

Why Jackie loves it

I often do not like books in which the female main character is written by a man. Wally Lamb does this with ease in this funny and poignant coming-of-age story.

Find this book in: Book About Mental Illness / Best Oprah’s Book Club Books