Episode 28: The Best Oprah Book Club Picks

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This week on the Read Carpet Report, Jackie and Kirsten rank their all-time favorite Oprah Book Club picks- including one of the most controversial choices Oprah has ever made. Plus, two book-to-movie adaptations hit theaters this week: Practical Magic 2 (Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman) and Sense and Sensibility (Daisy Edgar-Jones, Caitriona Balfe, Fiona Shaw).

The September 2026 Beyond the Bookends Book Club pick discussed themes of workplace conflict, teacher stereotypes, work-life balance, and education politics. You can still join before the live discussion with Jennifer.

Chapters

00:15 – The Read Carpet Rundown
04:04 – Deep Dive into the Best Oprah Book Club Picks
32:53 – The Bookmark: The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon
35:16 – Reader Question: What Are Your Favorite Books Set in a Museum?

The Read Carpet Rundown (00:15)

The book adaptations coming to the screen on September 11th, including Practical Magic 2 starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman, and Sense & Sensibility starring Daisy Edgar Jones, Caitriona Balfe, and Fiona Shaw

• Books Like Pride and Prejudice
• Jane Austen Retellings
• Practical Magic Books in Order
• The Best Witch Books

Main Segment: Deep Dive into the Best Oprah Book Club Picks (04:04 )

Jackie and Kirsten each choose their favorite Oprah Book Club picks. There are so many award-winning books, plus a very controversial pick. These are the books that have made a huge impact on their reading since the book club started in 1996.

• The Best Oprah Books
• Oprah’s Book Club List

The Bookmark: The Pirate Queen by Ariel Lawhon(32:53)

This episode’s staff recommendation, plus Ariel Lawhon’s Books in Order and a great place to find more books like this one.

• Ariel Lawhon Books in Order
• Best Pirate Books
• Novels Set in Ireland
• Best Biographical Fiction Novels

Reader Question: What Are Your Favorite Books Set in Museums?(35:16)

The October Prompt for the reading challenge is to read a book set in a museum. These are our favorites. What are yours?

• Books Set in Museums

The Books We Discussed

Shop for every book or product we discussed in this episode below.

More Ways to Watch or Listen

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Watch or Listen on Spotify

Transcript

Kirsten (00:00)
Welcome to the Red Carpet Report, your backstage pass to celebrity book clubs, book adaptations, and new book releases. I’m Kirsten.

Jackie (00:07)
And I’m Jackie.

Kirsten (00:08)
Your hosts.

Jackie (00:13)
There we go. Check it out. Today on the Red Carpet Report, we are doing a deep dive into Oprah. The OG Book Club Queen. But before we get into her, let’s talk about the two very exciting pieces of news we have for the Red Carpet rundown.

Kirsten (00:21)
Woohoo! Yes. We have two book adaptations coming out this week. And I personally cannot wait to see.

Jackie (00:46)
And they’re coming out on the same date.

Kirsten (00:42)
Either one and both are coming to the theater instead of the TV. I know. I mean, talk about a doubleheader if you can swing it. The first one is Sense and Sensibility. And this is, I would say, mid-tier Jane Austen for me. You know, it’s not my favorite. It’s not my least favorite. That firmly belongs to Emma. But there are some killer cast members in this one. Yes. Including Daisy Edgar Jones, who we were introduced to through Where the Crawdads Sing. Yes. Catriona Balfie, who we all know as Claire

Jackie (00:56)
Yes. Yes.

Kirsten (01:19)
From Outlander. And Fiona Shaw, aka Mrs. Dursley from Mary Potter.

Jackie (01:25)
Laughter. I love the way you did that. I’m really excited for this one. But I have to say, the other one is something I’ve been looking forward to for how many months now? Like a year?

Kirsten (01:39)
I mean, I feel like I’ve been waiting for this since the last one came out. So go ahead and tell us what it is. Yes!

Jackie (01:44)
Going to smoke this. We have in the theater, ladies and gentlemen, practical magic two. Bam!

Kirsten (01:53)
Yes! does star Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman in a returning of the original cast. Like, yes.

Jackie (02:03)
Which actually okay, so I have a question. So we know Practical Magic is a series of books. There is an entire lore about whether you should read these books in the order that they were published or in chronological order, which changes it completely. She has a new book that just came out that was a celebrity book club pick for Jenna that does not take place in the Practical Magic world. Do you think she is going to continue the practical magic series since everybody still loves it so much?

Kirsten (02:35)

No. I think I know. I think she’s gonna let Hollywood do its thing, if they wanna have a third trilogy. She’s gonna let them do their thing and she’s gonna focus on The Witches of Cambridge and whatever she started with that series. And I think she’s gonna go with a whole new line of witches. That’s my thought process. Sorry. I know. I know you do.

Jackie (03:02)
I know. Which I mean I could understand, but do I love those books. do. Love them so much. I think that’s my favorite. Well, I don’t know; maybe that’s tied with Discovery of Witches for my favorite witch series?

Kirsten (03:20)
You can’t say favorite fantasy when you’ve read as many books as we have. Let me tell you about my favorite vampire one. Let me tell you about my favorite urban fantasy that is set with witches as opposed to my favorite historical fiction that is about witches. Yeah, I know. Yeah.

Jackie (03:29)
of as opposed fiction is Yes. My I’m gonna say it’s my favorite witch fantasy because Discovery of Witches also has vampires.

Kirsten (03:45)
I love it. Just getting away on technicalities. I know. You can. It’s our show. We can do whatever we want, man.

Jackie (03:48)
Totally. But I can do that. the I can do whatever I want.

Kirsten (03:54)
Well, we want to keep this episode short and sweet. It is back-to-school season. There is just total chaos in our lives and probably in yours. So this is gonna be a quick episode. So we’re gonna get right into the deep dive

Jackie (04:00)
Hopefully

Kirsten (04:05)
of Oprah. You wanna give us little history of Oprah?

Jackie (04:09)
Yeah, so Oprah is the original queen of the book club. Oprah established her book club on her show, The Oprah Winfrey Show, in 1996. And she would announce books when she felt like it. I mean, they weren’t monthly, right? So she numbered them. And she just numbers them. And then that way the next book is always going to be the next number. And she can choose books when she feels like she should choose a book, as opposed to some of the other book clubs. When it comes to December, a lot of times they’re choosing backlists just because it’s a very light publishing month. So in this way, Oprah can choose whatever she wants. She had the book club for years and years.

Kirsten (04:54)
month. Right. So

Jackie (05:02)
And then when her show ended in twenty eleven.

Kirsten (05:06)
those of you that don’t know, It was a daytime TV show. And all of us watched it. It was geared towards our parents, our moms, stay at home moms, probably specifically, because I think it was…

Jackie (05:16)
four o’clock. Yeah.

Kirsten (05:17)
Right. But then we would all get to watch it after school, you know, with our mom. It was approved TV. Yeah. I watched it every day. I loved that show. it. I watched

Jackie (05:23)
Yeah. I watched it every day. I loved that show. Loved it. And

Kirsten (05:27)
it through college.

Jackie (05:31)
It ended her show ended in twenty eleven.

Kirsten (05:34)
Okay. It ended after I got married. It ended after I got married, but before I had kids. So I was working, so I couldn’t see it. You did. You were the target audience at one point. You weren’t

Kirsten (05:47)
The secondary audience that you were the target audience. I was

Jackie (05:50)
I was in there long enough to be Oprah’s target audience. I’m so sad that I never got to see the Oprah show in person, actually.

Kirsten (05:57)
that’s exciting. Yeah, so exciting. I’m so I know. She should bring that back. Totally. So Right. She started

Jackie (06:06)
Totally. So when her show ended, she started Oprah two point

Kirsten (06:13)
the Own Network, which was the Oprah Winfrey Network of, you know, it was the height of cable and everyone was getting their own channels. And then she launched O magazine. And then also. Oprah two point Since I was twelve.

Jackie (06:26)
So she has had a book club pretty much consistently, even if it was only one or two picks a year since.

Kirsten (06:40)
I just had to do I just had to do it. No, but the reason I’m giving my age is actually

Jackie (06:44)
Where’s that award I gave you last week? it’s being revoked.

Kirsten (06:51)
relevant. It’s relevant to my pick at the time. So you need to know that in 1996 I was twelve. That is a relevant piece of information that you’re gonna need later in the episode. I know

Jackie (07:01)
I know, I know, I know what you’re saying. Okay, you’re forgiven. I’m sorry, I jumped to conclusions. I thought she was niggling me because I was 20.

Kirsten (07:04)
Well, I might have been.

Jackie (07:13)
Okay, moving on. I don’t know what I did to deserve this today. I’m having a rough day already. Sorry. It’s not very nice. I’m having a rough day. My middle son who is my oldest child at home, started his senior year. So now has begun the countdown to when he is also going to leave me, and some people are very excited for their children to leave. And I am not one of them.

Kirsten (07:47)
I’m not either. I’m in existential crisis mode. Did I say that word correctly? I don’t even know. I was just having this moment at a dinner party the other night where…You know, my oldest is the same age as your youngest, and they are starting their freshman years. So they started that earlier this week too. and I just don’t, I was a my peak mom years were when they were toddlers, when they were younger, when I would say under 10, I was an excellent down on the floor at playtime all the time. Really fun mom. There’s a reason that kids a certain age love me. I am a very fun, active person. But I don’t know what to do when I’m not creating an activity for fun. I don’t know how to parent this age group. And they, you know, it’s totally normal for them to not

Jackie (08:32)
for fun. Like people know how to

Kirsten (08:38)
really want to hang out with us and just want to talk to their friends and want to work through issues with their friends and want to spend time with their friends and want to spend time alone in a room. And I am struggling with that. So I don’t know how you’re struggling with kids actually physically leaving the house. I don’t think.

Jackie (08:59)
house. I don’t think that a bad but that’s gonna be a deep question. It’s gonna be very hard for this one because my oldest is like your oldest. He really loved to spend time in his room. And this one how can I help you with dinner, mom? Is there anything that you need help with? He is there, he’s an active participant, he’s

Kirsten (08:55)
I’m gonna get out of bed when that happens. There’s gonna be a deep depression.

Jackie (09:21)
a happy kid. So when he goes, goodness, you guys are gonna hear about it. I apologize; you’re gonna hear about it. I’m gonna need your help working through the failings.

Kirsten (09:24)
kid. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think the

Introverted, extroverted, the introverts, they’re quieter, so you miss them. But I missed him in my own house because I don’t see him until dinner time on a regular day, you know? Where the extrovert is present, or it’s known, and so then the absence of it is a little bit harder. Yeah, we’re struggling if you can’t tell. Sorry, we just unburdened. This is therapy. Therapy session with Jackie and Kirsten. I feel like this. Yes,

Jackie (10:01)
I feel like this is a great segue into Oprah’s books.

Kirsten (10:08)
sure, it is a great ac it actually is.

Jackie (10:10)
Because Oprah’s books are okay. I’ve never read an Oprah book that wasn’t v very well written.

Kirsten (10:40)
that have been like, moly, yeah,

Jackie (10:23)
But every single one is also incredibly emotional. So that some of them I I can absorb it and I can love them. And some of them ,I just cannot. And there have been a few this year that have been like, holy moly, what in the world are you doing to me? So those ones are not included.

Kirsten (10:49)
okay. That’s fair.

Jackie (10:51)
Those ones are are not included. They practically broke me. Okay.

Kirsten (10:55)
I have some ones that broke me on here, but that’s okay. give me, yeah, let’s do this. In a different Give me, give me your first one. Okay. I need to I need to get my pen ready. Hold on. Okay.

Jackie (10:57)
The ones I have broke me in a in a different way. Okay. Okay. I needed cleaning. Okay. We’re gonna talk about the original book that broke me. I sobbed my eyes out so badly with this book, A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mystery.

Kirsten (11:18)
Okay, I never read that one.

Jackie (11:22)
I like to this day, it is phenomenal and heartbreaking. Just a a lot a lot of emotions with this one. So that’s like the original one. I feel like half of it I’ve had to block out. It upset me so much.

Kirsten (11:44)
Well, if we’re gonna talk about ones that were formative. Going back to the fact that I was 12 when she launched this book club, one of her first ever picks was She’s Come Undone by Wally Lamb. Okay. I was the I but I don’t have that one. Okay. It

Jackie (11:59)
but I don’t have that one. Okay.

Kirsten (12:01)
was, it came out in 1996, and I’m pretty sure because it was open, my mom was like, sure, you can read it. I read this thing in middle school. This is not a book to be read in middle school. I would not give this to my kids today. No. But you know what? I read it and it broke me and it exposed me to things.

Kirsten (12:24)
It was phenomenal. I Wally lamb writes a seriously great book. I shouldn’t have read it, but it was appreciate that at some point in my life I did. do you really? I Really? I read them. Okay, I did too.

Jackie (12:34)
Well, I have the other Wally Lamb. read? I do. I Know This Much is True. Really? Mm-hmm. I read both of them. Okay. I did too. I know that again, another heartbreaking. It’s twins. One of them has schizophrenia. I mean.

Kirsten (12:52)
And I remember I know that she did actually just choose in two point she chose his more recent book, but I couldn’t bring myself to read it.

Jackie (13:01)
And maybe when I was younger and I didn’t have so much else going on, it was easier to read books because then I could sit with it, but I didn’t have to necessarily relate it to my kids. And since I’ve had kids, there are certain books that I just cannot read.

Kirsten (13:19)
My read. I think that’s valid. Yeah. That was like a recent pick.

Jackie (13:28)
Right. So like we talked about Little Wonder. Yeah. That was like a a recent pick. I have a child. This book was like my worst nightmare. Right. So s I think my perspective has changed, which is why a lot of my favorites were from the original one, because I think I was much better able to handle some of those difficult emotional things and I can’t handle it so well anymore.

Kirsten (13:57)
I think that makes sense. And I also wonder if like maybe I’ll go back to Oprah once I’m not in the nitty gritty of day to day parenting. You know? Yes.

Jackie (14:02)
Mm-hmm. Yes.

Kirsten (14:05)

I think that is like a very true situation because I do think that she shaped my reading skills. And I think that she you know, created me to be a more empathetic person because

Jackie (14:08)
Yes. she person because

Kirsten (14:18)
of her book choices. But my capacity for empathy is like it’s like my my cup runneth over at this point. I don’t have time to take on empathy in the way that some of these books just rip your heart out.

Jackie (14:26)
I don’t on it but they for one the way that some of these just rip right feel it. I feel like I do

Kirsten (14:33)
I just no, I can yeah, I can feel you with that. And I do have some on here where there’s a lot of that, but like those really heavy ones, I can’t do.

Jackie (14:41)
really ones. Yeah. I can’t. Yeah.

Kirsten (14:44)
But I I’m I’m aware enough not to right now. Okay, what’s your next one? Gosh, this is so hard. I’m gonna pick another younger Kirsten Reed. Okay. Because this is probably the only romance on her list. And it is one of the more

Jackie (14:47)
Mm-hmm. Okay, what’s your next one? romance. Okay. it’s one of the more unusual,

Kirsten (15:02)
Unusual Oprah pics, but it’s such a unique story that it stuck with me. And not just because Natalie Portman started the adaptation. Do you know what I’m talking about? It’s Where the Heart is by Billie Letz. And it’s about a pregnant woman who’s abandoned and is living in a is it a Kmart? A Walmart? And she’s hiding in there because she has no money and she’s homeless and she’s trying to have the baby, and then she has, you know.

Jackie (15:21)
Walmart? Walmart, I think. there later fair for Oprah. Yeah, I get like this is one that has a lot of serious topics and is emotional, but isn’t

Kirsten (15:32)
It’s it’s all about her like integrating into the community and it’s a lovely story. One of the later it’s one of it’s later fair for Oprah. Yeah, I get like There’s a lot of in it as well.

Jackie (15:49)
Heartbreaking. There’s a lot of feel good in it as well. You chose a light one. I’m gonna talk about my light one. Okay. Which is Go Gentle by Maria Semple. And that was yes. And I was so delighted with this choice because it is a lighter pick and it does have serious topics,

Kirsten (15:59)
Okay. Sandra. A recent pick. Yes.

Jackie (16:14)
But it was a genuine beach read from Oprah. There was so much to talk about, but I absolutely loved the story of a woman. She’s a single woman later in her life, and she works as an in-house philosopher and a later coming of age novel.

Kirsten (16:33)
so you’re throwing down coming of age. I’m gonna go with Hello Beautiful, which was her hundredth book club pick. And it’s about sisters. It’s a very light retelling of Little Women, I believe. Okay. but it’s about sisters in the 50s or 60s, I wanna say, and the bonds of sisterhood. It’s a family saga, which you know I love. And I just thought it was wonderfully written the book cover is gorgeous. And it’s one of those forever

Jackie (16:58)
It’s gorgeous.

Kirsten (17:02)
great book club picks.

Jackie (17:03)
Speaking of a book club pick, I love this game. I feel like we’re playing a game of almost like geography, but with books. Okay, so you say book club, I say Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker.

Kirsten (17:18)
That’s on my list too. Okay. Yep. Yep. Yep. Yep.

Jackie (17:22)
We have already interviewed Bob about Hidden Valley Road a few years ago during COVID. We did it virtually. And this is a book about a family with schizophrenia.

His newest book, The Vanishing Family, is a story about a family that has frontal lobe dementia. He is our November book club pick for Beyond the Bookends, and we are so excited to talk with him, I think it’s gonna be phenomenal.

Kirsten (17:52)
It is gonna be phenomenal. I can’t wait for it. Well, since you’ve

Jackie (17:55)
and like we all pick a lot of nonfiction. Say the nonfiction. Okay. And we don’t pick a lot of nonfiction for the book club because sometimes there isn’t a ton to talk about, but we know him and the way that he crafts a book. This is gonna be a phenomenal discussion.

Kirsten (18:09)
dropped the nonfiction, I’m gonna go with one of my picks, which is from Here to the Great Unknown, it’s Lisa Marie Presley; she’s talking about her life as Elvis’ daughter. But then she died while writing the book. And so it was published posthumously. With help from her daughter, Riley Keogue, who wrote parts of the story and put in her own memories. And so it’s a very unique story because we’ve never really seen a memoir that was co-written by mother and daughter kind of dissecting the same memories and talking about the impact of you know one’s growing up and child-rearing on the other. This is one of my favorite nonfiction books in recent years. And anyone who’s an Elvis fan, a music fan, this is definitely a book that you should be reading.

Jackie (19:00)
Speaking of nonfiction and people that we will never be able to interview.

Kirsten (19:05)
Okay, hit me. Yes. I

Jackie (19:07)
Becoming Michelle Obama. mean, Michelle, you are welcome anytime. I loved this book. I loved her voice. I listened to it. She narrated it. Her life is so interesting. She’s so brilliant. I just loved hearing about it. It made me feel happy and hopeful, and I love her philosophy in in life.

Kirsten (19:40)
I’m gonna pick up the torch. That one was almost on my list of nonfiction, but I went with a different person. Ooh. Who is deceased. Okay.

Jackie (19:46)
who Okay.

Kirsten (19:49)
Okay. Whose memoir is known the world over. I bet it’s on your list too. It’s Night by Ellie. Talk about rip your heart out. I’m glad that I read this when I was younger. I don’t think I could emotionally handle this in the world that we live in today.

Jackie (20:08)
My husband’s grandmother, who I loved, she lived till 101, grew up in the same town as Elie It is a lost city. It’s called Siget Marmesh. And what is a lost city? It is a city that no longer exists because everybody either moved or was killed in the Holocaust. And there are a lot of them. This is one of them. This is where he came from. This was on my list. And if you have not read it, it’s very short; it is very painful, but it’s a must-read. Yeah. And they’re not gonna be able to

Kirsten (20:51)
Yeah. They’re not tell their story. I think this is this should be required reading in schools as far as I’m concerned. It’s a quick one. I know my kids study it in school. I studied it in college and in high school. but it’s profound. Okay, another book that I studied. I’m picking up the torch.

Jackie (21:12)
I know I know what you’re gonna say.

Kirsten (21:14)
I would like to first of all tell you that I chose this as my list of top ten favorite books of all time.It’s in there. Okay. And I chose it and named it as one of my favorites before Oprah chose it in 2004. Yes. I did. It is 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez. I was a sophomore when I read this book in high school.

Jackie (21:29)
Yes, you did.

Kirsten (21:39)
You would get to choose your elective English class. So one year and this is another one. This is why I love the Odyssey. I learned about the Odyssey for a couple of months and you kind of deep-dived into a subject of your choice. It was a wonderful way to do English. This was a class was on this book and every time before class we’d have to read another chapter and there’s so much symbolism in there.

And the thing that I had to track, everyone had an assignment. I had to track Goldfish. And I, to this day, love this book, remember this book, remember that I was supposed to follow the Goldfish references throughout this while reading. And it’s one of those books that will just stay with me forever. It will forever be in the top 10. I can’t bring myself to watch the Netflix show yet because I’m just nervous that the adaptation isn’t gonna be as good, but

Jackie (22:30)
When a book is that good and that detailed, I’m not sure. Like, I feel like you can do a Jane Austen adaptation really well. But I feel like something that has so much symbolism, there’s no way to include it all. So when you’re watching this and you don’t see the symbolism of the goldfish, you’re gonna be like, I’m done. It’s not here. I’m not watching this.

Kirsten (22:54)
I’m done. You’re right. I think that’s what’s holding me back, but I do really want to see it. I

Jackie (23:02)
I think you shouldn’t; you’re gonna be really disappointed.

Kirsten (23:22)
There’s symbolism in that. yeah, yeah.

Jackie (23:05)
So I only have a few books less left on this list. So I’m gonna make a really far-fetched connection here. Okay. My next one is The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. There’s symbolism in that. There’s so much symbolism. And I was also gonna say I wish they would do an adaptation of this one. This is a story of the Underground Railroad, in which it’s an actual underground railroad. Underground. And the railroad takes you to different places that are symbolic of different periods of time. So the railroad takes you somewhere that makes you feel like you are in Germany during the Second World War, like in an attic. I got to actually meet him. I did. They did one book, One Lower Merion, and this was the book they chose. And I got to meet him. He is so brilliant. This book is so good. It’s outstanding. It is a book about slavery, but it’s not one of the ones that will rip your heart out.

Kirsten (24:03)
I didn’t know that. A

Jackie (24:23)
it’s emotional but it doesn’t leave you with the pit in your stomach that you can’t get rid of for 20 years.

Kirsten (24:27)
Okay, well, if we’re talking about slavery, I’m gonna talk about The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd. I actually

Jackie (24:37)
Mm.

Kirsten (24:39)
picked this book up when I went to Charleston. And the hotel that we were staying at was right across from the Grimke sisters’ house. And there was a whole, you know, there’s like a historic plaque, which anything anywhere in Charleston you look, there’s like something.

Jackie (24:47)
wow, okay. And something

Kirsten (24:55)
I then saw in pretty much every location that we went, this book was highlighted. And so I picked it up. Obviously, there’s an Oprah sticker. It’s about the Grimke sisters, and they were abolitionists who had roots in Charleston. They started in Charleston. They ended up in Philadelphia. They were key, key, key people in the abolitionist movement. And I found this book to be absolutely fascinating. And I always love to pick up a book set in a place that I am traveling because it reminds me of that place when I’m reading it afterwards.

Kirsten (25:30)
The fact that it was an Oprah Book Club pick was set in Charleston. I’m not reading just some whatever. I’m reading solid literature about a time period that I got to see and walk the halls of and see the shadows of this awful period of time. But it was also, you were saying, it was hopeful because it just, God, it was so beautifully written.

Jackie (25:53)
So my next book is one that also kind of opened up my eyes to a situation. But this one’s really controversial.

Kirsten (26:05)
I know what you’re picking.

Jackie (26:07)
It is American Dirt by Janine Cummings. So there was a lot of controversy around this book because it is not an own voices book. Correct. So she had originally said that her husband was an immigrant, but he was not an immigrant from South America. And so the stories are not the same. But I included it on here because I thought it was a very well written book.

Kirsten (26:17)
Correct.

Jackie (26:34)
I really enjoyed it, but it also provided me with the knowledge that now there was something that I really needed to look into. And it gave me the opportunity to read some books that were Own Voices books. So for that reason, I’m choosing it because I still think it had a very important message for people that might not have been aware of really ,what is going on and has been going on.

Kirsten (27:06)
Yeah, it’s interesting. I think we have a slightly different perspective because we’re Jewish. And so there are not a lot of Jewish people out there telling stories about the Holocaust or about our trials and tribulations. And I think a lot of Jewish people, and this has changed a little bit with the Own Voices movement, but there are a lot of people that are like, we’re just happy you’re out there telling our story. Like that is really helpful to us. And that has been partially our feelings

Jackie (27:23)
movement. That is

Kirsten (27:33)
you know, people outside of the Jewish community writing Jewish stories. But like we felt about Reese choosing the Nightingale, I understand why someone in this, you know, South American community would be upset that an own voices story like this wasn’t chosen to be highlighted by Oprah. And this is where you’re like, you know, book clubs could get really creative and pair something like this with a nonfiction book.

Jackie (27:56)
creative And there are

Kirsten (28:01)
And there are many, I think Solito (by Javier Zamora) immediately comes to mind that was a read with Jennipic. where it’s like you could pair a fiction book and a nonfiction book, have the platform, have them together. I do think that I’m with you, whether or not you like it as a celebrity book club choice.

Jackie (28:23)
Yes.

Kirsten (28:18)
Because it was a celebrity book club choice, it opened my eyes to what was happening and I did further research and I’ve read so many stories now, own voices, nonfiction, and other about what is happening at the Mexican border. so for that, I I I salute your choice. And there is this that opening scene from that book with the bathtub. Oof, haunting to this day.

Jackie (28:43)
Right.

Kirsten (28:44)
Speaking of own voices, my next one is the WEB, The Love Songs of W.E.B. Dubois, which is an own voices story. And Runner Up didn’t make the list, but Juni also on the list was one of my favorite picks from last year,

Jackie (28:50)
Which

Kirsten (28:58)
You’re looking for that perspective of an own voice’s tale about slavery and its impacts, the love songs of W.E.B. Dubois is definitely high on my list. Okay. So Well, just say it. Just say it. There we go. What are they?

Jackie (29:07)
Okay. So I don’t know how my last two relate to any of that, but I’m just I’m throwing out my last two, which are both Barbara King Solver. There Right? The Poison Wood Bible and Demon Copperhead.

Kirsten (29:25)
Both won polzers, I think, didn’t they? I think so.

Jackie (29:27)
Think so. She can write. She can write a book. The Poison Wood Bible takes place in Africa. That was not as heartbreaking to me as Demon Copperhead. That is a retelling of David Copperfield (by Charles Dickens), but a modern retelling of it. And she did way too good of a job in retelling this story. Because it’s sad, but brilliantly written.

Kirsten (29:57)
And I know that it’s about drug use, and the proceeds from the book helped her open up a shelter for a rehab for drug addicts. Did you know that? I did not know that. She posted and she was like,

Jackie (30:08)
No way. I did not know that.

Kirsten (30:12)
This is the house that Demon built. And her funds from her book. I know. I’m so I’m so sorry I’m just telling this to you live

Jackie (30:19)
You love it

Kirsten (30:19)
on the air.

Jackie (30:23)
That’s so Dolly.

Kirsten (30:24)
I know. I know. I know. Wow.

Jackie (30:26)
Wow, wow.

Kirsten (30:28)
So talk about making an impact. Yeah. When a book does really well and taking it and writing about something, you know,

Jackie (30:32)
Yeah.

Kirsten (30:35)
that’s happening in your community. And she was, she was inspired by the drug epidemic in her community when she wrote it. And so she wanted to help fix the problem. Wow. I know.

Jackie (30:45)
wanted to help this out. good Lord. Well, I mean, job well done.

Kirsten (30:49)
Well, the final pick that I have is not super emotional, but it’s really interesting. It’s by Imbolo Mboue, and it’s called Behold the Dreamers. And

Jackie (30:58)
Dreamer.

Kirsten (30:59)
she’s another book coming out next month that I’m very excited about. It’s on my Kindle. I’m starting it this weekend. I’m very happy about it. but this

Jackie (31:04)
Ooh.

Kirsten (31:07)
one, Behold the Dreamers, is set right before the financial crisis of was that 2008? It’s the story of a husband and wife team from Cameroon who have come over and they are working for a wealthy couple. She’s, I believe, the housekeeper and he’s the driver. And this couple that’s, like taking care of them, he’s in the finance world, I believe he works for Lehman Brothers or Goldman Sachs, and it’s right before the financial crisis. So it’s like having the American dream, almost getting to obtain it, and then it crumbles, and you’re watching like their dream crumble, the family that they’re working for, but also. The husband and wife duo who now had been financially stable and their lives had depended on this other family and what are they gonna do. And it was fascinating. It was so interesting, but it was not that emotional gut punch that some of the other books are.

Jackie (31:57)
was not that emotional gut punch that some of the other books

Kirsten (32:02)
But the story, I just couldn’t put it down. It was so readable, and it was just so wonderful, and it talked about the impact of something like that to more than just the immediate person. Do you know what I mean? Right. No, the financial crisis is not a huge not a huge topic of conversation, I guess.

Jackie (32:15)
Right. And there are not a lot of books really written about that. And when you say it’s a book about the financial crisis, you’re like, who wants to read that? And then

Kirsten (32:29)
Right.

Jackie (32:31)
you have brilliant writers who can interesting. Yeah. Yeah.

Kirsten (32:35)
Make it interesting. Yeah. Well, that leads us into the bookmark portion of this episode. And it is your turn, my dear. So what do you got for us?

Jackie (32:39)
I’m so excited. So I briefly touched on this last week, but I need to tell you all about Ariel Lawhan‘s new book, The Pirate Queen. I do not know how she does the research that she does into the women that she chooses to write about. This is about Grace O’Malley, who is Irish. And it is in the 1500s. Her father is a powerful chieftain. She is married off to a horrible man.

Kirsten (33:11)
Irish, sounds like. Okay. And

Jackie (33:25)
Who is a powerful chieftain on his own? Her only job in the 1500s is obviously to make alliances, have children, which she does, but things happen and she is kicked off of her husband’s land. And she ends up going back and taking over the fleet of her father’s ships. Okay? So this is a this is a real woman.

Kirsten (34:03)
Okay. Okay, so

Jackie (33:53)
The 1500s. This story is told in multiple timelines. I had no problem keeping track because either she is a child, she’s 35, she’s 50. so it’s pretty easy to tell where she is in her life. One of them is married with kids; one of them, her kids are older; and one of them, she’s a really little kid. She’s always had an affinity towards the sea, and she becomes the chieftain of the fleet, O’Malley, and then takes on Queen Elizabeth I when Queen Elizabeth I is trying to take over Ireland. It is phenomenal. Phenomenal. She is such a strong, amazing woman

Kirsten (34:35)
This sounds fun.

Jackie (34:42)
It is all the stars. It’s five stars. I adored it. And you have to read this book.

Kirsten (34:50)
You know I love a biographical fiction, so I’m I’m down for this between that and the pirates. Woo! Sign me up, baby. Mm-hmm. Alright. I’m gonna read it.

Jackie (34:54)
Okay. Sign me up, baby. And it’s set in Ireland. It’s got all the things that you are all about. Yeah. if you have loved her other books, I think this is my favorite, and I’ve loved her books. Read it, pick it up, and just enjoy the ride.

Kirsten (35:14)
Alrighty. Well that takes us to our reader question. Next week we’re going to be talking plot twist time. We’re talking about books set in museums, fiction and nonfiction. So we want to know your favorites.

Jackie (35:20)
Ooh. About this is gonna be such a fun one. Okay, like, follow, subscribe.

Kirsten (35:30)
And happy reading.