Oprah Winfrey is a media mogul, actress, producer, and philanthropist, widely respected as one of the most influential women in the world. Born into poverty in rural Mississippi in 1954 and later raised in an inner-city Milwaukee neighborhood, Oprah faced numerous hardships early in life. Yet, she turned these challenges into motivators, eventually becoming the host of "The Oprah Winfrey Show." The show, which aired for 25 years, broke records and became the highest-rated television program of its kind in history, reshaping the landscape of talk show entertainment with its focus on literature, self-improvement, and spirituality.
❝Books were my pass to personal freedom. I learned to read at age three, and soon discovered there was a whole world to conquer that went beyond our farm in Mississippi.❞ — Oprah Winfrey
Oprah's love for reading is profound and well-documented; she has been an ardent advocate for books throughout her career, believing deeply in their power to educate, inspire, and transform lives. In 1996, she launched Oprah's Book Club, which quickly grew to become a hugely influential force in the publishing world. Her selections often catapulted authors to bestseller status and introduced readers to a diverse range of stories and perspectives. Oprah's personal reading list spans across genres, including works of fiction, memoirs, and spiritual guides, reflecting her broad interests and commitment to personal growth and understanding.
Oprah Winfrey's Favorite Books
Last Updated: May 2024
Love Warrior
Author: Glennon Doyle
Publisher: Flatiron Books
Date: Sep 6th, 2016
Glennon Doyle's memoir recounts her journey of self-discovery after confronting her husband's infidelity, focusing on healing, the strength found in vulnerability, and the redefinition of what it means to be a woman and a wife.
Sula
Author: Toni Morrison
Publisher: Knopf
Date: Apr 5th, 2002
Toni Morrison's novel explores the complex friendship between two women, Nel and Sula, from childhood through their diverging paths as adults in a small, tightly-knit African American community, dealing with themes of betrayal, race, and identity.
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The Tiger's Wife: A Novel
Author: Téa Obreht
Publisher: Random House
Date: Mar 8th, 2011
Téa Obreht's novel weaves together the Balkan legends of her grandfather's generation with the realities of a post-war society, exploring themes of loss, faith, and the unbreakable bonds of family.
River, Cross My Heart: A Novel
Author: Breena Clarke
Publisher: Little Brown & Co
Date: Oct 13th, 1999
Breena Clarke's debut novel is set in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington D.C. during the 1920s and focuses on the impact of a young girl's drowning on her family and the tightly-knit African American community.
Freedom: A Novel
Author: Jonathan Franzen
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Date: Aug 31st, 2010
Jonathan Franzen explores the story of the Berglund family, capturing the struggles and paradoxes of American life as they navigate personal freedoms, responsibilities, and the environmental and political issues shaping their times.
A Map of the World
Author: Jane Hamilton
Publisher: Doubleday
Date: Dec 3rd, 1999
Jane Hamilton's novel depicts the dramatic changes in a woman's life when her best friend's daughter drowns under her supervision, leading to a cascade of legal and personal challenges that isolate her from her community.
The Road
Author: Cormac McCarthy
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf
Date: Sep 26th, 2006
Cormac McCarthy's stark and haunting novel follows a father and his young son as they journey through a post-apocalyptic landscape, struggling for survival in a world devoid of civilization.
Fall On Your Knees
Author: Ann-Marie MacDonald
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Date: Feb 19th, 2002
Ann-Marie MacDonald presents a multi-generational saga, centered on a complex family from a small Canadian town, exploring secrets, betrayals, and the unbreakable bonds of sibling relationships.
After Visiting Friends: A Son's Story
Author: Michael Hainey
Publisher: Scribner
Date: Feb 19th, 2013
Michael Hainey's memoir uncovers the mysterious circumstances surrounding the death of his father, a Chicago newspaperman, leading to a deeper understanding of family secrets and personal history.
Jewel
Author: Bret Lott
Publisher: Atria
Date: Jan 1st, 1999
Bret Lott's novel tells the story of Jewel and her family over several decades in rural Mississippi, focusing particularly on her relationship with her daughter who has Down syndrome, exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and the pursuit of happiness.
Great Expectations
Author: Charles Dickens
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Date: Dec 21st, 2020
Charles Dickens' classic novel chronicles the life of Pip, an orphaned boy who rises from impoverished beginnings to become a gentleman through an anonymous benefactor, interweaving themes of ambition, love, and regret.
A Million Little Pieces
Author: James Frey
Publisher: Nan A. Talese
Date: Apr 15th, 2003
James Frey's controversial book, originally marketed as a memoir, details the intense and painful journey of a young man's struggle with addiction and his challenging path to recovery.
The Book of Ruth
Author: Jane Hamilton
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date: Oct 7th, 2014
Jane Hamilton's novel tells the story of Ruth, a young woman in a small Illinois town, who navigates a life filled with hardship and tragedy, marked by her complex relationships with her family.
Light in August
Author: William Faulkner
Publisher: Vintage
Date: Oct 1st, 1990
Another of Faulkner's masterpieces, this novel explores themes of identity and racial conflict in the American South, told through the interconnected stories of several residents of Jefferson, Mississippi.
All That You Leave Behind: A Memoir
Author: Erin Lee Carr
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Date: Apr 9th, 2019
Erin Lee Carr reflects on her relationship with her father, David Carr, and how his life as a journalist and his struggles with addiction shaped her own career and personal growth.
Anna Karenina
Author: Leo Tolstoy
Publisher: Penguin Classics
Date: May 1st, 2004
Leo Tolstoy's masterpiece traces the tragic love affair between Anna Karenina and Count Vronsky, set against the backdrop of nineteenth-century Russian society, exploring themes of passion, loyalty, and societal norms.
Stolen Lives: Twenty Years in a Desert Jail
Author: Malika Oufkir
Publisher: Miramax
Date: Jun 1st, 2001
Malika Oufkir recounts her harrowing experience of being imprisoned for 20 years with her family in a desert detention camp after her father attempted to overthrow King Hassan II of Morocco.
Gap Creek : The Story of a Marriage
Author: Robert Morgan
Publisher: A Shannon Ravenel Book
Date: Jan 10th, 1999
Robert Morgan tells the story of a young couple in their first year of marriage in the late 19th century Appalachian South, facing the harsh realities of nature, family, and rural life with enduring strength.
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White Oleander
Author: Janet Fitch
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Date: May 1st, 1999
Janet Fitch's novel follows the tumultuous life of Astrid Magnussen, a young girl shuffled through several foster homes after her poet mother is imprisoned for murder, exploring themes of mother-daughter relationships and self-discovery.
Tara Road
Author: Maeve Binchy
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Date: Sep 1st, 1999
Maeve Binchy's novel explores the lives of two women—one in Ireland, one in America—who decide to swap houses for the summer, leading to unexpected friendships and deep personal transformations as they step into each other's lives.
Black and Blue: A Novel
Author: Anna Quindlen
Publisher: Random House
Date: Jan 24th, 1998
Anna Quindlen's intense novel follows Fran Benedetto, who must escape with her son to begin a new life under new identities after enduring years of abuse from her police officer husband.
The Underground Railroad
Author: Colson Whitehead
Publisher: Doubleday
Date: Aug 2nd, 2016
Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel reimagines the historical Underground Railroad as a literal train beneath the soil, following escaped slave Cora's perilous journey toward freedom from the antebellum South.
A Lesson Before Dying
Author: Ernest J. Gaines
Publisher: Vintage
Date: Sep 1st, 1994
Ernest J. Gaines' novel is set in a small Louisiana Cajun community in the late 1940s and tells the story of a young Black man sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit and the teacher who helps him regain his dignity.
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel
Author: David Wroblewski
Publisher: Ecco
Date: Sep 8th, 2009
David Wroblewski's novel is a modern retelling of "Hamlet" set in rural Wisconsin, centering on a mute boy who communicates best with his dogs, grappling with family betrayal and seeking justice for his father's death.
A Fine Balance
Author: Rohinton Mistry
Publisher: Vintage
Date: Dec 21st, 1997
Rohinton Mistry's epic novel, set in India during the state of emergency in the 1970s, weaves together the lives of four disparate characters as they struggle to maintain their personal balance in the face of common adversity.
The Good Earth
Author: Pearl S. Buck
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Date: Sep 15th, 2004
Pearl S. Buck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel portrays the life of a humble farmer and his family in early 20th century China, exploring themes of wealth, struggle, and attachment to the land.
Middlesex
Author: Jeffrey Eugenides
Publisher: Rowohlt Taschenbuch
Date: Nov 1st, 2011
Jeffrey Eugenides' Pulitzer Prize-winning novel tells the epic story of Calliope Stephanides, and three generations of the Greek-American Stephanides family, leading to a revelation of Callie's own unique biological heritage as she transitions to live as Cal.
Songs in Ordinary Time
Author: Mary McGarry Morris
Publisher: Viking
Date: Jun 1st, 1997
Mary McGarry Morris's novel set in a small Vermont town in 1960, where a struggling single mother and her children become entangled with a charismatic but dangerous stranger, explores the complexities of family and the human capacity for self-deception and hope.
The Water Dancer: A Novel
Author: Ta-Nehisi Coates
Publisher: One World
Date: Sep 24th, 2019
Ta-Nehisi Coates's debut novel follows a young slave with a mysterious gift that becomes the key to his escape and involvement in the Underground Railroad, set against the backdrop of a magical reimagining of the antebellum South.
Back Roads
Author: Tawni O'Dell
Publisher: Viking Penguin
Date: Dec 21st, 2024
Tawni O'Dell's novel is a dark and gripping tale of a young man in rural Pennsylvania forced to care for his three younger sisters after their mother is incarcerated, leading to unexpected and dramatic consequences.
An American Marriage
Author: Tayari Jones
Publisher: Algonquin Books
Date: Feb 6th, 2018
Tayari Jones tells a poignant story of a newlywed African American couple whose lives are shattered when the husband is wrongly imprisoned, exploring themes of love, loyalty, race, and injustice.
Daughter of Fortune: A Novel
Author: Isabel Allende
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Date: Oct 6th, 1999
Isabel Allende's historical novel follows Eliza Sommers from her upbringing in Valparaíso, Chile, to her adventures in California during the Gold Rush, as she searches for love and her own identity.
Where the Heart Is: A Novel
Author: Billie Letts
Publisher: Grand Central Pub
Date: Dec 21st, 1995
Billie Letts's heartwarming novel follows seventeen-year-old Novalee Nation, who is abandoned by her boyfriend at a Walmart in Oklahoma and finds a new life and community among the quirky locals.
Midwives: A Novel
Author: Chris Bohjalian
Publisher: Harmony
Date: Apr 1st, 1997
Chris Bohjalian's suspenseful story revolves around a midwife on trial for manslaughter after a home childbirth goes tragically wrong, raising ethical questions about her profession and the legal implications of her actions.
Becoming
Author: Michelle Obama
Publisher: Crown
Date: Nov 13th, 2018
Michelle Obama's memoir offers an intimate look at her life, from her childhood in Chicago to her years as First Lady of the United States, highlighting the experiences that shaped her.
The Rapture of Canaan
Author: Sheri Reynolds
Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
Date: Jan 3rd, 1996
Sheri Reynolds's novel is set in a strict religious community, where a teenage girl's pregnancy tests her faith and leads to dramatic changes in her understanding of life, love, and forgiveness.
The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row
Author: Anthony Ray Hinton
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Date: Jun 5th, 2018
Anthony Ray Hinton's memoir recounts his wrongful conviction and nearly three decades spent on death row, detailing his journey of hope, justice, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Mother of Pearl
Author: Melinda Haynes
Publisher: Hyperion
Date: Jun 2nd, 1999
Melinda Haynes' novel set in 1950s Mississippi explores the complex connections and secrets among a diverse group of residents, including a white woman struggling with her identity, a Black teenager seeking connection, and a mysterious newcomer with a troubled past.
Open House: A Novel
Author: Elizabeth Berg
Publisher: Random House Inc,
Date: Dec 21st, 2024
Elizabeth Berg's touching story of Samantha Morrow, a woman who must reinvent her life by taking in boarders after her husband leaves her, ultimately finding a path to her own resilience and happiness.
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Song of Solomon
Author: Toni Morrison
Publisher: Vintage
Date: Jun 8th, 2004
Toni Morrison's richly symbolic novel explores themes of identity and heritage, as its protagonist embarks on a journey to understand his family's roots.
Devotions: The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
Author: Mary Oliver
Publisher: Penguin Press
Date: Oct 10th, 2017
A carefully curated collection of Mary Oliver's poems, spanning over five decades, that showcases her celebrated observations of the natural world and her poignant reflections on life and death.
The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter
Author: Carson McCullers
Publisher: Modern Library
Date: May 18th, 1993
Carson McCullers' debut novel explores the deep loneliness and interconnected lives of a deaf man and the people he meets in a small Georgia town during the 1930s, revealing the inner workings of human emotion and longing.
Cry, the Beloved Country
Author: Alan Paton
Publisher: Scribner
Date: Nov 25th, 2003
Alan Paton's profoundly moving novel addresses the social injustices of apartheid in South Africa through the story of a rural Zulu pastor searching for his son in Johannesburg.
The Pilot's Wife
Author: Anita Shreve
Publisher: Little, Brown
Date: May 6th, 1998
Anita Shreve's novel unravels the mystery of a pilot's sudden death, as his widow discovers shocking secrets about her husband's life after his plane crashes, shaking the foundation of her trust and marriage.
Here on Earth
Author: Alice Hoffman
Publisher: Putnam Adult
Date: Aug 25th, 1997
Alice Hoffman's novel, often described as a modern retelling of "Wuthering Heights," follows the intense and troubled romance of March Murray, who returns to her small Massachusetts town and rekindles a destructive love affair with her childhood sweetheart.
The Best Way to Play: Little Bill Books for Beginning Readers
Author: Bill Cosby
Publisher: Cartwheel Books
Date: Dec 21st, 1997
Bill Cosby's children's book, part of the "Little Bill" series for young readers, emphasizes the importance of imagination and teamwork through the story of Little Bill and his friends creating their own fun and games.
