A single book club pick can turn a quiet release into a bestseller, and the biggest clubs today are run by TV hosts, actors, and apps. Here are the ones with the widest reach in October 2026, how each one works, and what they've been reading.
1. Oprah's Book Club: the original
Oprah Winfrey launched her club in 1996 as a segment on The Oprah Winfrey Show, opening with The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard. In September 2026 it turned 30, with daily "30 Books I Can't Forget" posts, a dedicated Amazon storefront, a Goodreads reading challenge, and a podcast episode on September 29 featuring past authors.
Picks no longer follow a strict monthly schedule. There was no January 2026 pick because Oprah was promoting her own book, Enough, and none in March either. This year's selections include Kin by Tayari Jones (February), Go Gentle by Maria Semple (April), John of John by Douglas Stuart (May), and Little Wonder by Sophie Chen Keller (June).
2. Reese's Book Club: the bestseller machine
Reese Witherspoon's club, run through her company Hello Sunshine, began in 2017 with Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine. It has named a pick almost every month since (October 2025 was a skipped month), usually fiction centered on women, and added a young adult pick in 2020. It's known for boosting sales and for turning picks into screen projects, including Little Fires Everywhere, Where the Crawdads Sing, and Daisy Jones & the Six.
Recent selections include The First Time I Saw Him by Laura Dave (January 2026), Lady Tremaine by Rachel Hochhauser (March), Into the Blue by Emma Brodie (April), and A Founding Mother by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie (July).
3. Read with Jenna: the morning-TV favorite
Jenna Bush Hager started her club on the Today show in March 2019, with one pick a month discussed on air and across social media. Her taste leans toward warm, character-driven stories with a serious streak. 2026 picks so far include Homeschooled by Stefan Merrill Block (January), One & Only by Maurene Goo (February), The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson (July), and The Witches of Cambridge by Alice Hoffman (September).
The rest of the celebrity shelf
The big three have plenty of company. Based on October 2026 picks:
- Belletrist (Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss): The Oracle's Daugter By Harrison Hill
- Service95 (Dua Lipa): Klara and The Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Dakota Johnson's TeaTime Book Club: Verity by Colleen Hoover
- Natalie Portman's Book Club: Edith’s Diary by Patricia Highsmith
Which one should you join?
For a reliable, crowd-pleasing monthly read, Reese's or Jenna's will rarely disappoint. For literary weight, Oprah's picks are less frequent but carry the biggest cultural punch. And if what you want is a conversation, skip the celebrities' own channels and join a club on Fable or Goodreads that's reading the same book.