Read by Oprah Winfrey, Jay-Z
What books does Oprah Winfrey recommend?
No one has moved more books than Oprah Winfrey, whose Book Club selections can turn an unknown novel into a bestseller overnight, and this page gathers 69 of her book recommendations. They span decades of Oprah's Book Club picks, from Pick #1 in September 1996 onward, along with features in O, The Oprah Magazine and the spiritual reading she has shared on her show and on SuperSoul Sunday. Literary fiction dominates, threaded with psychology, history, and the soul-searching titles she returns to again and again. The book she places above nearly all others is Gary Zukav's The Seat of the Soul, which she calls "my favorite book of all time, except for the Bible." Around it sit landmark club choices like Isabel Wilkerson's Caste, "the most important book I've ever chosen for my book club," and Abraham Verghese's The Covenant of Water, "one of the best books I've read in my entire life."
Last updated January 2026 · Every recommendation cited to its original source.
The Seat of the Soul
25th Anniversary Edition
byGary Zukav
1989256 Pages“My favorite book of all time, except for the Bible.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: The Oprah Winfrey Show, 1990s; personal interview with Gary Zukav
Read by Oprah Winfrey
Caste
The Origins of Our Discontents
byIsabel Wilkerson
2020496 Pages“The most important book I’ve ever chosen for my book club. It provides a new way of seeing racial hierarchy and is essential reading for everyone.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #86, August 2020
byAbraham Verghese
2023736 Pages“One of the best books I’ve read in my entire life. It’s epic. It’s transportive.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #101, May 2023
Read by Oprah Winfrey
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose
byEckhart Tolle
2005336 Pages“This book changed the way I live my life. It is the most important book I've ever chosen for the book club.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #61, January 2008
Read by Oprah Winfrey, Shonda Rhimes, Tim Cook and 3 others
byHarper Lee
1960281 Pages(6,752,249)
“I think it is our national novel. It’s the book that I gift most often.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: O, The Oprah Magazine, 'Books That Made a Difference' series
Read by Oprah Winfrey, Richard Branson, Chip Wilson and 4 others
The Power of Now
A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment
byEckhart Tolle
1999236 Pages“The most important book of our time. It’s gotten me through more crises than I can count.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: O Magazine, 'Super-Soulful Reads' list
byToni Morrison
2004338 Pages“Toni Morrison is our greatest living writer... this book is one of the reasons why.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #2, October 1996
Read by Oprah Winfrey
byElie Wiesel
2006144 Pages(1,365,000)
“This is a book every person in the world should read. It is a mandatory document for the human race.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #55, January 2006
Read by Oprah Winfrey
The Deep End of the Ocean
A Novel
byJacquelyn Mitchard
1996464 PagesSource: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #1, September 1996
byCheryl Strayed
2012315 Pages“I was so moved by this book, I wanted to jump out of my skin and start walking. It is a stunning achievement.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #71 (2.0 Launch), June 2012
Read by Oprah Winfrey, Chip Wilson, Sir Lewis Hamilton and 5 others
The Four Agreements
A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom
byDon Miguel Ruiz
1997160 Pages“This book by Don Miguel Ruiz, simple yet so powerful, has made a tremendous difference in how I think and act in every encounter.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: The Oprah Winfrey Show, 'Favorite Things' and spiritual lists
byMichelle Obama
2018448 Pages(1,200,000)
“This is not just Michelle Obama's story, it is a quintessential American story.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #80, November 2018
Demon Copperhead
A Novel
byBarbara Kingsolver
2022560 Pages(798,510)
“A masterpiece that will leave you gasping. It’s one of the best books I’ve read in a long time.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #96, October 2022
The Underground Railroad
A Novel
byColson Whitehead
2016320 Pages(752,000)
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #75, August 2016
Read by Oprah Winfrey, Ben Shapiro, Pedro Pascal and 1 others
byJohn Steinbeck
1952640 Pages“I could not put it down. It is a story about the complexity of the human heart.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #49, June 2003
byLeo Tolstoy
1878864 Pages“One of the greatest love stories ever told. I wanted to share this classic because it still resonates today.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #53, May 2004
Read by Oprah Winfrey, Ryan Holiday, Lex Fridman and 2 others
byCormac McCarthy
2006256 Pages“It is a haunting, beautiful, and deeply moving story about the love between a father and a son.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #56, March 2007
The Book of Awakening
Having the Life You Want by Being Present to the Life You Have
byMark Nepo
2000456 Pages“One of my all-time Favorite Things! Mark Nepo's collection of reflections is a year's supply of gentle daily wake-up calls.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Favorite Things 2010; O Magazine
Read by Oprah Winfrey
The Seeker's Guide
Making Your Life a Spiritual Adventure
byElizabeth Lesser
2000464 Pages“Elizabeth Lesser has been helping me answer the question of how we open ourselves to life's joy for years.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: O Magazine, 'Super-Soulful Reads' list
Devotions
The Selected Poems of Mary Oliver
byMary Oliver
2017480 Pages(30,011)
“Mary Oliver is a balm to my spirit. This book is by my bedside, and whenever I need to be calmed, I read her poems.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah Daily, '9 of Oprah's Favorite Super-Soulful Reads'
byZora Neale Hurston
1937264 Pages“This is one of my favorite novels of all time. Janie Crawford's journey is a journey for all women.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: O, The Oprah Magazine; produced as a TV movie by Oprah
Read by Oprah Winfrey, Pedro Pascal, Esther Perel and 1 others
byToni Morrison
1970224 PagesSource: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #35, April 2000
Read by Oprah Winfrey
Finding Me
A Memoir
byViola Davis
2022304 Pages“Viola Davis’s memoir is so raw and so honest, it’s a testament to the power of the human spirit.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #94, April 2022
Read by Oprah Winfrey
Hello Beautiful
A Novel
byAnn Napolitano
2023400 Pages“This modern family saga nods to Little Women... it explores themes of family, love, and forgiveness.”
— Oprah Winfrey
Source: Oprah's Book Club (OBC) Pick #98, March 2023
Loading more
Also recommends books in
Frequently asked questions
What books does Oprah Winfrey recommend?
Across 69 recommendations, standout titles include The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav, Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
What is Oprah Winfrey's favorite book?
She calls The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav "my favorite book of all time, except for the Bible." Among her book club picks, she has named Isabel Wilkerson's Caste "the most important book I've ever chosen for my book club."
Where do Oprah Winfrey's book recommendations come from?
Most are official Oprah's Book Club picks, spanning Pick #1 in 1996 through Pick #120 in 2025, alongside features in O, The Oprah Magazine and the spiritual reading she shares on SuperSoul Sunday and her show.
Has Oprah Winfrey written any books?
Yes, eight, including What I Know For Sure, The Path Made Clear, The Wisdom of Sundays, Build the Life You Want, and What Happened to You?: Conversations on Trauma, Resilience, and Healing.
What genres does Oprah Winfrey recommend most?
Her selections are dominated by literary fiction, followed by psychology and human behavior and history, with a distinctive vein of society and politics and spiritual, personal-development titles.
All 69 Books Oprah Winfrey Has Recommended
- The Seat of the Soul · Gary Zukav
- Caste · Isabel Wilkerson
- The Covenant of Water · Abraham Verghese
- A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose · Eckhart Tolle
- To Kill a Mockingbird · Harper Lee
- The Power of Now · Eckhart Tolle
- Song of Solomon · Toni Morrison
- Night · Elie Wiesel
- The Deep End of the Ocean · Jacquelyn Mitchard
- Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail · Cheryl Strayed
- The Four Agreements · Don Miguel Ruiz
- Becoming · Michelle Obama
- Demon Copperhead · Barbara Kingsolver
- The Underground Railroad · Colson Whitehead
- East of Eden · John Steinbeck
- Anna Karenina · Leo Tolstoy
- The Road · Cormac McCarthy
- The Book of Awakening · Mark Nepo
- The Seeker's Guide · Elizabeth Lesser
- Devotions · Mary Oliver
- Their Eyes Were Watching God · Zora Neale Hurston
- The Bluest Eye · Toni Morrison
- Finding Me · Viola Davis
- Hello Beautiful · Ann Napolitano
- Small Things Like These · Claire Keegan
- From Here to the Great Unknown · Lisa Marie Presley
- Tell Me Everything · Elizabeth Strout
- Familiaris · David Wroblewski
- Some Bright Nowhere · Ann Packer
- The Poisonwood Bible · Barbara Kingsolver
- Middlesex · Jeffrey Eugenides
- The Pillars of the Earth · Ken Follett
- Cry, the Beloved Country · Alan Paton
- One Hundred Years of Solitude · Gabriel García Márquez
- A Fine Balance · Rohinton Mistry
- The Corrections · Jonathan Franzen
- I Know This Much Is True · Wally Lamb
- White Oleander · Janet Fitch
- The Reader · Bernhard Schlink
- Love in the Time of Cholera · Gabriel García Márquez
- The Way of Integrity · Martha Beck
- An American Marriage · Tayari Jones
- The Water Dancer · Ta-Nehisi Coates
- The Invention of Wings · Sue Monk Kidd
- Sula · Toni Morrison
- The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter · Carson McCullers
- The Good Earth · Pearl S. Buck
- The Story of Edgar Sawtelle · David Wroblewski
- Say You're One of Them · Uwem Akpan
- Freedom · Jonathan Franzen
- Great Expectations · Charles Dickens
- A Tale of Two Cities · Charles Dickens
- The Gifts of Imperfection · Brené Brown
- Tuesdays with Morrie · Mitch Albom
- The Road Less Traveled · M. Scott Peck
- The Untethered Soul · Michael A. Singer
- Broken Open · Elizabeth Lesser
- A Return to Love · Marianne Williamson
- I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings · Maya Angelou
- The Color Purple · Alice Walker
- Olive, Again · Elizabeth Strout
- Deacon King Kong · James McBride
- Gilead · Marilynne Robinson
- Wellness · Nathan Hill
- Let Us Descend · Jesmyn Ward
- Beloved · Toni Morrison
- Dream State · Eric Puchner
- A Guardian and a Thief · Megha Majumdar
- The Sun Does Shine · Anthony Ray Hinton