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Oprah Winfrey is a big reader. The actress, producer, and media personality is the founder of Oprah's Book Club, one of the first celebrity book clubs to be formed, years before celebrity book clubs were even a thing. It has morphed from a segment in her TV show to a vibrant social media community, continuing to gain readers since its inception in 1996.
Earlier this week, Winfrey answered some questions from fans on the Instagram app Threads, where she revealed her favorite reading place, her book club's new selection, and the fictional character that she'd most want to go out on a meal with.
“Pecola Breedlove from The Bluest Eye,” wrote Winfrey, referencing one of the characters from Toni Morrison's beloved 1970 novel. “I would have her for lunch and say, ‘You don’t need blue eyes because you’re beautiful just the way you are.’”
"The Bluest Eye" is Morrison's first novel, and it explores the life of Pecola, a young Black girl, as she grows up in the aftermath of the Great Depression. It explores complex topics like racism and more, and it established Morrison as one of the voices of her generation.
In Threads, Winfrey made some more revelations, including her favorite reading location, which is on a sofa near a fireplace where she can sit with a "lovely cashmere blanket probably. But we’ll take wool or cotton also," she wrote. She also revealed that her book club's new pick was Elizabeth Strout's "Tell Me Everything."
“There’s love, heartbreak, and even possible murder — it’s the perfect read for this fall season," she wrote on Threads.
Oprah's relationship with reading
Oprah has often discussed her relationship with books and why she values them so much. "Nothing, not one thing or activity, can replace the experience of a good read—being transported to a different land, a different realm, through words and language," she wrote in a post on her website Oprah.com.
"I love being surrounded by books. For me, they're like art, little pieces of sculpture placed all over the house, reminding me, always, of the power of the written word. Just looking at them brings me the purest kind of joy."