Terrific Oprah’s Book Club Titles Any Literary Lover Won’t Want to Miss

Lydia and her 8-year-old son Luca are forced to leave their home in Acapulco, Mexico after a drug leader orders a hit on her husband (a journalist reporting on a new drug cartel). The two flee to the United States border on foot, facing numerous life-threatening obstacles in hopes of successfully starting over.

Oprah says: “Like so many of us, I’ve read newspaper articles and watched television news stories and seen movies about the plight of families looking for a better life. But this story changed the way I see what it means to be a migrant in a whole new way."

More: The Best New Books You Need to Be Reading

A sequel to Strout’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning novel, Olive Kitteridge, the book plays out in 13 interconnected stories that surround Olive and the wealthy denizens of Crosby, Maine, 2 years after her husband's death. It's a gripping and relatable tale that hits on universal themes like aging, loneliness, love, family, and friendship. 

Oprah says: “When I heard Elizabeth Strout had written a second book with Olive at its center, I worried that time might have smoothed her rough edges. Nope. Olive is older and wiser, but as cantankerous as ever, and she still makes me laugh out loud, and cry in recognition and empathy. I fell in love with Olive not despite her flaws, but because of them.”

Oprah's first book club pick in partnership with Apple, The Water Dancer tells the story of plantation slave Hiram Walker, who has been gifted with a mysterious power that saves him during a near-death experience when he almost drowns in a river. The incident sparks an urgency for him to escape, and takes him on a journey through the Deep South.

Oprah says: “I have not felt this way about a book since Beloved. I knew early on the book was going to cut me up. I ended up with my soul pierced.”

More: The Ultimate List of Oprah's Favorite Things 2019

Newlyweds Celestial and Roy find themselves being torn apart by circumstances neither saw coming. Both of them are settling into married life when Roy gets arrested for a crime Celestial knows he didn't commit. During Roy's time in prison, Celestial seeks comfort in Andre, a childhood friend. When Roy gets out after just five years, he's ready to return to the life he left. But is Celestial? 

Oprah says: "The novel redefines the traditional American love story. You'll come away with greater empathy and understanding but even if you don't, it's just a really great read."

Cora is a slave in Georgia on a cotton plantation, living a life that no one should ever have to experience. When another slave, Ceasar, arrives from Virginia and tells Cora about the Underground Railroad, they both decide to take the risk and escape. As she flees to freedom, state by state, unplanned matters appear at every turn — all while being hunted.

Oprah says: "Kept me up at night, had my heart in my throat, almost afraid to turn the next page. Get it, then get another copy for someone you know because you are definitely going to want to talk about it once you read that heart-stopping last page." — Oprah Winfrey

Macon Dead, Jr., also known as Milkman, is on a spiritual journey to find his real purpose in life after alienating himself from his family and hometown. Morrison's novel has been banned in many schools since 1993 throughout the U.S. due to its subject matter.

Critics say: "A stunningly beautiful book … I would call the book poetry, but that would seem to be denying its considerable power as a story." — Washington Post

The book that started it all. Oprah's first selection was a suspenseful and moving story about the disappearance of a child and the family suffering that follows. The book was made into a movie in 1999 that starred Michelle Pfeiffer and Whoopi Goldberg.

Critics say: "Masterful … A big story about human connection and emotional survival" — Los Angeles Times 

Kaye Gibbons' second novel shows how two most unlikely matched people, a daughter from a well-off family and a migrant worker, could find each other and make a loving, strong marriage.

Critics say: "One of those novels that you feel compelled to read from cover to cover in one sitting." — Sunday Times (London)

The events of Mathilda Neumann's death, drowned under the ice of a frozen lake in the winter of 1919, have changed the lives of her daughter, sister, and husband. As the narrative switches between characters and skips back and forth in time, secrets begin to uncover as the truth of her death is revealed.

Critics say: "Riveting … a very suspenseful tale, one that will keep readers up shivering in the night." — USA Today

Anthony Ray Hinton knew he was innocent when he was charged in 1985 with two counts of capital murder. Being a black man with no money in the South, he was sentenced to death by electrocution. Living life on death row filled him with anger and hopelessness. By accepting his fate, Hinton found a way to transform his spirit and survive the next 30 years in a 5-foot-by-7-foot jail cell. Thanks to civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, he was released in 2015. 

Oprah says: "This story reads like an epic novel, and it’s all true. [Hinton] is a remarkable storyteller, and when you read it, you’ll be swept away in this unbelievable dramatic true story. I’m sure you’ll think a lot like I did about how is it possible to find life and freedom on death row."

The story of two women from different parts of the world, one from Ireland and one from America. Both looking to run away from their problems, they trade houses. (Picture a less modern day version of The Holiday.) During each of their separate travels, the women go through their own soul-searching journeys.

Critics say: "Her best work yet … Tara Road is like a total immersion in a colorful new world, where the last page comes too soon." — Seattle Times

First published in 1951 and still very present in American culture, East of Eden touches on persistent themes: unaccountable love, self-identity, and the absence of love. Following the lives of two families, the Trasks and the Hamiltons, their destinies intertwine and stories parallel the fall of Adam and Eve.

Oprah says: "When the book club ended a year ago, I said I would bring it back when I found the book that was moving … and this is a great one. I read it for myself for the first time and then I had some friends read it. And we think it might be the best novel we've ever read!" — Oprah Winfrey

Delores Price has lived her life in front of the TV, watching melodramas and snacking on the potato chips and soda her mentally ill mother feeds her.Thinking she will be able to learn her way through life from the television shows, Delores realizes she has done nothing but become miserable and overweight. As she attempts to give it one more chance before going over the edge, she'll understand the pains that come with growing up.

Critics say: "There are at least two surprises in store for readers of Lamb's memorable debut novel. One is the author's sex ... The second surprise is how much a string of trials and tribulations can add up to such a touchingly funny book." — People Magazine

A father and son are left alone walking along a road through burned America. This post-apocalyptic story is their journey ahead, not knowing what awaits — with only each other and a pistol protecting them.

Critics say: "Vivid, eloquent … The Road is the most readable of [McCarthy's] works, and consistently brilliant in its imagining of the posthumous condition of nature and civilization." —New York Times

As the first African American to serve as the First Lady of the United States of America, Michelle Obama not only created one of the most open and inclusive White Houses, she has also been a huge advocate for women around the world. Becoming is a very personal memoir in which she chronicles both the public and private experiences that have shaped the person she is today — it will leave you inspired.

Oprah says: "From the very first pages of Becoming, I knew I wanted EVERYONE to read it. I loved it so much I’ve already read it twice."

Always trying to fit in, Trudi Montag can do anything but. As a dwarf and physically different than everyone else, she uses her uniqueness to her advantage: discovering the villagers' secrets. Through their stories, she discovers she has more to offer the world than she thought.

Critics say: "Rich and lively … commands our compassion and respect for the wisdom and courage to be found in unlikely places, in unlikely times." — New York Times

Ninah, the granddaughter of a church founder, must follow her grandpa's rules. When she discovers she is pregnant with her prayer partner James, she is shamed by the whole town. Soon she will find out the mysterious ways in which God works.

Critics say: "Folksy lyricism … a colorful supporting cast … a fresh story. As they say in church, 'Hallelujah.'" — Los Angeles Times

The Heart of a Woman follows Angelou on her move from California to New York with her son, Guy. There she is enriched in the culture of black artists. Her life takes many turns as she meets a new love and travels to London with him where she finds new opportunities.

Critics say: "Maya Angelou regards the world and herself with intelligence and wit; she records the events of her life with style and grace." — Washington Post

Convicted of murder and sentenced to death, Jefferson forms a bond with Grant, an educated man who has come back to town to teach at the local plantation school. As their unexpected friendship grows, they realize the heroism that lies in going against the expected.

Critics say: "This majestic, moving, novel is an instant classic, a book that will be read, discussed and taught beyond the rest of our lives." — Chicago Tribune

Identical twins Dominick and Thomas were born minutes apart. Dominick, both strong and protective, and Thomas, weak yet a very sweet kid, are more similar in appearance than in personality. When Thomas commits a devastatingly unthinkable act, Dominck tries to rebuild his life past the acts of his brother.

Oprah says: "It's not just a book, it's a life experience." — Oprah Winfrey

As Sophie Caco is moved from her poor village in Haiti to New York to live with her mother that she barely remembers, she discovers family secrets and a shameful legacy that only can be healed by returning to her Haitian village.

Critics say: "Her story gives voice, depth and anguish to the loving, bittersweet ties that bind her to her circle of women. Breath, Eyes, Memory paints a rich portrait of a lush countryside, cane fields, rainwater baths … [and] illuminates the beauty and family life of Haiti." — Boston Globe

When a move back to her hometown at first seems like the end to her big dreams, Ava Johnson realizes it is just the beginning. She is able to be there for her friends and family in a time of need, and even experiences something she never thought she would: love.

Critics say: "Engrossing, entertaining … [a] wryly observant, moving tale." — Atlanta Journal-Constitution

In a story of adolescence, 19-year-old Harley Altmyer is stuck taking care of his three younger sisters in the back woods of Pennsylvania since his mom is in jail for killing his abusive dad. The lies and secrets from his family's past will create a series of startling discoveries that leave Harley to find out only he will be able to redeem them all.

Critics say: "Tawni O'Dell became a writer the hard way. She worked her way through Northwestern University … for 10 years, her office was her kitchen table. When you read Back Roads, you'll be glad she never gave up." — St. Petersburg Times

After years of hiding her secrets and bruises, Fran has finally had enough. She was only with her husband Bobby because she wanted her son to have a father. As she flees to a new city with her son and changes her name trying to put the pieces of her shattered life back together, it's only a matter a time before Bobby catches up to her.

Critics say: "Readers of her columns in the Times are aware that Anna Quindlen has a first-class mind; now they will know she as a great heart as well." — Susan Isaacs, American novelist

After the government has declared a state of emergency in 1975 India, four strangers are forced to be cramped together in an apartment for an unknown future. The story follows the four of them as they develop a friendship and then, eventually, a love for one another.

Critics say: "Astonishing … A rich and varied spectacle, full of wisdom and laughter and the touches of the unexpectedly familiar through which literature illuminates life." —Wall Street Journal

Ellen Foster is not letting anything come between her and her determination of discovering her place in the world. When she finally reaches success in finding her home, it's a testament to the strength and faith that she never lost sight of.

Critics say: "If one should never trust the person who has had a happy childhood, then Ellen Foster, the 11-year-old heroine of Kaye Gibbons's accomplished first novel, may be the most trustworthy character in recent fiction … What might have been grim, melodramatic material in the hands of a less talented author is instead filled with lively humor, compassion and intimacy." — New York Times

Stranded in Oklahoma en route to California, pregnant, 17-year-old Novalee is secretly living in a Wal-Mart. She meets an incredibly nice and caring family that's willing to help, and together they help her embark on a new life. The film adaption was released in 2001 and started Natalie Portman.

Oprah says: "What I love about this book is the message that home and family are not always what you are born into, but in the people and the places where you find love." — Oprah Winfrey

It's postwar Germany, and 15-year-old Michael Berg has fallen in love with a woman twice his age. After she disappears, the next time he sees her she is being tried for a murder. Michael soon realizes that she is hiding a secret that might be even more shameful than the murder itself. The film adaptation of the movie, released in 2008, starred Kate Winslet, who then won an Academy Award for Best Actress.

Critics say: "Arresting, philosophically elegant, morally complex … Mr. Schlink tells his story with marvelous directness and simplicity." — New York Times

Astrid finds herself going from foster home to foster home after her mother, a brilliant poet convicted of murder. At each home, she enters a new world, new rules, and new people, surprising herself during her own self-discovery.

Critics say: "Fitch's writing has trippy, visceral power, but the reader remains unconvinced that she hasn't just written this as an exercise in high-brow shock lit." — New York Magazine