Oprah Summer Lists ... don't scoff until you look!

[Tera, First Chick]

Okay so I know people either love or hate Ms O but I was walking in the store this morning and saw that her magazine lists a bunch of summer reading. I flipped through it and figured that I could find it online. I did. There are some really interesting books. The Secret Scripture By Sebastian Barry (in the unputable down section) looks really good as do a few others. Here is the list what do you think? http://www2.oprah.com/obc/omag/booksh...

[Robyn]

Well since you brought up peoples "love or hate" feelings toward Ms O, I was wondering what everyone thoughts are on HER Book Club selections, you know the books that get that official fake seal on the front.

Does she pick great books?
Have you only liked a few?
Do you think you see a pattern in her books?
Do you think her staffers really pick the books?

Whats the dish, ladies?

[MJ]

I like 1/3rd of the books she chooses. The rest are overrated

[Tera, First Chick]

I've really liked some of them. Pillars of the Earth was incredible and one of the best books I've read in some time. Others I could not get into. I also don't get into the self help ones like The Secret. I'd agree with Michael I like about 1/3 to 1/2 of her books.

[Meg]

I have a dream about my next job, I have always wanted to be the one that picks Oprah's book selections. I can't think of anything that would be more fun.

[Tera, First Chick]

what a good thought Meg. Say you that was your job. Obviously whatever Oprah suggests reaches thousands of people, especially women. SO....
If you were able to dictate a book that thousands of woman were to read what would it be? What book do you think women should/need to read?

[Emily]

I think The Story of Edgar Sawtelle looks really good.

If I could pick a book, I would pick Waiting for Snow in Havana by Carlos Eire. It's a memoir of a boy who left Cuba in 1962, a few years after Fidel Castro took control. It's written in poetic prose, and I can't get over how beautifully and emotionally written it is. I think it's truly wonderful.

[Robyn]

I've read a couple of the O Book Club books, some on purpose and some by accident. They descriptions always sound so great but I have yet to like one! there were a few I couldn't even finish!

[MJ]

which ones could you finish

[MJ]

The O books I loved were To Kill a Mocking Bird and Pillars of the Earth. But I liked these books long before O put them on her list.

[Tera, First Chick]

I'm reading East of Eden now and I think that was an O Book Club choice. So far I like it. I read The Bluest Eyes and thought it was pretty disturbing.

[Therese]

I have read quite a few of her selections as well, and I agree you either love or hate them. One of my favorites was still "Rapture of Canaan." I'll have to check out the list from the magazine.

[Meg]

OK books that I would pick:

1) Angela's Ashes - McCord
2) The Great Santini - Conroy
3) Cold Mountain

Those three for starters.

[Leslie]

Out of her summer list there was only 2 that sounded halfway interesting to me. That includes the Careless in Red, whose character I had already heard of and loved from the PBS Mystery series. Other than that they all sounded just alike and not my cup of tea at all.

I agree with the thought that most are overated. If they don't push religion or the same fact of super "pure" woman power over a domineering man or the wrong side of the tracks kinda of girl oversoming something they don't seem to be picked.

[Holli]

The few that I've picked up really haven't looked interesting to me. I've just always assumed they were all bad. Which ones have you guys liked that aren't the self-help ones because I don't think those do anything for me anymore.......I should have really read those PRE heart attack!! LOL

[Holli]

What Was Lost
The Life of Edgar Sawtelle
How Far Is The Ocean From Here
The Story of a Marriage
Shelter Half
Society's Child


I would read any of these......I guess the only ones I've ever seen of her picks must be the self-help ones or ones that I think are about people's horrible plights in other countries and I'm just not into those books. Books like The KiteRunner or Thousand Splendid Suns.....were those her picks?? LOL

Sorry.....I don't think I've had enough coffee yet to be posting things on here!

[Bloomin’Chick (Jo) aka The Eclectic Spoonie]

My thoughts on the list: Surprising, interesting, different and some odd! It's actaully nice to see a list that's got titles we may never have heard of otherwise!

The only one that caught my fancy was "The Secret Scripture" by Sebastian Barry.

[Sydney]

Honestly, none of the books on that list do anything for me. I like books that are challenging or make me think, but I have to be remotely interested in the topic to get through the book. I've read many of the books on her original book club list. "Fall on your Knees" was probably the one I was most impressed with, because it was like nothing I've ever read before.

[Kate]

The story of a Marriage is wonderful. I just finished it. That said, I got the idea to read it from a review I read elsewhere.

Oprah always picks books that I think I don't really want to read. They all seem depressing. Story of a Marriage was definitely depressing. One of my co-workers and I had this discussion earlier this week.

Plus, I loved The Corrections and always kind of applauded its author for saying he didn't want the Oprah sticker on his book.