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Book clubs are you ready? Time for celebrity book club picks for January 2024! 🤩
As we step into the literary world of 2024, there are so many books to choose from!
I absolutely love books, and I’m always curious about the latest celebrity book club picks and most popular books they are being read right now. The book choices of these clubs really inspire me and help me decide what to read next.
My list contains picks from some of the most popular book clubs, such as Read With Jenna, Oprah, and Reese Witherspoon book clubs! To check out book club picks for the previous month (and year!), click here!
Here’s a complete list of celebrity book club picks for January 2024.
Read with Jenna
Read with Jenna Book Club has selected The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbell for their January 2024 pick.
The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbell
This is a novel set in the rural town of Whiteheart, Michigan, focusing on the lives of exceptional women, particularly the eccentric herbalist Hermine “Herself” Zook and her youngest daughter, Rose Thorn. Herself is known for healing local women on an island in the Great Massasauga Swamp, called “The Waters.” The story unfolds as Rose Thorn’s daughter, Dorothy “Donkey” Zook, grows up in this environment, searching for truths in the lush landscape and longing for her absent parents.
The novel explores family secrets, passionate love, and the impact of violent men on the community. The narrative delves into the idyllic yet complex childhood of Donkey, who is raised in the midst of societal divisions and family conflicts. The story also highlights the resilience of nature and the contrasting aspects of rural life, providing a thoughtful exploration of femininity and the struggle against the dark side of masculinity in a divided community.
Reese’s Book Club
Reese’s Book Club has selected First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston for their January 2024 book club pick.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston
This is a thriller novel about Evie Porter, who leads a seemingly perfect life with a loving boyfriend, a beautiful home, and a great group of friends. However, there’s a catch – Evie Porter doesn’t actually exist. She operates under a false identity given to her by a mysterious boss named Mr. Smith.
The story revolves around Evie’s secret life as she is assigned a new job involving a man named Ryan Sumner. As she delves into her assignment, she starts developing real emotions and a desire for a different life. The catch is that Evie can’t afford to make any mistakes, especially after a previous incident. The plot thickens when her true identity unexpectedly enters the picture, putting Evie in a high-stakes situation where she must stay ahead of her past while navigating the challenges ahead.
The novel is praised for its fast-paced and suspenseful narrative, with Reese Witherspoon recommending it as a thrilling read with secret identities, a mysterious boss, and an engaging cat-and-mouse game.
GMA Book Club
GMA Book Club Pick for January 2024 is The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan.
The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan
This is a historical novel set in Malaya (now Malaysia) during World War II. It follows the story of Cecily Alcantara and her family as they navigate the consequences of colonial power and the impact of war on their lives.
In 1945, Cecily’s family is in grave danger – her son has disappeared, her youngest daughter is at risk of being forced into service, and her eldest daughter is dealing with the anger from working at a tea house frequented by Japanese soldiers. Cecily, feeling responsible for the situation, is determined to protect her family by keeping a dark secret from them.
The novel also takes readers back a decade earlier when Cecily, seeking a life beyond that of a housewife, becomes involved in espionage under the influence of General Fujiwara. Her actions, intended to bring about an “Asia for Asians,” instead contribute to a more brutal Japanese occupation. As the war reaches its peak, Cecily’s past catches up with her, putting her family on the verge of destruction.
Oprah’s Book Club
Oprah’s book club pick for January 2024 is Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward. Oprah doesn’t select new book club picks every month, so we’ll have to wait a little bit more for her next pick.
Let Us Descend is a powerful and haunting reimagining of American slavery set in the years before the Civil War. For all books by Jesmyn Ward in order, click here!
Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward
The story follows Annis, an enslaved girl who has been sold south by the white man who fathered her. Annis becomes the reader’s guide through a brutal landscape, from the rice fields of the Carolinas to the slave markets of New Orleans and the heart of a Louisiana sugar plantation.
Amidst the harrowing journey, Annis seeks solace in memories of her mother and tales of her African warrior grandmother. Throughout the narrative, Annis opens herself to a world beyond the physical realm, connecting with spirits of earth, water, myth, and history.
This novel is a profound exploration of Black American grief and joy, a tale of rebirth and reclamation, making it a masterful and deeply moving addition to Ward’s literary legacy.
For my review and summary of the book, click here!
For my book club discussion questions for this book, click here!
Read with Marie Claire
Read with Marie Claire book club pick for January 2024 is One in a Millennial by Kate Kennedy.
One in a Millennial by Kate Kennedy
This is a book by Kate Kennedy, a pop culture podcaster and voice of the millennial generation. In this celebration of the millennial zeitgeist, Kate explores pop culture, nostalgia, and the life lessons learned from growing up as a member of a often-criticized generation.
Through a mix of humor and sincerity, Kate delves into the complexities of both celebrating and critiquing the culture that shaped her. She discusses various aspects of millennial life, including AOL Instant Messenger, purity culture, American Girl Dolls, Spice Girl feminism, and more. The book combines sharp wit, humor, and heartwarming moments as Kate shares her observations and experiences, making readers both laugh out loud and reflect on their own journey through the millennial era.
Belletrist Book Club
The Belletrist Book Club pick for January 2024 is Holding Pattern by Jenny Xie.
This a memoir by Susannah Breslin. It explores her unique childhood as one of over a hundred children enrolled in a 30-year psychological study at the University of California, Berkeley. The book reflects on the impact of being a lifelong research subject on her identity and life choices.
Holding Pattern by Jenny Xie
This is a novel by Jenny Xie that follows the story of Kathleen Cheng, who has experienced a challenging breakup, dropped out of graduate school, and returned to her childhood home in Oakland. She finds her mother, Marissa Cheng, transformed and in love, planning to marry a Silicon Valley tech entrepreneur.
As Kathleen navigates her own uncertainties, she takes a job at a start-up specializing in unconventional touch-based therapy. Amidst exploring new ideas about intimacy and connection, she forms an unexpected attachment at work, prompting her to reassess her relationships, particularly with her transformed mother.
The novel delves into the layers of their history, addressing old wounds, cultural barriers, and complex affections. As mother and daughter peel back these layers, they strive to understand each other as adults and confront the ways they have both propelled and held each other back.
Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble book club pick for January 2024 is Mercury by Amy Jo Burns.
Mercury by Amy Jo Burns
“Mercury” is a novel is set in 1990 in the river valley town of Mercury, Pennsylvania. Seventeen-year-old Marley West, a perpetual loner, arrives in town and is drawn to three brothers standing on a rooftop. These brothers, the Josephs, become her world – she becomes the young wife to one, the one who got away to another, and the adopted mother to all of them.
As the Joseph family faces challenges with their roofing business and their father’s ego, Marley steps in to guide and support them. However, an unsettling discovery in the church attic brings old wounds to the surface, putting the family’s survival at risk.
With Marley as their guiding light, the Joseph brothers must decide whether they can save the family they’ve always known or if, together, they can build something stronger in its place.
Noname Book Club
Noname Book Club picks for January 2024 is How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney.
And here are their synopses:
How Europe Underdeveloped Africa by Walter Rodney
“How Europe Underdeveloped Africa” is a significant work by Walter Rodney, a Guyanese intellectual and activist. In this book, Rodney explores the political, economic, and historical aspects of the relationship between Europe and Africa. Angela Davis introduces this classic analysis.
Rodney, a prominent figure in the anticolonial revolution, examines the impact of European colonialism on Africa. He argues that the economic and developmental disparities between the West and the rest of the world, particularly Africa, can be attributed to the exploitation of the latter by the former. The book provides a meticulously researched analysis of the long-lasting consequences of European colonialism on the African continent.
Walter Rodney’s insights, presented in this magnum opus, have not only influenced decades of scholarly work and activism but continue to be essential for understanding global inequality today.
Mocha Girls Read
Mocha Girls Read’s book club pick for January 2024 is Dawn by Octavia E. Butler.
Dawn by Octavia E. Butler
This is a post-apocalyptic tale set after a nuclear war. The protagonist, Lilith lyapo, wakes up after centuries of sleep to find herself on a massive spaceship belonging to an alien race called the Oankali. These aliens saved the remaining humans from Earth’s destruction and worked to improve their physical abilities and cure diseases. Now, they want Lilith to lead her people back to Earth, but there’s a catch.
The seemingly benevolent Oankali have their own agenda, and salvation for humanity comes with a price. The book delves into themes of gender and race as Lilith navigates a complex world, exploring how characters adapt during a pivotal time of crisis and change.
I hope you enjoyed this list of January 2024 celebrity book club picks! Happy reading! ❤️