10 Celebrity Book Clubs and Bookish Celebrities That Inspire Followers to Read More

There is something comforting about a book club. We’ve discussed a few times in previous articles about how books benefit your health. To read with a group of people with the same interest is a sigh of relief from the day. Book clubs are no longer something you have to go out in search of in your community. They can also find them online, or better yet, you can find an influencer who is all about books. Some celebrities have online book clubs that you can join and become a part of the conversation. Other celebrities are avid readers and will frequently post on their social media accounts about books. 

Whatever your fancy is, these are the go-to celebrities when it comes to getting suggestions as to what books to read next.

Oprah Winfrey

Oprah Winfrey is the woman who started the idea of celebrity book clubs when she launched her own in 1996. Winfrey frequently has authors on her show and generally picks reads that are dense, literary, and thought-provoking. To have an Oprah’s Book Club sticker on the front cover of a book, is a novelist’s dream come true.

Reese Witherspoon

Perhaps one of the most well-known book clubs after Oprah’s is Resse Witherspoon’s group, Hello Sunshine. Witherspoon loves books, and she has even brought her passion for reading into her work as an actress. She has appeared in movies based off of the books Gone Girl and Wild, both of which she read in her book club. You can join her book club on social media on Instagram at @reesesbookclubxhellosunshine and on Facebook. Witherspoon has also partnered up with Audible, and you can join her book club there too!

Andrew Luck

Football quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, Andrew Luck, is the “NFL’s unofficial librarian.” Luck says that the idea to start a book club came from an interview he did in 2015 where hosts Roger Bennett and Michael Davies joked about the Andrew Luck Book Club. Much to their surprise, Luck took to the idea and did just that. Each month you can visit his website to find the book of the month and start a discussion with it on social media.  

Emma Watson

Harry Potter star Emma Watson started her own book club, Our Shared Shelf. Watson says, “As part of my work with UN Women, I have started reading as many books and essays about equality as I can get my hands on. There is so much amazing stuff out there!” Every two months, she selects a book and posts questions and her thoughts to get a discussion going. 

Sarah Jessica Parker

As Book Club Central’s Honorary Chair, Sarah Jessica Parker picks out books for followers to read each month. You can also get recommendations from SJP for Hogarth where she’s published two books of her own. While she does not have an official book club, her Goodreads page is the number two most followed page. All of her recommendations center around emerging international voices.

Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss

Emma Roberts and Karah Preiss are the two minds behind the online book club, Belletrist. Roberts and Preiss started by posting on Instagram about what they were currently reading. That developed into their book club that promotes different book found in independent book stores. When you sign up for their newsletter, you get access to their book recommendations, author interviews, and other great promotions.

Florence Welch

Between Two Books is a book club that offers book recommendations every few months by Florence Welch herself. The club itself is not run by Welch, but she has some fantastic suggestions on what to read that Between Two Books posts on their social media accounts. Anyone can start a discussion about the month’s pick, making it open and fun for all to enjoy.

Jimmy Fallon

Tonight Show host Jimmy Fallon has a summer book list that he announces every year. Fallon is always advocating for reading and visiting your local library for books. Additionally, Fallon’s passion for books was the main drive behind partnering up with book publisher Macmillan in donating 3,000 books to classrooms and community programs across the country.

Lena Dunham

Writer, director, and producer Lena Dunham is very active discussing books on social media. She enjoys books of all types of books and is a great resource to go to when looking for a new read. Dunham also has a feminist newsletter, Lenny Letter, that has author interviews and essays. Another great way to discover new authors! 

Mindy Kaling

Mindy Kaling does not have an official book club but shares whatever book she is reading on her Instagram and Twitter profiles. She has also written four books which if you haven’t read any of them yet, you should. Her TV personality shines through in her writing, and her sense of humor makes her books enjoyable to read.

Tom Hanks

Tom Hanks, known for his many roles based on books, is passionate about sharing his love for books too. In an article in Vulture, he lists his favorites books including A Gentleman in Moscow, An Army at Dawn, Supreme City, and more. In 2013, Hanks played the role of Walt Disney in the movie Saving Mr. Banks, whose story premise was about the filming of Mary Poppins, a book by P.L. Travers. In the film, he says, “That’s what storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again.”  

Are you a part of any book clubs? What kinds of books do you discuss? Let us know in the comments!