Oprah Winfrey, chief executive officer of Oprah Winfrey Network LLC, speaks during an Apple Inc. ... [+]
You know a year is not going well when Oprah Winfrey is also having a tough year, just like people around the world. “During these times, I know it’s hard sometimes to focus on anything because we’re so distracted by the roar of the news, not to mention the steady hum of our own anxiety” Winfrey said on her Instragram. So what does Winfrey do when she is anxious and stressed? She turns to books. And instead of choosing one book a month as her book club usually does, she announced on Instagram a list of seven books for the next six weeks that she deems, “the books that help her through,” in the lead up to the election. The list includes fiction, poetry, nonfiction and spirituality. Below are the seven books Oprah Winfrey is discussing in her book club to help us get through the rest of this year:
The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
Winfrey says The Fire Next Time is “Iconic, far-seeing,” in her Instagram announcement. The book is two essays that are written as a letter addressed to Baldwin’s nephew about the role of race in America. His book, written in 1963 is as relevant as ever.
Devotions by Mary Oliver
Pulitzer prize winning poet Mary Oliver’s Devotions is “so wonderful” according to Winfrey. It is a personal collection spanning five decades with over 200 poems, chosen by Oliver herself.
Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison
This coming of age story by Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison is “magnificent” says Winfrey. It details how the trauma of racism is passed down from generation to generation.
When The Light Of the World Was Subdued, Our Songs Came Through edited by Joy Harjo
This is a collection of Native Nations poetry curated by United States poet laureate Joy Harjo. Winfrey says, “I found such beauty and nobility in these poems.”
Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The winner of the National Book Award in 2015, the book is a letter to the author’s teenage son on the realities of being Black in America. Winfrey says she considers Coates, “to be a bearer of the torch who carries on the legacy of our ancestors.”
The Soul Of America by Jon Meacham
When Winfrey is feeling anxious about the state of the world she turns to history, specifically to historian Jon Meacham’s The Soul of America, for comfort and perspective. “To guide me and help us understand our current era and reassure that our country can bounce back from dark times,” she says on Instagram. It helps her work through election jitters.
The Power Of Now by Eckhart Tolle
This bestseller emphasizes the importance of living in the present, and how to ground yourself and your emotions. “It’s a book that’s changed the way I see life, continues to guide me,” says Winfrey. “‘How do we find peace when everything is in turmoil?’ ‘How do you listen to the stillness? How do you be present when things are so chaotic and disruptive?’” This book has guided Winfrey’s answers to these questions.
