Celebrity bookworms are here to stay.
Ever since Oprah Winfrey started her iconic book club in the ’90s, celebrities including Reese Witherspoon, Emma Roberts, Dua Lipa and Jenna Bush Hager have joined the ranks, picking monthly books that skyrocket to the top of the bestseller lists.
“I absolutely love reading, I love the idea of sharing how books make people feel … books are really important to me and if I can share that in some way, then I feel like I’m on the right track,” Lipa told Elle UK in 2023.
Roberts, who started Belletrist with best friend Karah Preiss in 2017, told AP that giving book recommendations brings her “so much joy.”
Witherspoon, meanwhile, built an empire on books with her Hello Sunshine media company, highlighting diverse female authors.
See below for all the January celebrity book club picks.
Goodreads rating: 3.72/5
“My Monthly Read for January is the brilliant new memoir by DJ, producer and songwriter Mark Ronson – ‘Night People: How To Be A DJ In 90s New York City.’ As a self-confessed night person, I can’t think of a better way to start the new year than a book that celebrates the energy and joy of the dance floor,” Dua Lipa wrote alongside her announcement.
“I’m lucky to call Mark a friend, but there were still so many stories in this book that surprised me, made me laugh, made me cry, and definitely made me want to hit a club.”
Goodreads rating: 4.11/5
“@paula_mclain gives us a mesmerizing tale of Paris above and below where a woman’s quest for artistic freedom in 1664 intertwines with a doctor’s dangerous mission during the German occupation in the 1940,” “GMA” said of their latest book pick.
Goodreads rating: 4.05/5
This month we’re reading Sylvia Plath’s ‘The Bell Jar,’ one of Dakota’s favorite classics! Whether you’ve read this a million times or this is your first time, you’re in for a wild ride. This book is full of all the feels, thoughts, and ideas,” Johnson’s TeaTime book club wrote of their classic pick.
“‘The Bell Jar’ is Sylvia Plath’s masterwork—an acclaimed and timeless novel about a young woman falling into the grip of mental illness and societal pressures.”
Goodreads rating: 4.19/5
“Happy 2026!! Kicking off the new year with my January @readwithjenna pick — ‘Homeschooled’ by Stefan Merrill Block! Out everywhere today, ‘Homeschooled’ is such a beautiful debut memoir,” Bush Hager wrote alongside her January pick.
“Stefan writes a tender mother-son love story about forgiveness, hope, and the ways we heal. I love its raw honesty and the very American story of one little boy growing up in a family where love is obvious, but so is dysfunction. It’s truly the perfect book for the first month of the year. I cannot wait for everyone to read this one.”
Goodreads rating: 4.06/5
“‘The First Time I Saw Him’ by @LauraDaveAuthor is officially the Reese’s Book Club January Pick, and the first ever sequel on our shelves. We could not be more excited!” Witherspoon’s book club announced.
Goodreads rating: 3.95/5
“Happy New Year! As we start 2026, we’re excited to kick off our first read with a 2022 mystery: ‘Strange Pictures’ by Uketsu,” Portman wrote of her January book pick. “Uketsu weaves together a series of seemingly innocent drawings, each hiding a disturbing clue that unravels a web of unsettling mysteries.
“Join us as we piece together the eerie tales from these nine childlike illustrations.”
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