Oprah's June book club pick is here and it's an author she's loved since the '90s
Oprah's June book club pick is here and it's an author she's loved since the '90s
Oprah Winfrey has made her latest book club selection, and this time it's a fan favorite.
'The River is Waiting' by Wally Lamb (out now from Simon & Schuster), a propulsive crime novel following a young father after an unforgivable tragedy, is the Oprah book club pick for June. It's the third time Oprah has chosen a Lamb book for her book club – first 'She's Come Undone' in 1997 and 'I Know This Much Is True' in 1998. In a statement, Winfrey says her third pick from the author is indicative of 'what I think of this truly masterful and beloved writer.'
'Wally Lamb takes us on an incredible and transformative journey from the depths of despair to the healing power of facing the truth and finding forgiveness,' Winfrey said in a statement.
Oprah's Book Club June pick: 'The River is Waiting' by Wally Lamb
'The River is Waiting' follows Corby Ledbetter, a struggling new father who is already mourning the loss of his job and the consequences of his secret addiction before tragedy strikes. Now incarcerated, Corby struggles with the violence and brutality of prison but also finds a prison librarian, a good-natured cellmate and a troubled teen who give him something to fight for. This novel is his quest for forgiveness and hope.
Lamb is the author of nine books, including two nonfiction collections of testimonies from imprisoned women, 'Couldn't Keep It To Myself' and 'I'll Fly Away.' His second novel, "I Know This Much Is True," was adapted into a miniseries starring Mark Ruffalo in 2000.
In a statement, Lamb reflected on his four phone conversations with Winfrey over his career, three of which were to notify him of the book club selection. The first time she called him, it was 1992 and Winfrey simply wanted to express her gratitude for him writing 'She's Come Undone.' Five years later, she chose it as her fourth book club pick.
'I'm not sure why I've been on the receiving end of such grace and good fortune, but I try to live each day expressing my gratitude in the way I treat others,' Lamb said in a statement. 'And of those four phone conversations with Oprah, I think my favorite may be the first one, before there was an Oprah's Book Club, when I received a validating gift from an avid reader who just wanted to thank me for having written my book.'
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wall Street Journal
2 hours ago
- Wall Street Journal
An Infamous Author Wrote a Novel About His Town. What Do the Neighbors Think?
James Frey's book group was meeting to discuss the new novel by the notorious author James Frey. Though he has written six books, Frey is best known for 'A Million Little Pieces,' the 2003 bestseller about his drug-and-alcohol addiction. That title, marketed as a memoir, turned Frey into a pariah when it was revealed he falsified or exaggerated parts of his story. Oprah scolded him on TV. His agent dumped him.
Boston Globe
17 hours ago
- Boston Globe
The Farewell Tour may be over, but Paul Simon is taking the stage again
'I love you!' someone shouted from the back of the orchestra seating. 'I love you more!' another fan responded. Simon's 'quiet celebration' was aptly named in more ways than one. He opened with a complete, 33-minute run-through of the 'Seven Psalms' record, with hushed, pristine songs that reckoned with age, spirituality, and meaning. Black and white title cards displayed the names of each song in the movement. At one point a sound like the sanctus bells of the Catholic church glistened. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'Are we all just trial and error?' Simon sang on 'Sacred Harp.' At this point in his life, his voice is wispy, yet it's still somehow boyish. On Tuesday, he hit all the notes he reached for. Advertisement Paul Simon performs at the Boch Center Wang Theatre. Ben Stas for The Boston Globe/The Boston Globe If Simon's opening appearance with Advertisement The band featured several multi-instrumentalists, adding flute, cello, various percussive effects and more to the arrangements. Guitarists Mark Stewart and Gyan Riley embellished on Simon's foundations. After a brief intermission, the band returned with two more members, including the South African bassist Bakithi Kumalo, who played on Simon's groundbreaking 'Graceland' album (1986). The title track kicked off the second set, with Simon's voice decidedly forward in the mix. Later, the band played that album's 'Under African Skies' (dedicated to Joseph Shabalala,the founder of That song featured a special guest appearance from the singer Edie Brickell, Simon's wife. 'She'll undoubtedly vastly improve the performance,' he said by way of introduction. Some fans who showed up hoping to hear the greatest hits of Simon & Garfunkel may have left quietly disappointed, but for anyone attuned to Simon's long solo career, the show was a small miracle of precision and fidelity. On 'Slip Slidin' Away' (the lyrics of which – 'the nearer your destination…' – seemed especially poignant), the drum brushes were distinctly audible. The set included a couple of songs from 'The Rhythm of the Saints' (1990) the Brazil-centered follow-up to 'Graceland,' and several 'deep cuts,' as Simon said. Three were from his 1983 album 'Hearts and Bones,' including 'Rene and Georgette Magritte With Their Dog After the War' ('This will be my first Surrealist Number One Hit,' he recalled joking to himself) and 'The Late Great Johnny Ace.' The latter ended with a photographic triptych of the icons that inspired it – John Lennon, JFK, and the tragic singer named in the title. Advertisement Midway through, Simon teased the crowd with the familiar guitar motifs he wrote for several Simon & Garfunkel songs, such as 'I Am a Rock,' before actually leading the band into a thoroughly reinvented version of 'Homeward Bound,' set to a shuffling beat. The band went out on a high note with the festive 'Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard,' punctuated by the 'laughing' sound of the Brazilian cuica and Brickell materializing onstage to nail the whistling part. After carrying off the flowers he accepted from a fan in the front row, Simon returned to lead the musicians on a lightly jazzy/funky '50 Ways to Leave Your Lover,' so very much of its 1975 vintage, and a vaguely Mexican-flavored version of 'The Boxer,' which featured a wonderful solo from Riley (son of the minimalist composer Terry Riley).' On that song's 'lie-la-lie' melody, the audience heartily joined in. Then Simon wrapped up the evening with a solo rendition of 'The Sound of Silence.' 'And the vision that was planted in my brain,' he sang softly, 'still remains.' PAUL SIMON At the Wang Theatre, June 10 James Sullivan can be reached at .
News24
21 hours ago
- News24
20 questions with actress and TV presenter Leandie Du Randt
We put actress and presenter Leandie Du Randt on the spot in our series of fun Q&As. 1. What's the most delicious thing you've ever eaten? Prawn pasta from Hinterland (steakhouse) of all places! Lol. 2. Other than your current career, what would your dream job be? To be a singer-superstar like Lady Gaga. 3. Which song always makes you dance? Yeah! by Usher. 4. Which three people, dead or alive, would you invite to your fantasy dinner party? My late Mom Oprah Lady Gaga 5. Which fictional character would you love to play in a movie? Joe McNamara, Zoe Saldaña's character in Special Ops: Lioness. READ MORE | YOU rapid fire | 20 questions with TV presenter Maps Maponyane 6. If you could relive one day from your past, which one would it be? The day of my ballet concert when I was little and my mom was still alive – she did my hair and dressed me for the show, and bought me a Snowflake (chocolate) to enjoy. 7. What's the best piece of advice you've ever received? Always show up as yourself and treat everyone with the same level of respect – especially the tea lady. 8. What's your most-used emoji in chats, and why is it your favourite? Pink hearts, because to me they show kindness. 9. What's the one app you can't live without? Instagram 10. If you could own a holiday home anywhere in the world, where would it be? New York – and Cape Town is coming for me. 11. What's your all-time favourite book? The Magic by Rhonda Byrne – it changed my life. Literally. 12. Who's your biggest inspiration in life? No one person – whoever resonates with me in whatever phase I am in. 13. What smell instantly takes you back to childhood? None. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Leandie du Randt (@leandiedurandt) 14. How would you spend R1 million in 24 hours? Use it as a deposit for a holiday home in New York or Cape Town, LOL. Or I'd fly my closest friends and family to a villa in Italy, on the Almafi Coast, for a week, with a butler and a sea view and pool. The rest I'd donate to the Hanna Charity and Empowerment Foundation. 15. Sweet or salty snacks – which do you crave more? Always salty. READ MORE | YOU rapid fire | 20 questions with actor and comedian Siv Ngesi 16. If you had to compete in a reality TV show, which one would it be? Strictly Come Dancing, which I did in 2014 (runner-up) – but as I already did that, I would say Survivor. 17. Name a movie that always makes you cry, no matter how many times you watch it. Pretty Woman. 18. What's your most irrational fear? Geckos (don't ask). 19. If your life had a signature catchphrase, what would it be? No one can beat you at being you, so be you. 20. If you were stranded on a desert island, what are three items you'd want to have? Two chickens (to get eggs and meat and make more chickens) Knife Lighter
