Are you wondering what your favourite Celebrity Book Club is reading this month? Do you enjoy book communities as a way to read along with others? If so, each of these celebrity book clubs is internet-based and open to all who follow. So if you’re like me and always on the lookout for the next great read, you will now find these picks all in one spot – That Happy Reader’s blog! Without further ado, let me introduce you to Celebrity Book Club Picks for May 2025.
Click on the book’s cover to add it to your Goodreads shelf!
Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club (Hello Sunshine)’s pick for May 2025:
Founded in 2017, Hello Sunshine always chooses books with women at the centre of the story. Their website notes “We make our choices thoughtfully and look for ways to deepen our connection to books, authors and ourselves”. This book club chose “The Names” by Florence Knapp as their May 2025 pick.
Length: 12 hours 2 minutes.
Narrator: Julia Whelan.
Genre: Romance
Summary:
Optimistic aspiring writer Alice Scott and grumpy Pulitzer-winning journalist Hayden Anderson both arrive on Little Crescent Island, vying for the chance to write the biography of Margaret Ives—once a tragic heiress and tabloid princess, now an elusive recluse. Margaret grants them a one-month trial period before choosing her biographer, and Alice is determined to win, relying on her people skills, ambition, and the satisfaction of rattling Hayden, who clearly sees her as real competition. But Margaret reveals only fragments of her story to each of them, bound by strict NDAs that prevent them from piecing the truth together. As tension grows—both professional and undeniably romantic—Alice and Hayden realize their own unfolding story, like Margaret’s, could be a mystery, a tragedy, or a love story…depending on how it’s told.
Good Morning America’s Book Club’s pick:
The GMA Book Club is officially called “Cover to Cover” and was started in the Fall of 2019. Their selections highlight diversity and books are chosen from both fiction and non-fiction genres. The book club chose “The Original Daughter” by Jemimah Wei as their May 2025 pick.
Length: 13 hours 30 minutes.
Narrator: Eunice Wong.
Genre: Literary Fiction
Summary:
In her powerful debut The Original Daughter, Jemimah Wei explores ambition, sisterhood, and the complexities of family in turn-of-the-millennium Singapore. Genevieve Yang, once an only child living in a cramped flat in Bedok, is suddenly joined by Arin—the unexpected daughter of a disgraced grandfather—upending her world. As the sisters grow up under immense societal pressure to succeed, they sacrifice friendships and leisure in relentless pursuit of academic excellence. But when a devastating betrayal drives them apart, Genevieve must confront the cost of ambition and question where her true loyalties lie. With emotional depth and sharp social insight, this novel captures the turbulence of a rapidly modernizing society and the fragile bonds that shape us.
Read With Jenna (Jenna Bush Hager)’s pick:
In March 2019, the former First Daughter announced her book club on the Today show. Each month she chooses a book that is sure to generate discussion. Jenna chose “The Names” by Florence Knapp as her May 2025 pick.
Length: 9 hours 40 minutes.
Narrator: Dervla Kirwan.
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Summary:
In The Names, a powerful and imaginative novel, a single moment of hesitation at a registrar’s office sets the stage for three alternate versions of Cora’s and her newborn son’s lives, shaped by the name she chooses against her controlling husband’s wishes. Spanning thirty-five years, the story delves into the far-reaching consequences of domestic abuse, the tangled complexities of family, and the struggle for autonomy and healing. With richly layered prose and emotional resonance, The Names examines the profound impact of a single choice and the fragile, precious nature of the lives we lead.
Oprah’s Book Club:
Oprah Winfrey started this book club in 1996 as a segment on her TV show. Many obscure titles have risen to bestseller status as a result of her picks. Oprah’s latest pick is “Matriarch” by Tina Knowles.
Length: 17 hours 16 minutes.
Narrators: Multiple.
Genre: Memoirs
Summary:
Matriarch is the intimate and inspiring memoir of Tina Knowles, mother to Beyoncé, Solange, and Kelly Rowland, tracing her journey from a spirited girl in 1950s Galveston to a powerful, creative force who shaped a family of global superstars. More than a story of celebrity motherhood, it’s a rich, multigenerational saga of resilience, love, loss, and transformation, exploring how Tina navigated racism, heartbreak, and personal reinvention while passing down strength and wisdom across generations. With warmth and candour, she shares a uniquely American story of determination, identity, and the enduring bonds between mothers and daughters.
Other Recent Celebrity Book Club Selections:
Do any of these books appeal to you? I enjoyed Great Big Beautiful Life and The Names have piqued my interest. Come back next month as I let you know what the June picks are!
Jonetta | Blue Mood Café
I’ve already finished Reese’s pick and loved it. Thanks for the post, Jodie💜
thathappyreader
Thanks for reading Jonetta.
Lux
I honestly haven’t been paying attention to celebrity book clubs. How are their picks so far? All good?
thathappyreader
It depends on what type of book you enjoy Lux.
ER LeVar
I’m 6 months out from snagging the Emily Henry book from the library! Might need to go and buy a copy at this rate. LOL.
thathappyreader
Oh no! That is a long wait.
Her Digital Coffee
I always love seeing book club picks. I’m not familiar with some of these, but they sound very interesting. Thanks for sharing!
thathappyreader
Thanks for reading Winnie.
Yvonne @ It's All About Books
Lots of interesting titles… I’m probably looking forward to the new Emily Henry most, mainly because I’ve enjoyed her writing in the past.
thathappyreader
I hope that you enjoy it Yvonne!
Carla@CarlaLovesToRead
I just finished Emily Henry’s book and I have The Names on my TBR shelf. I’m interested in The Original Daughter, it sounds like a good story. Thanks for keeping us up on these books each month, Jodie.
thathappyreader
My pleasure Carla.