Prompt #4: Celebrity Book Clubs

When I first read the article by Angela Liao (2017), I immediately thought of the celebrity book clubs that I personally follow on social media that are run by Reese Witherspoon, Jenna Bush Hager, and Emma Watson.  As a reader, I chose to begin following these accounts because there are different aspects of the celebrities’ lives that I find interesting and I was curious about the types of books they read, which is more than likely why millions of other readers are following their accounts as well. I have read quite a few of the recommendations from these celebrity book clubs, some I liked and some I didn’t, but all have stayed true to the endorsing celebrities’ brand. People are often drawn to celebrities because of their personalities (or brands). Armitstead (as quoted in Liao, 2017), states, “... if someone wants to project themselves as a fun person, they are going to choose fun books.” Readers can get an idea of the types of books that a celebrity recommends based on their personas. If you find someone to be boring or dull, you are probably not going to run to the bookstore to find their recommendations.

While many critics discredit the merit of these book clubs, one thing is an obvious benefit: people are reading. Some skeptics assume that celebrities are only promoting books to increase their popularity or make money, but what matters is that more people are being exposed to new literature and are taking an interest in the literary world. Liao (2017) writes, “...what [celebrities] bring is their brand. There are so many books in the world that any kind of ‘sorting hat’, to use a Harry Potter term, is a good thing for reading.” Celebrity book clubs allow readers to get recommendations on new books in their preferred genres which increases the exposure to literature and benefits the publishing industry.

Another aspect of celebrity book clubs that was brought to my attention was the amount of time that these book clubs can last. This appears to be the result of two main factors: popularity and celebrity interest. Liao (2017) stated in her article that “they have a shelf life and people like Emma Watson will get bored and start looking for the next new thing.”  Celebrities may lose interest in their book clubs or move on to a new ideology that drives their recommendations and can make the club lose steam. In addition, celebrities are not always celebrities forever and their popularity may wane. The article regarding Oprah’s Book Club by Butler, et.al (2005) found that book club picks from her early years were more popular than those in the later years “indicated Oprah lost some of her clout with consumers as the book club matured (p. 23).” As her popularity diminished, as did the success of her book club.

Although some individual celebrity book clubs may diminish in popularity for several reasons, their benefits are still high because it leads people to finding a renewed interest in reading. Seeing as these book clubs have been around for many years, the existence of the concept has longevity. Even if the popular clubs of today are gone, more will be in line ready to promote a new generation of great authors to their followers. With the existence of social media, it is easier than ever before to reach millions of followers to promote the love of reading.  

Resources:

Liao, A. (2017). Celebrity book clubs create virtual reading community. Retrieved from           https://bookstr.com/article/celebrity-book-clubs-create-virtual-reading-community/

Butler, R., Cowan, B., & Nilsson, S. (2005). From obscurity to bestseller: Examining the impact of
          oprah’s book club selections. Publishing research quarterly, 20(4): 23-34.