The title says it all. Do celebrity book clubs still hold a lot of weight with readers? I know they once were very powerful, especially if your name happened to be Oprah and you recommended a book. Reese Witherspoon has a book club these days, and I’m curious if she has as much influence on book buyers. What about programs like Canada Reads? I've seen a display at the local library, but not many takers. But are any of these things real? Does anyone or anything (like money, for example) influence their choices and enthusiasm for these particular books? Why is a celebrity endorsement more relevant?
If one were cynical, one might wonder if these celebrities are paid off. We now see, more than ever, that propaganda and sneaky marketing (not to mention fake reviews) are a thing. It’s not impossible. Authors would all love to believe that a celebrity is curled up with our book, but how often does it happen? Unknown writers try to climb that hill of notability, even if that means being just a full-time writer. Fame and money aren’t the shiny objects to most writers that you’d think. As a reader, I assume it would be discouraging to run out and buy a book that Oprah or anyone else recommended, only to find it doesn’t live up to the hype. It’s a matter of opinion, and everyone looks for something different. That’s why I never know what to recommend to someone when they ask what I’d suggest. Reading is a very personal thing. It’s like picking something off the menu for you, and quite frankly, I wouldn’t want to do that either.
Do you think celebrity book clubs are for real? If so, who do you trust and why or why not? Let me know in the comments.
