For me, the only thing more thrilling than being captivated by a brilliant book is being able to share it.

I recently spent a day sitting and reading beneath my oaks, the ones I call the Apostles; 12 of them form a grove, and their branches intertwine to create a canopy. When it finally got too dark to read and I picked up my book bag to go inside, I took a deep breath, brought myself back to my surroundings, and marveled at how I could pass an entire day in my yard yet feel transported to a completely different place.

That afternoon I was an immigrant on the run, escaping to America. Two days earlier, I’d been on the Underground Railroad in the magical-realist universe of Ta-Nehisi Coates’s The Water Dancer, my current book club selection. (If you haven’t read it yet, you must! It is engrossing, poetic, provocative, heartbreaking. It will take your breath away.)

In another book I read recently, one of the characters owned a bookstore, and the sign out front said: BOOKS: CHEAPER THAN AIRLINE TICKETS.

How true that is! For the price of a book, you get to explore the world, be intrigued by new people, be fascinated by new ideas, be dazzled, held in suspense, thrilled.

Book lovers everywhere know the feeling that takes over when you’re all the way in and can’t wait to turn the page—or have to brace yourself before turning it. You just want to tell somebody! You want to share the experience! And wouldn’t it be amazing if you could speak with the author and learn what was in their mind?

For the price of a book, you get to explore the world.

All of this is why I’ve joined forces with Apple to create what I hope will be the world’s most vibrant book club, engaging readers everywhere in conversations with one another—and with the authors who conjure the magic.

Apple is in a billion pockets, y’all. To me, that presents a magnificent opportunity to connect the world through reading. With each announcement of a new book club selection, you’ll have a chance to buy the book, read it, and then take part in a conversation with the author about the story and the writing process.

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Authors are my rock stars. Long before I started the original Oprah’s Book Club on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1996, I would reach out to the author after I finished a good read.

I remember calling Wally Lamb after reading and loving She’s Come Undone. He said, “Wait a minute, let me put down the laundry basket.” I was taken aback! Authors did their own laundry? I’ve since come to know quite a few, and yes, they are just like us—but with that rarefied ability to turn words into images and stories that, in the best cases, will resonate through the ages.

My partnership with Apple gives me a chance to take one of my most joyful experiences and spread the word. I know for sure you’ll appreciate the community that results when people engage with stories that enhance their lives.

For me, the only thing more thrilling than being captivated by a brilliant book is being able to share it. Thus, our goal of building the most stimulating book club on the planet. You can follow the club on Instagram at @oprahsbookclub. And Apple TV+ will stream conversations with the author and me across all devices, uniting people through the power of stories that remind us—no matter where we are or where we’re from—that every woman, man, and child looks up in awe at the same sky.

We want to convene a true meeting of the minds. Come read with us.

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