Celebrity Book Club Picks for December 2021

Hi everyone!  Today I’m sharing my monthly feature highlighting the Celebrity Book Club Picks for December 2021.  These book clubs are 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!

So without further adieu, let me introduce you to four book clubs and reveal their picks for December 2021.

Good Morning America’s Book Club

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 “Dava Shastri’s Last Day” by Kirthana Ramisetti as their December 2021 pick.

From The Publisher:

In this thought-provoking and entertaining debut novel about of a multicultural family, a dying billionaire matriarch leaks news of her death early so she can examine her legacy–a decision that horrifies her children and inadvertently exposes secrets she has spent a lifetime keeping.
Dava Shastri, one of the world’s wealthiest women, has always lived with her sterling reputation in mind. A brain cancer diagnosis at the age of seventy, however, changes everything, as she decides to take her death—like all matters of her life—into her own hands.
Summoning her four adult children to her private island, she discloses shocking news: in addition to having a terminal illness, she has arranged for the news of her death to break early, so she can read her obituaries.
As someone who dedicated her life to the arts and the empowerment of women, Dava expects to read articles lauding her philanthropic work. Instead, her “death” reveals two devastating secrets, truths she thought she had buried forever.
And now the whole world knows, including her children.
In the time she has left, Dava must come to terms with the decisions that have led to this moment—and make peace with those closest to her before it’s too late.
Compassionately written and chock-full of humor and heart, this powerful novel examines public versus private legacy, the complexities of love, and the never-ending joys—and frustrations—of family.

Published November 30, 2021 by Grand Central Publishing, 384 pages

Genres: General Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Add Dava Shastri’s Last Day to your Goodreads shelf

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. The book club revisits a club pick from 2007  in December 2021- Ken Follett’s “Pillars of the Earth”.

From The Publisher:

Everything readers expect from Follett is here: intrigue, fast-paced action, and passionate romance. But what makes The Pillars of the Earth extraordinary is the time the twelfth century; the place feudal England; and the subject the building of a glorious cathedral. Follett has re-created the crude, flamboyant England of the Middle Ages in every detail. The vast forests, the walled towns, the castles, and the monasteries become a familiar landscape.
Against this richly imagined and intricately interwoven backdrop, filled with the ravages of war and the rhythms of daily life, the master storyteller draws the reader irresistibly into the intertwined lives of his characters into their dreams, their labors, and their loves: Tom, the master builder; Aliena, the ravishingly beautiful noblewoman; Philip, the prior of Kingsbridge; Jack, the artist in stone; and Ellen, the woman of the forest who casts a terrifying curse. From humble stonemason to imperious monarch, each character is brought vividly to life.
The building of the cathedral, with the almost eerie artistry of the unschooled stonemasons, is the center of the drama. Around the site of the construction, Follett weaves a story of betrayal, revenge, and love, which begins with the public hanging of an innocent man and ends with the humiliation of a king.

Published: October, 1989 by William Morrow & Co., 973 pages

Genres: Historical Fiction, General Fiction

Add Pillars of the Earth to your Goodreads shelf

Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club (Hello Sunshine)

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 “Lucky” by Marissa Stapley as their December 2021 pick.

From The Publisher:

Lucky Armstrong is a tough, talented grifter who has just pulled off a million-dollar heist with her boyfriend, Cary. She’s ready to start a brand-new life, with a new identity—when things go sideways. Lucky finds herself alone for the first time, navigating the world without the help of either her father or her boyfriend, the two figures from whom she’s learned the art of the scam.
When she discovers that a lottery ticket she bought on a whim is worth millions, her elation is tempered by one big problem: cashing in the winning ticket means the police will arrest her for her crimes. She’ll go to prison, with no chance to redeem her fortune.
As Lucky tries to avoid arrest and make a future for herself, she must confront her past by reconciling with her father; finding her mother, who abandoned her when she just a baby; and coming to terms with the man she thought she loved—whose complicated past is catching up to her, too.
This is a novel about truth, personal redemption, and the complexity of being good. It introduces a singularly gifted, complicated character who must learn what it means to be independent and honest…before her luck runs out.

Published: April 6, 2021 by Simon & Schuster Canada, 256 pages

Genres: General Fiction, Thriller

Add Lucky to your Goodreads shelf

Read With Jenna (Jenna Bush Hager)

Starting 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 “Bright Burning Things” by Lisa Harding as her December 2021 pick.

From The Publisher:

Sonya used to perform on stage. She attended glamorous parties, dated handsome men, rode in fast cars. But somewhere along the way, the stage lights Sonya lived for dimmed to black. In their absence, came darkness—blackouts, empty cupboards, hazy nights she could not remember.
Haunted by her failed career and lingering trauma from her childhood, Sonya fell deep into an alcoholic abyss. What kept her from losing herself completely was Tommy, her son. But her love for Tommy rivaled her love for the bottle. Addiction amplified her fear of losing her child; every maternal misstep compelled her to drink. Tommy’s precious life was in her shaky hands.
Eventually Sonya was forced to make a choice. Give up drinking or lose Tommy—forever.
Bright Burning Things is an emotional tour-de-force—a devastating and nuanced look at an addict’s journey towards rehabilitation and redemption.

Published: December 7, 2021 by HarperVia, 336 pages

Genres: General Fiction, Women’s Fiction

Add Bright Burning Things to your Goodreads shelf

So that’s what Celebrity Book Clubs are reading in December 2021.  Do any of these books appeal to you?  Will your book club be selecting any of these books? Let me know in the comments.

If you like this post and others like it, considering subscribing so you won’t miss a post.  As always, I wish you all a wonderful day. ☺️

Previous Book Club Picks:

Celebrity Book Club Picks for November 2021

Celebrity Book Club Picks for October 2021

Celebrity Book Club Picks for September 2021