It all began with Oprah’s Book Club in 1996. Now, everyone from Dua Lipa to Kai Gerber share and discuss their favourite books online. But the most popular of all is Reese Witherspoon’s book club (it even got a shout out on Netflix’s Nobody Wants This).
The actor has been recommending books monthly since 2017, both to her 30.2 million followers on Instagram and the 2.5 million loyal subscribers of Reese’s Book Club. The varied selection has something to appeal to every type of reader – think thrillers, romances, beach reads, historical fiction and more.
There’s no particular formula to choosing the books, but the single criterion is that a woman must be at the centre of the story. Not only has the club brought female authors and stories to the forefront (her selects often make The New York Times bestseller lists), but it’s also shaken up the TV and film scene. From Where the Crawdads Sing and Daisy Jones & The Six, many of Reece’s picks have been adapted for the screen through her production company, Hello Sunshine.
The Reese Book Club’s pick for November 2024 has been described by Reese as an “unforgettable memoir”. Here’s everything you need to know.
‘We Will Not Be Saved’ by Nemonte Nenquimo, published by Wildfire: £15.87, Amazon.co.uk
We Will Not Be Saved tells the true story of Nemonte Nenquimo who was born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest. Aged 14, she left the forest to study with an evangelical missionary group in the city, but she eventually returned to the Amazon after hearing her ancestors in her dreams.
In the two decades since, Nemonte has become one of the most powerful forces in climate change activism. She’s been at the forefront of the alliance between indigenous nations in the Upper Amazon, leading them to a landmark victory against Big Oil that protected more than half a million acres of rainforest.
Partnering with her husband Mitch Anderson, founder of Amazon frontlines, her memoir explores generations of oral history, explains centuries of conquest and challenges racial intolerance towards indigenous people.
In her announcement of this month’s pick, Reese called it an “unforgettable memoir about fighting for your home and your heart.”
Want more recommendations? These are the books to pick up in 2024
