There is probably no one who has had more influence on book reading than Oprah Winfrey.  The popular book club that she started on her syndicated show in 1996 ignited a love for reading around the world. As we saw over the years, there was no better or a more lucrative endorsement than a book getting picked to be in that coveted club.  Many of the books she selected went on to become huge bestsellers and made the authors of the books household names.  In some cases, obscure authors got the recognition they never thought they would get and books published decades ago such as Toni Morrison's "Beloved," received renewed attention.

So when the mogul announced that she will once again peddle books, we're sure there were high-fives being exchanged amongst publishers followed by strategy meetings in coming weeks to see how they can get their books on Oprah's Book Club 2.0.  Publishers are not the only ones excited, the millions of fans that joined her in the original book club, will surely be excited to learn of this news.

The first book chosen by Oprah is the best-selling memoir "Wild" by Cheryl Strayed.  The book is about the 1,100-mile hike that the author took along the Pacific Crest Trail from the Mojave Desert following a divorce and the death of her mother.  A special ebook version of "Wild," which will include Oprah's notes and a reader's guide, will be released on the book club site on Monday June 4th.