What role do you think celebrity endorsements play in a book's popularity? Do you think that overall they’re a positive or negative thing for the reading community?

An American Marriage was named as a selection for Oprah's Book Club and also earned a place on President Barack Obama's 2018 Summer Reading List. What role do you think celebrity endorsements play in a book's popularity? Do you think that overall they’re a positive or negative thing for the reading community?

Overall, I think celebrity endorsements are positive because they allow the authors to reach a broader audience who otherwise may never read the book. If the celebrity is of a certain stature then yes, I think the endorsement can positively impact the book’s success. For me, celebrity endorsement is no guarantee I’ll read the book. I’ve followed Oprah’s Book Club selections for years and some book selections were books I had read on my own and enjoyed. Since I have discovered some good books through the Oprah Book Club, I am more likely to consider the recommendations.

Mostly it is good. I do not always like the choices made but at least it gets the word out about books. One of my favorite books of last year was A Place For Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza which was the first book for Sarah Jessica Parker’s Hogarth Press imprint and I might not have heard of it as early as I did without the hype that went along with that.

For me, I didn't realize this book was an Oprah Bookclub selection until after I received my copy and studied the cover. It just sounded like something I would enjoy. Celebrity endorsements do bring attention to books that many might not otherwise discover on their own. Our book club frequently reviews such lists when we are looking for something to include in our book queue.

I think they are a positive thing since they help the books to reach a wide audience. I'm not necessarily influenced for a particular celebrity, but they help to bring books to my attention. I do pay attention to Oprah since that is how I discovered Elizabeth Berg, however, I don't always like her choices.

So many books, so little time. Therefore, I do pay attention to celebrity endorsements. However, I am more influenced by BookBrowse and other such sites for reviews that ameliorate my interest.

This is an interesting question for me because I deliberately crossed this book off my reading list when it came out BECAUSE OF THE CELEBRITY ENDORSEMENTS! It was not until it became offered as a BookBrowse choice that I took a look at it again and became interested - and I am grateful for having been offered it and for reading it. It turned out to be a favorite of mine for the entire year. However, bottom line for me - who are the celebrities doing the endorsing!

There are both positives and negatives to the celebrity endorsements. For instance, I followed Oprah's book club for years, but then she became very selective in what she was endorsing. I would not necessarily select a book from Obama's list, thinking, as many do, that it was about politics. I do agree that the author benefits greatly by such an endorsement. I really like browsing the aisles of my local book store and by studying the recommendations I receive from Book Browse.

I feel celebrity endorsements can influence more readers to consider reading the book in question so my opinion is that yes, they are a positive thing for the general reading community. I also agree with those that have already said that the endorsements received via Book Browse mean a lot more to me personally.

I don't look for celebrity endorsements when looking for a book to read. I prefer recommendations from places like Book Browse as others have stated and my local book store. It seems a great many people are influenced by celebrity endorsements which gets them to read more and helps sell books. Getting people to read more is a big win.

I think high profile endorsements are a huge boon to any author (unless they are found to be lying!). There are so many books published and so many great ones are not discovered and many lesser books are big sellers because they get hyped. This is why I love these forums to find hidden gems! I have to agree with the person's taste to choose books they endorse - I find Oprah has her "type" as do others and they do not always such up with my choices. nonetheless there are many books I am aware of because of celebs, even though I may never read them. I also believe that many celebrity lists are carefully curated to make them look good or to push their agenda.

I think the celebrity endorsements play a big part in a book’s popularity, but it doesn’t guarantee everyone is going to like it. And I can’t help but wonder if it takes attention away from other, perhaps more deserving, books waiting to be discovered.

I feel that the celebrity endorsements are a good thing, if you find a celebrity that likes the same books you do! As there are so many new books coming out regularly, it helps to grab one that someone you are familiar with has recommended. Other celebrities I know to stay away from, which may not be a good thing!

I agree with susiej on this question. It depends on who’s doing the endorsing. More than celebrity reviews, I look at Kirkus Reviews, Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and the New York Times. After reading those reviews, I still make up my own mind. Celebrity endorsements probably catch readers’ eyes and increase readership of particular books, but it concerns me that other equally good (or better) books get overlooked.

I think they are great in that they encourage more reading. But I also feel that the celebrities don't necessarily have good taste in books, or that they even read these books they are promoting. I look at celebrity lists, but honestly I hesitate to read a celebrity endorsed book. I work at a library and I like to hear actual readers suggestions more than any review.

I ignore celebrity endorsements, but acknowledge the fact that those endorsements influence reading. That is a good thing.

While celebrity endorsements are excellent in getting a book out there, noticed, and into the hands of readers it may not have reached without, I feel as though a novel must be strong enough to stand on its own as well. Plus, it's also important to the celebrity to have endorsed a solid pick, because if you tout the merits of "the next big thing" and it turns out to be fluff, I personally won't trust your opinions again. Luckily, I don't think that was ever an issue with this novel. In fact, this is not something I would have chosen for myself and I am very happily surprised that I enjoyed it far more than I ever thought and find myself recommending it to people all the time. The endorsers should be trusted with this pick!

I think celebrities are just like any of the rest of us. They have opinions and so do we all. Sometimes I deliberately won't read a book if it has too many celebrity endorsements because it has become something everyone else is reading, and I like remaining away from the crowd just a little. I do have to admit though that I have read quite a few of Oprah's selections. I'm not sure I think that celebrity endorsements encourage new readers though or readers who normally wouldn't have read a specific book. Oprah in particular has a following and some people would read her books no matter which ones she chose, good or not. As a librarian, an English teacher, and avid reader, I am so pleased when I recommend books and my friends and others read them because I've said they were wonderful books. I'm not a celebrity, but knowing I influenced them to read books I've loved makes me feel like a rock star! Some of the students I've influenced through reading still ask me for suggestions and tell me they loved books I've recommended. It's very heady! My own kids and grandkids and now great-grandkids read the books I "endorse," so why not celebrity endorsements is how I'm ending up here at the end of this ramble!

Celebrity endorsements will garner a book and author a great deal of initial interest. However, if the book does not grab readers' attention, the celebrity endorsement will not keep it in the public eye. The book has to stand on its own merit. I admit to curiosity about SOME celebrity endorsements, but I do not rely on them for my book selections. I much prefer to read Kirkus reviews, hear or read about the book on NPR, and find books on my own!

I very rarely read celebrity endorsements, so I really don't know for sure. If there is an endorsement on the book cover or back, I generally think, "Oh, that person liked this book." It doesn't have anything to do with whether I will read it or not. If the endorsement comes from a writer whose works I enjoy, I may have a bit higher expectation for the book, but not always. I have seen endorsements on books that I didn't care for at all.
As for general popularity, it is really hard to say. Hype, reviews and endorsement seem to get book onto the front shelves where they get noticed. I don't know if that causes a great influx of readers. It is not bad to have the books be noticed, though there are many rather unnoticed books that are wonderful to read too.

As one of the reviewers has mentioned, I don't read books based on celebrity endorsements. There are hundreds of sources out there (including BookBrowse), that have expertise in evaluating and recommending books for the reading community. It is unfortunate that there are thousands of books and authors that are not being endorsed by any celebrity and which are literally powerful, evocative and engaging reads.
I see celebrity endorsements more like a personal reading recommendation. It is a pro for authors since their novel gets more exposure and being that celebrities have a lot of influence on people, it will be more likely a boom on sales.

I have really mixed feelings about celebrity endorsements; mostly I think they bother me. Why should Reese Witherspoon or Sarah Jessica Parker have authority to say, "This is a good book; you should read it"? Why do people place a reliance on what they recommend? They're no more gifted with insight into what makes a good book than your next door neighbor, and probably less so than your local librarian. The only reason they're listened to is because they're famous. On the other hand, yes, it does get some people to read books they might not otherwise, so from that standpoint I suppose a celebrity endorsement is helpful. Personally, though, I base my book selections on more reliable sources, like (of course) Bookbrowse.

For me they don't mean a lot. I had a friend who had read this book and really enjoyed it and her opinion means more to me. But maybe for people who don't read outside their box, celebrity endorsements might get them to read something they would not otherwise choose. That would be a positive thing in my opinion.

I don''t usually go with celebrity endorsements because I don't trust their choices. Too often ,they seem like the celebrities want to make a statement - you should read this because it shows you how narrow minded you are/ how little you understand this type of person/why you should care about this issue/etc. I like to see what Bookbrowse or Goodreads readers have to say. I usually go to the 3* reviews (after I see how many 5* reviews there are), because I feel that those are the middle of the road reviews.
This book was available at my local library and there were a lot of copies available so I picked it up... and I'm glad that I did.