Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive show news, updates, and more!
Kelly Clarkson Launched a Book Club—And It's Super Easy to Join
"Stranger Reads" is all about going out of your comfort zone to find your next favorite novel.
Calling all readers: During a special literary episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, Clarkson announced she's starting a new book club initiative.
Dubbed "Stranger Reads," the American Song Contest Host and Voice Coach came up with the idea after seeing a woman in a hotel lobby reading Agatha Christie's book The Body in the Library. Clarkson had never read a Christie book before but was immediately inspired to try one after her encounter with the woman.
"I fell in love with it, and I thought, 'Well, that is a really interesting way to find a new book,'" she said. "The idea is simple. If you meet someone new or if you see them at a park or somewhere and they're just really into their book—the idea is if they're that into it, you might like it too. So feel free to ask about their reading list and what they love and why they love it, and also offer up suggestions."
Unlike a typical book club, "Stranger Reads" won't have a designated monthly novel you're required to read. Instead, it invites you to find your own by going outside your comfort zone.
Clarkson kicked off the challenge by inviting two of her audience members to exchange their favorite books with one another. (Watch in the video, above.)
If you'd like to participate, strike up a conversation with the next stranger you see reading an interesting book. Then, get that book and post a photo of yourself reading it to social media with the hashtag #StrangerReads.
"Swapping titles is a great way to find out about [books] you might never come across otherwise," Clarkson said. "Also, it's a really cool way to connect with people you maybe never would have had a conversation with before. I think that's a good thing. I think we all need more connection, more now than ever."
If you love Kelly Clarkson on her talk show and The Voice, then you must watch American Song Contest, which she's hosting with Snoop Dogg. Based on the popular Eurovision Song Contest, ASC follows singers from 50 U.S. states, five territories, and Washington, D.C as they perform original songs—and viewers decide which one is the best. It premieres March 21 at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
