If You Shop at Walmart, Get Ready for This "Unique" Change, Starting Tomorrow

Walmart is a hotspot for books.

You can find popular fiction titles, self-help books, and children's storybooks lining the shelves of Walmart's book department—often at a discounted price. You might not immediately think big-box stores are a destination for readers, but during the pandemic, retailers like Walmart, Costco, and Target became popular spots to purchase books, according to The New York Times. Shoppers were unable to shop in-store at large and small booksellers alike, leaving many to pick up books while grabbing their groceries. These retailers were also able to fill a need when Amazon—which has long been a Goliath when it comes to book sales—had to pivot to shipping medical supplies and household essentials.

Buying books at big-name retailers is sometimes controversial, with many calling for readers to support independent bookstores, which help support new authors and local businesses. But if you do sometimes grab your next read from Walmart, you'll be happy to learn about the retailer's latest initiative.

You can join a new club.

It's become popular and trendy to join different book clubs, which provide a sense of camaraderie for readers on social media or in conversation with other bookworms. Many of these clubs are led by celebrities, with Oprah Winfrey's popular book club and Reese Witherspoon's newer version being two of the most notable. New "picks" are announced monthly, and are often touted as noteworthy reads thanks to their prose, message, or timeliness. There are also paid subscription clubs, like Book of the Month, which allow you to select from a few different titles and have a new book shipped to you monthly.

Now, Walmart is joining in on the fun, having officially announced the launch of the Walmart Book Club in an Aug. 22 blog post. Picking up your next read at Walmart just got more exciting, as you can now join other readers on what the retailer is calling "the literary adventure."

"At Walmart, we are always looking for new ways to excite customers with exclusive experiences and unique opportunities," Myles Robinson and Megan Bee, both Walmart book merchants, wrote in the blog post. "It’s just one of the many ways we help our customers live better."

Five titles will be picked every year, with one receiving the "highest honor."

The book club is focused on adult readers, and approximately five books will be selected throughout each year. Four titles will be announced "seasonally" and the final pick will receive the retailer's top honor, "Pick of the Year."

"Our team of book merchants will select titles based on reading trends, relevancy and industry market data—helping to identify exciting titles Walmart customers are sure to love," Robinson and Bee wrote.

The blog post didn't go into details about how new titles will be announced, but the first read was named as Love on the Brain by Ali Hazelwood, which is being released on Aug. 23. The summer selection "follows a scientist forced to work on a project with her nemesis—with explosive results," Robinson and Bee wrote.

If romance novels aren't your jam, fear not. During the fall and winter seasons, new Walmart Book Club picks will cover different genres, Robinson and Bee wrote, "offering customers the perfect new read to curl up with."

Here's how you can get involved.

If you've been looking for a book club, or just a rec for your next read, getting involved in the Walmart Book Club is relatively simple. There's no official registration required to participate, and according to Robinson and Bee, all you need to do is look for a Walmart Book Club sticker on the book cover or on the book's product page online. By simply marking the titles, the process is intended to make it "easy to join no matter where you live," Robinson and Bee wrote.