Sure enough, Oprah's book is 'Songs'

Oprah Winfrey announced her latest book club selection yesterday -- but the closely held secret had already been revealed to readers of The Sun.

After "The Oprah Winfrey Show" sent out a press release Monday announcing that the book for her wildly popular book club was "B-I-G big" -- a hefty 740 pages -- Sun staff writer Laura Lippman wondered if this was enough information to beat Oprah to the punch. A Nexis computer search for "740 pages" and "book" came up with only one possible contender, "Songs in Ordinary Time," the third novel by Mary McGarry Morris. Lippman's prediction was included in a list of Oprah Book Club selections that ran in yesterday's editions along with a story on the phenomenon of the club.

Winfrey told her viewers yesterday afternoon that this sprawling novel was indeed the selection, one she had been saving for the long summer months. "Songs" also will be the first Oprah book available at Starbucks, as part of a partnership announced last month. Drink slowly -- the book is 752 pages in paperback.

Pub Date: 6/19/97