The Oprah book-club baton has been handed off to other players (think Kelly Ripa), and it looks like Good Morning America's entry, which links with local reading groups nationwide, is off to a fast start. On its first monthly segment (June 13), the Pulpwood Queens of Beauty and the Book, from Jefferson, Tex., kicked off the "Read This!" program by recommending Ann Packer's debut novel, The Dive from Clausen's Pier. This April Knopf title has benefited from bookseller enthusiasm (it was the #2 Book Sense selection for May/June), excellent reviews (including a starred PW) and great word-of-mouth. It's been an in-house favorite ever since the manuscript was circulated, and the first printing was an impressive 30,000 copies. Before GMA's announcement, The Dive was a very respectable #275 on Amazon.com; within several hours, the book jumped to #2. Knopf went back to press, bringing the in-print figure to 125,000 copies.
With reporting by Dick Donahue
