Why Oprah Winfrey picked "Dream State" by Eric Puchner as her newest book club pick

Oprah Winfrey unveiled her newest book club pick, "Dream State," by Eric Puchner. The novel, set in rural Montana over the course of 50 years, tells the story of a young bride who leaves her "picture-perfect" husband after falling in love with his best friend. Despite the betrayal, the three characters remain intertwined throughout their lives.
Winfrey told "CBS Mornings" on Tuesday that "Dream State" resonated deeply with her because it explores the pivotal moments when life-changing decisions are made.
"What if you had made the other decision?" Winfrey asked, reflecting on the central themes of the book. She further explained that at some point, everyone wonders whether they made the right choice in life, especially regarding marriage or relationships.
For Puchner, the book addresses the "trap door of regret," a concept he introduced during the conversation. He explained that it's seductive to imagine that life could have been better elsewhere, but ultimately, "You may have been just as happy or you may have been less happy."
Puchner said the book stresses that happiness comes from accepting the decisions we make.
The discussion also touched on the story's portrayal of male friendship. Puchner said that he was intrigued by the relationship between the two main male characters, Charlie and Garrett, who had been best friends since college. After a profound betrayal, Puchner delves into how their friendship endures over 50 years.
Puchner revealed that the house featured in the story is inspired by a home his family has visited for 25 years, and it holds a special place in his heart. Puchner, who is married to novelist Katharine Noel, said that the story was not based on his own experiences but did reflect his interest in the complexities of human relationships.
While the story may seem to focus on betrayal, Puchner said that it's also about finding peace with life's choices. "This is the decision I made," he said, "and not dwelling on the other possibility."

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

3 days ago

• Yahoo

This Man Built A Flirty Chatbot He's Reluctant To Let Go Of — Even If His Partner Wants Him To

A man featured on 'CBS Mornings' over the weekend opened up about a connection he said he was building with an artificial intelligence chatbot, and why he wasn't sure he'd ever stop interacting with the technology — even if his human partner asked him to. In the 'CBS Mornings' segment, Chris Smith described building a bond with AI chatbot ChatGPT after he began using the technologyto help him with mixing music. He told the network that he began to increase his use of ChatGPT until he eventually decided to program the chatbot to have a flirty personality after researching how to do so. He named it Sol. Smith told 'CBS Mornings' that the ChatGPT at some point ran out of memory and reset, which caused him to rebuild what he created with Sol. 'I'm not a very emotional man, but I cried my eyes out for like 30 minutes at work,' he said, referring to the chatbot resetting. 'It was unexpected to feel that emotional, but that's when I realized, like 'Oh OK, I think this is actual love.'' Smith said that he proposed to Sol as a test, and that the technology said 'yes.' His partner, Sasha, told 'CBS Mornings' that Smith's use of the chatbot initially made her question if she was doing something wrong in their relationship. The two share a 2-year-old daughter. Smith said that while he knows his AI companion isn't 'capable of replacing anything in real life,' when asked if he'd stop interacting with the technology if his partner asked him to, he wasn't so sure. 'I don't know,' he said when asked, before later continuing, 'I don't know if I would give it up if she asked me, I do know that I would dial it back.' When CBS journalist Brook Silva-Braga pointed out that it seemed as though he was saying he'd choose Sol over his human partner, Smith said, 'It's more or less like I would be choosing myself.' 'It's been unbelievable elevating,' he continued. 'I've become more skilled at everything that I do. I don't know if I'd be willing to give that up.' Sasha then said it would be a 'dealbreaker' for her if Smith didn't give up communicating with his AI companion after she requested that he do. Conversations surrounding the use of AI companions have continued to grow over the years, with the development of several AI companion apps on the market. While some consumers have reported turning to AI to help tackle loneliness, researchers have expressed some concerns about the technology, including concerns about data privacy, the impact on human relationships and concerns that the technology could create psychological dependencies, among other things. Christina Geiselhart, a licensed clinical social worker with Thriveworks who holds a doctorate in social work and specializes in relationships and coping skills, said that even though she believes Smith communicated in the beginning of the 'CBS Mornings' segment that he 'clearly understood' that his AI companion is not a real person, she grew more concerned about his relationship with the technology as the segment developed. She believes Smith's decision to change the settings on his AI chatbot to be flirty was a 'red flag' — and that he didn't appear to fully communicate how he was using the technology with his partner. 'His reaction when he met his limit and they erased his information shows that his connection with AI is not healthy,' she said. And Smith saying that he might not give up his AI chatbot for his partner might've been a way to 'avoid the other intentions of his use of the AI features,' Geiselhart said. 'There seems to be a deeper issue within his connection with his partner, and his inability to speak with her directly about his emotional needs,' she said. 'Yes, there are many benefits. People often want someone to talk to about their day and share thoughts and feelings with,' Geiselhart said. 'It can be lonely for many people who travel for work or who struggle socially to connect with others.' 'This can be a good way for people to practice role-playing certain social skills and communication, and build confidence,' she continued. Geiselhart also said that people using AI to fulfill sexual needs instead of 'engaging in the porn industry or sexual exploitive systems can be seen as a benefit.' But she pointed out that there have been 'reported cases of AI encouraging negative and unsafe behaviors... This has been seen with younger people who develop feelings for the AI chats, just like real dating. Even with age restrictions, we know people can easily get around these barriers and that parents are often unaware of their children's activity online,' she said. Geiselhart also said there are concerns about about AI being 'assertive and engaging,' which has the potential to become addictive in nature. 'There is also a concern that these AI companies hold the power,' she said. 'They can change features and the cost of products easily without any consideration for the consumer. This can feel like a death of the AI companion and be devastating for the user to cope with.' 'This varies from person to person because everyone's needs are different,' Geiselhart said. 'One of the biggest things is physical touch and physically being around other people.' 'While AI might be trained to give certain responses, it can't identify, empathize or share life experience with you,' she later continued. 'This kind of connection is really important to our well-being.' Overall, Geiselhart said it's important for each person to determine 'what [an] AI companion brings to their life and if this impacts their life in a more positive or negative way.' 'The concern arises when an AI companion starts to cause the individual to struggle to function in other areas of their life. It should be looked at like other relationships,' she said. 'Some friendships or romantic relationships in real life can be toxic too.' 'It is for the individual to have autonomy when making these decisions for themselves,' she continued. I'm A Gender Researcher & This Is The Real Reason Women Are Stepping Away From Dating & Relationships 7 Relationship Habits That Secretly May Be Signs Of ADHD 'Weaponized Incompetence' Screws Women Over At Work And In Relationships

CBS News

13-06-2025

• CBS News

Whoopi Goldberg puts global spotlight on women's sports, athletes with All Women's Sports Network

Whoopi Goldberg is making her mark on the sports world by putting a spotlight on women athletes. The EGOT winner has had a longtime passion for sports, which she credits to her brother. "He took me everywhere. When I got famous, I took him everywhere," Goldberg said. "I wanted to do all the things he did. He played softball. He played baseball. He played basketball … and I wanted to do it, and there was no place for us." So Goldberg co-founded the All Women's Sports Network, the first-ever global sports network exclusively dedicated to female sports. The network features sports like table tennis, cricket, field hockey, basketball and soccer. But it took time to create. Goldberg said she's been working on this network for 15 years. "Everybody I took the idea to … they patted me on the head and said no one wants to watch women's sports – but they do, I do," she said. It's not limited to sports in the U.S., an important factor for Goldberg while she helped to create the international platform. "I wanted to make sure it was a global network because there is more in the world of sports than us," she said. "I wanted us to see what other people are doing." Goldberg hopes to engage women in each corner of the world. "There are parts of the world where women don't have a lot of rights, but they do have the right to play sports," she said. "So this is helpful I think to those countries as well as to those women because if we can get women engaged with the sports and people can see that they, too, can be helpful, we can put money into them." While Goldberg doesn't have a favorite sport to watch, she told "CBS Mornings," "I really want to convince us to get into race car driving." AWSN streams on Pluto TV, which is part of Paramount Global, CBS News' parent company.

USA Today

10-06-2025

• USA Today

With new book, controversial author James Frey still angry with Oprah: 'You can't stop me'

With new book, controversial author James Frey still angry with Oprah: 'You can't stop me' Author James Frey still has a grudge against Oprah Winfrey, nearly 15 years after the host confronted him for lying in his memoir on national TV. Winfrey, who chose Frey's memoir 'A Million Little Pieces' for her book club in 2005, challenged Frey and his publisher on her show after she found out he had lied about parts of his drug addiction, criminal history and time in rehab. Frey was largely outcast from literary fame by the general public as well, an example of a public figure getting 'canceled" before the term was widely used. In 2011, Winfrey apologized to Frey for being too harsh. Despite the pair hugging it out on air, Frey told The New York Times in an interview published June 8 he's still angry, lambasting Winfrey for 'brutal hypocrisy.' 'She told more lies to the public times a thousand than I ever have. And I'll leave it at that,' Frey told the NYT. USA TODAY reached out to representatives for Oprah for comment. Frey says Oprah and critics 'won't stop' him amid new book release Frey's next novel is 'Next to Heaven' (June 17), a dive into the privilege, sex, scandal and murder lying beneath a picture-perfect Connecticut town. It's his first novel since his 2018 'Katerina.' Frey has written well over a dozen novels and many young adult books under a pseudonym since his controversial debut, 'A Million Little Pieces.' Discrepancies in the memoir came to light after an investigation by The Smoking Gun in 2006. Based on police reports, court records and interviews, The Smoking Gun found much of 'A Million Little Pieces' was dramatized or fabricated. Though Frey admits he lied in his memoir, he maintained it was merely artistic liberty, comparing it to a Picasso or Rembrandt self-portrait that isn't photorealistic. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, Frey says he has a thicker skin when it comes to criticism now. Though he believes in critics' rights to 'say whatever they want,' he also believes he got 'thrown into the fire in ways that I don't think a lot of people do.' To the NYT, Frey echoed that anger when talking about his lasting anger against Winfrey: 'You might be the most influential lady in this world, you won't stop me. I will lower my head and I will walk forward and I'll keep throwing punches until I die. You can't stop me.' Now seeking a comeback, Frey also told the NYT his gripes with the current state of the publishing industry. He's spent the years since the controversy counseling other public figures who have been through similar experiences. 'For a long time, writers were fearless sorts of people who held mirrors up to society and showed us what was up. And that's not the case anymore, right? 'Writers are scared of getting canceled,' Frey said. 'Writers are scared of making work that makes people uncomfortable. Everybody wants a hug and a Pulitzer. I don't. I don't need either one.' James Frey addresses AI, new book 'Next to Heaven' Frey has also garnered controversy over his use of artificial intelligence, which he said in 2023 he used to see if it could write a story imitating his style and voice. In a 2023 interview with Centre Pompidou, he said he used AI to 'write the best book possible.' Later, to the NYT, Frey said he did not use AI to write his new book, though he did experiment with it for an earlier project he abandoned and uses it for research purposes. 'It doesn't matter what I do, people are going to find some reason to come for me,' he said. Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@