It has become harder and harder to find books on a monthly basis that I feel absolutely compelled to share

Oprah Winfrey

Her book club has been a publishing phenomenon, with sales rocketing every time she nominates a novel for her club.

Winfrey is one of US TV's highest paid personalities and she earned a reported $150m (�106m) in 2000 alone, according to Forbes magazine.

"I will continue featuring books on the Oprah Winfrey show when I feel they merit my heartfelt recommendation," she said in a statement.

Winfrey said her final book choice for now would be Sula by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison, an acclaimed 1973 novel about the friendship of two women.

It was her 46th selection for the club she launched in 1996 to try to get Americans to read more.

Daytime reign

Last month, the former actress said she had signed a new two-year deal keeping The Oprah Winfrey Show on air until the 2005-2006 season, but would then hang up her microphone.

Her show has consistently been the number one daytime chat show since it first appeared nationally in 1986 and is shown on 280 US TV stations and in more than 100 countries worldwide.

She has also branched out into magazines and made-for-television movies.