Join our WV LIVING BOOK CLUB! And this isn’t your run-of-the-mill book club. Each issue, we will choose a book to read that meets one of the following criteria:
- A book about West Virginia
- A book by a West Virginian
- A book printed and distributed through WVU Press
The books will be available to purchase through our website, at our independent bookstore partners, or through our partnering libraries. Once we announce the book, we will choose a date for a statewide gathering. You can join us in person at The F.A.R.M in Granville, right outside of Morgantown, or gather at one of our participating independent bookstores or libraries, where you can join us virtually. Our goal is to make it fun and interactive. We will theme our gatherings by incorporating food that fits with the tone and tenor of the book, have a facilitated discussion, and incorporate the author and/or subject experts. Our meetings will be quarterly, timed around magazine releases.
To participate in our WV LIVING BOOK CLUB, you’ll have three registration options:
- Register to participate in the online discussion event for free.
- Register to receive a copy of the book and participate in the online discussion.
- Register to receive a copy of the book and participate IN PERSON for our event. Food and beverages are included.
- Register participate IN PERSON for our event, but does not include the book. Food and beverages are included.
Our third book club meeting will be held on November 6. The book is Don’t Tell’em You’re Cold: A Memoir of Poverty and Resilience, an uplifting story of survival from abject poverty, set in the hills and coal camps of southern West Virginia. Katherine Manley and her family faced extreme challenges and struggles with ingenuity and traditional Appalachian stoicism. Beyond the poverty, other obstacles compounded Katherine’s life: a severely disabled father and a mother who struggled with day-to-day survival. On a cool October morning, Katherine’s mother left in a taxi and never returned, leaving 14-year-old Katherine to take care of her father and raise her siblings. Katherine went on to become an award-winning teacher, paying forward her hard-learned lessons to thousands of lucky students. This is a story of triumph that encourages everyone to never give up. We are fortunate that the author will be joining us in person for our discussion.
Previous Book Club Selections
CLICK THE COVER IMAGES BELOW TO WATCH THE RECORDED ZOOM DISCUSSION.
spring 2024
summer 2024
Attention bookstores and libraries: Are you interested in partnering with us? Fill out this form and we’ll send you a poster to display.
Partnering bookstores and libraries
Plot Twist Books, Charleston
Morgantown Public Library System, Monongalia County
Burnsville Public Library, Burnsville
Dora B Woodyard Memorial Library, Elizabeth
WordPlay, Wardensville
Morgan County Public Library, Berkeley Springs
Cicada Books & Coffee, Huntington
Books-a-Million, Beckley
Do you have a book to suggest as a WV Living Book Club read or for a story in WV Living magazine? Click here to give us some information about it. Books must be about West Virginia or written by a West Virginian. We love suggestions—just be aware that we plan our reads a year in advance.
