lifelong learning

UW Alumni Book Club

Personal stories, timely topics, transformative fiction… Let’s dig into some amazing books together! All curious readers are welcome at the UW Alumni Book Club.

Together, we read a book about every two months. Choose just one or all five — whatever works for you.

“So often we think of reading as a solo activity, but with discussion it improves and elevates the experience.” —Marilyn Conover Watt, ’76, ’81

The free online forum has suggested timelines and prompts for online discussion. Join us for special events that take the conversation to the next level!


Now Reading:

“Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” by Gabrielle Zevin

Reading Period: March 15–May 17, 2024

Is this a love story about… video games? Samson and Sadie were childhood pals whose friendship came to an awkward end. They cross paths again as scrappy, creative college students and end up making a blockbuster video game together. However, instant wealth and fame bring all sorts of new challenges to this duo. Much like a video game allows for infinite lives, does real life give our friendships infinite chances to start again? 

“A thoroughly enjoyable novel about friendship — a trip down memory lane for the millennial gamers among us and a manifesto for the art of play.”

–Harvard Review

Get your copy:

UW Alumni Book Club readers can save 20% on “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.” Use code UWAAZEVIN in-store and at ubookstore.com.
*Some restrictions apply. Visit ubookstore.com/disclaimer for full details. Coupon code must be given to cashier to receive discount in-store. Valid through May 17, 2024, in-store and at ubookstore.com


Author Event:

Seattle Arts & Lectures
Gabrielle Zevin: In-Person and Online

Thursday, April 25, 2024  |  7:30 p.m.
Online or at Town Hall Seattle, in the Great Hall
1119 8th Ave, Seattle, WA 98101

Gabrielle Zevin is coming to Seattle! Her surprise best-seller “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” examines the multifarious nature of identity, disability, failure, the redemptive possibilities in play, and above all, our need to connect: to be loved and to love. Hear her discuss this exhilarating novel in a Q&A with author Ruchika Tulshyan.

UWAA members save 20% on tickets! Book Club readers will find their discount code in the online forum.


Plan Ahead:

“Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver 

Reading Period: May 24–July 26, 2024
Readers Choice! Winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize, this fast-paced novel is a modern retelling of “David Copperfield,” set in the Appalachian Mountains. Our young hero braves the modern perils of foster care and derelict schools — all with a bright spark of resourcefulness and a deep love for his rural home.

 


2023-2024 Reading List

The Maid book cover

Reading Period:
Aug. 4–Oct. 6

Gilead book cover

Reading Period:
Oct. 13–Dec. 15

Killers of the Flower Moon book cover

Reading Period:
Jan. 5–Mar. 8

Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow book cover

Reading Period:
Mar. 15–May 17

Demon Copperhead Book Cover

Reading Period:
May 24–July 26


2023-2024 UW Alumni Book Club Archive

Readers’ Choice:
“The Maid: A Novel” by Nita Prose

The votes are in and Book Club readers are ready to meet the maid! Molly Gray struggles with social skills. She misreads people’s intentions and is frequently mocked by her co-workers. But no matter — Molly still adores her job working as a maid in a classy, historic hotel. When she finds a famous guest dead in his bed, Molly’s reactions strike the police as a little unusual. Soon, they have targeted her as the lead suspect in their murder investigation! This cozy mystery will have you rooting for our hero through every twist and turn of the plot. 

“A heartwarming mystery with a lovable oddball at its center.”

–Real Simple, UK

The Maid: Campus Connections


Readers’ Choice:
“Gilead” by Marilynne Robinson

Readers’ Choice! Marilynne Robinson, ’77, is one of the world’s premiere fiction writers.  In this Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, John Ames, an Iowan preacher with a terminal illness, writes a letter to his young child, chronicling his own life and that of his forefathers. As Ames writes, he captures important moments in history and fleeting experiences of everyday life in a plainspoken but poetic way. This tender, meditative tale explores the accumulation of wisdom and the precious bonds between fathers and sons. 

“’Gilead’ is a beautiful work — demanding, grave and lucid.”

–NYT Book Review

Gildead: Campus Connections


Readers’ Choice:
“Killers of the Flower Moon”
by David Grann

Reading Period: Jan. 5–March 8, 2024

The year is 1921. Oil has been discovered in the Osage territory of Oklahoma, and the Osage are now the wealthiest people per capita in the world. But when more and more tribal members start turning up dead, will the country’s fledgling justice system be able to get to the bottom of the murders? Journalist David Grann presents a true-crime mystery that is engrossing and meticulously researched, and whose shocking revelations still echo into the present day. 

“With the help of contemporary Osage tribe members, Grann illuminates a sickening conspiracy that goes far deeper than those four years of horror. It will sear your soul.”

–The New York Times

Killers of the Flower Moon: Campus Connections


 Past UW Alumni Book Club Archives

Curious what books we have read before? Use the links below to access our book club archives, which include recorded events and resource lists.


Share Your Book Ideas!

Have suggestions for upcoming book club titles?
Submit your ideas to our Book Club Suggestion Form.

Check out the books that have already been suggested.


The UW Alumni Book Club is a collaboration between UWAA, the UW Libraries, the University Book Store — and passionate readers like you.

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