UWinnipeg Alumni Book Club
Free for alumni
Thanks to the generous support of our alumni partner, The Personal Home and Auto Insurance joining the virtual book club for alumni is completely free; you just have to get a copy of the book to enjoy.
How does the Book Club work? The University of Winnipeg Alumni Book Club connects through a private online forum where members respond to different discussion questions and other book-related topics. We spend about two months reading each book to accommodate reader schedules and preferences. Discussions occur online and are asynchronous, so members can provide their input at any time, wherever they may be in the world.
Book Club Selection March - May 2025
The Mango Tree: Memoir of Fruit, Florida, and Felony by Annabelle Tomtich
Rows of orange people sit handcuffed in a beige room. One of them is my mother.
With clear-eyed compassion and piercing honesty, The Mango Tree is a family saga that navigates the tangled branches of Annabelle’s life, from her childhood days in an overflowing house flooded by balikbayan boxes, vegetation, and juicy mangoes, to her winding path from medical school hopeful to restaurant critic. It is a love letter to her fellow Filipino Americans, her lost younger self, and the beloved fruit tree at the heart of her family. But above all, it is an ode to Annabelle’s hot-blooded, whip-smart mother Josefina, a woman who made a life and a home of her own, and without whom Annabelle would not have herself.
Book Club Selection May - July 2025
The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf
She thought she was alone…
True crime writer Wylie Lark doesn’t mind being snowed in at the isolated farmhouse where she’s retreated to write her new book. A cozy fire, complete silence. It would be perfect, if not for the fact that decades earlier, at this very house, two people were murdered in cold blood and a girl disappeared without a trace.
As the storm worsens, Wylie finds herself trapped inside the house, haunted by the secrets contained within its walls—haunted by secrets of her own. Then she discovers a small child in the snow just outside. After bringing the child inside for warmth and safety, she begins to search for answers. But soon it becomes clear that the farmhouse isn’t as isolated as she thought, and someone is willing to do anything to find them.
Recent books we've read:
What our Alumni Book Club members are saying:
Patricia Palahniuk (BA 91)
I quite enjoy being in the Alumni bookclub. First of all, we have now lived in the US for 30 years! Yikes! However, my heart is still in Winnipeg and it’s been such a good experience hearing from fellow Winnipeggers throughout the discussion of the last read. It’s also beneficial when there is lively discussion on the pros and cons of a book. We all bring our own perspectives to a reading but we also try to figure out the author’s intent. Books enrich our lives!!!