Critical Reading Required Book Club

Welcome to Critical Reading Required! This is a mix of contemporary literary fiction and contemporary nonfiction and is a deeper dive into each book than our other book clubs.

Critical Reading is defined as: a way of reading that involves actively analyzing and interpreting a text in a more complex way wherein you question the text and your own understanding of it, which is what we intend to do with each book we read in this club.

The next club meeting is November 5, 2026 at 7:00pm
The book pick is Rednecks by Taylor Brown

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ABOUT THE BOOK

Rednecks is a tour de force, big canvas historical novel that dramatizes the 1920 to 1921 events of the West Virginia Mine Wars—from the Matewan Massacre through the Battle of Blair Mountain, the largest armed conflict on American soil since the Civil War, when some one million rounds were fired, bombs were dropped on Appalachia, and the term “redneck” would come to have an unexpected origin story.

Brimming with the high stakes drama of America’s buried history, Rednecks tells a powerful story of rebellion against oppression. Award-winning novelist Taylor Brown brings to life one of the most compelling events in 20th century American history, reminding us of the hard-won origins of today's unions. Rednecks is a propulsive, character-driven tale that’s both a century old and blisteringly contemporary: a story of unexpected friendship, heroism in the face of injustice, and the power of love and community against all odds.

Get a copy of the book here.