In this online community, alumni can connect with each other and enjoy books related to lifelong learning, professional development, social issues and more. There is no cost to participate – just get a copy of the book to enjoy!
“Being in the Winthrop Virtual Alumni Book Club encourages me to read books I might not have been exposed to otherwise. Members vote on upcoming books to read, and the reading pace is realistic with our busy schedules. It is also a treat to attend the virtual author discussions and interact with other alumni through the online community. You are able to participate as much or as little as you like!”
-Pat Plexico Boutwell ’84
The fourth book for the 2026 Virtual Alumni Book Club is "Didn't You Use to Be Queenie B?" by Terri-Lynne DeFino.
Regina Benuzzi is Queenie B—a culinary goddess with Michelin Star restaurants, a bestselling cookbook empire, and multimillion-dollar TV deals. It doesn’t hurt that she’s gorgeous and curvaceous, with cascading black hair and signature red lips. She had it all. Until she didn’t.
After an epic fall from grace, Queenie B vanishes from the public eye, giving up her husband, her son, and the fame that she’d fought to achieve. Her shows are in rerun, her restaurants still popular, but her disappearance remains a mystery to her legions of fans.
Local line cook Gale Carmichael also knows a thing or two about disaster. Newly sober and struggling, Gale’s future dreams don’t hold space for culinary stardom; only earning enough to get by. Broke at the end of the week, he finds himself at a local soup kitchen in one of the roughest parts of New Haven, Connecticut. But Gale quickly realizes that the food coming out of the kitchen is not your standard free meal—it is delicious and prepared with gourmet flair.
Gale doesn’t recognize Regina, the soup kitchen’s cranky proprietor, whose famous black mane is now streaked with gray. It’s been more than ten years since Queenie B vanished into her careful new existence. But she sees Gale’s talent and recognizes a brokenness in him that she knows all too well. The culinary genius in hiding takes him under her wing.
Teaching Gale, Regina’s passion to create is reignited, and they both glimpse a shot at the redemption that had always seemed out of reach. When Gale is chosen to compete on the hit cooking show, Cut!, it’s a turning point for them both.
It’s Gale’s time to shine. And that means Queenie B might just have to come out of hiding…
The reading period is July 31-Oct. 2. Read a summary and reviews for it here.
Below is our reading schedule for 2026, which is a 10-week reading period for each book. This allows members time to read the book, participate in the discussion and choose if they will participate in the next reading selection.
Book 1: "The Frozen River" by Ariel Lawhon. Reading period, Jan. 2 - March 6.
Book 2: "How to Read a Book" by Monica Wood. Reading period, March 13-May 15.
Book 3: "All That Life Can Afford" by Emily Everett. Reading period, May 22-July 24.
Book 4: "Didn't You Use to Be Queenie B?" by Terri-Lynne DeFino. Reading period, July 31-Oct. 2.
Book 5: Reading period, Oct. 9-Dec. 11.
Thursday, Sept. 24 │6 p.m.
Zoom
Terri-Lynne DeFino, author of the current Virtual Alumni Book Club read, "Didn’t You Use to Be Queenie B?" will host a live Author Talk on Thursday, Sept. 24 at 6 p.m. viz Zoom. Terri-Lynne brings the same warmth, wit, and big-heartedness to everything she writes, and we cannot wait to hear her talk about the inspiration behind Regina and Gale, the world of professional kitchens, and the real heart of this beautiful story. Register here for the Author Talk!
Winthrop has partnered with PBC Guru to manage our book club. PBC Guru manages professional book clubs for companies and alumni associations and will be moderating the group to help make this program a great experience for all participants.
Members will connect through a private online forum where people can discuss the current book and network with each other. Joining the book club is completely free for alumni and friends. You are responsible for obtaining your own copy of each book. The group will spend two months on each book, so you'll have plenty of time to read. There will be five books throughout the year and you can join or leave any book discussion you like.
Joining the book club will introduce you to Winthrop alumni and friends across industries, generations and geographies, while accommodating your engagement when and where you are most comfortable.
Improve your mind, gain wisdom, keep up with a constantly changing world and nurture a thirst for knowledge through the discussion, reflection and sharing of perspectives with likeminded people in a safe platform.
Research has proven that when we read we become mentally stronger. From improving on focus and concentration, to developing stronger analytical thinking skills, to reducing stress, to reducing the chances of developing Alzheimer's later in life, the health benefits derived from reading are innumerable.
PBC Guru will provide 3 book selections that alumni will vote on for each reading period. Participants are sent a link to vote in the online forum. Voting occurs about in the first few weeks of the previous reading period to allow 3-4 weeks to obtain the next book.
The sign-up page will include a description of how the book club works, answers to frequently asked questions, and information about the first book. The sign-up page will still be open for new participants throughout the year.
For each book, PBC Guru sends out e-mails with content that prompt discussions in the online forum. An e-mail may include a link to a review, article, podcast, Ted Talk, video, or quote. Other specialty e-mails provide a way to announce the vote for the next book, communicate with discussion leaders, and send out periodic surveys.
The online forum is where book club members can introduce themselves, discuss the book and learn from other participants. Participants log in with the username and password that they created during the sign-up process.
Alumni can join the book club at any time and do not have to participate in every reading session. If you have questions please contact the Winthrop Alumni Association at alumni@winthrop.edu. We look forward to reading with you!
