Books & Bites Podcast, Ep. 99
JCPL librarians bring you book recommendations and discuss the bites and beverages to pair with them.
Join our discussion of Rednecks by Taylor Brown, winner of the 2025 Southern Book Prize! On this episode, Michael Cunningham, Carrie Green, and guest John David Hurley share their thoughts on this novel about the West Virginia Mine Wars of 1920-1921.
Want to talk with other book lovers about the book? Register for our in-person book club discussion of Rednecks, which will take place on Tuesday, March 18 at 6:30 pm.
If you’re participating in Winter-Spring Books & Bites Bingo, you can earn another free square by reading the book and either listening to this episode or attending the book club.
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Pairings
Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks by Crystal Wilkinson
Former Kentucky Poet Laureate and Affrilachian writer Crystal Wilkinson’s book includes recipes as well as essays about her ancestors and their food traditions.
Wilkinson has appeared on the Prompt to Page podcast, so it’s a great option for the current bingo sheet.
Carrie tried Garlicky White Soup Beans and Indian Creek Skillet Cornbread and says they’re perfect for a cold night.
Victuals by Ronni Lundy
Books & Bites favorite Victuals “is an exploration of the foodways, people, and places of Appalachia.”
Michael paired Rednecks with Pepperoni Rolls, a West Virginia delicacy inspired by the meals Italian immigrant miners brought with them to work.
Celebrating Southern Appalachian Food: Recipes & Stories from Mountain Kitchens by Jim Casada and Tipper Pressley
If you have a sweet tooth like John David, he recommends enjoying a slice of Butterscotch Pie while you read Rednecks. Add a glass of Maypop Tea, and you’ll have both a bite and a beverage!
Learn More about the West Virginia Mine Wars
Websites
- Mountaintop: Coal Mine Wars in West Virginia, West Virginia University
- American Experience: The Mine Wars, PBS
- West Virginia Mine Wars Museum, Matewan, West Virginia
- A series of articles on the West Virginia Mine Wars from the National Park Service