Book Club Retreat

Three nights. Two books. One cozy weekend.

Feb. 4-7, 2027
Just one hour from DC/Baltimore areas in Maryland's Catoctin Mountains

Welcome to the fairy tale of book clubs!
Spend three nights in the grand yet welcoming ZigBone Eco-Lodge, eating delicious farm-fresh meals and talking to your heart's content about books with fellow book lovers. Does it get any better? Yup! We also include a yoga class, massages (for an additional fee), drink cocoa by the fire, and take walks on ZigBone Farm's 100-acres. Bring snow boots!

What We’ll Read
Everyone will read the Booker Prize Winner as a shared touchstone for our retreat book club discussions. The winner will be announced on Nov. 9, 2026, and we will update folks once it has been announced! Stay up to date with Booker Prize longlist, shortlist, and other announcements: HERE.

Each participant will also select a second title from the Booker longlist to dive into, creating a mix of shared conversation and fresh perspectives. Readers are welcome to read more than one long list title if they'd like! The Booker Prize recognizes exceptional works of fiction to elevate the voices of nominated authors and translators by bringing their work to a global readership. The prize highlights a diverse array of authors and works of fiction that are on the cutting edge of contemporary literature.

Once we know the Booker Prize winner, we will send an email to registered participants with an e-gift card for $50 to be used at Politics and Prose, which covers the price of the winning title and most of the second title you choose. Please note that Politics and Prose offers both shipping and in-store pickup for online orders.

What to Expect
Farm-fresh meals: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and always coffee and tea at the ready.
Facilitated book club discussions led by your hosts.
Uninterrupted time to read and reflect in cozy common spaces or your own private nook.
Connection with fellow readers who share your love of books.
Natural beauty: ZigBone offers breathtaking views, hiking paths, fields dotted with charming farm animals
Comfortably appointed rooms for the perfect winter retreat.
A $50 gift certificate to Politics and Prose, which covers the price of the winning title and most of the second title you choose.

Why This Retreat
Midwinter can feel long and dreary. This retreat is designed to give you a pause: a time to rest, to read deeply, and to connect with yourself and other thoughtful readers. It’s a weekend of literary discovery, nourishment, and community in a truly idyllic setting.

It's a weekend all about books, relaxing in beautiful surroundings, and finding your book-loving community.

Price ranges from $950 to $1500, depending on accommodations (see below)

to book contact [email protected]

Tentative Schedule

Friday
Arrive 4pm onward
5:30pm Welcome Reception with mulled cider.
Family-style farm dinner at 6:30pm

Saturday-Sunday (all sessions optional)
Coffee & breakfast
Book discussion
Lunch
Yoga class or massages
Book discussion
Community dinner
Free Book Discussion

Monday
Breakfast & wrap-up
11am Departure

About The Facilitators

Nicole Davidow is the Director of Marketing at Politics and Prose. She began part-time in the events department a few years ago, while getting her Masters in English from Georgetown University — the store hasn't been able to get rid of her since. She loves all literature, but has a soft spot for literary fiction that plays with style, grimdark fantasies, and nonfiction that focuses on the pre-modern era. She is the co-leader of Politics and Prose’s Evening Fiction book group.

Nicole Tortoriello , who facilitated last year's book club retreat, has been building community through books and reading for more than two decades and across more than a dozen book clubs. She has been a bookseller with Old Town Books in Alexandria, VA since 2021, where she leads two of their standing book clubs and hosts pop-up events and discussions of all kinds throughout the year. She also has a separate career as a civil rights and labor attorney, but that's only relevant to her reading life insofar as it occasionally provides good stories to share during book club.

What last year's participants said about Nicole T:
Nicole’s facilitation was fantastic. She smoothly drew us in and engaged everyone, making sure all our views were respected and acknowledged.

Nicole did an incredible job...! She was so well prepared. I really appreciate the research she'd clearly done in advance. She was always prepared with interesting context or fresh discussion topics when there were lulls in conversation.

She was wonderful!... Her enthusiasm for her job was contagious.

Nicole was great! It would have been amazing to have her in person but it was very clear she knew how to lead a group, prompt us when we fell silent, and ask interesting questions.

Nicole did an excellent job facilitating discussions. I felt comfortable sharing my thoughts and felt she was open to hearing what others said. Nicole was well prepared and knowledgable.

What last year's participants said about the weekend and ZigBone Farm Retreat:

“ ...I absolutely loved it! It was the perfect weekend cozy book retreat."

"I had the most wonderful, beautiful time - loved the balance of small group/group events and the time for reading and naturally occurring group time. It was perfectly balanced."

"The retreat exceeded my expectations. The retreat house was comfortable, and the retreat participants and hosts were kind and mature..."

"ZigBone is incredible. Cozy, warm, inviting, comfortable- the perfect setting for a cozy book retreat. Considering the weather kept us mostly indoors, I never felt like I was cooped up or trapped at all."

"I loved the venue - I have never slept so well in my life. I love the layout of the building where you are both close to folks and also have privacy. I am naturally an introvert and was very nervous about attending and again, it was the balance that really made me feel included but not overwhelmed. "

The venue's rural and bucolic setting is fabulous and lends to the "book getaway" ambiance of the retreat."

"I am a sucker for a historic building and a wood fire, so you pretty much had me from the moment I stepped inside. My bed was comfortable and warm, there were lots of places to sit around the property."

Scenes from past winter retreats:

Rooms & Pricing: Prices below include all meals, retreat books, and activities.

The Springhouse (private, en suite): $1500 single occupancy; $2100 double. Stand-alone English-style cottage with deck with meadow views, timber-beamed, cathedral ceilings, roomy bathroom with walk-in shower, writing alcove. Just steps from the ZigBone Lodge.

The Log Cabin Room (private, en suite): $1500 single occupancy; $2100 double. Spacious room in original log cabin portion of ZigBone Lodge, with full, moroccan-tiled bathroom.

The Parlor (private w/ private bathroom): $1500 single occupancy; $2100 double occupancy. Queen and single beds in very spacious room with sitting area and French doors opening onto a large stone, wisteria-covered terrace with meadow views.