The Thread® - Books and Literary News

The Thread® is your source for book recommendations and other literary news.

Ask a Bookseller

Ask a Bookseller is a weekly series where The Thread checks in with booksellers around the country about their favorite books of the moment. Listen to Ask a Bookseller to find your next favorite book.

Big Books and Bold Ideas

Big Books and Bold Ideas is a weekly series hosted by Kerri Miller every Friday at 11 a.m., featuring conversations about books and other literary ideas. Listen to Big Books and Bold Ideas here.

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Sign up for The Thread newsletter to get reading recommendations from Kerri Miller and other bookworms around the MPR newsroom. Find reviews for new releases, as well as hidden gems you may have missed.

Talking Volumes

Talking Volumes is back for its 25th season. Join us at the Fitzgerald Theater for four special events with renowned authors, celebrating our anniversary with a special $25 ticket price for MPR members and Star Tribune subscribers. Buy tickets here.

June 21, 2021 1:53 PM

Author Michelle Singletary on managing your money during times of crisis

Host Angela Davis talks to Michelle Singletary, award-winning author, Washington Post columnist and frequent commentator on CNN and other national news networks about her latest book, “What to Do With Your Money When Crisis Hits.”

by Angela Davis

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June 21, 2021 1:15 PM

A fresh look at the intent of the Second Amendment

In her new book, historian Carol Anderson says the Second Amendment is more about keeping guns away from Black people than enshrining a right to bear arms in the U.S. Constitution.

by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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June 20, 2021 3:35 PM

A Father's Day gift from Meghan to Harry is now a kids' book

For Prince Harry's first Father's Day, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan, got him a bench — and wrote a poem about the moments she hoped her husband and their son would share together there. It’s now the basis for a children's book.

by Samantha Balaban

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June 20, 2021 4:00 AM

'Widespread Panic' might be the most Ellroy book James Ellroy has ever written

The Demon Dog of Crime Fiction is back, with more boocoo bad business, pervs, prowlers, and putzo politicians than ever in this story of a real-life cop who knew it all (and had the pictures, too).

by Gabino Iglesias

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June 19, 2021 5:17 PM

Ask a Bookseller: 'The Netanyahus'

Hal Hlavinka of Community Bookstore in Brooklyn, N.Y., says he's been telling everyone about a new novel by Joshua Cohen, out June 22: "The Netanyahus: An Account of a Minor and Ultimately Even Negligible Episode in the History of a Very Famous Family."

by Emily Bright

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June 18, 2021 11:00 AM

Author Lionel Shriver on her new book, ‘Should We Stay or Should We Go’

Is it better for life to end before it decays into something unrecognizable? That’s the question at the heart of Lionel Shriver’s new novel, which touches on themes of dementia, aging and how to die with dignity — but in a surprisingly playful way.

by Kerri Miller, Kelly Gordon and Marcheta Fornoff

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June 17, 2021 9:14 AM

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh's rise continues to fascinate in 'Dissent'

Kavanaugh's confirmation hearing for the top court still sticks in the minds of those all along the political spectrum; it's the subject of several books, including a new one by Jackie Calmes.

by Michael Schaub

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June 17, 2021 7:51 AM

Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie directs fiery essay at former student — and cancel culture

Two literary stars from Nigeria are engaging in a very public feud — a fight that is both personal and also enfolds bigger questions about feminism, gender identity and social media.

by Anastasia Tsioulcas

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June 16, 2021 1:41 PM

'Republic Of Detours' revisits a group of quirky, Depression-era guides to the states

Scott Borchert's cultural history of the New Deal initiative known as the Federal Writers' Project teems with colorful characters, scenic byways and telling anecdotes.

by Maureen Corrigan

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June 16, 2021 1:41 PM

'Forget The Alamo' author says we have the Texas origin story all wrong

In a new book, Bryan Burrough and co-writers Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford challenge the historical lore of the Alamo — including the story that Davy Crockett refused to surrender.

by Dave Davies

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