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The Thread® - Books and Literary News

The Thread from MPR 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.

Sign Up for The Thread® Newsletter

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.

Ask a Bookseller: A master class on writing, reading — and life

Ask a Bookseller: A master class on writing, reading — and life

Cat Bock of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tenn., recommended a brand-new work of literary criticism by George Saunders with a tempting subtitle indeed: “A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life."
by Emily Bright

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Love and hope are at the heart of 'The Prophets'

Love and hope are at the heart of 'The Prophets'

Robert Jones Jr.'s debut novel is a love story between two enslaved men on a Mississippi plantation. He says that it was very important for him to depict love and art in the midst of sorrow.
by Scott Simon

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Publisher cancels book by Sen. Hawley, citing his role in inciting Capitol attack

Publisher cancels book by Sen. Hawley, citing his role in inciting Capitol attack

Simon & Schuster says it has decided not to publish a forthcoming book by Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, citing the lawmaker's role in fomenting this week's "disturbing [and] deadly insurrection" at the U.S. Capitol.
by Scott Neuman

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'Outlawed' frontiers of gender and sexuality beckon in this sly western

'Outlawed' frontiers of gender and sexuality beckon in this sly western

Critic Maureen Corrigan has been describing Anna North's new novel to friends as "‘The Handmaid's Tale’ meets ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.’" It's a glib tagline, but not without justification.
by Maureen Corrigan

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Gatsby's great narrator 'Nick' finally gets his own backstory

Gatsby's great narrator 'Nick' finally gets his own backstory

Michael Farris Smith followed F. Scott Fitzgerald's "breadcrumbs" to write “Nick,” a prequel to “The Great Gatsby.” Revising the book, Smith was struck by the parallels between the 1920s and the 2020s.
by Steve Inskeep

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To 'Keep Sharp' this year, keep learning, advises neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta

To 'Keep Sharp' this year, keep learning, advises neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta

CNN's chief medical correspondent says it's never too late to develop new brain pathways. Even small changes, like switching up the hand you use to hold your fork, can help optimize brain health.
by Terry Gross

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Struggling to discuss tough topics with a kid? Here are books that might help

Struggling to discuss tough topics with a kid? Here are books that might help

If you feel daunted by the responsibility of shepherding a child through difficult times, don't feel alone: "I'm afraid of those moments as a parent, too," says picture book author Matt de la Peña.
by Audie Cornish

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