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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.

'It's not religion': In 'The Runaways,' Bhutto examines the lure of extremism

'It's not religion': In 'The Runaways,' Bhutto examines the lure of extremism

"I was really trying to look at why a 19-year-old boy would give up everything ... in order, quite literally, to take up arms against the world," says novelist Fatima Bhutto.
by Steve Inskeep, Simone Popperl and Milton Guevara

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'Hatemonger' tracks how right-wing media shaped Trump policy architect Stephen Miller

'Hatemonger' tracks how right-wing media shaped Trump policy architect Stephen Miller

Jean Guerrero tells NPR she became fascinated, when reporting from the border, with how a descendant of Jewish refugees ended up as the person crafting Donald Trump's "harshest rhetoric and policies."
by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

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Giving autism some love in 'A Room Called Earth'

Giving autism some love in 'A Room Called Earth'

Author Madeleine Ryan was diagnosed with autism while she was writing her new novel — she says creating her main character helped her embrace the way she process her own thoughts and feelings.
by Scott Simon

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New novel by Akwaeke Emezi explores grief, love and spirituality

New novel by Akwaeke Emezi explores grief, love and spirituality

Akwaeke Emezi’s latest novel, “The Death of Vivek Oji,” delves into grief, different types of love and identity. Miller spoke with the author about the inspiration for the book.
by Kerri Miller and Breann Schossow

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Black power scholar illustrates how MLK and Malcolm X influenced each other

Black power scholar illustrates how MLK and Malcolm X influenced each other

Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X are frequently seen as opposing forces in the struggle for civil rights but Peniel Joseph, author of “The Sword and the Shield,” says the truth is more nuanced.
by Terry Gross

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Veteran GOP strategist takes on Trump — and his party — in 'It Was All a Lie'

Veteran GOP strategist takes on Trump — and his party — in 'It Was All a Lie'

Political consultant Stuart Stevens says the Republican Party's support for Trump reflects the abandonment of principles it claimed to embrace, such as fiscal restraint and personal responsibility.
by Dave Davies

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Royal reporters chart Harry and Meghan's journey in 'Finding Freedom'

Royal reporters chart Harry and Meghan's journey in 'Finding Freedom'

Royal beat reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand have written a sympathetic new book on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, “Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family.”
by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

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