The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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

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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.

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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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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.

February 4, 2020 6:00 AM

In a dark future, these 'Upright Women' bring hope

Sarah Gailey's new novella is set in a dystopian future where the United States resembles the Old West, and bands of women on horseback distribute government-approved media to distant villages.

by Jason Heller

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February 3, 2020 11:01 AM

New book looks at murder of Pakistani social media star at the hands of her brother

Qandeel Baloch's brother went to jail in 2019 after murdering his sister in an "honor killing" in 2016. Author Sanam Maher discusses how this case has changed Pakistan.

by Renee Montagne

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February 1, 2020 11:19 AM

Coincidence distracts from the creeps in 'The Other People'

C.J. Tudor's latest follows a man obsessed with proving his young daughter — supposedly killed in an accident — is still alive. It's atmospheric, but slightly shakier than Tudor's past books.

by Bethanne Patrick

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January 30, 2020 10:30 AM

In her memoir, ‘Blood,’ Allison Moorer seeks wholeness after a traumatic childhood

Years after her parents’ murder-suicide, singer-songwriter Allison Moorer discovers what it means to heal.

by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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January 30, 2020 6:52 AM

When institutions are used as stages, people lose trust, book argues

We now think of institutions less as formative and more as performative, less as molds of our character and more as platforms for us to stand on and be seen, says National Affairs Editor Yuval Levin.

by Steve Inskeep

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January 30, 2020 6:00 AM

'A Castle In The Clouds' is a grand hotel romp

Kerstin Gier's new young adult novel takes place at a grandly faded resort high up in the Swiss Alps, where young intern Sophie is surrounded by a complex, international cast of characters.

by Alethea Kontis

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January 30, 2020 5:18 AM

The not-so-life-changing magic of self-help books

Are self-help books actually helpful? That's the question Kristen Meinzer sought to answer in her upcoming book, How to Be Fine: What We Learned From Living by the Rules Of 50 Self-Help Books.

by Shereen Marisol Meraji

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January 29, 2020 6:58 PM

'American Dirt' publisher cancels author tour after threats

Flatiron Books, publisher of the controversial new novel, has canceled the remainder of author Jeanine Cummins' book tour after what it called "specific threats" to both the author and booksellers.

by Petra Mayer

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January 29, 2020 1:11 PM

'Election meltdown is a real possibility' in 2020 presidential race, author warns

Law professor Richard Hasen is sounding the alarm about Russian hacks, voter suppression and other threats to the 2020 election. "There's lots of ways that things could go south," he says.

by Terry Gross

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January 28, 2020 9:00 AM

The rise of the graphic novel

Comics have gone mainstream and broadened way beyond the world of superheroes. What’s behind the trend?

by Chris Farrell and Kelly Gordon

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