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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.

'Love Your Enemies' ... and maaaybe you'll get them to agree with you

'Love Your Enemies' ... and maaaybe you'll get them to agree with you

Arthur Brooks says that even if you're sure someone's lying, calling that person a liar won't help your case. His book describes "how decent people can save America from the culture of contempt."
by Steve Inskeep

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Theoretical physics and down-to-earth loneliness in 'Lost and Wanted'

Theoretical physics and down-to-earth loneliness in 'Lost and Wanted'

Nell Freudenberger's new novel is a bittersweet love story -- about a lost friend, a missed romance, and an all-consuming career -- that uses dense scientific concepts to illuminate everyday emotions.
by Heller McAlpin

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'Women Talking' gives a human voice to horror

'Women Talking' gives a human voice to horror

Miriam Toews' new novel is based on an awful true story: The drugging and rape of women in a Mennonite colony in Bolivia. Toews says she wanted to show the women as real humans, not isolated cultists.
by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

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In 'She Could Fly,' a teen wrestles with a host of psychological mysteries

In 'She Could Fly,' a teen wrestles with a host of psychological mysteries

Christopher Cantwell's new graphic novel follows teenaged Luna, who's struggling with mental health issues and finds a kind of hope in the appearance of a mysterious flying woman in the Chicago skies.
by Etelka Lehoczky

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Can we overcome racial bias? 'Biased' author says to start by acknowledging it

Can we overcome racial bias? 'Biased' author says to start by acknowledging it

In her new book, psychology professor Jennifer Eberhardt explores how unconscious racial bias shapes human behavior -- and suggests that we examine what situations can trigger racial bias.
by Ailsa Chang

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The art of dying -- and living -- well

The art of dying -- and living -- well

Modern medicine can help us live longer. But can it help us die well? That's the subject of Sunita Puri's poetic and practical new book, "That Good Night: Life and Medicine in the Eleventh Hour."
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Could a novel lead someone to kill? 'Murder by the Book' explores the notion

Could a novel lead someone to kill? 'Murder by the Book' explores the notion

Author Claire Harman writes that one reason Francois Benjamin Courvoisier gave for why he murdered his boss Lord William Russell in 1840 was that he wanted to model himself on a book character.
by Annalisa Quinn

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'What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker' is a powerful look at one black man's life

'What Doesn't Kill You Makes You Blacker' is a powerful look at one black man's life

Writer, critic and humorist Damon Young chronicles his efforts to endure the battles that come with being black; the beauty of his book is that he never tries to make it comfortable for his audience.
by Gabino Iglesias

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