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.

February 1, 2019 3:45 PM

A story collection with characters so vivid 'you inhabit their bones'

Bookseller Hannah Oliver Depp recommends a short story collection that is "a love letter and also a bit of a harsh mirror to Washington, D.C."

by Tracy Mumford

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January 31, 2019 4:59 PM

Nothing is taboo in 'Twenty-Ninth Year'

Hala Alyan reflects on three decades of life in an intimate, unsparing new poetry collection that offers a unique look at life as a Palestinian in exile, a woman, and a young person looking for love.

by Gabino Iglesias

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January 31, 2019 4:57 PM

'Here And Now And Then' is a perilous mix of parenthood and time travel

In Mike Chen's debut novel, a time-traveling secret agent is stranded in the past and has to live out a normal life -- including a family -- that becomes a problem when he returns to his own time.

by Ilana Masad

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January 31, 2019 12:00 AM

In honor of his last day, interviews with authors by executive editor Mike Edgerly

MPR News executive editor Mike Edgerly had a 27-year career here, and Thursday is his last day. Listen in to two interviews he conducted with authors Mark Bowden and James Welch.

by MPR News Staff

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January 30, 2019 5:26 PM

In 'Maid,' a single mother finds 'no way' to make it on minimum wage

While raising her young daughter, Stephanie Land cleaned houses to scrape by. It was back-aching work and the pay -- $8.55 an hour to start, $9.25 an hour two years in -- just wasn't enough.

by Terry Gross

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January 30, 2019 5:25 PM

In 'We Cast A Shadow,' the horrors are close to home

Maurice Carlos Ruffin's razor-sharp new novel is set in a dystopian near future where race relations have deteriorated further and scientists have developed a procedure to "demelanize" black people.

by Michael Schaub

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January 30, 2019 4:00 AM

Coffee trader's journey provides grounds for hair-raising tale

"The Monk of Mokha" explores a Yemeni-American's discovery of his caffeinated heritage.

by Euan Kerr

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January 28, 2019 10:27 AM

'Merci Suarez' wins Newbery Medal, and 'Hello Lighthouse' draws Caldecott

The world of children's books gave out its most prestigious prizes Monday at the American Library Association's conference in Seattle. Works by Meg Medina and Sophie Blackall won the headline honors.

by Colin Dwyer

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January 28, 2019 12:00 AM

'Team Human' stresses that the future lies in connection and cooperation

Douglas Rushkoff's knowledge of digital technology shines in his new book, horrifying us with the capacities of the machines we've built -- and the ways they have been used against us.

by Adam Frank

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January 27, 2019 3:00 PM

Finalists announced for 2019 Minnesota Book Awards

The field of finalists is set for the 31st annual Minnesota Book Awards.

by MPR News Staff

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