The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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

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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.

January 16, 2019 12:00 AM

'Joy Enough' recalls a daughter's all-encompassing love for her mother

Sarah McColl unstintingly puts her heart on the page as she reflects on caring for her dying mother, with whom she is unimaginably close, as her marriage fails.

by Martha Anne Toll

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January 15, 2019 12:00 AM

'Inheritance' investigates a family secret, with self-discovery at the core

Dani Shapiro, at age 54, is shocked to learn that the man she thought was her biological father wasn't a blood relative. Her memoir, a quest for the truth, reads like an emotional detective story.

by Heller McAlpin

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January 15, 2019 12:00 AM

'Ghost Wall' is an eerie coming-of-age tale that begs for a second read

Sarah Moss' beautifully written novel is set in the 1970s in the rugged countryside of the far north of England, where a group of campers are reenacting the daily lives of Iron Age Britons.

by Maureen Corrigan

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January 13, 2019 12:00 AM

Keeping a famous theater's myth alive in 'Showtime at the Apollo'

This new graphic adaptation of Ted Fox's history of the Apollo Theater captures countless electrifying performances, but goes easy on the grittier aspects of the fabled theater.

by Etelka Lehoczky

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January 10, 2019 12:00 AM

Existential dread is deceptively simple in 'Mouthful of Birds'

Samanta Schweblin has a gift for treating the otherworldly with a matter-of-fact attitude; her new story collection proves that she's a master of elegant, uncanny fiction.

by Michael Schaub

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January 9, 2019 12:00 AM

'The First Conspiracy' details foiled Hickey plot to assassinate George Washington

Thriller author Brad Meltzer and documentary producer Josh Mensch offer an intriguing look at a true-life, foiled plan that, had it succeeded, may have killed the American dream before it even began.

by Michael Schaub

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January 8, 2019 12:00 AM

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist explores flaws of the justice system

In a new book, Edward Humes raises question after troubling question, pointing to frustrating subjectivity and the power of damning narratives that feed the ponderous process of criminal justice.

by Ilana Masad

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January 7, 2019 12:00 AM

Childbirth injury led a new mom to start a parenting podcast 'to feel less alone'

Hillary Frank struggled after a childbirth injury left her in chronic pain for months. Her podcast 'The Longest Shortest Time,' and her book 'Weird Parenting Wins' aim to give other parents a voice.

by Terry Gross

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January 7, 2019 12:00 AM

Suspenseful 'Water Cure' dips into 2019's dystopian zeitgeist

Sophie Mackintosh's debut novel centers on four women living in a decrepit hotel on an isolated island. Critic Maureen Corrigan says the book is 'everything this age seems to be demanding.'

by Maureen Corrigan

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January 6, 2019 12:00 AM

Freed from copyright, these classic works are yours to adapt

For the first time in 20 years, a large body of films, music, and books has entered the public domain. That means they can be reworked by new creators in conversation with the originals.

by Milton Guevara

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