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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.

Brace yourself for 'Young Mungo,' a nuanced heartbreaker of a novel

Brace yourself for 'Young Mungo,' a nuanced heartbreaker of a novel

Scottish author Douglas Stuart won the Booker Prize for his debut novel, “Shuggie Bain,” in 2020. His latest work is a suspense story wrapped around a novel of acute psychological observation.
by Maureen Corrigan

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Stone Age brain surgery? It might have been more survivable than you think

Stone Age brain surgery? It might have been more survivable than you think

Medical historian Ira Rutkow points to physical evidence that suggests Stone Age people conducted — and survived — brain surgery. His new book is “Empire of the Scalpel.”
by Dave Davies

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In 'Ancestor Trouble,' Maud Newton wrestles with her family history

In 'Ancestor Trouble,' Maud Newton wrestles with her family history

Maud Newton spent decades researching genealogical records, genetic science, and the cultural history of "ancestor hunger." Her book is also a coming-to-terms with how to face and honor family history.
by Kristen Martin

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From the archives: Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe says all is not lost

From the archives: Climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe says all is not lost

Conspiracy theories have gone mainstream since 2020. Why are people so willing to believe almost anything and disregard science and reason? That’s Kerri Miller’s conversation coming up this Friday. In the meantime, enjoy this one from our archives. It’s a discussion with acclaimed climate scientist and evangelical Katharine Hayhoe, who knows a thing or two about dealing with folks who would rather deny than accept.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Mesha Maren on the oft-misunderstood complexity of the southern border

Mesha Maren on the oft-misunderstood complexity of the southern border

Mesha Maren’s new novel examines the misperceptions that endure about the U.S.-Mexico border, as it follows an earnest but naïve couple who moves to the El Paso region and must grapple with a mysterious disappearance.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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3 nonfiction translations to read this spring

3 nonfiction translations to read this spring

It's been rare for non-academic nonfiction to be translated into English — but that's beginning to change. These three books may be academic in the depth of their inquiries — but not in style.
by Lily Meyer

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A Dutch publisher is pulling an investigative book on who betrayed Anne Frank

A Dutch publisher is pulling an investigative book on who betrayed Anne Frank

A cold case team published what it called the "most likely scenario" of who betrayed the Jewish teen and her family. But a group of Dutch historians wrote an in-depth criticism of that work.
by The Associated Press

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After a stroke blinded one eye, Frank Bruni focused on the future

After a stroke blinded one eye, Frank Bruni focused on the future

The New York Times columnist says the stroke forced him to make a decision: He could focus on what had been lost or on what remained. He chose the latter. Bruni's new memoir is “The Beauty of Dusk.”
by Terry Gross

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