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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.

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson talks home, identity and 'My Monticello'

Jocelyn Nicole Johnson talks home, identity and 'My Monticello'

In her debut book, “My Monticello,” author Jocelyn Nicole Johnson asks what it means to claim a home in a place like Charlottesville, Va., — where whom the city belongs to has long been in question.
by Karen Grigsby Bates

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'Two Feathers' is a flawed but gripping novel of racism in the Prohibition-era South

'Two Feathers' is a flawed but gripping novel of racism in the Prohibition-era South

Margaret Verble's novel follows a young Cherokee woman whose life as a horse-diver in Tennessee zoo is derailed by a terrible accident. It's unfocused at times, but definitely a ride worth taking.
by Michael Schaub

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'Dear Memory' digs into the shame accompanying immigrant silence

'Dear Memory' digs into the shame accompanying immigrant silence

Victoria Chang traces her family history through letter writing in her book, “Dear Memory.” In an NPR interview, she talks facing micro and macro aggressions and staying silent, just like her parents.
by Jeevika Verma, Reena Advani and Rachel Martin

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Susan Orlean writes about her fascination with all kinds of creatures in 'On Animals'

Susan Orlean writes about her fascination with all kinds of creatures in 'On Animals'

Orlean's descriptions of the animals on the Hudson Valley farm where she once lived may evoke a warm feeling — but those of donkeys in Fez and others in her essays may conjure other emotions.
by Barbara J. King

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Rep. Schiff reveals impeachment regrets, tensions on Capitol Hill after insurrection

Rep. Schiff reveals impeachment regrets, tensions on Capitol Hill after insurrection

In a wide-ranging interview with NPR's Michel Martin, Rep. Adam Schiff discusses his regrets from President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial and his relationship with his GOP colleagues.
by Michel Martin and Deepa Shivaram

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A delicious gothic romance strikes just the right balance of heart and horror

A delicious gothic romance strikes just the right balance of heart and horror

“The Death of Jane Lawrence” asks that age-old question of gothic novels and fairy tales: What do you do if your very attractive husband is hiding a very dark secret in his crumbling manor house?
by Caitlyn Paxson

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Ask a Bookseller: 'Mary Jane' celebrates the music of the 1970s

Ask a Bookseller: 'Mary Jane' celebrates the music of the 1970s

Lisa Baudoin shared a favorite title from her store, Books & Company, in Oconomowoc, Wis. It’s the novel “Mary Jane” by Jessica Anya Blau. The coming-of-age tale is set in the 1970s, and Baudoin says the book captures the feeling of that decade — especially the music. 
by Emily Bright

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