The Thread® - Books and 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 an annual event series featuring notable authors in conversation about their new books. Presented by MPR News and The Minnesota Star Tribune. 

Sandy Hook ushered in new era of conspiracy and lies, author finds
Following the 2012 mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary school, journalist Elizabeth Williamson says, conspiracy theorists tormented the victims' families by accusing them of being actors.
Trump's attorney general sends a letter from No Man's Land
In “One Damn Thing After Another,” Bill Barr alternates between castigating and exonerating. He catalogs Trump's offenses yet casts him as the latest victim of dishonest media and "the radical Left."
Ask a Bookseller: 'The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek'
Have you ever had a book call to you from the shelf? Emily Peterson of Page 42 Bookstore in Spokane, Wash., says she kept being drawn to the novel "The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek," noticing the cover, reading the back until she finally took it home to read. Then, she could hardly put it down.
Heather Havrilesky on the 'divine tedium' of a long marriage
If we knew then what we know now, would we jump into the pool of matrimony quite so quickly? A new book takes a look at the joys and irritations of being with the same person for a long time.
Read these 6 books about Ukraine
The Russian invasion has sparked an interest in books about Ukraine. There are many out there. If you're not sure where to get started, we've got you covered.
'The Wonders' portrays the struggles of working women
Elena Medel's novel follows two women, separated in time but facing similar class and gender dynamics. It particularly explores the challenges of motherhood.
From the archives: Tayari Jones on 'An American Marriage'
Tayari Jones’ 2018 novel, “An American Marriage,” is filled with conflict around questions of memory, loyalty, race, fatherhood, ambition and justice. We’re revisiting Kerri Miller’s conversation with Jones from February 2018.