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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.

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

Yes, there are crimes — and much more — in 'The Thousand Crimes Of Ming Tsu'

Yes, there are crimes — and much more — in 'The Thousand Crimes Of Ming Tsu'

Tom Lin's new novel promises — and delivers — lots of crimes in a cinematic Western starring a Chinese American gunslinger on a mission of revenge against the men who sent him to work the railroads.
by Fran Wilde

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Historian uncovers the racist roots of the 2nd Amendment

Historian uncovers the racist roots of the 2nd Amendment

Carol Anderson says the Second Amendment was designed to ensure slave owners could quickly crush any rebellion or resistance from those they'd enslaved. Her new book is “The Second.”
by Dave Davies

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'The Kissing Bug' challenges which diseases matter — and why

'The Kissing Bug' challenges which diseases matter — and why

Through the story of her aunt, who died of Chagas, Daisy Hernández raises damning questions about which diseases get attention — and whom we believe to be deserving of care.
by Kristen Martin

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Mapping a path forward for the Asian diaspora in 'Imagine Us, The Swarm'

Mapping a path forward for the Asian diaspora in 'Imagine Us, The Swarm'

In her latest collection, Chinese American poet Muriel Leung considers what it means to assimilate, and ultimately heal, against the collective memory of grief and vulnerability.
by Jeevika Verma

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What's in a genre name? The trouble with 'Asian fantasy'

What's in a genre name? The trouble with 'Asian fantasy'

Asian fantasy has been increasingly popular over the past few years, but some authors shelved in that category are wondering whether it's really a useful way of describing a vast and varied subgenre.
by Kalyani Saxena

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A few 'take to the lake' crime novels

A few 'take to the lake' crime novels

Kerri Miller is here just in time for the official start of the summer with a bunch of “take it to the lake” crime novels & thrillers that you can find in your local library.
by Kerri Miller

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Sinéad O'Connor has a new memoir ... and no regrets

Sinéad O'Connor has a new memoir ... and no regrets

Fiery singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor became a star in the MTV era, rewriting the rules while courting controversy. Now, she reclaims an influential legacy with a new memoir, “Rememberings.”
by Allyson McCabe

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Benjamin Percy novel re-imagines Minnesota as meteor-strewn center of geopolitics

Benjamin Percy novel re-imagines Minnesota as meteor-strewn center of geopolitics

While prolific novelist and comic book writer Benjamin Percy moved to Minnesota almost a decade ago, it's only now he's written a book based in his adopted state. "The Ninth Metal" delves into the politics and environmental battles of northern Minnesota, but it does so as science fiction.
by Euan Kerr

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