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

Here are the 13 books that made the Booker Prize longlist
The prize is one of the most prestigious awards in literature. This year’s crop of nominees includes two debut novelists going up against a previous Booker Prize winner.
Ask a Bookseller: ‘Bat Kid’ by Inoue Kazuo
PJ Moon of The Raven Bookstore in Lawrence, Kan., recommends “Bat Kid” by Inoue Kazuo.
New England noir chills and thrills in 'The House on Buzzards Bay'
Dwyer Murphy’s new novel, “The House on Buzzards Bay,” is New England noir at its finest. College friends reunite at a beach house one member inherited — but everyone and everything is out of sorts, and when a group member disappears and a mysterious stranger arrives, long-simmering tensions are revealed.
Cartoons, culture and care: Latino artist creates bilingual mental health universe
Rocky Casillas Aguirre’s bilingual art show, “U are the Universe,” uses playful cartoon characters to explore mental health in a way that’s accessible to Latino youth and families.
15 essential books to better understand climate change
Professors at universities and colleges across the state say one of the best ways to understand climate change is simple: reading. 
Where to start? This week’s new releases are an all-you-can-read buffet
This week, new horror from Silvia Moreno-Garcia, a funny college do-over from Jeneva Rose, and autofiction from Hannah Pittard. Plus, stories about the American South, and a deep dive into the Earth.
Joy Harjo bends time with her poetry to honor her mother's death
In her book, “Washing my Mother’s Body,” Joy Harjo bends time with her poetry to return to what she deems an essential ritual of love and dignity to honor her mother’s passing.