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The Thread® - Books and Literary News

The Thread® is your source for book recommendations and other literary news.

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. Sam Stroozas rounds up local events and Minnesota book news you may have missed.

Ask a Bookseller

Ask a Bookseller is a weekly series where host Emily Bright 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 and produced by Kelly Gordon every Friday at 11 a.m., featuring conversations about books and other literary ideas. Listen to Big Books and Bold Ideas here.

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.

Linguist John McWhorter says 'White Fragility' is condescending toward Black people

Linguist John McWhorter says 'White Fragility' is condescending toward Black people

Columbia University professor John McWhorter says the bestselling book “White Fragility” supposes that "Black people's feelings must be stepped around to an exquisitely sensitive degree."
by James Doubek

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1918 flu inspired Donoghue's 'Pull Of The Stars' — a disquieting pandemic novel

1918 flu inspired Donoghue's 'Pull Of The Stars' — a disquieting pandemic novel

Set in a Dublin maternity ward in 1918, the novel captures a city devastated by a pandemic. By diving into the terrors of the past, Emma Donoghue presciently anticipates the miseries of our present.
by Maureen Corrigan

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Take a dangerous ride through 'Blacktop Wasteland'

Take a dangerous ride through 'Blacktop Wasteland'

S.A. Cosby's latest is being marketed as a crime novel — but that crime is the least important element in this wrenching story about race, family, and the temptation to take that one last job.
by Gabino Iglesias

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For July: 3 romance novels grounded in reality

For July: 3 romance novels grounded in reality

Romance novel characters often face outlandish obstacles — pirates, spies, paranormal forces, plots. But this month, we're featuring three down-to-earth stories about balancing love and career.
by Maya Rodale

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Author Brit Bennett explores colorism in ‘The Vanishing Half’

Author Brit Bennett explores colorism in ‘The Vanishing Half’

Brit Bennett’s latest novel, “The Vanishing Half,” is a rich exploration of family relationships, colorism and how the past influences the present and who we decide to be. We spoke with her about her latest work.
by Kerri Miller and Breann Schossow

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'Sex and Lies' author Leila Slimani: 'Women's lives matter'

'Sex and Lies' author Leila Slimani: 'Women's lives matter'

Franco-Moroccan writer Leila Slimani's new book examines the restricted sex lives of women in a country where, she says, the unofficial motto is "Do what you wish, but never talk about it."
by Sarah McCammon

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'Magic School Bus' author Joanna Cole dies at age 75

'Magic School Bus' author Joanna Cole dies at age 75

Author Joanna Cole, whose “Magic School Bus” books transported millions of young people on extraordinary and educational adventures, has died at age 75.
by The Associated Press

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If you got a 'Do-Over,' would you like your new life?

If you got a 'Do-Over,' would you like your new life?

“Pretty in Pink” meets “Sliding Doors” in this what-if story. High-schooler Emelia gets the chance to go back and change one decision in her past — but then she has to learn to live with the changes.
by Alethea Kontis

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Colin Jost of 'SNL' knows you're laughing at his 'Very Punchable Face'

Colin Jost of 'SNL' knows you're laughing at his 'Very Punchable Face'

SNL "Weekend Update" co-anchor Colin Jost acknowledges that his clean-cut image sometimes rubs people the wrong way. "When I get hurt or hit on camera," he says, "the audience really loves it."
by Terry Gross

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