The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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New York comes alive — literally — in 'The City We Became'
Three-time Hugo Award winner N.K. Jemisin turns her attention to our world in her new book — or at least, a version of our world in which cities can be born in human form to fight evil.
In 'The Glass Hotel,' the disasters are smaller but still disruptive
Emily St. John Mandel's powerful new novel follows a troubled brother and sister who get involved with a crooked hotel magnate whose Ponzi scheme destroys the lives of his investors.
The Thread: Fiction about islands during a time of isolation
In this week’s edition of The Thread, host Kerri Miller kicks off a monthlong series, “Fiction in a time of isolation,” with three novels that celebrate sunny — and solitary — island life.
'American Poison' aims to show how race is at the root of U.S. problems
Journalist Eduardo Porter has written a book that cuts to the root of racism, tracing it from slavery, Jim Crow, and segregation — and bringing it to today — with unblinking honesty and facts.
Under the quirk, 'Hearts Of Oak' beats with a thoughtful pulse
Eddie Robson's slim but punchy new novel is set in an unnamed city, made mostly of wood. The city has a King. The King talks to a cat. It's a gem of offbeat weirdness — with a deeply thoughtful core.
'They're odd and they're eerie': A story collection not to miss
Even as bookstores close for public browsing, many are still serving up orders — and reading recommendations.
'The Mountains Sing' a song of many voices
Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai's new novel is a luminous, complex family saga that stretches across decades of Vietnamese history, from the French colonial period, through war and upheaval to the present day.
Publisher Macmillan backs off policy restricting e-book sales to libraries
At a time when libraries are closed because of the coronavirus, Macmillan has reversed a policy it adopted last fall limiting the e-books it would sell to each library just after publication.
Electoral college 'not carved in stone:' Author advocates rethinking how we vote
Jesse Wegman, author of “Let the People Pick the President,” says the Electoral College's winner-take-all rule is not mandated by the Constitution: "There's nothing keeping us from changing it."