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The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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

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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.

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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.

Fast food, the 494 strip and pickup basketball molded a sportswriter

Fast food, the 494 strip and pickup basketball molded a sportswriter

Bloomington native Steve Rushin’s second memoir “Nights in White Castle” capture his teen years in the Twin Cities suburbs, and how they helped him capture his dream job as a Sports Illustrated staff writer.
by Euan Kerr

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In 'Gods with a Little G,' the kids are alright

In 'Gods with a Little G,' the kids are alright

Tupelo Hassman's novel about a group of teenagers at loose ends in a tiny town run by Christian fundamentalists has some dark moments, but ultimately it's as heartwarming as it is beautifully written.
by Michael Schaub

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'Black Card' wrings humor and pathos out of a serious situation

'Black Card' wrings humor and pathos out of a serious situation

Chris L. Terry draws on his own experiences for this story about an unnamed biracial man whose attempts to hold on to both his white and black identities (and his gig in a punk band) cause a crisis.
by Jason Heller

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The intricacies of female friendship

The intricacies of female friendship

Bookseller Annie Metcalf recommends a novel that offers a "sensual and bold exploration of female love and pain and appetite."
by Tracy Mumford

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'Inland' creates a new myth of the Old West

'Inland' creates a new myth of the Old West

Téa Obreht's new novel is set against a familiar old West backdrop, but it tells a fresh story of two people, both haunted in their own ways — a tough frontier woman and an immigrant camel driver.
by Lily Meyer

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Ibram X. Kendi says no one is 'not racist.' So what should we do?

Ibram X. Kendi says no one is 'not racist.' So what should we do?

His new book 'How To Be Antiractist' is a manual to follow; the author writes that "being an antiracist requires persistent self-awareness, constant self-criticism, and regular self-examination."
by Ericka Taylor

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'Lithium' is a homage to a drug — and to the renegade side of science

'Lithium' is a homage to a drug — and to the renegade side of science

By celebrating those who applied the substance as a drug, Walter A. Brown aims to raise awareness — and to demolish what remains of the myth that scientific progress is driven by rigorous dispassion.
by Etelka Lehoczky

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In 'An American Sunrise,' Joy Harjo speaks with a timeless compassion

In 'An American Sunrise,' Joy Harjo speaks with a timeless compassion

The poet laureate's collection tells a tale of a fierce and ongoing fight for sovereignty, integrity, and basic humanity. It's a plea that Americans take responsibility for what's done in our names.
by Craig Morgan Teicher

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'The Yellow House' connects place, memory and self-knowledge

'The Yellow House' connects place, memory and self-knowledge

Sarah Broom's childhood house is the fulcrum for her memoir about her large and complex family. But perhaps more important, it stands in for the countless ways America has failed African Americans.
by Martha Anne Toll

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'Kochland' explores how the famous brother duo made their money

'Kochland' explores how the famous brother duo made their money

The Koch brothers' wide-ranging influence is no secret. But rather than focusing on how they spend their money, Christopher Leonard presents a richly reported tale of how they got it.
by Scott Horsley

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