The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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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.

Good, evil and long black tentacles make a 'Monstress'
Gaudy beauty and extravagant horror twine around each other in Marjorie Liu's new graphic novel 'Monstress.' It's the story of a girl caught up in a war of magic in which neither side comes off well.
Beyond 'Bright Lights': Jay McInerney returns
McInerney became famous in the 1980s for his semi-autobiographical novel about a hard-partying young man in Manhattan. His new book, 'Bright, Precious Days,' probes the challenges of a lasting marriage.
What college freshmen are reading
Book programs for freshmen -- or a whole campus or community -- are meant to spark discussion and unity. This year's picks at nine U.S. schools range from memoirs to political advice from 64 B.C.
'I'm Supposed to Protect You from All This': A memoir fraught with mystery
Nadja Spiegelman -- daughter of graphic novelist Art Spiegelman and New Yorker art editor Françoise Mouly -- has written a memoir about her mother, her grandmother and their flawed family memories.
The Floating Library hits the water in St. Paul
The literary raft, which is stocked with handmade one-of-a-kind books, will be adrift on Lake Phalen for two more summer weekends.
A murder mystery with gymnastic twists
Megan Abbott's novel about a talented young gymnast and her mother starts with a mysterious death, but the real mysteries are the characters themselves: You never really know the people close to you.