The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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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.

July 23, 2015 9:14 AM

Shirley Jackson gets to the heart of the home in 'Let Me Tell You'

This collection of Shirley Jackson's early fiction, unpublished stories and personal essays is a delightfully uneasy mix of wry family observation and the chills her eerie later work is known for.

by Genevieve Valentine

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July 22, 2015 4:37 PM

Doctorow wove fact and fiction to imagine America as it could be

He didn't care for journalism's austerities, but borrowed liberally from history to craft his books. The late, great novelist was a gentleman who spun untruths, in order to better get at what's true.

by Lynn Neary

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July 22, 2015 2:58 PM

Book briefs: Take a literary road trip this summer

Richard Kreitner has meticulously mapped out 12 great road trips from American non-fiction. Retrace the steps of Mark Twain, Jack Kerouac, Cheryl Strayed and more.

by Tracy Mumford

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July 21, 2015 4:30 PM

Paddle out to The Floating Library

You won't need a library card to visit this one-of-a-kind spot, but you will need a boat.

by Tracy Mumford

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July 21, 2015 4:14 PM

Literary mysteries: The best-selling books of all time

Harper Lee's "Go Set a Watchman" sold more than a million copies in its first week, but it's got a long way to go to crack the all-time bestsellers list.

by Tracy Mumford

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July 21, 2015 3:14 PM

The test that can look into a child's (reading) future

Neurobiologist Nina Kraus believes she and her team at Northwestern University have found a way -- a half-hour test -- to predict kids' literacy skill long before they're old enough to begin reading.

by Cory Turner

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July 21, 2015 9:10 AM

The waters of 'Lagoon' are choppy but enthralling

Nnedi Okorafor's new book imagines an alien landing in the waters just off Lagos, Nigeria. Reviewer Amal El-Mohtar calls it chaotic and beautiful, though occasionally dizzyingly difficult to read.

by Amal El-Mohtar