The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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

Ask a Bookseller

Ask a Bookseller is a weekly series where The Thread 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 every Friday at 11 a.m., featuring conversations about books and other literary ideas. Listen to Big Books and Bold Ideas here.

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Sign up for The Thread newsletter to get reading recommendations from Kerri Miller and other bookworms around the MPR newsroom. Find reviews for new releases, as well as hidden gems you may have missed.

Talking Volumes

Talking Volumes is back for its 25th season. Join us at the Fitzgerald Theater for four special events with renowned authors, celebrating our anniversary with a special $25 ticket price for MPR members and Star Tribune subscribers. Buy tickets here.

July 10, 2020 2:56 PM

Rebroadcast: Robin DiAngelo on why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism

A rebroadcast of Kerri Miller’s conversation with Robin DiAngelo, author of the book “White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism.”

by Kerri Miller

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July 9, 2020 8:12 AM

Asian American girls saw pivotal icon in 'Baby-Sitters Club'

Claudia Kishi happened to be everything the "model minority" stereotype wasn't. She got bad grades. She thrived in art and fashion. She wasn't struggling to belong. For those reasons and more, Asian American girls in the '80s and '90s idolized Claudia and felt seen in teen fiction.

by The Associated Press

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July 9, 2020 7:44 AM

Dana Canedy is 1st Black person to head major publishing imprint

Simon & Schuster has named Dana Canedy executive vice president and publisher of its namesake imprint. She is the first Black person and the third woman to hold that position.

by Rachel Martin

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July 9, 2020 6:00 AM

Gently weird 'Collective Gravities' grounds the extraordinary in the ordinary

Love isn't the main subject in Chloe N. Clark's debut collection, but it's an important one — these stories dig into the ways we evolve towards each other, form bonds, and feel the earth spin.

by Jason Heller

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July 8, 2020 6:00 AM

If surprise makes a great novel, 'Antkind' is a great novel

Charlie Kaufman's doorstopper new novel could only have been written by Charlie Kaufman — which may seem vague, but we promise it fits the unapologetic, overstuffed “Antkind” perfectly.

by Gabino Iglesias

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July 8, 2020 1:00 AM

2020 Aspen Ideas Festival: Erik Larson on 'The Splendid and the Vile' and Walter Isaacson on 'The Code Breaker'

Erik Larson and Walter Isaacson speak at the 2020 Aspen Ideas Festival about their books, “The Splendid and the Vile” and “The Code Breaker: The Tale of Jennifer Doudna, CRISPR and the Future of the Human Race.” Mitt Romney speaks about the U.S.-China relations.

by MPR News Staff

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July 7, 2020 4:28 PM

Regardless of what you think, 'irregardless' is a word

Grammarians are up in arms over dictionaries including "irregardless." The Merriam-Webster dictionary responds: "We do not make the English language, we merely record it."

by James Doubek

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July 7, 2020 3:54 PM

'Want' captures the precariousness of America's middle class

The family at the center of Lynn Steger Strong's novel is on the brink of bankruptcy. “Want” is a portrait of how close to the edge people are — despite the seeming safeguard of middle-class jobs.

by Maureen Corrigan

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July 7, 2020 3:05 PM

'The stakes are far higher than they've ever been': Trump's niece pens tell-all

Mary Trump offers a scathing portrait of the president in a book that very nearly was blocked from publication. Now its publisher is bumping up the release date, and excerpts are starting to surface.

by Colin Dwyer

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July 7, 2020 12:24 PM

Coronavirus and drinking games: Author of new book sees commonalities

Adam Kucharski, author of the new book “The Rules Of Contagion,” talks about how to predict the spread (and end) of contagious events, from viruses to internet trends.

by Susan Brink

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