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 29, 2022 12:00 PM

Quan Barry on her new novel, 'When I'm Gone, Look For Me in the East'

Poet and novelist Quan Barry says travel both inspired and grounded her new book, which follows twin brothers through Mongolia on a quest to find a reincarnated spiritual leader.

by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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July 28, 2022 12:29 PM

The immersive novel 'Tomorrow' is a winner for gamers and n00bs alike

Gabrielle Zevin's beautifully written novel “Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” tells the story of two childhood friends who become legendary names in the world of video game design.

by Maureen Corrigan

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July 27, 2022 4:00 AM

A new dictionary will document the lexicon of African American English

A new research collaboration between Harvard University and Oxford University Press aims to compile the first fully-formed dictionary of African American English.

by Jeevika Verma

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July 26, 2022 11:00 AM

From the archives: Quan Barry on her debut novel, 'She Weeps Each Time You're Born'

Poet and novelist Quan Barry returns to MPR News this Friday for Big Books and Bold Ideas. This time, she’ll talk about her new novel, “When I’m Gone Look for Me in the East,” which follows two brothers on a quest in the wilds of Mongolia. To whet you appetite, enjoy this 2015 conversation between Barry and host Kerri Miller when they discuss her novel set in Vietnam, “She Weeps Each Time You’re Born.”

by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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July 22, 2022 12:00 PM

Novelist Ann Hood recounts her days as a flight attendant in 'Fly Girl'

Ann Hood was a recent college grad in 1978 who couldn’t imagine a better way to see the world - and gather experiences for future writing - than being a flight attendant. Her new memoir, “Fly Girl,” chronicles her days flying the friendly and not-so-friendly skies.

by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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July 22, 2022 8:06 AM

Ottessa Moshfegh's year of death and internet clout

The “My Year of Rest and Relaxation” author on feeling used, becoming an internet symbol for detachment, and how her new book has lightened her load of dead bodies.

by Andrew Limbong

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July 21, 2022 10:05 PM

Books in Translation: Three tales touching on French colonialism

Mutt-Lon's “The Blunder,” '“Pina” by Titaua Peu, and Thuận's “Chinatown” all come from different continents and deal, glancingly or in depth, with French colonialism.

by Lily Meyer

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July 21, 2022 1:00 PM

Great books for summer reading

MPR News host Angela Davis talks with Minnesota booksellers and readers about what books they’re enjoying this summer and how books help us understand the world and our place in it.

by Angela Davis and Maja Beckstrom

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July 20, 2022 12:19 PM

Black-owned Strive Bookstore opens in downtown Minneapolis

Mary Taris couldn’t find enough books for her children featuring Black characters, so she founded her own publishing company – Strive Community Publishing. “We’re really striving to connect across cultures,” Taris says.

by Noor Adwan

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July 19, 2022 11:00 AM

From the archives: When traveling, seek experiences, not sites

On this Friday’s Big Books and Bold Ideas, novelist Ann Hood talks about her new memoir, “Fly Girl.” When she first landed a job as a flight attendant, she thought she’d landed the most glamorous job ever. But she soon learned there was a dark side to getting paid to see the world. Since travel is the theme this week, enjoy this mood setter — a 2015 conversation with two travel writers who say we should prioritize adventure over location when deciding where to go.

by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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