Staff Directory 6370568

Chris Hewitt

Critic / Editor | Books
Phone: 612-673-4367

Interim books editor Chris Hewitt previously worked at the Pioneer Press in St. Paul, where he wrote about movies and theater.


Armed with a degree in the lucrative field of history, Chris has written for publications that vary from a small-town newspaper to a city magazine to national sites. He's probably reading a good book right this minute.
Recent content from Chris Hewitt
Prince performs at a 1985 concert.

Five books we can't wait to read in April

From Prince to a romantic comedy to canoeing up north, this month's books should help us shake off snowy weather.
photo of author Claire Anderson-Wheeler, next to a body of water with trees in the background

Review: The sister of 'The Great Gatsby' solves a murder in 'The Gatsby Gambit'

Fiction: The biggest question may be, "Will anyone miss the victim?"
photo of author Jane Flett

Review: A circus comes to town in 'Freakslaw,' with violent plans

Fiction: The Scottish-set novel is about people who've been made to feel like outsiders. And who want revenge.
Let's Dance Gala emcees, myTalk 107.1's Julia Cobbs and Lori Barghini.

Former radio hosts Lori and Julia return, with bonus Lorna Landvik

The popular hosts, who retired their show last year, are hosting a bookish tea party.
photo of author James Whitfield Thomson

Review: Can a man's questions about his sister's death lead to 'A Better Ending'?

Nonfiction: After her death was officially ruled a suicide, James Whitfield Thomson becomes convinced it was murder.
photo of author Lee Martin

Review: Characters from Pulitzer Prize nominee 'The Bright Forever' return in lovely 'The Evening Shades'

Fiction: Lee Martin's small-town novel is a stunner.
photo of author Cori Doerrfeld in front of a brick wall

Bestselling Minneapolis writer wants to help kids find 'courage' in tough times

Cori Doerrfeld drew on her family's experience for her new picture book, "Nellie's Big Splash."
photo of author Dennis E. Staples

Minnesota writer Dennis E. Staples drew on casino work for new horror novel

Local fiction: A man's trip to visit friends in a northern Minnesota casino becomes a battle between good and evil.
photo of author Shannon Gibney, with bookshelves in the background

The book the entire state is reading? 'Where We Come From,' by four Minnesota writers.

It's been chosen for this spring's One Book One Minnesota.
The relentless energy of a train makes for a good setting for a novel.

Why are so many new novels set on trains?

Fiction: A trio of books lean into the romance, and danger, of the railroad.
photo of author Deanna Raybourn

Review: With menopause in their rearview mirrors, these hitwomen are licensed to kill

Fiction: Deanna Raybourn returns with a sequel to "Killers of a Certain Age."
photo of cast of a musical

Gwen Walz to discuss book with star of Bob Dylan musical 'Girl From the North Country'

Nonfiction: Todd Almond, a former student who sang at the Walzes' wedding, is the author of "Slow Train Coming."
Readers offer tips on how to get more reading into your life.

Want to read more? Star Tribune readers have great ideas

"Books beat chocolate," "carry a flood book," "you can skip parts" and other hot book takes.
Does writers' bad behavior affect how readers see their books? Bookstores are having to make some decisions. In this picture, customers shop inside Ma

What do Minnesota bookstores do when authors break bad?

From taking Neil Gaiman titles off shelves to lessening Alice Munro's presence in displays, there are a variety of responses.
A farmer and his sons battle the wind and struggle for shelter in this 1936 photo of the Dust Bowl taken in Oklahoma by Arthur Rothstein. // Dust bowl

Review: Four characters weather the Dust Bowl in 'The Antidote'

Fiction: Karen Russell's novel shifts perspectives from a child to a farmer to a witch to a photographer.
Richard Farnsworth (center) plays Alvin Straight in  "The Straight Story." Curl up with this tender story this weekend.

Need a quick fix of joy? These books and movies will make you smile.

These five books and five movies are perfect for cold, dark times.
Tanya Smith, left, will be portrayed by singer/actor Janelle Monáe in an upcoming film based on Smith's memoir.

Minneapolis fraudster (and Prince pal) sells memoir for movie starring Janelle Monáe

Tanya Smith's memoir, "Never Saw Me Coming," will be adapted by Universal Pictures.
photo of author Curtis Sittenfeld

Minneapolis writer Curtis Sittenfeld offers new short stories about 'women who are wrong'

Local fiction: "Romantic Comedy" author, who's writing her first novel set in Minnesota, offers 12 new short stories in "Show Don't Tell."
Jesse Q. Sutanto's "Vera Wong's Guide to Snooping" is one of the Minnesota Star Tribune's most-anticipated March titles.

Five books we can't wait to read in March

From sleuths in Minnesota and San Francisco to a real-life Indiana Jones.
Are the characters in "The Talent" based on Jessica Lange? Meryl Streep? Viola Davis? All are women vying for the best actress trophy.

With Oscars on the way, dishy novel offers insider look at fictional actors

Fiction: "The Talent," by a show biz reporter, goes behind the scenes of awards season.
photo of two people, one on their knees proposing to the other in a bookstore

Not all the romance in bookstores is in the books

These two couples took the next step, relationship-wise, at Red Balloon and Tropes & Trifles.
photo of two men in the '70s looking at a map

Rick Steves' life-changing memoir recalls his days 'On the Hippie Trail'

Nonfiction: The TV host and author will talk about it Feb. 17 in Hopkins.
Jane Austen's sister was protective of her legacy.

Jane Austen fans, get ready to be turned on to the books she loved

Nonfiction: "Jane Austen's Bookshelf" introduces eight female writers who helped shape her work.
Jesse Q. Sutanto, who wrote “Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers” and the upcoming “Vera Wong’s Guide to Snooping (on a Dead Man)�

David Housewright, Sujata Massey and more authors coming to local libraries

A few big names, including Ann Napolitano and Jesse Q. Sutanto, will appear at virtual events.
573511400

Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers and friends solve a real mystery

Fiction: A nurse's unsolved murder gives them a chance to prove their skills.
Kristin Hannah Photo by Kevin Lynch

Who are the authors Twin Cities area readers can't get enough of?

Whether your library is in St. Paul, Minneapolis or Chaska, there's a pretty good chance you were reading Kristin Hannah's latest.
photo of author Callan Wink, with a mountain in the background

Review: Brothers take on a dangerous mission in adventure novel 'Beartooth'

Fiction: Callan Wink's spare, Montana-set book earns comparison to "A Simple Plan."
Magers & Quinn in Minneapolis sold 1,700 copies of the deluxe (and signed) edition of Rebecca Yarros' "Onyx Storm" during an author event at O’Shaug

Minnesota booksellers are thrilled about the title bringing 'Harry Potter' readers back

Rebecca Yarros' "Onyx Storm" has only been out a couple of weeks but it's already a blockbuster.
photo of author Nickolas Butler, standing in a field

Inspiration struck novelist Nickolas Butler while he did a puzzle in a Wisconsin bar

Local fiction: Did you hear the one about the guy who was sipping a beverage when he overheard an idea for his new novel, "A Forty Year Kiss"?
photo of author Margie Sarsfield

Review: Woman on Minnesota beet farm may be turning into a beet in new novel

Local fiction: Wild "Beta Vulgaris" features a character losing her grip on reality while toiling at a numbing job.
photo of author Josh Moehling, near a window

Golden Valley mystery writer is living his childhood dream

Local fiction: Joshua Moehling, whose new novel is "A Long Time Gone," just gave up his day job.
photo of author Curtis Sittenfeld

Five books we can't wait to read in February

From lumberjacks to mystery writers to NSYNC, these are the titles we're eager to get a hold of.
photo of author Elinor Lipman

Review: Latest Elinor Lipman comic novel is here to brighten your mood

Fiction: "Every Tom, Dick and Harry" is about a woman conducting an estate sale. At a bordello.
photo of author Alex Hay

A Victorian con woman schemes for money and love in zesty novel. She's not the only one.

Fiction: Ladies who swindle are all over the place in a batch of recent novels about Victorians' fascination with spiritualism and the women who capitalized on it.
FILE - In this file photo from the 1920s, American writer F. Scott Fitzgerald poses for a portrait.

St. Paul kicks off yearlong celebration of 100 years of 'The Great Gatsby'

F. Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece will be performed, read in its entirety, placed in context and more in a year of events.
photo of author Heather Bouwman

St. Paul writer Heather Bouwman's 'Scattergood' hits shelves, two decades after she started it

Local fiction: Set in 1940s Iowa, it's about two girls dealing with the ramifications of war and a tragedy closer to home.
photo of author Lee Hawkins

Writer Lee Hawkins connects abusive childhood in Maplewood to the Jim Crow South and slavery

Local nonfiction: The Pulitzer Prize finalist looked to the past to find a way forward.
photo of author Scott Turow

Review: Sequel to 'Presumed Innocent' is more like Harrison Ford film than Jake Gyllenhaal series

Fiction: Scott Turow's new legal thriller sticks with his own timeline.
illustration of customers at a barber shop

If you want to know what Black men think, head to the barbershop, says Plymouth writer's book

Local fiction: Keenan Jones used his childhood shop, as well as his current one in Brooklyn Park, for inspiration.
photo of author Anita Desai

Review: A woman realizes her late mother is a mystery to her in tantalizing 'Rosarita'

Fiction: The latest from three-time Booker Prize nominee Anita Desai sends its narrator on a quest.
cover of Beautiful Ugly depicts an island in a stormy sea

Five of the hottest books we can't wait to read in January

A centuries-old unsolved murder, the return of Zora Neale Hurston and one really big truffle top our list.
Kao Kalia Yang, shown at her home in St. Paul, is the Minnesota Star Tribune's 2024 artist of the year.

Our Artist of the Year wrote four books this year (and found time to root for the Wolves)

St. Paul writer Kao Kalia Yang has won four Minnesota Book Awards and was recognized by the Guggenheim Foundation and National Endowment for the Arts.
Wondering what our books editor read this year? Here's a start...

Our books editor, who reads 150 of 'em a year, has some thoughts on getting more reading in your life.

The best tip if you want to up your reading game: ABR. Always Be Reading.
photo of two men standing by a tree on a snowy day

Love both trees and poetry? Has south Minneapolis got a place for you!

Passers-by can leave their thoughts and take off with someone else's at the Little Free Poet Tree.
Lyndsay Faye Author Photo by Gabriel Lenher

Review: In new collection, a book store attracts the wrong kind of customers — the murdering kind

Fiction: Jeffrey Deaver, Laura Lippman and others contribute 12 tales of holiday mayhem.
photo of Timothee Chalamet as Bob Dylan, in an early recording session

Review: Timothee Chalamet's performance as Bob Dylan in 'A Complete Unknown' sings, but movie hits some flat notes

Inspired by Elijah Wald's book, "Dylan Goes Electric," the Dec. 25 release feels too much like other biopics.
Ann Patchett

So you say you're bummed there was no new Ann Patchett novel this year? We have ideas...

We think these are recent books a Patchett fan will love.
photo depicts a man holding a baby

Meet the St. Louis Park widower who wrote a picture book to tell his grandchildren about their late grandma

"Christmas Sun" suggests a way to remember loved ones who are no longer with us at the holidays.
Ralph Fiennes stars as Cardinal Lawrence in director Edward Berger's CONCLAVE, a Focus Features release. Credit: Courtesy of Focus Features. © 2024 A

This fall's book-to-movie adaptations range from great to Tom Hanks

"Conclave," "The Wild Robot" and "Nickel Boys" prove fine books can inspire terrific films. But that's not always the case.
Timothée Chalamet poses for photos with fans at the Main Cinema in Minneapolis. Chalamet was attending a screening of his new film, “A Complete Unk

Timothée Chalamet came to Minnesota to study Bob Dylan and 'loved, loved' it

The Oscar-nominated actor returned to appear at a Minneapolis screening Thursday, promoting the Dec. 25 release of "A Complete Unknown."
Taylor Swift performs during opening night of the Chicago Eras Tour at Soldier Field on June 2, 2023, in Chicago.

It's Taylor Swift's world and we're just living in it

Nonfiction: The essays in "Heartbreak Is the National Anthem" make a case for her excellence, not just as artist but as a person.
photo of author John Brandon

Hamline University Prof. John Brandon whisks readers to sunny Florida for a noir caper

Local fiction: The Hugo resident says he doesn't fret too much about reviews, or about how his books are going to end.
Author Niall Williams at home in Kiltumper, Kilmihil, Co. Clare, Ireland. Photograph by John Kelly.

Review: 'Time of the Child,' set in Ireland, is one of the year's finest novels

Fiction: An abandoned infant drives the beguiling story of a doctor and his adult daughter.
photo of author Danez Smith

Minneapolis' Danez Smith looks to Langston Hughes and Andre 3000 in trying to write one great poem

Local poetry: Smith will discuss their collection "Bluff" and a new compilation of Hughes' work in St. Paul.
photo of author/botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer

The latest from 'Braiding Sweetgrass' writer Robin Wall Kimmerer reminds us we owe nature a lot

Nonfiction: "The Serviceberry" is about nurturing, and giving back to, our world.
Holly Weinkauf, owner of Red Balloon Bookshop, hangs up holiday stars inside the store on Grand Ave. in St. Paul, Minn. on Wednesday, Nov. 06, 2024.

40 must-reads from staffers at Red Balloon, as it throws itself (and you) a 40th birthday party

Employees went beyond time-honored classics to suggest more recent titles you may have missed.
photo of author Christina Lynch with a pony

'Pony Confidential' is 'Remarkably Bright Creatures' with a horse instead of an octopus

Fiction: The novel is narrated by a pony, trying to reunite with a beloved former owner.
illustration of George Floyd from picture book We Miss You George Floyd

What should kids know about George Floyd's murder? Minneapolis author answers with moving picture book.

Local nonfiction: Shannon Gibney hopes "We Miss You" will start conversations.
photo of author Michael Connelly

Will 'Bosch' and 'The Lincoln Lawyer' writer Michael Connelly kill off his detective hero?

Fiction: In his new "The Waiting," Bosch and Renee Ballard take on a big, real-life mystery, the Black Dahlia murder.
photo of Julie Marie Wade with Mary Tyler Moore statue

Meet the professor who measures her life against 'The Mary Tyler Moore Show'

The author of "The Mary Years" will discuss her book in December in Minneapolis.
Polyamory, the potential to be in love with more than one person at a time, is the subject of romance-themed "Open Minded," a novel due Nov. 12.

Five of the hottest books we can't wait to read in November

A novel with "movie adaptation" written all over it, Ben Franklin, polyamory and cookies top our list.
Kate DiCamillo photo by Tom Wallace

The pandemic made writer Kate DiCamillo realize, 'I'm not going to get through this unless I have a fairy tale to write'

LOCAL FICTION: Featuring stories within stories, she'll discuss the book at Talking Volumes on Tuesday.
Twin Cities Book Festival

Meet dozens of Minnesota's top authors at Twin Cities Book Festival

Look for David Housewright, Kao Kalia Yang and many more at the annual celebration of books.
Gary Oldman stars as "George Smiley" in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy."

Whatever your taste, let the Star Tribune match you up with the perfect new book about spies.

From Paris to Botswana, these fiction and nonfiction books feature secret agents who include a child and Julia Child.
photo of author Paula Hawkins

Paula Hawkins, who wrote blockbuster 'The Girl on the Train,' can't wait to meet readers in Edina

She'll discuss her eerie new novel, "The Blue Hour," at Southdale Public Library Oct. 29.
photo of author Mubanga Kalimamukwento

Mounds View writer/lawyer/activist/student/mom talks about her searing, witty new book

Local fiction: Many characters in Mubanga Kalimamukwento's "Obligations to the Wounded" are in pain but humor and curiosity help them envision a way forward.
"I'm angry about it," former Sen. Al Franken said of the end of his Senate career. "I just don't feel that it actually does me any good, so I try not

3 times you'll spot Minnesota's Al Franken in new movie about 'Saturday Night Live'

"Saturday Night" is an entertaining but not strictly accurate account of the series' 1975 premiere.
photo of author John Lee Clark

Bumping into things is good, photos don't help much and more lessons from "DeafBlind" St. Paul writer John Lee Clark.

Local nonfiction: The St. Paul writer's revolutionary book "Touch the Future" outlines a whole new way to navigate and understand the world.
This image released by Warner Bros. Pictures shows Helen Mirren in a scene from "Collateral Beauty." (Barry Wetcher/Warner Bros. via AP)

Senior sleuths are the hottest thing in mysteries. Here are 5 who take a page from 'Murder, She Wrote.'

Fiction: But they take their clues from old favorites like Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and a few aging others.
photo of author Pete Hautman

Review: Golden Valley's Pete Hautman goes to the dogs in new young adult book

Local fiction: Walks with his pups, Gaston and Baudelaire, were a great way to research the novel, which is sometimes told from a pooch's perspective.
photo of Louise Erdrich, outside her Birchbark Books

Louise Erdrich's new novel is about 'ridiculous, awkward, magical' love

The Pulitzer Prize winner will discuss "The Mighty Red" with Kerri Miller on Tuesday at a Talking Volumes event
A parade on 4th Street passing by the Grand Arcade in 1907. The towered building to the rear is the old St. Paul City Hall-Ramsey County Courthouse, r

From a boy and his dog to a detective in St. Paul, these are the books we can't wait to read in October.

New books by Minnesota authors Pete Hautman and Larry Millett are among this month's most eagerly awaited titles.
Artist of the year Kate DiCamillo seen Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014, at Red Balloon Bookshop in St. Paul, MN, where she read to kids and adults and fielded

Review: Minneapolis writer Kate DiCamillo is back with 'The Hotel Balzaar,' and it may be her best book yet

Local fiction: It's about a lonely girl, an elderly countess and the power of stories.
A photo of a woman driving a car, with a movie camera mounted on the hood.

Twin Cities Film Festival features Oscar contenders plus a movie shot in the metro

Stars Daisy Ridley and Josh Duhamel will be in attendance at the mid-October event in St. Louis Park.
photo of author Sharon McMahon

Duluth podcaster and "America's government teacher" Sharon McMahon highlights unsung heroes in new book.

Local nonfiction: "The Small and the Mighty" shines spotlight on the folks who make history, but not history books.