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The Thread® - Books and Literary News

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

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Sign up for The Thread newsletter to get reading recommendations from Kerri Miller and other bookworms around the MPR newsroom. Sam Stroozas rounds up local events and Minnesota book news you may have missed.

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.

Missing travel? This 'irreverent guide' visits Anthony Bourdain's favorite places

Missing travel? This 'irreverent guide' visits Anthony Bourdain's favorite places

"He always made people feel like they belonged," says a former Bourdain producer. “World Travel: An Irreverent Guide” is based on the TV chef's writings and an interview conducted just before his death.
by Neda Ulaby

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'The Light of the Midnight Stars' doesn't shine brightly enough

'The Light of the Midnight Stars' doesn't shine brightly enough

Rena Rossner's YA novel, set in a magical version of medieval Eastern Europe, follows a rabbi and his three supernaturally-talented daughters. Unfortunately the characters never quite come to life.
by Jessica P. Wick

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Ask a Bookseller: 'The Copenhagen Trilogy' introduces Danish poet Tove Ditlevsen to English readers

Ask a Bookseller: 'The Copenhagen Trilogy' introduces Danish poet Tove Ditlevsen to English readers

Deborah Reed of Cloud and Leaf Bookstore in Manzanita, Ore., recommends “The Copenhagen Trilogy” by Tove Ditlevsen (1917–1976), which was released as a single volume in English in February.
by Emily Bright

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Quiet no more: Sen. Hirono's immigrant journey fuels her fire in Congress

Quiet no more: Sen. Hirono's immigrant journey fuels her fire in Congress

Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii — one of the most outspoken Democrats in Congress — wasn't always so vociferous. She says her story, detailed in a new memoir, has driven her to "stand up to bullies."
by Michel Martin

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The ant-icipation is over: 'Juan Hormiga' is here!

The ant-icipation is over: 'Juan Hormiga' is here!

Gustavo Roldán's tale of an adventurous (if nap-prone) ant — newly translated into English — has everything you could want: silliness, adventure, daring, a cliffhanger, and a fun, satisfying ending.
by Juanita Giles

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'Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing' isn't just a cult memoir

'Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing' isn't just a cult memoir

Essay after essay, it becomes clear that writer Lauren Hough is drawing parallels between the Family and good ol' fashioned American Exceptionalism in all its various facets.
by Ilana Masad

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2021 Whiting Awards honor 10 soon-to-be-big writers

2021 Whiting Awards honor 10 soon-to-be-big writers

The winners of this year's Whiting Awards have been announced; the $50,000 prize honors emerging writers, with the aim of enabling them to concentrate full-time on their work.
by Petra Mayer

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