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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.

Sign Up for The Thread® Newsletter

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 an annual event series featuring notable authors in conversation about their new books. Presented by MPR News and The Minnesota Star Tribune. 

Ask a Bookseller: 'A heaping helping of joy'

Ask a Bookseller: 'A heaping helping of joy'

Dionne Sims, owner of the new pop-up store Black Garnet Books in Minneapolis, recommended a book that’s been bringing her joy lately: "#Very Fat #Very Brave” by comedian Nicole Byer.
by Emily Bright

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Booksellers of color lift up diverse voices

Booksellers of color lift up diverse voices

Host Kerri Miller talks to three bookshop owners about their recommendations for building empathy through reading.
by Kerri Miller

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Former President Obama tells his story his way — and makes his case for history

Former President Obama tells his story his way — and makes his case for history

Former President Barack Obama's ascent thrilled millions but also stirred a countermovement that is still on the march. His new memoir, “A Promised Land,” covers his rise through the second year of his presidency.
by Ron Elving

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Fareed Zakaria on a post-pandemic world

Fareed Zakaria on a post-pandemic world

Will we ever recover from the pandemic? CNN host and journalist Fareed Zakaria says yes — and we will be stronger for it.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Rediscovering 'Cher Ami' and the lost battalion: Questions for Kathleen Rooney

Rediscovering 'Cher Ami' and the lost battalion: Questions for Kathleen Rooney

Kathleen Rooney's new novel follows an unlikely subject: Cher Ami, the once-famous homing pigeon who helped save a trapped battalion during World War I, and the officer who owed his life to her.
by Petra Mayer

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How a 1969 murder at Harvard turned into a cold case and a 'cautionary tale'

How a 1969 murder at Harvard turned into a cold case and a 'cautionary tale'

In “We Keep the Dead Close,” author Becky Cooper revisits the killing of Harvard graduate student Jane Britton. The 440+ page book is overstuffed with suspects, motives, red herrings and interviews.
by Maureen Corrigan

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Author details 'Living With Death' in her 20s and scrambling for life-saving care

Author details 'Living With Death' in her 20s and scrambling for life-saving care

Katherine Standefer was uninsured and working as a hiking guide when diagnosed with a genetic heart condition. She chronicles her experience with an implanted heart device in “Lightning Flowers.”
by Dave Davies

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Author and journalist Tom Ricks: Founding Fathers expected today's political state

Author and journalist Tom Ricks: Founding Fathers expected today's political state

"I think Madison, especially, would be very proud to see that when America deeply disagrees, as it does now, that things grind to a halt," Ricks, author of a new book, “First Principles,” tells NPR.
by Steve Inskeep

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