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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.

'Bring The War Home' shows 'lone wolf' terrorists are really part of a pack

'Bring The War Home' shows 'lone wolf' terrorists are really part of a pack

Kathleen Belew's new book explores the impact of the Vietnam War on America's white power movement; Belew says that movement was behind a lot of domestic terror attacks attributed to "lone wolves."
by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

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'Art of the Wasted Day' makes a case for letting the mind wander

'Art of the Wasted Day' makes a case for letting the mind wander

Patricia Hampl's sharp new book argues that daydreaming is a vital part of life. Maureen Corrigan says, after reading it, "you'll understand more of what makes life worth living."
by Maureen Corrigan

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2018 Minnesota Book Award winners announced

2018 Minnesota Book Award winners announced

The annual celebration honored everything from children's books to book arts projects.
by MPR News Staff

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In 'Head On,' killer robots, dogged gumshoes ... and a very important cat

In 'Head On,' killer robots, dogged gumshoes ... and a very important cat

John Scalzi returns to the world of "Lock In" -- where people incapacitated by a strange disease can re-enter the world through robot avatars -- for a murder mystery that turns on a cat named Donut.
by Jason Sheehan

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If the Civil War ended with zombies

If the Civil War ended with zombies

Bookseller Jessica Cox recommends a novel that imagines an alternate history, where the dead rose up at the Battle of Gettysburg, triggering a zombie apocalypse.
by Tracy Mumford

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Novelist Richard Powers finds new stories deep in old growth forests

Novelist Richard Powers finds new stories deep in old growth forests

In "The Overstory," Powers explores how humans can revere ancient trees with "the same kind of sanctity that we reserve exclusively for ourselves."
by Lynn Neary

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Poetry Friday: Look closely

Poetry Friday: Look closely

To celebrate National Poetry Month, The Thread is showcasing three poems from local independent publishing houses every Friday.
by Tracy Mumford

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'God Save Texas' is essential reading for everyone -- even non-Texans

'God Save Texas' is essential reading for everyone -- even non-Texans

Lawrence Wright is at his best in this new examination of his home state -- a thoughtful, beautifully written book about a place that can be hard for outsiders to understand.
by Michael Schaub

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