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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.

Stephen and Owen King on the horror of a world without women in 'Sleeping Beauties'

Stephen and Owen King on the horror of a world without women in 'Sleeping Beauties'

What if every woman on earth went to sleep and never woke up, leaving only men to run things? That's the horror at the center of "Sleeping Beauties," the new novel from Stephen King and his son Owen.
by Mary Louise Kelly

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Jeffrey Eugenides' 'Fresh Complaint' makes for absorbing fiction

Jeffrey Eugenides' 'Fresh Complaint' makes for absorbing fiction

While they tend towards traditional rather than edgy, the stories in "Fresh Complaint" will remind readers what they like about Eugenides' writing: His sensitivity and compassion for flawed people.
by Heller McAlpin

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Getting the most out of pre-K, 'The Most Important Year' in school

Getting the most out of pre-K, 'The Most Important Year' in school

About 1.5 million 4-year-olds started preschool this fall and parents are wondering: How do I know my child is in a high-quality program? A new book offers some answers.
by Claudio Sanchez

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Seven fantasy and sci-fi recommendations from a diehard reader

Seven fantasy and sci-fi recommendations from a diehard reader

Bookseller Jude Feldman works at Borderlands Books in San Francisco, the city's destination for genre thrills. She has seven recommendations for readers eager to explore new worlds.
by Tracy Mumford

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In 'Dear Fahrenheit 451,' loving books both wisely and well

In 'Dear Fahrenheit 451,' loving books both wisely and well

Librarian Annie Spence's new book is a collection of love letters and breakup notes to the books in her life -- written in a warm, funny, specific voice that skillfully balances reverence and wryness.
by Margaret H. Willison

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A former speechwriter looks back on his 'Hopey, Changey' years with Obama

A former speechwriter looks back on his 'Hopey, Changey' years with Obama

David Litt says writing speeches and jokes for former President Obama was often a delicate task: "There's a whole industry of people trying to take your words out of context."
by Terry Gross

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James McBride's 'Five-Carat Soul' is a gem

James McBride's 'Five-Carat Soul' is a gem

The National Book Award-winning writer's debut story collection includes stories both straightforward and surreal. NPR's critic calls it 'brash, daring and defiantly original.'
by Michael Schaub

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Thread Book Hour: Sherman Alexie on the aftermath of the 'Native American Apocalypse'

Thread Book Hour: Sherman Alexie on the aftermath of the 'Native American Apocalypse'

MPR's Kerri Miller interviews author Sherman Alexie as part of the "Talking Volumes" series at the Fitzgerald Theater. He's written a memoir about his mother, "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me."
by MPR News Staff

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