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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.

'Searching for John Hughes,' and finding yourself

'Searching for John Hughes,' and finding yourself

Jason Diamond tried to write a biography of John Hughes, director of classic '80s teen movies, but along the way, the story became more about his search for Hughes than the elusive filmmaker himself.
by Drew Toal

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In Cuba's history, a family divided

In Cuba's history, a family divided

Derek Palacio's new novel, "The Mortifications," offers a timely glimpse at the families torn apart by the U.S.-Cuba rift.
by MPR News Staff

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Get to know a Cuba without Castro: Recommended books, movies and music

Get to know a Cuba without Castro: Recommended books, movies and music

With the death of longtime dictator Fidel Castro, interest in the island nation has again spiked among Americans. For those looking to learn more about the country, expert Tom Miller has some picks.

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Ask a bookseller: The Learned Owl in Hudson, Ohio

Ask a bookseller: The Learned Owl in Hudson, Ohio

Bookstore owner Kate Schlademan recommends this young adult novel for the holiday season: "It's one of those books that just really pulls at your heartstrings."
by Tracy Mumford

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More 'Rad Women': Worldwide role models

More 'Rad Women': Worldwide role models

Kate Schatz returns with a second collection highlighting powerful and influential women who don't always make the history books.
by MPR News Staff

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Butter's rich history: 5 things you might not know

Butter's rich history: 5 things you might not know

"Butter and people go back a really, really long way," says Elaine Khosrova, the author of a new book all about the dairy staple.
by Tracy Mumford

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'Not Just Jane': The women authors history overlooked

'Not Just Jane': The women authors history overlooked

Jane Austen was a fierce talent, but she wasn't alone in her era. "You couldn't swing a petticoat without knocking over authoresses young and old," Shelley DeWees writes in a new book.
by MPR News Staff

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8 books bound for the small screen

8 books bound for the small screen

Childhood favorites and new bestsellers are getting the small-screen treatment with a fleet of new adaptations for TV or Netflix.
by Tracy Mumford

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A clear message from Colombian police: Don't mess with '100 Years of Solitude'

A clear message from Colombian police: Don't mess with '100 Years of Solitude'

In 2015, a first edition copy of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's classic was stolen from a Bogota book fair. Many cases in that city go unsolved, but local law enforcement went all out to find the book.

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