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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.

How NYC's first Puerto Rican librarian brought Spanish to the shelves

How NYC's first Puerto Rican librarian brought Spanish to the shelves

When Pura Belpré became a librarian in 1921, she couldn't find Spanish language books for kids -- so she wrote them herself. Belpré would go on to become a champion of bilingual library programs.
by Neda Ulaby

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An eerie road trip novel that mixes marriage and madness

An eerie road trip novel that mixes marriage and madness

Hannah Pittard's new novel digs at an uncomfortable truth: Sometimes the one you love can drive you crazy. Hours in a car on tornado-ravaged roads doesn't help things.
by MPR News Staff

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A 911 dispatcher tells all

A 911 dispatcher tells all

Caroline Burau's book, "Tell Me Exactly What Happened," runs through the terrifying, boring and hilarious moments of her career as a 911 dispatcher.
by MPR News Staff

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Better sit down for this one: An exciting book about the history of chairs

Better sit down for this one: An exciting book about the history of chairs

OK, fine ... this new chair anthology might not keep you on the edge of your seat, but it does reveal some very interesting ideas about trends in design, culture and social values.
by Elizabeth Blair

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'A Gentleman in Moscow' is a grand hotel adventure

'A Gentleman in Moscow' is a grand hotel adventure

Amor Towles' new novel stars a Russian aristocrat, sentenced by the Soviets to permanent house arrest in a luxury hotel. It's a frothy romp that tends to overlook the reality of life under Stalin.
by Annalisa Quinn

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'Ugly': A memoir of childhood, deformity and learning to love a distinctive face

'Ugly': A memoir of childhood, deformity and learning to love a distinctive face

Robert Hoge was born with deformed legs and a giant tumor between his eyes. In his new memoir, he describes his mother's shock and how she decided whether or not to bring him home.

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