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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. 

Can a computer identify a bestselling book?

Can a computer identify a bestselling book?

An online publishing platform claims that its algorithms can analyze reader behavior to identify potential hits-in-the-making.
by Tracy Mumford

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'I Hate Fairyland' takes on Princess Syndrome

'I Hate Fairyland' takes on Princess Syndrome

Skottie Young's comic may horrify (or delight) the parents of princess-obsessed kids. It's the story of a not-so-little girl who's gone a little violent after 27 years trapped in a sparkly fairyland.
by Etelka Lehoczky

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J.K. Rowling apologizes for killing off a beloved character

J.K. Rowling apologizes for killing off a beloved character

Today is the 18th anniversary of the fictional Battle of Hogwarts, which pitted Harry Potter and his allies against Voldemort's forces. Rowling is making amends for a certain death.
by Tracy Mumford

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A harsh migration out of India

A harsh migration out of India

Sunjeev Sahota's new novel follows three men who journey from India to England, looking for a better life. But NPR's Nishant Dahiya says that life turns out to be a complex, and often dangerous one.
by Nishant Dahiya

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Don DeLillo returns with 'Zero K'

Don DeLillo returns with 'Zero K'

In Don DeLillo's new novel, a billionaire secretly funds an enterprise aimed at preserving people through cryogenics -- a technology he hopes to use to rejoin his already-frozen wife.

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Steven Johnson on his hidden influencer

Steven Johnson on his hidden influencer

Author and television host Steven Johnson explains the debt he owes to Michael Pollan's bestselling book, "The Botany of Desire."
by MPR News Staff

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The mathematics of magic and loss in 'Square Root of Summer'

The mathematics of magic and loss in 'Square Root of Summer'

Teenaged math whiz Gottie knows a little too much about subtraction; her fractured family is spinning apart sfter the death of her beloved grandfather -- and that's before the time wormholes appear.
by Caitlyn Paxson

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Self-help tips on 'Manly Health' from Walt Whitman

Self-help tips on 'Manly Health' from Walt Whitman

In 1858, the poet published a series of advice columns -- titled "Manly Health and Training" -- in which he recommends wearing a beard, taking a cold bath every morning and avoiding condiments.

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Indie Bookstore Day: Where to go, what to read

Indie Bookstore Day: Where to go, what to read

Saturday is the third annual celebration of local bookstores. Get reading recommendations from stores around the state.
by Tracy Mumford

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