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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.

The best book on surfing was written by a war reporter

The best book on surfing was written by a war reporter

William Finnegan is best known for covering international conflicts for The New Yorker, but his memoir focuses on his first love: the perfect wave.
by MPR News Staff

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The long and bloody history of vampires in literature

The long and bloody history of vampires in literature

The first vampires appeared in poetry after a string of unexplained deaths in the Serbian countryside.
by Tracy Mumford

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The world's largest refugee camp: A 'City of Thorns'

The world's largest refugee camp: A 'City of Thorns'

In the middle of the desert in Kenya, there's a place with a population the size of Minneapolis, called Dadaab. It's no ordinary city.

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The weird secret history of Soviet X-ray music

The weird secret history of Soviet X-ray music

In Cold War Russia, getting your hands on an American rock record was close to impossible. But a few bootleggers found a way to hide their contraband in the last place anyone would think to look.

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Sex education lessons from Emily Nagoski

Sex education lessons from Emily Nagoski

Sex educator Emily Nagoski shares new research on women's sexuality, and discusses what sexual freedom really looks like.
by MPR News Staff

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Children's books: This year's Newbery and Caldecott winners

Children's books: This year's Newbery and Caldecott winners

The Newbery and Caldecott awards are among the most cherished in children's literature. This year's winners focused on class and the real story behind Winnie-the-Pooh.
by The Associated Press

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As writers' wages wane in digital chapter, authors pen demands

As writers' wages wane in digital chapter, authors pen demands

Numbers show more authors are finding it hard to make a living income. Fresh off of fighting the Google Books case, the Authors Guild is now taking on author contracts in an open letter to publishers.
by Lynn Neary

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'Geography of Genius' explores how surroundings influence ideas

'Geography of Genius' explores how surroundings influence ideas

Author Eric Weiner identifies Renaissance Florence, Classical Athens and Silicon Valley as "genius clusters." And he explains how the right amount of friction and competition can help geniuses thrive.

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