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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 the U.S. 'accidentally became a multicultural nation'

How the U.S. 'accidentally became a multicultural nation'

Tom Gjelten's new book looks at the ripple effects of the 1965 Immigration Act, and how immigration to America took an unexpected turn.
by Tracy Mumford

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Taye Diggs' child served as inspiration for 'Mixed Me'

Taye Diggs' child served as inspiration for 'Mixed Me'

Walker, the young son of actors Taye Diggs and Idina Menzel, inspired his father to write a book about a day in the life of a mixed-race child.

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A swirling tale of love, delusion and horses

A swirling tale of love, delusion and horses

Mary Gaitskill's new novel chronicles the complex relationship between a poor black girl from Brooklyn and her middle-aged white benefactors.
by Maureen Corrigan

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'Black Dragon River' charts history along the Amur

'Black Dragon River' charts history along the Amur

Dominic Ziegler's thrillingly thorough geo-history follows the Amur River from its origin on the Mongolian steppes, along the Trans-Siberian Railway and through centuries of Eurasian history.
by Jean Zimmerman

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Ta-Nehisi Coates on his work and the painful process of getting conscious

Ta-Nehisi Coates on his work and the painful process of getting conscious

The writer, whose 'Between The World And Me' was the winner of this year's National Book Award in nonfiction, talks about his process and the classmate and friend to whom he dedicated the award.

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Adam Johnson, Ta-Nehisi Coates win National Book Awards

Adam Johnson, Ta-Nehisi Coates win National Book Awards

The authors won the literary prize in the fiction and nonfiction categories, respectively. Also taking home awards were Robin Coste Lewis, for her debut poetry collection, and Neal Shusterman.
by Colin Dwyer

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There's more to Custer than his 'Last Stand'

There's more to Custer than his 'Last Stand'

Custer was a household name long before that fateful day on the prairie. T.J. Stiles' new book looks at the general's complicated legacy and how it shaped American history.
by MPR News Staff

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Appetites: Celebrating local food in 'Winter's Kitchen'

Appetites: Celebrating local food in 'Winter's Kitchen'

In her new book, Beth Dooley shows us how to enjoy local food all year round, even in the depths of winter.
by Krystyna Pease

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Gray-haired granny? An 85-year-old writer goes punk rock instead

Gray-haired granny? An 85-year-old writer goes punk rock instead

When novelist Anne Bernays became a great-grandmother, she dyed her hair bright blue. She says young people tend to treat the elderly as if they're dumb, "whereas I feel like I'm still a teenager."
by Anne Bernays

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