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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 'Amazing Fantastic Incredible' life of Stan Lee, now in comic form

The 'Amazing Fantastic Incredible' life of Stan Lee, now in comic form

Stan Lee is a comic book legend. He's the writer behind Spider-man, the Incredible Hulk and Iron Man. Now, the 92-year-old talks about his own super-heroic life.

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U exhibit celebrates 41 years of Graywolf Press

U exhibit celebrates 41 years of Graywolf Press

The archives of the Minnesota-based publishing house document how the book business has changed, and how it hasn't.
by Euan Kerr

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Why eating out alone doesn't have to be lonely

Why eating out alone doesn't have to be lonely

More Americans are eating alone -- at restaurants and at home. Writer Simran Sethi argues in a new book that eating alone can be a courageous act that deepens appreciation of food and place.
by Jill Neimark

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The positive role religion can play in politics

The positive role religion can play in politics

Former U.S. Senator John Danforth has previously called out the Religious Right for conflating faith and politics. His new book, "The Relevance of Religion," revisits the topic.
by MPR News Staff

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'The Night Clock' ticks with wit, fright and fantasy

'The Night Clock' ticks with wit, fright and fantasy

Paul Meloy's debut novel fuses humor, horror and personal experience; it's the story of a 40-something psychiatric nurse who discovers he's a part of a cosmic battle against the forces of nightmare.
by Jason Heller

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Patricia Highsmith's secret novel is headed to theaters

Patricia Highsmith's secret novel is headed to theaters

Patricia Highsmith is best known for her psychological thrillers like "Strangers on a Train" or "The Talented Mr. Ripley." But a very personal Highsmith novel, originally released under a pseudonym, will soon hit theaters.
by Tracy Mumford

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Author John Irving on his own 'exceedingly boring life'

Author John Irving on his own 'exceedingly boring life'

"You don't get to choose your nightmares," author John Irving told the crowd at Talking Volumes. "You don't get to choose what you're afraid of." His latest novel, his fourteenth, is "Avenue of Mysteries."
by MPR News Staff

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For a year, Shonda Rhimes said 'yes' to all the things that scared her

For a year, Shonda Rhimes said 'yes' to all the things that scared her

The creator of 'Grey's Anatomy' and 'Scandal' says despite the success of her shows, her life 'had gotten really small,' so she decided to step out of her comfort zone. 'Year of Yes' is her new memoir.

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John Kinder's "Paying with their Bodies"

In his new book "Paying with their Bodies," John Kinder makes the argument that while the conditions have changed for disabled veterans, the discourse and attitudes surrounding them have not.
by Tom Crann

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