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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. 

Understanding the threats to big cats worldwide

Understanding the threats to big cats worldwide

With lions in the news, what about tigers? Dubbed the Indiana Jones of wildlife science, Dr. Alan Rabinowitz describes his efforts to save the tigers of Myanmar.
by Kerri Miller

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Cheetos, canned foods, deli meat: How the U.S. Army shapes our diet

Many of the processed foods that we eat -- and the way they're made --- were invented not for us, but for soldiers, says the author of the new book 'Combat-Ready Kitchen.'
by Nadia Whitehead

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Alan Cheuse, novelist and longtime NPR contributor, dies at 75

The author and critic died Friday of injuries sustained in a car accident. For years, he was the voice of NPR's literature commentary -- and, for many, the 'guide to a very exciting world.'
by Colin Dwyer

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Long-lost F. Scott Fitzgerald story finally published

Long-lost F. Scott Fitzgerald story finally published

F. Scott Fitzgerald wrote the short story, "Temperature," shortly before his death. It was presumed lost, but was recently uncovered in the archives at Princeton University.
by The Associated Press

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'End of the Tour': An unauthorized 'anti-biopic' of David Foster Wallace

'End of the Tour': An unauthorized 'anti-biopic' of David Foster Wallace

Instead of telling the author's life story, the film (which the Wallace estate does not approve of) focuses on five days in 1996 during the publicity tour for 'Infinite Jest.'
by Joel Rose

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Dark reads: 16 Minnesota murder mysteries

Dark reads: 16 Minnesota murder mysteries

What is it about the land of 10,000 lakes that inspires so many dark and chilling tales?
by Tracy Mumford

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The power of art to heal grief

The power of art to heal grief

When Joseph Luzzi lost his wife, he had to plot a path out of grief. He used Dante's "Divine Comedy" as a road map.
by MPR News Staff

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Ernest Hemingway, lion hunter

Ernest Hemingway, lion hunter

In the wake of Cecil the lion's death, Ernest Hemingway's stories about hunting in Africa gain new relevance.
by Tracy Mumford

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'Let's Be Less Stupid': Is it possible to train your brain to be smarter?

'Let's Be Less Stupid': Is it possible to train your brain to be smarter?

"What's the word for that thing that goes in the thing?" Patricia Marx found herself asking. Forgetting basic words made her wonder: Is it possible to make yourself smarter?
by Tracy Mumford

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Book briefs: Spend the night in a bookstore

Book briefs: Spend the night in a bookstore

A new hotel in Japan lets bookworms curl up for a night in the stacks.
by Tracy Mumford

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