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.

May 5, 2015 10:06 AM

Literary mysteries: Who is the real Mr. Darcy?

A historian claims to have found the tall, dark and brooding inspiration behind the love interest of "Pride and Prejudice."

by Tracy Mumford

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May 5, 2015 9:22 AM

Writer Jon Ronson on how shame rules the Internet

Jon Ronson's new book, "So You've Been Publicly Shamed," explores public shaming on the Internet.

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May 5, 2015 12:00 AM

Who would you invite to your literary dinner party?

Name the three authors, dead or alive, who you would invite to your literary dinner party.

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May 4, 2015 6:22 AM

A town divided over the next chapter of an iconic Harper Lee book

There's plenty of speculation about whether the octogenarian author really intended to release the manuscript, discovered by her lawyer last year.

by Debbie Elliott

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May 1, 2015 11:07 AM

The rebound of the indie bookstore

Listen to local booksellers and book lovers discuss the importance of local shops ahead of Independent Bookstore Day on May 2.

by Tracy Mumford

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May 1, 2015 4:00 AM

Indie Bookstore Day: Where to go, what to read

In honor of Independent Bookstore Day on May 2, explore more than 25 Minnesota bookstores -- and their current reading recommendations.

by Tracy Mumford

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April 30, 2015 4:43 PM

The plan to give e-books to low-income kids

President Obama has announced a massive effort with major publishers to make thousands of e-book titles free for low-income kids.

by Cory Turner

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April 30, 2015 12:43 PM

'The World Beyond Your Head:' Trying to concentrate in a digital age

Matthew Crawford's book, "The World Beyond Your Head," discusses the power of concentration in a digital world -- how we've lost it and how we can get it back.

by Tracy Mumford

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April 30, 2015 4:00 AM

Pippi power fuels young Minneapolis authors

If you're not familiar with Pippi Longstocking, Sweden's most adventurous 9-year-old, the second-graders at Bancroft Elementary are happy to fill you in.

by Nikki Tundel