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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. 

Short and sweet: Celebrating D.C.'s cherry blossoms with haiku

Short and sweet: Celebrating D.C.'s cherry blossoms with haiku

The cherry blossoms are finally in bloom in Washington, D.C., and what better way to celebrate these beautiful Japanese gifts than with a haiku?

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'More Than They Bargained For' examines Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10

'More Than They Bargained For' examines Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker's Act 10

A new book covers the developments in Madison when Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker passed Act 10, which curtailed almost all collective bargaining rights for public employees.
by Tom Crann

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Winona teen publishes 1st book -- in German

Winona teen publishes 1st book -- in German

Cadence Klemp, 17, has always enjoyed writing and recently self-published a 14-page children's book called "Schweinlein Geht Einkaufen" ("Piglet Goes Shopping").

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Poetry contest open to Minn. military kids

Children of military families in Minnesota are being invited to enter Sen. Al Franken's second annual poetry contest.

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At 89, volunteer librarian loves doing her part

At 89, volunteer librarian loves doing her part

At age 89, Ruth Boldan is still a volunteer librarian at the underheated, overstuffed 1890s schoolhouse that is now home to the Hazel Dell Library in Leader, Minn.

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From across an ocean, poet pines for Minn. honor

The island dweller who penned a poem decades ago that could find its way into Minnesota law hasn't been shy about promoting "Minnesota Blue."

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Expand your mind through a more diverse reading list

Expand your mind through a more diverse reading list

Americans of all political stripes should expand their reading to include viewpoints they may not agree with, argues Ross Douthat in the New York Times.

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Book pick: 'The Marseille Caper' by Peter Mayle

Book pick: 'The Marseille Caper' by Peter Mayle

Kerri's book pick this week is The Marseille Caper, the second mystery novel by bestselling author Peter Mayle featuring ex-pat American sleuth Sam Levitt.

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MN Book Awards: this year’s finalists are…

The 25th annual Minnesota Book Awards take place on April 13, 2013. Here's who's in the running.
by Marianne Combs

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Korean-American novelist uses Macalester as backdrop for 'The Collective'

Korean-American novelist uses Macalester as backdrop for 'The Collective'

The Korean-American novelist Don Lee's latest book "The Collective" uses Macalester College in St. Paul as a launching point for a tale about the Asian-American experience. Lee said of his four books so far, "The Collective" is his most personal.
by Euan Kerr

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