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The Thread® - Books and Literary News

The Thread from MPR 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. 

Tickets are now available for our 26th season. Join award-winning journalist and MPR News host Kerri Miller (and special guest host Catharine Richart) as they talk with authors including Stacey Abrams, Patricia Lockwood, Misty Copeland, John Grisham, and Kate Baer. 

A tale of spirit and survival

While researching her best selling book "Seabiscuit," Laura Hillenbrand stumbled across an article on Louis Zamperini, an Olympic athlete who endured incredible hardships during World War II. She reached out to him and forged a connection that she chronicles in her latest book. Originally broadcast on Nov. 29, 2010.

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John and Abigail Adams in letters

John and Abigail Adams in letters

John Adams has had his share of publicity in the past few years. Historian Joseph Ellis's new book takes a look at the enduring relationship between Adams and his wife, Abigail, as revealed through their letters to one another. Originally broadcast on January 3, 2011.

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The queen of the Nile: a new perspective

The queen of the Nile: a new perspective

She was called Queen of Kings, and in her lifetime Cleopatra was romantically linked with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Biographer Stacy Schiff considered her a shrewd political strategist and powerful ruler. Originally broadcast on January 5, 2011.

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Teen fiction author Pete Hautman

Teen fiction author Pete Hautman

Pete Hautman has won a National Book Award for his young adult novels, and while he loves the genre, he says there are reasons not to write young adult fiction. He explains why, and talks about his newest novel, with Kerri Miller.

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Novelist Paul Auster writes about home

Novelist Paul Auster writes about home

Paul Auster's new novel about abandoned homes and broken families speaks to Americans' experience with the recession. He revisits themes of existential crisis and the search for identity.

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Author captures regional differences in whiteness

Author captures regional differences in whiteness

Satirical writer Christian Lander thought he was on to a good, but probably short-lived, thing with his blog and a book called "Stuff White People Like." After spotting more examples on his book tour, he now has a regional guide to the white people of North America, called "Whiter Shades of Pale." He says most people get the joke.
by Euan Kerr

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Newsmaker: Censoring Huck Finn?

Newsmaker: Censoring Huck Finn?

A Mark Twain scholar is planning to release a new edition of the classic "Huckleberry Finn," with the "N" word being replaced by the word "slave." He says it's not an attempt to render the book colorblind, but many commentators are up in arms.

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The queen of the Nile: a new perspective

The queen of the Nile: a new perspective

She was called Queen of Kings, and in her lifetime Cleopatra was romantically linked with both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Biographer Stacy Schiff considers her a shrewd political strategist and powerful ruler.

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Should an editor change a classic novel to keep from offending modern readers?

A Mark Twain scholar plans to release a new edition of “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” without the N word. Today’s Question: Should an editor change a classic novel to keep from offending modern readers?
by Eric Ringham

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An intimate look at a founding family

An intimate look at a founding family

John Adams has had his share of publicity in the past few years. Historian Joseph Ellis's new book takes a look at the enduring relationship between Adams and his wife, Abigail, as revealed through their letters to one another.

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