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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. 

'We, Too, Are Book Artists'

'We, Too, Are Book Artists'

In what's believed to be the first ever show of its kind, "We, Too, Are Book Artists" gathers the work of African American book artists from around the nation in Minneapolis.
by Marianne Combs

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Physician, write thyself

Physician, write thyself

Dr. Vincent Lam has seen a lot during his career as an emergency room physician in Toronto, from mundane scrapes and broken limbs, to the mysterious horrors of the SARS epidemic, which hit the city a few years back. He's written about his experiences in a new collection of short stories.
by Euan Kerr

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What did you read this summer?

What did you read this summer?

As summer ends, many teenagers are furiously trying to finish assigned summer reading. But some are just as likely to be reading Harry Potter as "The Scarlet Letter." Midmorning looks at the changing nature of the high school summer reading list.

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Butter-head sculptures inspire State Fairgoers

The butter-head sculptures remain one of the Fair's most visited features, attracting new-comers and old-timers alike. Minneapolis writer Leslie Ball made it there today and wrote this poem.

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The Midmorning book club: Pride and Prejudice

The Midmorning book club: Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen is as close to a literary rock star as any author who lived in the 18th century. She inspires two new movies this summer. The Midmorning book club examines "Pride and Prejudice" with an author who has researched the era, down to the its card games.

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North Shore writer and artist conjure an "Agate"

North Shore writer and artist conjure an "Agate"

A new children's book by two northern Minnesota writers combines vibrant watercolors with a gentle message of positive self-esteem.
by Stephanie Hemphill

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Poet Louis Jenkins writes about life 'North of the Cities'

Poet Louis Jenkins writes about life 'North of the Cities'

Duluth poet Louis Jenkins writes prose poems -- short paragraphs that turn everyday life into sparkling bits of homespun philosophy and sardonic humor. His new collection is "North of the Cities."
by Stephanie Hemphill

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Jonis Agee imagines criminal life on the Mississippi

Jonis Agee imagines criminal life on the Mississippi

Author Jonis Agee's new novel, "The River Wife," actually tells the story of several wives, five generations of women who live on a piece of land on the Mississippi River in southern Missouri.
by Euan Kerr

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Illustrator says goodbye to Harry Potter series

Illustrator says goodbye to Harry Potter series

Mary GrandPre grew up in Bloomington and was living in St. Paul when she began illustrating the U.S. version of Harry Potter books. As such, she's had advanced knowledge about the books, including how the series finally ends.

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Teen fiction can be fun!

Teen fiction can be fun!

Midday examines the hype around the latest Harry Potter book, and discovers other young adult books that can hook kids into reading.

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