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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 back for its 25th season. Join us at the Fitzgerald Theater for four special events with renowned authors, celebrating our anniversary with a special $25 ticket price for MPR members and Star Tribune subscribers. Buy tickets here.

In new book, retired Pope Benedict breaks silence to speak out on priestly celibacy

In new book, retired Pope Benedict breaks silence to speak out on priestly celibacy

The surprise move is seen as a rebuke to Pope Francis, who is weighing whether to allow older, married men to be ordained in some South American countries, where a shortage of priests is acute.
by Scott Neuman

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In an election year, reflecting on a political power couple from the 1800s

In an election year, reflecting on a political power couple from the 1800s

NPR's Steve Inskeep, discussing his book “Imperfect Union: How Jesse and John Fremont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity and Helped Cause the Civil War,” touches on parallels to U.S. politics in 2020.
by Michel Martin

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Brash, bizarre 'Oligarchy' is an unflinching look at troubled young women

Brash, bizarre 'Oligarchy' is an unflinching look at troubled young women

Scarlett Thomas' novel, set among wealthy girls at a British boarding school, is an audacious examination of disordered eating and social competition that turns dark when one of the girls drowns.
by Michael Schaub

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A hilarious and razor-sharp debut

A hilarious and razor-sharp debut

“It’s a book that’s a combination of funny and smart,” said bookseller Danny Caine. “And that’s my favorite thing, when something can be hilarious with a lot to say.”
by Tracy Mumford

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St. Paul libraries want to foster a communitywide conversation about climate change

St. Paul libraries want to foster a communitywide conversation about climate change

St. Paul Public Libraries has curated a selection of books climate change for all ages and tastes. Library Director Catherine Penkert recommended some of her picks on Climate Cast.
by Paul Huttner and Megan Burks

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New collection celebrates Jean Stafford, a gifted novelist who deserved better

New collection celebrates Jean Stafford, a gifted novelist who deserved better

Stafford is often remembered as wife No. 1 in the many biographies and studies of poet Robert Lowell. But a new Library of America edition of her three novels showcases her masterful writing.
by Maureen Corrigan

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