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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.

The 39 best books MPR News staff read this year

The 39 best books MPR News staff read this year

From Minnesota authors to BookTok recommendations, our staff has a ranging taste for their favorite read of the year. Here are the best books that members of the MPR News newsroom read in 2023.
by Sam Stroozas

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Can a 5,000-mile journey help a mother and son survive their differences?

Can a 5,000-mile journey help a mother and son survive their differences?

Jedidiah Jenkins and his mom diverge wildly on their ideological views. She is a Trump-supporting conservative evangelical from Tennessee. He is a gay, progressive man who lives in California. But they love each other. Can they find common ground on a cross-country road trip? That’s the story of his new memoir, “Mother, Nature.”
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Ask a Bookseller: 'The Twelve Hours of Christmas'

Ask a Bookseller: 'The Twelve Hours of Christmas'

Looking for a new read-aloud Christmas book? Amber Collins of Soul Book Nook in Waterloo, Iowa recommends “The Twelve Hours of Christmas,” written by Jenn Bailey, illustrated by Bea Jackson.
by Emily Bright

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Poet Major Jackson on writing poetry that connects

Poet Major Jackson on writing poetry that connects

At an event for MPR members earlier this fall, poet Major Jackson, host of APM’s daily poetry podcast The Slowdown, told host Kerri Miller that writing poetry is a physical, sometimes even violent, experience. Listen to their whole conversation.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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James Patterson awards $500 bonuses to 600 employees at independent bookstores

James Patterson awards $500 bonuses to 600 employees at independent bookstores

Hundreds of employees at independent bookstores, from Chapter One in Victoria, Minn., to The Cloak & Dagger in Princeton, N.J., will be receiving $500 holiday bonuses from author James Patterson.
by The Associated Press

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In Booker-winning 'Prophet Song,' the world ends slowly and then all at once

In Booker-winning 'Prophet Song,' the world ends slowly and then all at once

The relentless bleakness of Paul Lynch's novel make it almost unbearable to read at times — yet its plausibility, and echoes of real events happening long after, keeps the reader from looking away.
by Kristen Martin

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