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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 poet Bao Phi, on creating a 'guidebook' for young Asian-Americans

The poet Bao Phi, on creating a 'guidebook' for young Asian-Americans

When Bao Phi was a child, there was little literature about Vietnamese refugees in the U.S. Phi hopes to change that with his new poetry book 'Thousand Star Hotel' and a forthcoming children's book.
by Kat Chow

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London literally stank in the summer of 1858 -- just ask Dickens and Darwin

London literally stank in the summer of 1858 -- just ask Dickens and Darwin

In 'One Hot Summer,' historian Rosemary Ashton follows Charles Dickens, Charles Darwin and Benjamin Disraeli through an unpleasant couple of months -- as the River Thames flowed with hot, smelly sewage.
by Robert Siegel

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'American Fires' tells a true story of love and arson in rural Virginia

'American Fires' tells a true story of love and arson in rural Virginia

In 2012 and 2013, Accomack County, Va., was plagued by arson. The culprits, it turned out, were a local man and his girlfriend. In a new book, journalist Monica Hesse tells their story.
by Michel Martin

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Dive into the twisted world of 18th century New York City

Dive into the twisted world of 18th century New York City

'Golden Hill' unfolds in 1746, mixing perfect plotting with fascinating history. 'When I finished it, I just wanted to turn it over and start again,' said bookseller Betsy Burton. 'It's the best read of the summer.'
by Tracy Mumford

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If Thoreau were alive, he'd be 'shouting from the rafters,' biographer says

If Thoreau were alive, he'd be 'shouting from the rafters,' biographer says

Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, was born 200 years ago in 1817. Biographer Kevin Dann says the philosopher's ideas about individual sovereignty remain relevant today.
by Tom Vitale

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