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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.

When writing about a gay detective felt 'like I was writing science fiction'

When writing about a gay detective felt 'like I was writing science fiction'

Ellen Hart published her first mystery novel in 1989, featuring a gay detective, Jane Lawless. It was such a stretch for some people that "it felt like I was writing science fiction," Hart said.
by Tracy Mumford

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A poetry preview for 2017

A poetry preview for 2017

2017 is turning out to be a year of big change. Critic Craig Teicher highlights some of the poetry that can help guide readers through it.
by Craig Morgan Teicher

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From Seussian to snollygoster, Merriam-Webster adds over 1,000 new words

From Seussian to snollygoster, Merriam-Webster adds over 1,000 new words

Among the words and phrases added to Merriam-Webster's dictionary are "side-eye," "face-palm" and "Seussian" -- as well as the decidedly Seussian "snollygoster," which has been enjoying a revival.
by Colin Dwyer

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What's the next big dystopian novel? Margaret Atwood has some ideas

What's the next big dystopian novel? Margaret Atwood has some ideas

Atwood's "The Handmaid's Tale" landed on top of Amazon's best-seller lists this week, following other classics like "1984" and "It Can't Happen Here." She has some thoughts on our next great dystopia.
by Petra Mayer

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Happy 150th birthday, Laura Ingalls Wilder

Happy 150th birthday, Laura Ingalls Wilder

On Feb. 7, 1867, Laura Ingalls was born in a cabin outside Pepin, Wis. Her family's journey across the Midwest became the basis for the "Little House on the Prairie" books, which have sold more than 41 million copies.
by Tracy Mumford

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'Pachinko' is a family saga of exile, discrimination ... and Japanese pinball

'Pachinko' is a family saga of exile, discrimination ... and Japanese pinball

Min Jin Lee's sprawling family epic spans decades and two clashing cultures -- Korea and Japan. It's honest, unadorned writing that acknowledges horror but ultimately carries a message of hope.
by Lynn Neary

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Athletes deliver life lessons for kids in 'Middle School Rules'

Sean Jensen wasn't thrilled with the "naughty" characters that turned up in his young son's books, so he decided to tap his sports reporting experience to write books featuring real-life role models.
by MPR News Staff

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