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.

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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.

January 26, 2006 2:00 AM

The return of Ellen Foster

It's been 20 years since author Kaye Gibbons burst onto the literary scene with her novel about a resilient, determined little girl named Ellen Foster. We hear about the next chapter in Ellen Foster's life in Gibbons' new novel, "The Life All Around Me by Ellen Foster," which is the latest Talking Volumes selection.

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January 25, 2006 5:00 PM

The life and times of the 'evil monk'

Minneapolis author Robert Alexander continues to fascinate readers with stories of intrigue from Russian history. Alexander is out with a new book, "Rasputin's Daughter," which looks at the life of the man some call the evil monk through his daughter's eyes. It follows his 2003 bestseller, "The Kitchen Boy," set during the Bolshevik Revolution.

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January 20, 2006 11:20 AM

Memoir: truth, fiction or both?

James Frey is accused of mixing fact with fiction in his memoir "A Million Little Pieces," but how sacred should the truth be for memoir writers?

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January 16, 2006 6:00 PM

Author Po Bronson says families are alive and well

At a time when "family values" is a pop culture catch-phrase, a new book explores what "family" is all about. Po Bronson is the author of the new book, "Why Do I Love These People?" featuring stories of 20 real families. Bronson spoke to MPR's Steven John.

by Steven John

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January 16, 2006 2:00 PM

Nicole Kelby is having a "whale" of a time

Author Nicole Kelby says she wanted to figure out why she was so peculiar. During the 20 years she lived in Minnesota she worked with Dudley Riggs, Heart of the Beast Puppet Theater, Kevin Kling, and Channel 9 News. Then a few years ago, she moved back to her native Florida, in part to explore her own personality quirks. The result is her new novel, "Whale Season."

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January 3, 2006 1:20 PM

We've all heard of the Founding Fathers...

National Public Radio's Cokie Roberts is interested in some of the lesser-told stories of the American Revolution: the stories of the women who helped fight for independence. Roberts spoke about her book, "Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation," last year at the Aspen Ideas Festival.

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December 30, 2005 11:20 AM

Dissecting the tragedy of "Hamlet"

The second installment of Midmorning's book club looks at perhaps the most famous of William Shakespeare's plays, "Hamlet".

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December 26, 2005 1:20 PM

Chanukah Lights 2005

Monday is the first full day of Chanukah, and that means it's time for a public radio tradition: "Chanukah Lights," a collection of short stories about the Jewish winter holiday in everyday life.

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December 26, 2005 11:20 AM

Senator crafts fiction from real life

Idealism, backbiting and corruption in the halls of Congress. Barbara Boxer has infused her work of fiction with real-life details.

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December 23, 2005 11:20 AM

Book Lust

Books crop up on many wish lists. Nancy Pearl has ideas of some older titles to add to the new finds.

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