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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.

From the archives: John Tierney on the science behind willpower

From the archives: John Tierney on the science behind willpower

If you like books that delve into fascinating science research, you’re in for a treat this week. Friday, on Big Books and Bold Ideas, host Kerri Miller talks with cognitive behaviorist and former professional poker player Annie Duke about the science of quitting. We’re teeing it up with another book that looks at why we do what we do: “Willpower,” the 2011 powerhouse work by psychiatrist Roy F. Baumeister and science journalist John Tierney.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Why Minnesotan kids lag in their reading level and what can be done to help

Why Minnesotan kids lag in their reading level and what can be done to help

One in three Minnesota fourth graders can’t read at a basic level. Is there a better way to teach reading? MPR News host Angela Davis talked with APM reporter and producer Emily Hanford about the new podcast “Sold a Story: How Teaching Kids to Read Went So Wrong.”
by Angela Davis, Maja Beckstrom and Nicole Johnson

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What are the most-checked-out books at Minnesota libraries? See the list

What are the most-checked-out books at Minnesota libraries? See the list

MPR News asked libraries across the state what their most popular adult and children’s books were, and the answers may surprise you. While some Minnesotans are focused on the practical, checking out driver’s manuals or dog training guides, Duluthians are reading about themselves.
by Sam Stroozas

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David Treuer on the republishing of his first novel, 'Little'

David Treuer on the republishing of his first novel, 'Little'

David Treuer’s first novel, “Little,” was republished by Graywolf Press in November. What does Treuer think of his inaugural work now, almost 30 years after it was first released? And how has he grown as both a writer and a person? That’s the conversation on this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas with host Kerri Miller.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Ask a Bookseller: Hide

Ask a Bookseller: Hide

Sam Halter-Rainey at the Book Loft at German Village in Columbus, Ohio, knew right away what his book recommendation of the year was: the novel “Hide” by Kiersten White.
by Emily Bright

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From the archives: David Treuer on 'The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee'

From the archives: David Treuer on 'The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee'

David Treuer’s first novel, “Little,” is being republished this month by Graywolf Press. MPR News host Kerri Miller will talk to him about that on Friday’s Big Books and Bold Ideas. In the meantime, enjoy this 2019 conversation between the two about Treuer’s award-winning book, “The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee.”
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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It's no trick; Merriam-Webster says 'gaslighting' is the word of the year

It's no trick; Merriam-Webster says 'gaslighting' is the word of the year

Online searches for the word "gaslighting" on merriam-webster.com increased 1,740 percent in 2022 over the year before, leading the reference publishing company to name it the word of the year.
by The Associated Press

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