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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: Dr. Abraham Verghese on his novel, 'Cutting for Stone'

From the archives: Dr. Abraham Verghese on his novel, 'Cutting for Stone'

This Friday’s Big Books and Bold Ideas is a conversation with novelist Marie Myung Ok-Lee. Her new novel, “The Evening Hero,” is about changes in rural medicine, as told through the eyes of a physician who practices at a northern Minnesota hospital. To whet your appetite, we are bringing back one of host Kerri Miller’s all-time favorite Talking Volume conversations, with Dr. Abraham Verghese, practicing doctor and author of one of the great modern classics, “Cutting for Stone.”
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Ask a Bookseller: Groundhog’s Day meets freshman year of college

Ask a Bookseller: Groundhog’s Day meets freshman year of college

Barrett Bloom is a freshman in college having a terrible day. She shows up at her Physics 101 class only to be put on the spot in front of everyone for no reason by her unbearably annoying classmate, Miles. She’s never even seen him before! Or has she?
by Emily Bright

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Writer Meghan O'Rourke discusses the invisibility of chronic illness

Writer Meghan O'Rourke discusses the invisibility of chronic illness

Trying to pinpoint the source of a chronic illness is a murky road for patients, especially when their symptoms morph and move around the body. Writer Meghan O’Rourke found herself hitting dead ends when trying to get a diagnosis for her disease. She joins MPR News host Kerri Miller in this edition of Big Books and Bold Ideas to talk about how we might better see those who suffer from a chronic illness.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Many know how George Floyd died. A new biography reveals how he lived

Many know how George Floyd died. A new biography reveals how he lived

NPR's Adrian Florido talks with Robert Samuels and Toluse Olorunnipa about their new book, “His Name is George Floyd: One Man's Life and the Struggle for Racial Justice.”
by Adrian Florido, Jonaki Mehta and Patrick Jarenwattananon

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From the archives: Dr. Danielle Ofri on how to communicate with your health care provider

From the archives: Dr. Danielle Ofri on how to communicate with your health care provider

Medical technology has advanced exponentially. So why are patient-physician relationships stuck in the past? That’s the heart of the question in Dr. Danielle Ofri’s book, “What Patients Say, What Doctors Hear.” Enjoy this archive offering from 2017 as you get ready for Friday’s conversation between Kerri Miller and author Megan O’Rourke about the difficulty of getting doctors to take chronic illnesses seriously.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Yes, you can get your kids to read this summer!

Yes, you can get your kids to read this summer!

Summer is the perfect time to entice kids to find a good book. Kitty Felde, host and executive producer of the podcast “Book Club for Kids,” joins Kerri Miller to talk about how to get reluctant readers to pick up a book this summer. Plus, she has loads of book suggestions, for everything from graphic novels to books about history and scary stories.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Author Kelly Barnhill on her new kids book, 'The Ogress and the Orphans'

Author Kelly Barnhill on her new kids book, 'The Ogress and the Orphans'

Fairy tales aren’t just for kids. They ask questions, reveal new paths, and help us find our way. Such is the case with Minneapolis author Kelly Barnhill’s new book for kids, “The Ogress and the Orphans.”
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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From the archives: Author Drew Brockington sends kids and cats to space with 'CatStronauts'

From the archives: Author Drew Brockington sends kids and cats to space with 'CatStronauts'

It’s kids' lit week on Big Books and Bold Ideas. On Friday at 11 a.m., Kerri Miller will talk to Minnesota author Kelly Barnhill about her new novel for young readers. She’ll also get top picks for summer reading from Kitty Felde, host of the podcast Book Club for Kids. So we thought it would be fun to reprise a delightful 2019 conversation with author, illustrator and space nerd, Drew Brockington, creator of the hit series, “CatStronauts,” as our archive this week.
by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

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Ask a Bookseller: 'Vigil Harbor'

Ask a Bookseller: 'Vigil Harbor'

Alden Graves of Northshire Bookstore in Manchester Center, Vt., recommends "Vigil Harbor," a new novel by National Book Award winner Julia Glass.
by Emily Bright

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