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.

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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.

In ‘Sleep,’ Honor Jones examines the paradox of parenthood
Can childhood trauma, once suffered, be kept from the next generation? That’s one of the many psychological questions at the a heart of Honor Jones’ debut novel, “Sleep,” one of the must-read books of the summer.
Dealing with traumatic grief after Minnesota’s recent political violence
MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Stacy Remke. She’s a clinical social worker, a teaching specialist at the University of Minnesota, and the author of the book, “The Insider’s Guide to Grief.”
Sexy & Spiteful: The best books to read this summer
Celebrated romance authors Bolu Babalola and Emily Henry return to the show to discuss with Brittany their summer reading recommendations, ranging from spiteful and salacious to sweet and spicy.
Looking for summertime suspense? Turn up the heat with these 4 mystery novels
Maureen Corrigan recommends four great reads: “El Dorado Drive,” by Megan Abbott; “The House on Buzzards Bay,” by Dwyer Murphy; “King of Ashes,” by S.A. Cosby; and “Murder Takes a Vacation,” by Laura Lippman.
Thomas Mallon’s NYC diaries get to the ‘Very Heart’ of the AIDS crisis
Mallon has been keeping diaries for most of his life. “The Very Heart of It” collects entries from the years 1983 to 1994, when he had recently come out as gay and moved to New York City.
5 dark tales hit shelves this week
Sometimes all it takes to make your day a little brighter is to remind yourself just how dark life can get. Here are four dark novels and a true crime tale.