Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now
Sign up
*Password must be at least 8 characters and contain one uppercase letter, one lowercase letter, one number and one symbol.
Already have an account?
By submitting, you consent that you are at least 18 years of age and to receive information about MPR's or APMG entities' programs and offerings. The personally identifying information you provide will not be sold, shared, or used for purposes other than to communicate with you about MPR, APMG entities, and its sponsors. You may opt-out at any time clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of any email communication. View our Privacy Policy.
Sign in to your profile
Forgot Password?
New to MPR News?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Reset Password

Enter the username on file and we'll send you a code to reset your password.

Still require assistance or not sure what your User Name is?
Welcome back
to news
for you
Email Verification

A verification code has been emailed to

Still awaiting the code?

The Thread® - Books and Literary News

The Thread® is your source for book recommendations and other literary news.

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. Sam Stroozas rounds up local events and Minnesota book news you may have missed.

Ask a Bookseller

Ask a Bookseller is a weekly series where host Emily Bright 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 and produced by Kelly Gordon every Friday at 11 a.m., featuring conversations about books and other literary ideas. Listen to Big Books and Bold Ideas here.

Talking Volumes

Talking Volumes is an annual event series featuring notable authors in conversation about their new books. Presented by MPR News and The Minnesota Star Tribune.

Love and hope are at the heart of 'The Prophets'

Love and hope are at the heart of 'The Prophets'

Robert Jones Jr.'s debut novel is a love story between two enslaved men on a Mississippi plantation. He says that it was very important for him to depict love and art in the midst of sorrow.
by Scott Simon

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Publisher cancels book by Sen. Hawley, citing his role in inciting Capitol attack

Publisher cancels book by Sen. Hawley, citing his role in inciting Capitol attack

Simon & Schuster says it has decided not to publish a forthcoming book by Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, citing the lawmaker's role in fomenting this week's "disturbing [and] deadly insurrection" at the U.S. Capitol.
by Scott Neuman

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'Persephone Station' aims for the stars — and almost makes it

'Persephone Station' aims for the stars — and almost makes it

Stina Leicht's new sci-fi novel has a lot of moving parts: Space opera, rough-and-tumble mercenaries, corporate intrigue, alien first contact — and to her credit, she almost pulls it all off.
by Jason Sheehan

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'The Liar's Dictionary' is a delight from A to Z

'The Liar's Dictionary' is a delight from A to Z

Eley Williamsdid her doctoral dissertation on "mountweazels," fake words inserted into dictionaries as copyright traps — and she builds on that in her charming debut novel, about an epic dictionary.
by Heller McAlpin

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
'Outlawed' frontiers of gender and sexuality beckon in this sly western

'Outlawed' frontiers of gender and sexuality beckon in this sly western

Critic Maureen Corrigan has been describing Anna North's new novel to friends as "‘The Handmaid's Tale’ meets ‘Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.’" It's a glib tagline, but not without justification.
by Maureen Corrigan

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Gatsby's great narrator 'Nick' finally gets his own backstory

Gatsby's great narrator 'Nick' finally gets his own backstory

Michael Farris Smith followed F. Scott Fitzgerald's "breadcrumbs" to write “Nick,” a prequel to “The Great Gatsby.” Revising the book, Smith was struck by the parallels between the 1920s and the 2020s.
by Steve Inskeep

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
To 'Keep Sharp' this year, keep learning, advises neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta

To 'Keep Sharp' this year, keep learning, advises neurosurgeon Sanjay Gupta

CNN's chief medical correspondent says it's never too late to develop new brain pathways. Even small changes, like switching up the hand you use to hold your fork, can help optimize brain health.
by Terry Gross

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Struggling to discuss tough topics with a kid? Here are books that might help

Struggling to discuss tough topics with a kid? Here are books that might help

If you feel daunted by the responsibility of shepherding a child through difficult times, don't feel alone: "I'm afraid of those moments as a parent, too," says picture book author Matt de la Peña.
by Audie Cornish

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!
Ask a Bookseller: 'Gods of the Upper Air'

Ask a Bookseller: 'Gods of the Upper Air'

The book explores the work of Franz Boaz, founder of cultural anthropology, and a circle of women scientists whose work 100 years ago helped inform our notions of identity today.
by Emily Bright

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

Show me!