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.

Living an everyday life amid the disrupters in 'Uncanny Valley'
Anna Wiener's new memoir chronicles the time she spent working in Silicon Valley tech startups. She says industry narratives tend to be about genius and innovation — not ordinary employees.
In an election year, reflecting on a political power couple from the 1800s
NPR's Steve Inskeep, discussing his book “Imperfect Union: How Jesse and John Fremont Mapped the West, Invented Celebrity and Helped Cause the Civil War,” touches on parallels to U.S. politics in 2020.
Art attack! The 'Plain Janes' deliver a shot of creative optimism
Cecil Castellucci and Jim Rugg's beloved young adult comic returns with a collection of old and new stories — and this time, our art-loving heroines are a little more grown up.
Brash, bizarre 'Oligarchy' is an unflinching look at troubled young women
Scarlett Thomas' novel, set among wealthy girls at a British boarding school, is an audacious examination of disordered eating and social competition that turns dark when one of the girls drowns.
A hilarious and razor-sharp debut
“It’s a book that’s a combination of funny and smart,” said bookseller Danny Caine. “And that’s my favorite thing, when something can be hilarious with a lot to say.”
Author Peggy Orenstein on ‘Boys & Sex’
Are you dreading having “the talk” with your son? Author Peggy Orenstein did some of the legwork for you. She shares what she found in her new book.
St. Paul libraries want to foster a communitywide conversation about climate change
St. Paul Public Libraries has curated a selection of books climate change for all ages and tastes. Library Director Catherine Penkert recommended some of her picks on Climate Cast.