Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

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.

'A different way of understanding the story'

'A different way of understanding the story'

Bookseller Jhoanna Belfer recommends a graphic memoir by Mira Jacob, about the realities of growing up in the U.S. as a person of color.

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!
Centuries of debutantes dish about being put on display in 'The Season'

Centuries of debutantes dish about being put on display in 'The Season'

Kristen Richardson traces the history of the practice, with firsthand accounts from diaries and letters, finding political strife, social upheaval and machinations to keep out so-called undesirables.
by Genevieve Valentine

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!
In 'The Second Sleep,' the world may end, but life goes on

In 'The Second Sleep,' the world may end, but life goes on

Robert Harris' genre-bending new book at first appears to take place in a medieval setting — and then you realize the young priest at its center is holding a cracked, defunct, centuries-old iPhone.
by Ilana Masad

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!
In new book, journalist alleges Russian links to mysterious deaths abroad

In new book, journalist alleges Russian links to mysterious deaths abroad

BuzzFeed News editor Heidi Blake says Russian agents in Britain killed exiled Russian oligarchs, security officials and others critical of the Kremlin. Her new book is From Russia with Blood.
by Dave Davies

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!
'Crying Laughing' will have you doing both

'Crying Laughing' will have you doing both

Lance Rubin's new novel follows an aspiring young comedian as she navigates the rough waters of romance, improv and her father's failing health, with plenty of laughs to light the darker moments.
by Alethea Kontis

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!
'Mary Toft; or, the Rabbit Queen' asks big questions about small animals

'Mary Toft; or, the Rabbit Queen' asks big questions about small animals

Dexter Palmer's new novel is based on the strange true story of a woman who confounded the medical and scientific establishments of 18th century England by claiming she'd given birth to rabbits.
by Jason Heller

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!
National Book Awards handed to Susan Choi, Arthur Sze and more

National Book Awards handed to Susan Choi, Arthur Sze and more

The novelist and poet joined Sarah M. Broom, László Krasznahorkai, Ottilie Mulzet, and Martin W. Sandler as winners Wednesday night — receiving $10,000 and a medallion for their front covers.
by Colin Dwyer

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!
'They Will Drown' isn't a whodunit, it's a who-is-it?

'They Will Drown' isn't a whodunit, it's a who-is-it?

Johannes Anyuru's unusual speculative mystery They Will Drown in Their Mothers' Tears follows two seemingly ordinary (at first) Swedish citizens dealing with the aftermath of a shooting.
by Bethanne Patrick

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!
In 'Christmas in Austin,' family struggles are a gift to readers

In 'Christmas in Austin,' family struggles are a gift to readers

In Benjamin Markovits' new novel, a far-flung family reunites in their home town of Austin for Christmas, bringing all their baggage. And while it's an emotional book, it never descends into pathos.
by Michael Schaub

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!