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.

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

'The New Me' is meh about adulthood and ambition

'The New Me' is meh about adulthood and ambition

Halle Butler's new novel explores what it's like to work in a dead-end office job. Her satirical story focuses on a 30-year-old woman named Millie who wanders from temp job to temp job.
by Ailsa Chang

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!
A parable of international development from Dave Eggers

A parable of international development from Dave Eggers

In a slim novel, two mismatched men are sent to a war-torn country to pave a highway in 12 days. 'But ultimately,' the author says, 'it's not really about either one of these guys.'
by Rachel Martin

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!
Building a home of stories in 'The Bird King'

Building a home of stories in 'The Bird King'

G. Willow Wilson's luminous new novel is set during the last days of Muslim Granada, and follows a royal concubine and her mapmaker friend as they flee the Inquisition for a place that may not exist.
by Amal El-Mohtar

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!
Twin Cities poet Ed Bok Lee reads from new collection of work

Twin Cities poet Ed Bok Lee reads from new collection of work

Twin Cities poet Ed Bok Lee will read from his new collection of poetry, "Mitochondrial Night," on Saturday night in Minneapolis.
by Marianne Combs

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!
'Night Witches' sheds some light on daring female flyers

'Night Witches' sheds some light on daring female flyers

Garth Ennis' new graphic novel creates a fictional character to flesh out the stories of the real Night Witches, Soviet female pilots who dropped bombs on the Nazis from rickety old biplanes.
by Etelka Lehoczky

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!
Poet W.S. Merwin dies at 91

Poet W.S. Merwin dies at 91

In the 1980s, the two-time U.S. poet laureate moved to Hawaii and began working to restore the rainforest. According to one contemporary, that's when he 'morphed into a poet of praise.'
by Noah Adams

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 Trial of Lizzie Borden' adds fodder to the murder case's mystery

'The Trial of Lizzie Borden' adds fodder to the murder case's mystery

Who killed the Bordens more than 100 years ago remains unsolved. Like a lawyer, author Cara Robertson lays the facts and evidence before us, occasionally pointing towards the biases of the day.
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!
Just 'Follow this Thread': You're meant to get lost in this book about mazes

Just 'Follow this Thread': You're meant to get lost in this book about mazes

Henry Eliot's book takes twists and turns through history, philosophy, myth and pop culture. He says mazes are just like life -- except that at the end you can turn around and do it all over again.
by Ari Shapiro

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!
Meet the lagoon's forgotten lady and see 'the strangest movie never made'

Meet the lagoon's forgotten lady and see 'the strangest movie never made'

'The Lady from the Black Lagoon' tells the story of Milicent Patrick, who designed the Creature's monster suit. 'Giraffes on Horseback Salad' was a Marx Brothers script scenario written by Salvador Dali.
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!