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 spirit tells the story in 'Orchestra of Minorities'
Chigozie Obioma's latest novel is a love story, a story of exile, a mix of classical tragedy and Igbo folklore, narrated by a chi -- a guardian spirit that refers to Obioma's protagonist as its host.
Amos Oz dies at 79; hailed as 'glory' of Israel's writers
The novelist and peace advocate died Friday. He once called the language in which he wrote, modern Hebrew, his "musical instrument" and compared it to "an erupting lava, an earthquake in action."
At the end of the year, N.K. Jemisin ponders the end of the world
N.K. Jemisin is the only author to win three Hugo Awards in a row -- for her Broken Earth trilogy, which begins with an apocalypse. She says she likes to explore what apocalypses mean for different people.
Tell-alls, dramatic warnings and the Obamas lead political books of 2018
This year brought memoirs from several former Trump administration officials, investigations by journalists reporting on Trump's White House -- and a look back from former first lady Michelle Obama.
Book 'without borders' by 80+ artists lets kids color outside the lines
Children are invited to use their imaginations to fill in the blanks in "Coloring Without Borders." The bilingual book was created to help immigrant families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border.
In 'Never Too Late,' finally, a guide for adults going to college
There are hundreds of books about picking the best college. But let's face it: Most of them are written for high schoolers. A new book offers a roadmap for older students.
The poet of Minnesota, Vietnam and mythical men
Robert Bly is probably best known for his controversial nonfiction book 'Iron John.' But as a poet, he's conjured deeply resonant imagery of nature and war for 60 years, as his 'Collected Poems' reveal.