The Thread® - Books and Literary News

The Thread from MPR 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.

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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. 

Tickets are now available for our 26th season. Join award-winning journalist and MPR News host Kerri Miller (and special guest host Catharine Richart) as they talk with authors including Stacey Abrams, Patricia Lockwood, Misty Copeland, John Grisham, and Kate Baer. 

An almost-too-real portrait of modern Russia
"It's very harsh and it's full of violence and incongruities, but it's also truly fully of the Russian spirit," says bookseller Kate Jacobs, about the novel "A Terrible Country."
'The Real Lolita' investigates the true crime story of Sally Horner
Written in light of Nabokov's famous novel, the book stands out for its captivating mix of tenacious reporting, astute literary analysis and passionate posthumous recognition of a defenseless child.
'The Dinosaur Artist' dusts off the debate over who should own fossils
Author Paige Williams brings the discussion to life by recounting the exploits of commercial fossil hunter Eric Prokopi, highlighting one find -- a 24-ft.-long Tarbosaurus fossil, the book's star.
Novelist who penned 'How To Murder Your Husband' essay charged with husband's murder
Chef Daniel Brophy was shot dead in June at the culinary institute where he was an instructor. In 2011, his wife wrote a blog post imagining different methods and motives for killing one's spouse.