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.

'The Fifth Risk' paints a portrait of a government led by the uninterested

'The Fifth Risk' paints a portrait of a government led by the uninterested

Michael Lewis' fascinating new book argues that Donald Trump was utterly unprepared to lead the some 2 million federal employees -- and that his appointees are often hostile to the agencies they lead.

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!
'Good and Mad' explores women's anger at a pivotal moment

'Good and Mad' explores women's anger at a pivotal moment

It hardly needs saying that women's anger (more from one political party) has been roiling since the 2016 election. Rebecca Traister's new book explores the history and politics involved.
by Danielle Kurtzleben

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 quintessential Southern novel for teens

The quintessential Southern novel for teens

Jen Doll's new novel follows a group of misfit kids working at Alabama's legendary Unclaimed Baggage store, a place where all kinds of lost things (and people, and one purple leopard suitcase) end up.
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!
'Night Moves' captures fleeting moments in Chicago -- and life

'Night Moves' captures fleeting moments in Chicago -- and life

Jessica Hopper's memoir oscillates between charting a story of gentrification, a young woman's love affair with Chicago, and the types of friendships that represent the texture of a city.
by Mariya Karimjee

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!
Putting on Kathy Acker's voice in perfect, agonizing 'Crudo'

Putting on Kathy Acker's voice in perfect, agonizing 'Crudo'

Olivia Laing's first novel is semi-autobiographical, but written in the voice of the late literary provocateur Kathy Acker. There's no reason for the choice -- but the result is breathlessly gripping.
by Lily Meyer

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!
South African's memoir details a life of not belonging

South African's memoir details a life of not belonging

In "Always Another Country," Sisonke Msimang retraces the steps that led her to St. Paul and beyond.
by Euan Kerr

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!
Stonich's new novel revisits her North Country Minnesota roots

Stonich's new novel revisits her North Country Minnesota roots

"Laurentian Divide" explores the everyday events and extraordinary turns of life in the northern woods.
by Euan Kerr

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 'Waiting for Eden,' grief with no guarantee of closure

In 'Waiting for Eden,' grief with no guarantee of closure

Author Elliot Ackerman is a veteran, and his latest novel is about an injured soldier just regaining consciousness. But it's really about something else. "This book really isn't about war," he says.
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!
Searching for Trump's America, via Greyhound bus

Searching for Trump's America, via Greyhound bus

In Gary Shteyngart's "Lake Success," hedge fund managers are unhappy and white supremacists have found their voice.
by Euan Kerr

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!
How a rising star of white nationalism broke free from the movement

How a rising star of white nationalism broke free from the movement

Derek Black once promoted a racist agenda by making speeches, hosting a radio show and starting a website. His change of heart is the subject of a new book, written by journalist Eli Saslow.
by Terry Gross

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!