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. 

In Junot Diaz's 'Islandborn,' a curious child re-creates her Dominican roots
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author's new children's book follows Lola, a young Dominican-American who is "haunted by the fact that she was born on an island that she can't remember," Diaz says.
Sherman Alexie postpones memoir's paperback release amid sexual harassment claims
After several women have accused Alexie of sexual harassment, his publisher says it's shelving its plans to release "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" in paperback, at the author's request.
In 'No Turning Back,' the journeys of four Syrians in wartime
Journalist Rania Abouzeid has had a front-row view of the Syrian conflict since its beginning. Her new book tracks people through the six chaotic years following the first peaceful protests.
'Loaded': A look at the complex history of the Second Amendment
The national conversation around gun control is dominating the news. Bookseller Alyson Jones Turner recommends a title that dives into America's unique historical relationship with firearms.