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. 

A puzzled teen seeks answers and finds crosswords in 'Down and Across'

A puzzled teen seeks answers and finds crosswords in 'Down and Across'

Author Arvin Ahmadi's debut novel follows Scott Ferdowsi, a disenchanted Iranian-American high school student who runs away to Washington, D.C. to find an expert on the psychology of success.

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!
Regency romance crashes into dragon-filled dystopia in 'The Sky is Yours'

Regency romance crashes into dragon-filled dystopia in 'The Sky is Yours'

Chandler Klang Smith's novel, set in a crumbling far-future metropolis menaced by dragons, is a dizzying, delirious crash of wonders and grotesqueries, spiked with crackling dialogue and detail.
by Jason Heller

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!
Gorgeous colors and fraught feelings spill over in 'The Lie'

Gorgeous colors and fraught feelings spill over in 'The Lie'

Tommi Parrish's new graphic novel is about a seemingly inconsequential encounter -- old, estranged friends spend a few hours talking and drinking -- but it's bursting with style and emotion.
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!
Ursula K. Le Guin, whose novels plucked truth from high fantasy, dies at 88

Ursula K. Le Guin, whose novels plucked truth from high fantasy, dies at 88

The novelist, best known for works such as the Earthsea series and "The Left Hand of Darkness," used her fantastic realms to grapple with difficult themes. And she kept working until her death.
by Colin Dwyer

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 far out history of how hippie food spread across America

The far out history of how hippie food spread across America

Finding granola, hummus, organic produce and whole grains is easy now, but it wasn't always. Jonathan Kauffman's new book, "Hippie Food," explores the people and places that expanded America's palate.
by Menaka Wilhelm

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 Friend' is no shaggy dog story

'The Friend' is no shaggy dog story

Sigrid Nunez's new novel follows a woman mourning the suicide of a close friend, mentor and fellow writer -- and the upheaval after she reluctantly takes in his huge, bereft (and smelly) Great Dane.
by Heller McAlpin

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!