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. 

'American Fires' tells a true story of love and arson in rural Virginia
In 2012 and 2013, Accomack County, Va., was plagued by arson. The culprits, it turned out, were a local man and his girlfriend. In a new book, journalist Monica Hesse tells their story.
Dive into the twisted world of 18th century New York City
'Golden Hill' unfolds in 1746, mixing perfect plotting with fascinating history. 'When I finished it, I just wanted to turn it over and start again,' said bookseller Betsy Burton. 'It's the best read of the summer.'
If Thoreau were alive, he'd be 'shouting from the rafters,' biographer says
Henry David Thoreau, author of Walden and Civil Disobedience, was born 200 years ago in 1817. Biographer Kevin Dann says the philosopher's ideas about individual sovereignty remain relevant today.
Something new for baby to chew on: rocket science and quantum physics
Chris Ferrie's board books introduce subjects like rocket science, quantum physics and general relativity to toddlers and babies. What can parents do to make the concepts resonate?