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. 

The incredible story of two brothers kidnapped by the circus
Beth Macy's book, "Truevine," explores the century-old story of a pair of brothers who were forced into work as sideshow exhibits, and of their mother who tried to get them back.
'Transit' is a journey you won't want to end
Rachel Cusk's latest -- the second in a trilogy that began with 'Outline' -- follows a writer unmoored by the breakup of her marriage, and the people she meets as she goes about her strange new life.
A memoir of a father's grief
When Thomas Harding's teenage son was killed in a bicycling accident, Harding began writing -- about his son, about the accident, about his grief. Those writings have become a powerful new memoir.
'Divergent' author returns with a new fantasy series
Veronica Roth topped best-seller lists when she was only 23. Now she's back with a new series, set in a world where everyone has a gift that reflects their personality.
Free speech advocates, publishers wrestle with questions of censorship
Simon and Schuster's book deal with controversial Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos drew strong criticism online, and sparked a debate on publishing's role in limiting the availability of ideas.