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. 

Weird, spirited 'Pieces of Soap' celebrates the essays of Stanley Elkin
Elkin, who died in 1995, was known for his satirical takes on American culture. Critic Maureen Corrigan reviews a new collection of essays that showcases the freshness of Elkin's work.
Minneapolis felon tries to trace his life's path in new memoir
Zeke Caligiuri grew up in Minneapolis just as the city was earning the nickname "Murderapolis." He wrote his memoir behind bars, where he is serving a 34-year sentence for robbery and murder.
For Tippi Hedren, Hitchcock's scares came off-screen
In her new memoir, "Tippi," the actress speaks frankly about Hollywood, her career, and her complicated relationship with Alfred Hitchcock -- who made her a star, but also made her life hell.
Photos: The Minneapolis music scene, from the 1980s to now
Music photographer Daniel Corrigan got his start at the U and went on to document the golden age of Minneapolis music. A collection of his photography is now available in a new book: "Heyday."