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 Heiress' revisits Patty Hearst's kidnapping
Hearst was abducted in 1974 and then declared allegiance to her captors. Legal expert Jeffrey Toobin does not believe Hearst was brainwashed, but rather, "responded rationally to the circumstances."
Chasing 'The Muse': A novel searching for the heart of art
Jessie Burton's new novel spins between the art world of 1960s London and the revolutionary fervor of 1930s Spain. At the center of it is a stunning painting, by an artist whose death is shrouded in mystery.
'The Fire This Time': A new generation of writers on race in America
Author Jesmyn Ward invited prominent writers from her generation to pen essays for 'The Fire This Time.' It's a nod to James Baldwin's work of a similar name, which warned of today's racial tension.
Beyond 'Bright Lights': Jay McInerney returns
McInerney became famous in the 1980s for his semi-autobiographical novel about a hard-partying young man in Manhattan. His new book, 'Bright, Precious Days,' probes the challenges of a lasting marriage.
What college freshmen are reading
Book programs for freshmen -- or a whole campus or community -- are meant to spark discussion and unity. This year's picks at nine U.S. schools range from memoirs to political advice from 64 B.C.