Stay Curious. Stay Connected.
MailNewsletters♡Donate Now

The Thread® - Books and Literary News

The Thread® is your source for book recommendations and other literary news.

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. Sam Stroozas rounds up local events and Minnesota book news you may have missed.

Ask a Bookseller

Ask a Bookseller is a weekly series where host Emily Bright 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 and produced by Kelly Gordon every Friday at 11 a.m., featuring conversations about books and other literary ideas. Listen to Big Books and Bold Ideas here.

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 witch, a baby and a grown-up tale for kids

A witch, a baby and a grown-up tale for kids

Kelly Barnhill has created a readable story so complicated that even she finds it hard to explain.
by Euan Kerr

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!
Can't buy me love (of reading)

Can't buy me love (of reading)

Summer's in full swing, and parents are trying all kinds of things to keep their kids reading. Here's a guide to what works and what doesn't.
by Cory Turner

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!
An illustrated ode to women in science

An illustrated ode to women in science

Rachel Ignotofsky's new book provides vibrant profiles of some of the most influential women scientists, from ancient Egypt to the modern era.
by Tracy Mumford

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!
'American Heiress' revisits Patty Hearst's kidnapping

'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."

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!
Chasing 'The Muse': A novel searching for the heart of art

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.
by MPR News Staff

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!
7 booksellers pick the perfect summer reading

7 booksellers pick the perfect summer reading

We asked booksellers across the country to share recommendations for books that you can take with you on vacation -- or just to the nearest shade tree.
by Justine Kenin and Samantha Raphelson

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 Fire This Time': A new generation of writers on race in America

'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.

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!