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.

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. 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 pitfalls of adult sibling relationships
"Remember that we're with our siblings longer than anyone else -- longer than our parents, longer than our children, longer than our partners," author Geoffrey Greif said.
George R.R. Martin admits 'Winter' isn't coming -- at least, not for a while
The writer says he missed an end-of-year deadline to finish "Winds of Winter," the sixth book in the "Game of Thrones" series. The delay means the show will air the next season before its source material.
What exactly does an editor do? The role has changed over time
Earlier this year it became clear that Harper Lee had extensively revised "To Kill a Mockingbird" on the advice of her editor. That made us wonder: How much do editors shape the books we read?