The Thread® - Books and Literary 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.

January 6, 2016 12:00 AM

'This Census-Taker' is a quiet book with a murderous heart

China Mieville's new novella feels like a fairy tale. It's set in an isolated hill village, where a young boy witnesses a terrible crime and meets a mysterious stranger who may (or may not) help him.

by Jason Sheehan

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!

January 5, 2016 3:18 PM

The plot thickens in the mystery of Hong Kong's missing booksellers

Five booksellers have disappeared. "Everything is normal," one allegedly wrote in a fax to a colleague. But many doubt it, and suspect he and the others have been abducted by mainland Chinese agents.

by Frank Langfitt

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!

January 4, 2016 4:33 PM

Books to fill your reading time until the next "Game of Thrones"

George R.R. Martin just announced that "The Winds of Winter" will be further delayed. Take up these fantasy epics while you wait.

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!

January 4, 2016 4:27 PM

Graphic novelist named ambassador for young people's lit

Gene Luen Yang is a two-time National Book Award finalist. He is the first graphic novelist to be named to the post.

by The Associated Press

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!

January 4, 2016 11:42 AM

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.

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!

January 4, 2016 9:12 AM

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.

by Colin Dwyer

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!

January 4, 2016 12:00 AM

'Mein Kampf' enters public domain; may return to European bookstores

Reprints of Hitler's manifesto have been received warily; the legal case around Anne Frank's diary is significantly murkier.

by Colin Dwyer

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!

December 31, 2015 8:49 AM

'Shame And Wonder' is light on shame, heavy on wonder

David Searcy's essay collection finds the marvelous in everything from classic cars to Scrooge McDuck. Though it lacks some leavening humor, it's a lovely argument for approaching the world with awe.

by Annalisa Quinn