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. 

Gray-haired granny? An 85-year-old writer goes punk rock instead
When novelist Anne Bernays became a great-grandmother, she dyed her hair bright blue. She says young people tend to treat the elderly as if they're dumb, "whereas I feel like I'm still a teenager."
The soul-sucking vampire novel that started on Twitter
David Mitchell compares tweeting the story of his latest novel to escaping a straitjacket. "I like what I had to do to circumvent [Twitter's] restrictions," he says.
'This Old Man' on life in your 90s
Roger Angell's latest book is a collection of his writings, centered on "This Old Man," his memorable essay about the pains and pleasures of living into your 90s.
YouTube stars hit the bestseller lists
A lot of people doubted that kids who watch YouTube would be interested in reading books. Turns out they not only like to read, but they like owning a physical book by an author they love.
A powerful history of Hawaii, 'Paradise of the Pacific'
The first to arrive on Hawaii were birds. Then came Polynesian adventurers, Spanish explorers, British navigators and Protestant missionaries. Susanna Moore's new book explores the dynamic history of the islands.