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. 

'Girl Who Wrote Loneliness' tells an almost-true tale with the tenor of a ghost story
This autobiographical novel about a South Korean girl who moves from the rural countryside to the city in search of work and education blurs line between fiction and reality.
Brian Selznick's new book has no words for 400 pages -- and it's brilliant
Brian Selznick charmed readers of all ages with "Hugo," which was later adapted into an Oscar-winning film by Martin Scorcese. His newest book, "The Marvels," follows five generations of a family of actors.
Don't call her 'doll': How Mary McGrory became 'the first queen of journalism'
The columnist could write like an angel -- and bite like an asp. In a new biography, John Norris recounts McGrory's first big break and the proposition she received from a Democratic president.
When it comes to book sales, what counts as success might surprise you
A survey from the Authors Guild reveals a 30 percent decline in author income since 2009. "You used to be able to make an absolutely living wage as a writer," says Guild President Roxana Robinson.