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 powerful history of Hawaii, 'Paradise of the Pacific'

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.
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!
Unearthed photos: Downtown Minneapolis in the 1970s

Unearthed photos: Downtown Minneapolis in the 1970s

Mike Evangelist spent his teenage years photographing downtown Minneapolis. As he grew up, he tucked all of his film away in a closet -- until now.
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!
The entire Soviet Union fits into 'The Big Green Tent'

The entire Soviet Union fits into 'The Big Green Tent'

Ludmila Ulitskaya's new novel follows three childhood friends in the years after Stalin's death -- and the dozens of characters their lives intersect with -- in a masterpiece of detail and ambition.
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!
The 'Amazing Fantastic Incredible' life of Stan Lee, now in comic form

The 'Amazing Fantastic Incredible' life of Stan Lee, now in comic form

Stan Lee is a comic book legend. He's the writer behind Spider-man, the Incredible Hulk and Iron Man. Now, the 92-year-old talks about his own super-heroic life.

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!
U exhibit celebrates 41 years of Graywolf Press

U exhibit celebrates 41 years of Graywolf Press

The archives of the Minnesota-based publishing house document how the book business has changed, and how it hasn't.
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!
Why eating out alone doesn't have to be lonely

Why eating out alone doesn't have to be lonely

More Americans are eating alone -- at restaurants and at home. Writer Simran Sethi argues in a new book that eating alone can be a courageous act that deepens appreciation of food and place.
by Jill Neimark

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 positive role religion can play in politics

The positive role religion can play in politics

Former U.S. Senator John Danforth has previously called out the Religious Right for conflating faith and politics. His new book, "The Relevance of Religion," revisits the topic.
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!
'The Night Clock' ticks with wit, fright and fantasy

'The Night Clock' ticks with wit, fright and fantasy

Paul Meloy's debut novel fuses humor, horror and personal experience; it's the story of a 40-something psychiatric nurse who discovers he's a part of a cosmic battle against the forces of nightmare.
by Jason Heller

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!
Patricia Highsmith's secret novel is headed to theaters

Patricia Highsmith's secret novel is headed to theaters

Patricia Highsmith is best known for her psychological thrillers like "Strangers on a Train" or "The Talented Mr. Ripley." But a very personal Highsmith novel, originally released under a pseudonym, will soon hit theaters.
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!