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.

'Little House on the Prairie' actress runs for Congress. Can she win?

'Little House on the Prairie' actress runs for Congress. Can she win?

"Little House on the Prairie" star Melissa Gilbert is running for a congressional seat in Michigan. She's the latest in a long line of celebrities with political aspirations.
by Sam Sanders

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!
A memoir in pizza: 'Slice Harvester'

A memoir in pizza: 'Slice Harvester'

Colin Atrophy Hagendorf decided to review a plain slice of pizza from every joint in Manhattan -- a project that evolved into a two-fisted memoir of his own life and struggles with substance abuse.
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!
Literary mysteries: Laura Ingalls Wilder and serial killers? Not likely

Literary mysteries: Laura Ingalls Wilder and serial killers? Not likely

In 1937, Laura Ingalls Wilder insinuated that her father, "Pa" Ingalls, had been involved in the hunt for some of the first documented serial killers in U.S. history. But was it true?
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!
10 books on biking: Manuals, memoirs and something for the kids

10 books on biking: Manuals, memoirs and something for the kids

Bike fever is in full swing. These 10 books roll through the history of cycling and cover everything from conflicts on the road to cross-country journeys.
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!

Can a computer write a sonnet? Turing Test gets a creative twist

Can a computer program craft passable prose -- something readers can't distinguish from human-authored stuff? How about poetry, or dance mixes? New contests pose those challenges.
by Joe Palca

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!
Exploring the 'Wild And Haunting World Of Dolphins'

Exploring the 'Wild And Haunting World Of Dolphins'

In her new book, Susan Casey describes the life of dolphins and details some new threats the animals face, such as organized dolphin kills and man-made sounds in the ocean.

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 Cartel': The cost of the war on drugs

'The Cartel': The cost of the war on drugs

Don Winslow's new book about the drug trade in Mexico is fictional, but he dedicated it to the many journalists who lost their lives telling the truth.
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!