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.

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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. 

Poet Major Jackson on writing poetry that connects
At an event for MPR members earlier this fall, poet Major Jackson, host of APM’s daily poetry podcast The Slowdown, told host Kerri Miller that writing poetry is a physical, sometimes even violent, experience. Listen to their whole conversation.
Ask a Bookseller: ‘The Maniac’
Chris Miller of Broadway Books in Portland, Ore., recommends the novel “The Maniac” by Benjamín Labatut.
4 coffee table art books from 2023 that are a visual feast
This group ranges from a fabulous collection by contemporary, neurodiverse artists to Milton Glaser's pop art, and Aino and Alvar Aalto's Finnish modernist designs to a survey of Islamic architecture.
Rethinking roads
In his new book “Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet,” environmental journalist Ben Goldfarb illustrates how roads that are helpful for humans can be disastrous for wildlife. How can we design transportation that’s good for all?
Feeling alone? 5 tips to create connection and combat loneliness
We all feel lonely at some point, but long-term social isolation can damage our mental and physical health. A new book called “Project UnLonely” shows how creative expression can foster friendships.
Minnesota novelist Brian Duren's new 'Gravity'
Twin Cities writer Brian Duren published two novels in the past six months, his latest, “Gravity of Love.” It’s been kind of a wild ride for Duren, who said he’s learned a lot of unexpected things about the books trade.