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. 

Patty Wetterling shares her story in new memoir 'Dear Jacob'
For the past 34 years, Patty Wetterling has been the face of the tragedy, the search and the hope through it all. Now, she is sharing her story in a new book.
Ask a Bookseller: 'The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store'
Shane Grebel of Watermark Books and Cafe in Wichita, Kansas says his favorite book of the year is the novel “The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store” by James McBride.
Kate DiCamillo tells her own tale
DiCamillo's books melt the hearts of readers with her stories of can-do kids. She mixes joy with just the right amount of melancholy. The two-time winner of the Newbery Medal just published her latest book “The Puppets of Spelhorst.”
Authors with banned books talk about protecting access to stories
To mark Banned Books Week, three young adult authors whose books have been banned join MPR News host Kerri Miller to talk about the importance of keeping a diverse selection of books available in public schools and libraries nationwide.
The Sympathizer author's memoir is cocky and riveting — self-consciously constructed as if written for a standup audience and serving as a generous, one-stop primer for his fiction and scholarly work.