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. 

Fargo chef on her perfect bagel, meshing Nordic-Jewish fare and her new cookbook
When Andrea Baumgardner opened BernBaum’s in downtown Fargo in 2016, she was inspired by classic lunch counter delis, like B&H Dairy in New York City. A new cookbook memorializes her recipes.
Jane Austen’s ‘Pride & Prejudice,’ a blueprint to the modern romance
This year, readers around the world are celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. Here’s how the novel has had a lasting impact over the years.
Benjamin Percy's new post-apocalyptic novel arrives as a newspaper
Benjamin Percy’s “The End Times” follows the residents of a fictional Minnesota town called North End as they try to rebuild 12 years after a horrific plague nearly wiped out all of humanity.
Ideas for the book lovers on your gift list 
Looking for gift ideas for the readers in your life? We've combed through the Ask a Bookseller files from the past year to bring you recommended titles from indie booksellers across the country. Click on each title to read the full recommendation for the book.
Mary Lucia shares it all in 'What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To'
Mary Lucia was an iconic DJ at MPR’s The Current for almost 20 years — until a stalker unraveled her sense of safety and sense of self. With characteristic snark and honesty, Lucia shares her own story in the new memoir, “What Doesn’t Kill Me Makes Me Weirder and Harder to Relate To.”
New books this week: A tome on capitalism, a deep dive on crosswords and more
“Capitalism: A Global History” comes in at 1,000 pages before the footnotes. “Across the Universe” explores the past, present and future of crossword puzzles. Plus, a Mitford sister biography and more.
Five things Nicholas Sparks told us about ‘The Notebook’ — and Minnesota
Nicholas Sparks returned to Minnesota last week to see the touring production of “The Notebook: the Musical” at the Ordway. He also revisited the state where some of his earliest memories were formed. Here’s what we learned.