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.

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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 back for its 25th season. Join us at the Fitzgerald Theater for four special events with renowned authors, celebrating our anniversary with a special $25 ticket price for MPR members and Star Tribune subscribers. Buy tickets here.

First of its kind audiobook created for Hmong who don't read their native language
Hmong is a language with a strong oral tradition and was not formally written until the 1950s. A new audiobook aims to meet Hmong listeners where they're at.
Dorothy Parker’s posthumously published collection is “Poems” and Camilla Barnes’ debut novel is: The Usual Desire to Kill.” Both affirm: sharp humor can be grounded in pain.
Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein’s new book looks at ‘failed liberal policies‘
What if liberals’ penchant for scarcity has been holding America back from solving our most challenging problems? That’s the thesis of Derek Thompson and Ezra Klein’s provocative new book, “Abundance.”
Writer turned citizen scientist offers tips on living lightly to reduce your carbon footprint
Tamara Dean, author of “Shelter and Storm: At Home in the Driftless,” talks to MPR chief meteorologist Paul Huttner about climate change and rethinking the lifestyle choices we make to lower our carbon footprint but still live productive lives.
‘Buffy’ podcasters built a community — and they didn’t let divorce break it
“Buffering the Vampire Slayer” podcasters Jenny Owen Youngs and Kristin Russo write about their community of fans, and how it help them keep working together after a split, in “Slayers, Every One of Us.”