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 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.

'Finding My Voice': Hibbing native's YA novel reissue connects with new generation of readers
One of the first Asian American young adult novels, “Finding My Voice,” is getting a third run this year since its first publication in 1992. But, the messages about racism, identity and family continue to resonate with readers who remember picking up the book years ago.
'Halfway Home' makes case that the formerly incarcerated are never truly free
Sociologist, criminologist, and former jail chaplain Reuben Jonathan Miller says "no other marginalized group ... experience[s] [the] profound level of legal exclusion" that those once imprisoned do.
'We Came, We Saw, We Left' takes us on one family's gap year adventure
Dartmouth's Charles Wheelan, author of “Naked Economics,” writes about his nine-month globetrot in 2016 with his wife and their teenagers — offering a refreshing escape during these isolating times.
Actor and author Ethan Hawke: Writing 'Forces You To Think Through Things'
Hawke's latest novel is called “A Bright Ray of Darkness.” It's about a famous young actor in a crumbling marriage who immerses himself in a Broadway production of Shakespeare's Henry IV.
'She Persisted,' now in chapter book form, brings history to life
Chelsea Clinton has turned her “She Persisted” series of picture books into a new series of chapter books, written by prominent kids' authors. The new books really take readers inside historical lives.
Amanda Gorman — and poetry — will be part of Super Bowl LV
Fresh from her burst into the literary stratosphere after her appearance at President Joe Biden's inauguration, poet Amanda Gorman will recite a new poem during the Super Bowl LV pre-show next Sunday.