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.

Linguist John McWhorter says 'White Fragility' is condescending toward Black people
Columbia University professor John McWhorter says the bestselling book “White Fragility” supposes that "Black people's feelings must be stepped around to an exquisitely sensitive degree."
1918 flu inspired Donoghue's 'Pull Of The Stars' — a disquieting pandemic novel
Set in a Dublin maternity ward in 1918, the novel captures a city devastated by a pandemic. By diving into the terrors of the past, Emma Donoghue presciently anticipates the miseries of our present.
'Sisters in Hate' profiles 3 women who find bonds in white nationalist movement
Though their stories encourage gawking, at least one throughline sticks after reading “Sisters” — the ugly deal these women have made with a movement that is ultimately ambivalent toward them.
For July: 3 romance novels grounded in reality
Romance novel characters often face outlandish obstacles — pirates, spies, paranormal forces, plots. But this month, we're featuring three down-to-earth stories about balancing love and career.
Author Brit Bennett explores colorism in ‘The Vanishing Half’
Brit Bennett’s latest novel, “The Vanishing Half,” is a rich exploration of family relationships, colorism and how the past influences the present and who we decide to be. We spoke with her about her latest work.