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.

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.

January 27, 2020 3:30 PM

'The Undefeated' wins Caldecott Medal, while 'New Kid' picks up Newbery

Kwame Alexander and Kadir Nelson's book won the Caldecott, the top prize for picture books, and Jerry Craft's novel won the Newbery for kids' books.

by Colin Dwyer

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

January 27, 2020 6:00 AM

'A Long Petal Of The Sea' finds love in a time of chaos

Isabel Allende's new novel follows two refugees from the Spanish Civil War, whose mock marriage as they flee to Chile gradually deepens into real love, set against a backdrop of war and upheaval.

by Marcela Davison Avilés

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

January 26, 2020 9:00 AM

'This Isn't New': Questions for Tochi Onyebuchi, author of 'Riot Baby'

Tochi Onyebuchi's slim, devastating novella follows a young man born amidst the chaos of the 1992 Rodney King riots — and his sister, whose terrifying magical powers can't protect him from racism.

by Petra Mayer

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

January 26, 2020 6:00 AM

'Processed Cheese' Is Hard To Love — But Easy To Admire

Stephen Wright's new novel is a darkly funny satire of American consumer culture, set in a Day-Glo alternate reality that's unsettlingly close to our own. It's an exhausting but unforgettable read.

by Michael Schaub

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

January 25, 2020 4:59 PM

Finalists announced for 2020 Minnesota Book Awards

The field of finalists is set for the 2020 Minnesota Book Awards. The winners will be announced at a ceremony on April 28.

by MPR News Staff

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

January 25, 2020 4:32 PM

'Franchise' tracks the rise and role of fast food in Black America

History professor Marcia Chatelain's new book tracks what she calls the hidden history of the relationships between the struggle for civil rights and the expansion of the fast food industry.

by Michel Martin

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

January 25, 2020 12:43 PM

'Interior Chinatown' puts that guy in the background front and center

Charles Yu's new novel follows a TV actor who often gets stuck playing generic Asian men. Yu says he was inspired by shows that set episodes in Chinatown — but keep Asian actors in the background.

by Scott Simon

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

January 25, 2020 9:00 AM

Pain drives the creation of a sanctuary in 'Remembrance'

Rita Woods' ambitious novel spans 200 years and multiple storylines — it's a complex story of loss and survival that doesn't always work. But Woods creates memorable characters readers can relate to.

by Denny S. Bryce

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

January 25, 2020 6:00 AM

'Night Theater' is an intriguing but uneven drama

Vikram Paralkar's novel takes place over one eventful night at a clinic in a small Indian village, where three murdered people confront a doctor; if he can treat their wounds, they'll live again.

by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

January 24, 2020 3:45 PM

The history of Wisconsin's love affair with beer

Bookseller Brian Roegge recommends a book that traces Wisconsin’s long relationship with ales, lagers and more.

by Tracy Mumford

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.