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.

'Such A Fun Age' is a complex, layered page-turner
The title of Kiley Reid's debut novel works on multiple levels — it can refer to chronological age or political era — and those different meanings echo throughout this funny, uncomfortable book.
A holiday feast of 'Fry Bread'? Yes, please!
Our kids' books columnist, Juanita Giles, gave her daughter “Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story” for Christmas; she says the book's depiction of food and history mirrors her family's experiences.
'Switched On Pop' podcast turns accessible music analysis into a new book
The popular podcast examines the craft of pop music with an accessible academic lens. Now, the hosts have authored a book that covers episodes on Taylor Swift, Carly Rae Jepsen and Drake.
'Here We Are: American Dreams, American Nightmares'
Immigrants come to the United States filled with hope. But as NPR contributor Aarti Shahani shares in her new memoir, the American dream can quickly become the American nightmare.
Trove of recipes dating back to Inquisition reveals a family's secret Jewish roots
Many Jews were forced to convert during the Inquisition, a history often lost to their descendants. Finding recipes adhering to Jewish food customs helped one woman unearth her family's hidden past.