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.

An assassin walks into a library
David Enyeart recommends an assassin-filled thriller from South Korea, which offers a biting portrayal of power and corruption.
From family drama to global apocalypse, these two novels keep you riveted
Sarah Blake's "The Guest Book" is a multi-generational drama set against a backdrop of war and social upheaval. "The Last," by Hanna Jameson, centers on the survivors of a nuclear holocaust.
What don't you talk about with your mom?
A book of essays from a diverse, accomplished array of writers reveals the ways our mothers fail us and we fail them -- and poses the question of how much a tough conversation could close those rifts.
Melinda Gates on marriage, parenting and why she made Bill drive the kids to school
In her new book, The Moment Of Lift, the co-founder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation calls on readers to support women everywhere as a means to lift up society.