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.

Ask A Bookseller: 'A Rake of His Own'
In this week’s Ask a Bookseller, Shayne Molt of Indigo Bridge in Lincoln, Neb., recommends the fantasy romance novel “A Rake of His Own” by A.J Lancaster.
Minnesota professor takes sabbatical, finds joy in waiting tables
When a professor takes a sabbatical, they typically don’t end up waiting tables at a local brewery. For Matthew Batt, a University of St. Thomas associate professor of English, that became his reality. He detailed the journey in his book the “Last Supper Club: A Waiters Requiem.”
New book shares the story behind Judy Garland's final MGM musical
David Fantle & Tom Johnson wrote, “C’mon, Get Happy: The Making of Summer Stock,” and will share their insights ahead of the ‘Summer Stock’ screening at the Twin Cities Jewish Film Festival.
Former St. Paul Opera publicist shares her journey of caregiving through Lewy body dementia
MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Mary Lou Falcone about her new memoir, illustrated by her husband, the late artist Nicky Zann. He died of Lewy body dementia in 2020.
'It is our identity, for better or worse': Author and podcaster T.D. Mischke on Minnesota's defining season
Winter sparks joy for some and for others, dread. Author, podcaster and radio show host T.D. Mischke celebrates the season in his new book: Winter’s Song: A Hymn to the North.
'The Comfort of Crows' is fuel to restore spirits in dealing with ecological grief
Here the New York Times columnist and author of ‘Late Migrations’ and ‘Graceland’ Margaret Renkl brings alive in 52 chapters her love for the animals and plants in her yard and nearby parks in Tennessee.
Ask a Bookseller: 'Ke Kumu Aupuni: The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood'
Sierra Keolanui, Lise Michelle Childers and Allison Benz of Native Books in Honolulu, Hawaii, conferred about their favorite books and quickly reached a consensus “Ke Kumu Aupuni: The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood” by Samuel Mānaiakalani  Kamakau.