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.

'A little bit dark, a little bit odd, always absolutely beautiful': The short stories of Carys Davies
Bookstore owner Lisa Sharp doesn't usually pick up short story collections; she prefers a full-length novel. But Carys Davies's stories broke that streak.
Are you addicted to your smartphone?
Behavioral addiction, especially to the new technologies so prevalent today, is the topic of Adam Alter's book "Irresistible." Alva Noe proposes two criteria that may determine addiction to technology.
'Ice Ghosts' in the Arctic: How the long-lost Franklin expedition was found
In the 1840s, two British crews vanished while seeking a passage through the ice at the top of the world. Paul Watson became "obsessed with the mystery" and tells the story in his new book "Ice Ghosts."