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.

The surprising science of how we make decisions
"The Undoing Project" tells the story of two Israeli psychologists who made some surprising discoveries about the way people think. According to the "Moneyball" author, it's all about framing.
How just 8 flavors have defined American cuisine
In her new book, Sarah Lohman says that even though America is culturally and ethnically diverse, its food is united by a handful of tastes that have permeated our nation's cuisine for centuries.
Women astronomers shine in 'The Glass Universe'
Dava Sobel's new book is a history of the unheralded women -- called computers, rather than astronomers -- who worked at the Harvard College Observatory, studying, cataloging and classifying stars.