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 harrowing tale of Cold War escape in 'The Tunnels'
A new book explores a time in the early 1960s when two groups of diggers built tunnels under the Berlin Wall that were filmed and financed by U.S. television networks.
Ask a bookseller: Literati Bookstore in Ann Arbor, Mich.
The owner of the Literati Bookstore recommends a book that traces the aftermath of a marketplace bombing in northern India: "It explores the indiscriminate nature of terror, which is extremely timely today."
Mary Oliver issues a full-throated spiritual autobiography in 'Upstream'
Oliver's latest collection of essays reflect the author's passion for nature and literature. Critic Maureen Corrigan says Upstream presents a portrait of a visionary poet -- and a "tough old broad."
Wayne Gretzky on hockey history, dreaming big and Canadian pride
The ice hockey legend marks the 99th anniversary of the NHL with his new book "99: Stories of the Game." Never mind the sport's tough guy reputation; "the game of hockey is an art," Gretzky says.