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.

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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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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 Fortunes' is a resonant account of the Chinese immigrant experience
Peter Ho Davies' new novel tells four separate stories, from a 19th-century tycoon and his Chinese valet to the murder of a Chinese American man in 1982. It's a revelatory, deftly structured read.
'Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle' gets a modern update
60 years ago, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle cured your parenting problems with Leadership Pills, well-mannered pigs and Ignorance Tonic. Now, her niece Missy takes up the mantle in a new series of books.
'Ghosts' takes on a tough topic for kids
Raina Telgemeier's new graphic novel follows teenager Cat and her irrepressible little sister Maya who has cystic fibrosis. The author says she hopes the story opens up conversations about loss.