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.

Sign Up for The Thread® Newsletter

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.

Beyond 'Bright Lights': Jay McInerney returns
McInerney became famous in the 1980s for his semi-autobiographical novel about a hard-partying young man in Manhattan. His new book, 'Bright, Precious Days,' probes the challenges of a lasting marriage.
What college freshmen are reading
Book programs for freshmen -- or a whole campus or community -- are meant to spark discussion and unity. This year's picks at nine U.S. schools range from memoirs to political advice from 64 B.C.
'I'm Supposed to Protect You from All This': A memoir fraught with mystery
Nadja Spiegelman -- daughter of graphic novelist Art Spiegelman and New Yorker art editor Françoise Mouly -- has written a memoir about her mother, her grandmother and their flawed family memories.
A murder mystery with gymnastic twists
Megan Abbott's novel about a talented young gymnast and her mother starts with a mysterious death, but the real mysteries are the characters themselves: You never really know the people close to you.