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.

‘SNL’ photographer reflects on iconic celebrity portraits in new book
Mary Ellen Matthews has been “SNL’s” photographer for 25 years. In a new book, “The Art of the SNL Portrait,” she shares her most iconic celebrity photos, like Pete Davidson eating pasta.
A new collection of Harper Lee’s writing is coming later this year
The beloved author of “To Kill a Mockingbird” famously only released two novels in her lifetime. Now, the world will get to read more of Lee’s work with an upcoming release of short stories and essays.
As boys state hockey tournament takes off in St. Paul, a look back at its 81-year history
The puck drops Wednesday on high school hockey's biggest stage, the boys state hockey tournament. We revisit a book that takes a year-by-year look at the tournament.
Ask a Bookseller: ‘Notes from the Porch: Tiny True Stories to Make You Feel Better About the World’
Elizabeth Bluemle of The Flying Pig Bookstore in Shelburne, Vt., recommends “Notes from the Porch: Tiny True Stories to Make You Feel Better About the World” by Thomas Christopher Green.
Lengthy cleanup, outpouring of support for Minneapolis businesses affected by water main break
It’s been nearly two weeks since a broken water main in Minneapolis flooded a building housing several longtime small businesses. They’re still cleaning up and figuring out next steps, as friends, neighbors and customers show their support.
Wild words: New book features creative writing on animal conservation
A new book turns scientific studies into poetry and prose about the needs of animals and includes work by four Minnesota authors, including Claire Wahmanholm and Christopher Kondrich.