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.

Bookstore's tweet leads to love, then marriage
In 2012, the corporate Twitter account for a bookstore in London posted a joke about Pokemon. "I'm in love," a woman responded. More tweets followed, then a date. The wedding was last weekend.
'How to Make White People Laugh': A crash course
Iranian-American comedian and filmmaker Negin Farsad said there's comedy that comes from "not being ashamed to talk about identity in a world where just the mere mention of the word 'Muslim' is considered political and heated."
Why does Cynthia Ozick write? 'I simply must,' she says
The versatile author says that, like queens, writers are born into their profession. In her new book, 'Critics, Monsters, Fanatics, and Other Literary Essays,' she examines current and past literature.
Like these books? Here are 60+ things you might also like
You know that feeling when you put down a great book and all you want is more? We took 27 recent books and paired them with movies, musicals, TV shows, comics and podcasts to keep your buzz going.
Meet the guy who has been a hero, a pirate, a 'mountain of molten lust'
Model Jason Aaron Baca has appeared on 475 romance book covers. By his tally, that's more than even Fabio. His is a story of hard work and luck in the swashbuckling, bodice-ripping world of romance.