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.

When institutions are used as stages, people lose trust, book argues
We now think of institutions less as formative and more as performative, less as molds of our character and more as platforms for us to stand on and be seen, says National Affairs Editor Yuval Levin.
'Election meltdown is a real possibility' in 2020 presidential race, author warns
Law professor Richard Hasen is sounding the alarm about Russian hacks, voter suppression and other threats to the 2020 election. "There's lots of ways that things could go south," he says.