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.

Jeff VanderMeer painted a grotesque picture of climate change. Now he’s back for more
Since publishing “Annihilation” and the subsequent “Southern Reach” novels, VanderMeer has become a poster child for fiction confronting climate change. Now he’s back with a highly anticipated prequel.
Talking Volumes: Kate DiCamillo
When Kate DiCamillo comes to Talking Volumes, you know delight is forthcoming. It was a rousing, thoughtful and hopeful end to the celebratory 25th season.
'Misty of Chincoteague' author life's work lives at University of Minnesota. A new book uncovers her collection
Whether you’re eight or in your eighties, you’re likely familiar with the best-selling children’s book author Marguerite Henry. Her book “Misty of Chincoteague” is one of the most popular children’s books of all time.
Unsung Americans with Minnesota‘s own Sharon McMahon
Sharon McMahon went viral in 2020 when the former government teacher took to Instagram to battle misinformation. Now the Minnesotan is out with a book that combines her passion for history with her belief that everyday people can influence democracy in “The Small and the Mighty.”
A Minnesotan’s story collection is climate fiction but it captures increasingly familiar reality
When Ashley Shelby of St. Paul began working on her short story collection back in 2016, she thought she was writing weird fiction about the impacts of climate change.