The Thread® - Books and Literary 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.

October 31, 2023 1:10 PM

Former St. Paul Opera publicist shares her journey of caregiving through Lewy body dementia

MPR News host Cathy Wurzer spoke with Mary Lou Falcone about her new memoir, illustrated by her husband, the late artist Nicky Zann. He died of Lewy body dementia in 2020.

by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

October 31, 2023 10:35 AM

In 'White Holes,' Carlo Rovelli takes readers beyond the black hole horizon

Physicist Carlo Rovelli is unique among modern scientists who write for popular audiences in his ability to capture the purest essence of his science with both precision and lyricism.

by Adam Frank

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

October 30, 2023 1:57 PM

'It is our identity, for better or worse': Author and podcaster T.D. Mischke on Minnesota's defining season

Winter sparks joy for some and for others, dread. Author, podcaster and radio show host T.D. Mischke celebrates the season in his new book: Winter’s Song: A Hymn to the North.

by Cathy Wurzer and Aleesa Kuznetsov

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

October 29, 2023 4:42 AM

'The Comfort of Crows' is fuel to restore spirits in dealing with ecological grief

Here the New York Times columnist and author of ‘Late Migrations’ and ‘Graceland’ Margaret Renkl brings alive in 52 chapters her love for the animals and plants in her yard and nearby parks in Tennessee.

by Barbara J. King

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

October 28, 2023 8:00 AM

Ask a Bookseller: 'Ke Kumu Aupuni: The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood'

Sierra Keolanui, Lise Michelle Childers and Allison Benz of Native Books in Honolulu, Hawaii, conferred about their favorite books and quickly reached a consensus “Ke Kumu Aupuni: The Foundation of Hawaiian Nationhood” by Samuel Mānaiakalani Kamakau.

by Emily Bright

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

October 27, 2023 11:00 AM

Talking Volumes: Viet Thanh Nguyen on being 'A Man of Two Faces'

Pulitzer Prize-winning author Viet Thanh Nguyen joined host Kerri Miller on stage at the Fitzgerald Theater for Talking Volumes to talk about his new memoir, “A Man of Two Faces.”

by Kerri Miller and Kelly Gordon

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

October 26, 2023 12:27 PM

Incarcerated Minnesotans pen new book showcasing vibrant writing community

The book ‘American Precariat’ is 15 essays coedited by a collective of award-winning incarcerated writers.

by Cathy Wurzer and Alanna Elder

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

October 25, 2023 10:34 AM

Scholastic backtracks, saying it will stop separating diverse books for fairs in 2024

Scholastic faced backlash for putting books dealing with race, gender and sexuality in their own optional category for middle school book fairs. It's now apologizing and working to reverse course.

by Rachel Treisman

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

October 24, 2023 9:27 AM

'Let Us Descend' follows a slave on a painful journey — finding some hope on the way

Jesmyn Ward's narrative forces readers to look at our country's ugly past and face the lingering effects of history — but it also tells a story of perseverance and the power of the spiritual world.

by Gabino Iglesias

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.

October 22, 2023 8:54 AM

Why children of married parents do better, but America is moving the other way

Almost half of all babies born in the U.S. are born to unmarried mothers. That's not good for children, says progressive economist Melissa Kearney in her new book, “The Two-Parent Privilege.”

by Pallavi Gogoi

Go Deeper.

Create an account or log in to save stories.

Like this?

Thanks for liking this story! We have added it to a list of your favorite stories.