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.

'The House of Doors' offers an ingenious twist, exploring how literature works magic
The writer W. Somerset Maugham plays a central role Tan Twan Eng's entrancing new novel that encompasses at-the-time risky interracial and homosexual love stories and a scandalous murder trial.
U.S. book bans are taking a toll on a beloved tradition: Scholastic Book Fairs
Scholastic created a separate fair category for diverse books, which it says is to help schools navigate the complexities of book bans. Librarians accused the company of caving to censorship.
Kate DiCamillo tells her own tale
DiCamillo's books melt the hearts of readers with her stories of can-do kids. She mixes joy with just the right amount of melancholy. The two-time winner of the Newbery Medal just published her latest book “The Puppets of Spelhorst.”
'Curlfriends: New In Town' reminds us that there can be positives of middle school
The first volume in author-artist Sharee Miller's debut YA graphic novel series reminds us of the many possibilities and excitements interwoven within the challenging years of early teenagerhood.
Authors with banned books talk about protecting access to stories
To mark Banned Books Week, three young adult authors whose books have been banned join MPR News host Kerri Miller to talk about the importance of keeping a diverse selection of books available in public schools and libraries nationwide.
The Sympathizer author's memoir is cocky and riveting — self-consciously constructed as if written for a standup audience and serving as a generous, one-stop primer for his fiction and scholarly work.