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.

In 'Sea State,' life gets rocky when a journalist gets involved with her subject
Tabitha Lasley spent six months in Aberdeen, Scotland, interviewing men who work on offshore oil rigs. Along the way, she had an all-consuming affair with one of the very first men she interviewed.
In 'The Sour Cherry Tree,' a child keeps memories of her late grandfather close
The day after her beloved Baba Bazorg dies, a little girl remembers some of her favorite things about him: his striped slippers, the mints in his pockets and the fig cookies he always shared.
In 'Tastes Like War,' a daughter reckons with her mother's schizophrenia
Cho was a teenager when her mother began to exhibit signs of mental illness. Later, as an adult, she learned more about the trauma her mom experienced, both during and after the Korean War.
Author Ann Patchett on friendship, time and the idea of 'enoughness'
Ann Patchett is out with a new collection of essays. Join Kerri Miller this Friday for a wide-ranging conversation with Patchett about being present, the gift of friendship, and how the pandemic can reveal what matters most.