The ThriftBooks Blog

By Beth Clark • October 09, 2018

Feisty Sharon Osbourne, affectionately known to her followers as Mrs. O, has led more lives in her one than most people could in a hundred lifetimes, all with love and humor, even in the face of adversity. For the unfamiliar (welcome back from that deserted island, she's an author, mom of three, television host, media personality, talent judge, modern impresario, businesswoman, music manager, and the wife of heavy metal legend Ozzy Osbourne.

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By Beth Clark • October 04, 2018

Vodka is so much more than 007's famously shaken, not stirred martini of choice...it's a beverage that's spanned twelve centuries, shaped entire cultures, and helped more than a few of us endure life's inevitable ups and downs. But what IS vodka, anyway? Like, what is it made from? How is it different from other spirits? Did Russia really run out of vodka at the end of World War II??

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By Beth Clark • October 01, 2018

LGBT History Month began with Missouri high school teacher Rodney Wilson in 1994, and its overarching goal is to provide role models, help build connections, and highlight the contributions of the LGBT community worldwide.

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By Beth Clark • September 28, 2018

"Location, location, location" means more when you have good neighbors, as lifelong besties who started out that way can attest. If you're among the lucky ones, who can relate celebrate National Good Neighbor Day by being one and repay that night of babysitting or cup of sugar with a little extra to say thanks. If you have more of a Montague-Capulet thing going with your neighbor(s), try to let it go for the day, whatever "it" is. And if you don’t know your neighbors, what a perfect reason to invite them over!

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By Beth Clark • September 24, 2018

Okay, maybe we can’t eliminate censorship (yet...#goals), but we can celebrate Banned Books Week with gusto by reading all of the stories that someone (or someones) tried to silence, destroy, or restrict access to. Here are 50 of the most frequently banned and/or most recently challenged books, along with the "who, why, and how" of literary censorship in America.

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By Beth Clark • September 21, 2018

A hundred years ago, novelist H.G. Wells predicted that science would be "king of the world." Titanic's Jack Dawson may take issue with that claim, but he’d have a tough time disputing the compelling influence Wells had on politics, society, and the future that extended far beyond the literary realm. Considering Wells is one the founding fathers of sci-fi (along with Jules Verne and Edgar Rice Burroughs) and the author of The Time Machine, The Invisible man, The Island of Dr. Moreau, and The War of the Worlds, that's saying something.

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By Beth Clark • September 18, 2018

If you're one of the 3.9 million full-time employees in the US who work remotely at least 50% of the time, you already know that the struggle is all too real some days, so here are some resources and practical hacks to help you overcome the inevitable challenges and succeed. (No judgement if you're reading this in your pajamas!)

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By Beth Clark • September 13, 2018

Moms/dads, aunties/uncles, abuelas/abuelos, and everyone else, hang up your aprons, 'cause it's #KidsTakeOverTheKitchenDay. Give the budding culinary artiste(s) in your world a chance to cultivate their cooking abilities under your supervisory guidance (for the younger set) or show off their kitchen skills (for the older kids) by letting them play chef for the day (or just make you a meal).

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By Matthew Richey • September 05, 2018

Looking for something that can pull your family together? Try finding a book that can engage the whole family's interest and read it aloud. Yeah, you might feel a bit like the Ingalls family in Little House on the Prairie, but just go with it. The payoff is worth it!

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By Beth Clark • September 03, 2018

Porsche (the car) is practically a religion for loyalists, but Porsche (the creator) had a brilliance that went well beyond the automobile world. In honor of his birthday, here are a few things about the fascinating Dr. Ferdinand Porsche that you may not know.

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