The ThriftBooks Blog

By William Shelton • December 28, 2020

Born in New Orleans, Truman Capote was frequently deposited at the Monroeville home of his eccentric cousins. The location had only one redeeming quality for him: next door lived a young girl who would initially beat him up, then befriend him—She was Nelle Harper Lee. From then on their worlds and works collided, bringing the world some of its most enduring classics, as well as an enduring literary feud.

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By Barbara Hagen • December 24, 2020

For many of us, it may feel like COVID is The Grinch, stealing our ability to celebrate or enjoy the holiday like we have in the past, be it with friends, families, activities, or traditions. Even our shopping was very different this year. But on Christmas Day, let's all be reminded of the immortal words of Dr. Seuss and the meaning of holidays.

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By Ashly Moore Sheldon • December 23, 2020

The time has come to pick our favorite books of the year. It’s never easy to choose, but we’ve narrowed it down. Here are our top choices, plus a runner-up, from each of six genres. You can see the full list of contenders here.

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By Ashly Moore Sheldon • December 21, 2020

Have you heard of the Alex Awards? Established in 1998, they celebrate books written for adults that have special appeal for younger readers, aged twelve to eighteen. These intergenerational, or crossover, books can serve as wonderful connection points between parents and teens.

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By Theia Griffin • December 18, 2020

In 1891, a young artist named Aubrey Beardsley walked into London bookseller Frederick Evans' shop and met J.M. Dent, then a new relatively new publisher. The book dealer and publisher were engaged in a conversation about Sir Thomas Malory's Morte Darthur which at the time was undergoing a renewed popularity...

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By Ashly Moore Sheldon • December 16, 2020

In this time of COVID, we've had to get creative about how best to stay connected with family and friends. During the holiday season this may feel more important than ever. Here are 5 ideas of how to spend some quality, virtual time with your loved ones.

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By Barbara Hagen • December 14, 2020

Vinyl records are a real blast from the past. Find yourself a new LP or an old favorite, dust off your record player, and sit back, close your eyes, and let yourself be hypnotized by the complete musical experience of it all, just like it was way back when.

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By Michael Teague • December 10, 2020

We know it has been a crazy year, so our VP of Operations, Michael Teague, wanted to take a chance to thank his employees who make what we do possible, and remind everyone that even though there might be shipping constraints out there, it's not too late to grab your Christmas gifts!

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By Ashly Moore Sheldon • December 09, 2020

We've almost reached the end of 2020 (sigh of relief!), so it's time for a roundup of some of the best books of the year. Here are 20 of our favorite children's books that came out in 2020.

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By William Shelton • December 08, 2020

For people unfamiliar with the game of chess, they can often be intimidated or bored by the prospect of trying it, but we know more about the game than we recognize, and we often "play" the game more than we realize. Luckily, the rules and strategies have been covered by several experts in books, and beyond that, the elements of the game can be understood through literature like that of Machiavelli. Learn more about this fascinating game with these book picks.

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