The ThriftBooks Blog

By Beth Clark • October 18, 2018

In choosing which National Days and holidays to promote here at ThriftBooks, the goals are usually reading, humor, learning, awareness, and/or having fun, with an undertone of acceptance and diversity, because books are for everyone. But as much as we wish we could include anything and everything, it's simply not possible, at least until quantum physics advances and we can post in alternate universes. Below are 31 (out of 114 possible) October monthly observances worthy of giving more love to, plus eight weekly ones (bonus!).

Read Article

By Beth Clark • October 16, 2018

The Man Booker Prize is one of the most prestigious awards for literary fiction written in English, and the list of winners over the last 50 years includes Ian McEwan, Margaret Atwood, Yann Martel, and Salman Rushdie, so the 2018 prize announcement is big! (Also, the shortlist has six brilliant and diverse novels you’ll want to read regardless of who wins.)

Read Article

By Beth Clark • October 15, 2018

If you've ever wondered what gives Stephen King nightmares (we have, and yes, it's possible), then take a peek at the latest book recommendations by the guy who's made most of us at least temporarily afraid of the dark (and clowns, OMG…clowns) at some point.

Read Article

By Beth Clark • October 11, 2018

Coming out as gay, lesbian, or bisexual is an emotional process no matter how much someone prepares, and one that continues long after the words are spoken and the secret is out. Whether you've already come out, you're on the verge, or you're still figuring things out, there's lots of support out there and you're not alone.

Read Article

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.

Read Article

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??

Read Article

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.

Read Article

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!

Read Article

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.

Read Article

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.

Read Article