Book Outlet finds.

Late last year I found Book Outlet, with their temptingly cheap prices on brand-new bargain books. Of course I don't need more books right now, but it seems that I can't resist cheap books.* I've ordered from them several times this year, but today I thought I'd share what I found for their big Black Friday sale. Everything on the website was 30% off, plus you could get a coupon for $10 off your order, no minimum.

 

Like I've mentioned before, I feel a bit weird posting "book hauls." But I personally love reading them or seeing them, so maybe some of you will enjoy it, too.

 

First of all, I got two Christian historical fiction novels by authors who I always enjoy: Karen Witemeyer and Siri Mitchell. These are both very recent releases...Stealing the Preacher came out last year and Love Comes Calling was released early this year.

 

I stumbled across these books through the recommendation feature on Book Outlet. I was drawn in by the fact that they were illustrated by Brett Helquist, who also illustrated A Series of Unfortunate Events. I specifically got them both in paperback so the covers would match, but apparently they ran out of copies of the first book and had to send me a different cover. It's pretty ugly and I'm a bit disappointed that they don't match, but oh well. The story still sounds good. :) By the way, this was the first time with a Book Outlet order that I didn't receive the exact cover that I ordered, though I've heard it happening with other people.

 

 

Two more middle grade books. I'm pretty sure that The Princess Curse is a retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and I've heard it recommended for fans of Shannon Hale and Gail Carson Levine (who happen to be two of my favorite authors and have been since I was a kid). As for A Boy Called M.O.U.S.E., isn't that cover wonderful? Something about it reminds me of Peter Pan. Anyway, the story sounds like a mix of Charles Dickens, Jane Eyre, and Harry Potter, so that sounds awesome.

 

 

Then I got a YA novel, Meant to Be. I don't know much about it except that the cover is pretty and maybe part of it is set in London? I also got Overdressed: The Shockingly High Cost of Cheap Fashion. I've been wanting to read this book for a long time! I feel so uncomfortable buying new store-bought clothes because of the conditions in which they're made, but I want to be more informed about it all.

 

 

And lastly, a couple of random books. I think I've mentioned this before, but I collect picture books. It started during my early childhood education program in college and snowballed from there. I basically already have my future children's library of picture books, stored in boxes under my bed. I'm especially fond of quirky picture books, and when I heard this one was set up like a silent film, I really wanted to read it. It's such a funny little book with an interesting twist at the end. :)

 

I also got a craft book of stuffed animal patterns, which to be honest, I'm the tiniest bit disappointed with. Most of the animals are really cute, but they all have a homemade quality to them that I personally like, but that some people wouldn't appreciate. Which means I'd be hesitant to make them as gifts. Also, I think they seem more decorative rather than toys for children, because I don't know how well they'd hold up. (All of the patterns have to be enlarged by 200% before you can make them. And even then, the animals are tiny...just a few inches tall. So they'd really have to be enlarged even more.)

 

Lastly, I bought a little copy of Neil Gaiman's "Make Good Art" speech, because it's pretty inspiring.

 

 

About a month before, I had ordered four books, so I'll throw them in here, too. (This was before I knew about the upcoming sale.) I got Lost Lake by Sarah Addison Allen (I've read most of her books and enjoy them), Dangerous by Shannon Hale, a biography of Beatrix Potter (which I got from the library last year but didn't get very far before it had to be returned...I'm looking forward to reading it all!), and Ginger Roger's autobiography (now I just need to find Fred Astaire's because I love that duo, and they redid these covers to coordinate with each other).

 

I highly recommend Book Outlet, but be warned that it's a dangerous place. :) The prices are amazing and you can find some really good stuff if you take the time to look. They often have newer releases for less than half of what they'd be on Amazon. They also offer scratch and dent books for even less, and in my experience, with hardcovers there's usually nothing worse than the corner of the dust jacket being torn. With paperbacks, the damage might be more obvious, like the cover being bent down the middle or something.

You do have to pay shipping, but you can usually find at least a $5 off coupon online if you look hard enough. And do know that sometimes a book might be a bit dirty (the Neil Gaiman speech was, but I just wiped it off) or have some sort of sticker on it...just in case you're really picky about your books looking brand-new. With these prices, though, you really can't complain!

P.S. I'm in no way affiliated with Book Outlet. I'm just a bookworm on a budget and a happy customer. :)

* I know I have a problem. I'm going to try not to buy so many books in 2015 and focus on shrinking my "own but unread" list. But I say that every year, and you see how that turns out...