Money can't buy happiness, but it can buy books. Same difference, right?

As promised in the last post, I will now share what I bought for just under $200 at the local bookstore.

If you are a librarian with a small budget, it is very important to have a good relationship with your local bookseller, especially if he or she carries used books and gives discounts to libraries.  I am especially blessed by Snowbound Books, particularly because I worked there while pursuing my MLIS.  The people there don't cut my any extra-special deals - I get 20% off books I'm buying for either of my libraries, but do have to pay tax if the library isn't directly paying the store for it.  However, they know that if I say the book is going in my library, it will end up in my library.

And so it is with this lot.  Many are used, but some are new.  Some are ones I've read and know are good; others are award-winners or are popular; and still others are gambles.  Let's take a look at what I have to add to the public library's collection.

 For adults

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin

It's a used copy!

Before I bought this, and my partner donated A Feast for Crows, the library somehow did not have any of the series.  Gasp.

For children

Dork Diaries 6 and 7, by Rachel Renee Russell

Diary of a Wimpy Kid 1, 2, 6, and 8, by Jeff Kinney

These fill gaps in the collection.  All are hardcover, which was a must because they get used so heavily.  I did review the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid back in July 2011.

Battle of the Labyrinth by Percy Jackson

Flush by Carl Hiaasen

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

Calumet Copper Creatures by Johnathan Rand (reviewed Oct. 2012)

More gap-filling goodness.  Maniac Magee was my favorite book as a kid.  I must have read it around 50 times.

For teens/young adults

 Zombies!

Rot & Ruin (Reviewed July 2011)

Dust & Decay (Reviewed Nov. 2011)

Flesh & Bone (Reviewed Sept. 2012)

all by Jonathan Maberry

These are paperback, and when the fourth comes out in that format, I'll also get that.  Hopefully in time to go in my suitcase to Dragon Con so I can Mr. Maberry sign these!  Squee!!

Maximum Ride

Books 1 and 2, by James Patterson

$4 apiece, used, before my discount.  And it's James Patterson, that prolific and popular author I've never read anything by.

A little Scott Westerfeld

Leviathan

My middle school boys love this author, especially this series.

Movie books

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green (Review coming soon)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

People love reading books and seeing the movies.  Granted, they'll never read the books again once the hype dies down (save for Harry Potter), but we must strike while the iron is hot, and actually not rely on interlibrary loans for every hit title.

Post-Apocalyptic

The Big Empty and Paradise City by J.B. Stephens

These are the first two books in a post-apocalyptic YA series that I haven't heard of.  But, they're used, someone might like them; why not give them a chance?

Award-winners

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi (Reviewed Dec. 2011)

Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz (Reviewed Sept. 2013)

Looking for Alaska by John Green (Audiobook reviewed Sept. 2012)

These are great books.

Miscellany

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

The Shade of the Moon by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Burned by Ellen Hopkins (Audiobook reviewed Oct. 2013 with its sequel)

Kiss Me, Kill Me by Lauren Henderson

Here we have a hodge-podge to round out the purchase.  The first is historical, the second post-apocalyptic.  The last two are contemporary.  I think it's a nice mix.

I have read and plan to review The Fault in Our Stars, and as you saw, there are several that I already reviewed.  Are there others in this group you think I should also read and review?

Update: Before I had a chance to catalog these, a donation of Divergent came in.  So, I brought the newly purchased copy back to the store, and Dana let me exchange it for a book of equal value.  I bought Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish McBride.  Dana has been having about that book to me for years, so now I'll finally read it and add it to the library collection.