Books have been a popular source of entertainment for centuries. They allow our imagination to run wild while also expanding our list of vocabulary and knowledge. Whether it’s a thrilling horror story or a soft romance story, a historical non-fiction book or an instructional how-to, there’s a book for everyone.

For a student in high school, like myself, most of the books that take up my time are required readings for classes such as AP Literature and Composition (AP Lit). The school has copies of every book, but annotations are a necessity. Highlighting, taking notes and dog earring books is how I get the best understanding of what’s going on in the story and what the author is trying to prove. Because of this, having my own copy is essential; however, this can get expensive.

While Barnes and Noble is an obvious choice, it’s also expensive because all of their items are brand new. In the same plaza as Barnes and Noble in Chesterfield is a better choice when you’re looking for a book: Half Priced Books.

Half Price Books offers a wide selection of both new and used titles, as well as movies and music.

While many used book stores are crammed and unorganized, Half Priced Books offers many shelves both organized by genre and clutter free. Not only is there plenty of space to browse for your favorite book, there are also tables to enjoy the books and they even offer free, fresh-brewed coffee.

I walked in determined to find a book for AP Lit. Though it wasn’t a popular book or a well-known classic, an employee was able to check if they had it (which they did) and showed me exactly where it was. I then named a few more popular books that I knew would be required, and he was able to tell me where they were by memory.

Not only is the service there friendly, but the prices are another thing that is just as great. In total I bought 5 books and it only costed me about $20. The used books that I bought, as well as those that I saw in the store, were all in excellent condition and marked down to a fair price. Even the new items were cheaper than what other stores would charge.

Overall, if you don’t mind a book that has been owned by another avid reader for a cheaper price, Half Priced Books is the way to go.