So there’s this website, right? ThriftBooks.com. And it’s officially the greatest website on the internet.

Their slogan is “Read More, Spend Less”, which is a pretty damn good mindset for today’s reader. Look, we all love to read, but books are becoming more and more expensive. Stopping by your nearest bookstore and buying, say, five books can put you forty, fifty, or sixty dollars in the hole. Hell, the entire Harry Potter series alone will make you at least eighty bucks poorer, no matter how you slice it.

But that’s not cool, right? Books are a phenomenal treat that everyone should be able to experience as much as possible. As Tyrion “The Greatest Character in the Series” Lannister once wisely said, “A mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone if it is to keep its edge.”

(Crossbows also help)

Which brings us to ThriftBooks. This is arguably the least expensive used bookstore on the internet, and I just bought six books to prove it.

That’s two Neil Gaiman novels, an Orwellian classic, an out-of-print edition of a legendary true crime, and two other fascinating works of fiction for 18.94! That’s the price of a regular hardback book!

“But Steve,” I can hear you all shouting in ignorance. “These are all just used paperbacks! You can find these prices and much cheaper on Amazon!”

Ah yes. Amazon: the brick-and-mortar bookstore’s arch enemy. The one responsible for putting Borders six feet under. While, yes, Amazon’s prices claim to be cheaper (“Some books run for a penny!”), the shipping and handling will make your wallet despise you.

So, just for comparison’s sake, I found the absolute cheapest versions of the six books I purchased from ThriftBooks and added them all to my Amazon cart. You know, for kicks and giggles.

The shipping and handling alone cost more than my total on ThriftBooks. “Amazon is cheaper”, my left nipple. ThriftBooks pays for the shipping and handling. Suck it, Amazon.

Oh, and where does TB get their endless supply of used books? From various different independent book stores across the country. So you’re not just buying cheap books online, but you’re also supporting independent businesses and keeping their lights on! Groovy, right?

So look, ThriftBooks isn’t paying me to say any of this. But I just scored five books for the price of two at your average bookstore. The facts are all here: if you want legitimately affordable used books, your absolute best bet is ThriftBooks.com.