Book Haul: the books I got and those I didn't...

Don't you hate it when Half Price Books is having their 20% off sale and you can't think of a single thing to go look for? And then, the next weekend, you come up with at least 5 books to look for so you go and find even more? Yeah, that's exactly what happened to me this weekend. Except I didn't find a single one that I actually went for, which is kind of disappointing. So I'm going to share the books I did find, randomly, and then the ones I went looking for because I think they're interesting and maybe you'll have some suggestions where to look or alternate titles!

Starting from the top in my picture, I was browsing the children's section and they had a large selection of From the Mixed-Up Files... and then this little book by the same author that looked fun and perfect for my October spooky reads. 

A Baby-Sitters Club Mystery Super Special that I didn't know existed because I haven't read any of the mysteries yet and I'm super far behind in my reviews but it's okay because I'm getting back to them this week and I will be doing them for the rest of my life. :D

I didn't know Fear Street was coming back so this looks really really cool! And makes me want to find the originals.

I thought my boyfriend might like this Nicholas Flamel series so we got the first one to try out. (Harry Potter reference)

I got these last 2 books on different days, at different stores, but they're surprisingly similar at first glance. We All Looked Up and The Last Boy & Girl in the World...both deal with "end of the world/town" times and look really interesting. I'm starting Vivian's at work today.

(thanks Sasha for your help!)

And now, let's get to the books I wanted but couldn't find. (This is where you come in!) I just finished Dancer, which is a historical fiction story about Russian ballet dancer Rudolph Nureyev and immediately wanted to read his real story. From the reviews, I picked out Diane Solway's book but alas, I did not find it in the store. (I did just find it cheap on Amazon, so I guess I will do that.) I highly recommend this book though! It's so interesting and different from anything I've read in a long time. And to get you even more hooked, here he is dancing with a pig (sadly, not Miss Piggy) on the Muppet Show. :D What's the last book that made you want to read all about the person? Is there a historical fiction or biography of a famous performer that I should add to my to-buy list? Comment below!

The 2nd book(s) I went looking for was thanks to a Doctor Who episode I watched last week: The Girl in the Fireplace. It featured Madame de Pompadour, the infamous French courtesan to King Louis XV. I want to read Madame de Pompadour: A Life to get the real look but really want Jean Plaidy's Louis the Well Beloved. When I was totally obsessed with Henry VIII (thanks to The Other Boleyn Girl), I loved Plaidy's books too. Do you have any suggestions for books on Madame de Pompadour/Reinette?