Category Archives: Recommended

The clever way to buy cheap textbooks with Booko

Thousands of people a day are using Booko to find the best price for their books and that’s just here in Australia not even counting the other 22 countries we are in. One group that uses Booko more than ever are students. Whether they are at school, University, studying for professional development or hobbyists, textbooks are always popular.  The beauty of Booko is that textbooks can be sourced either new or second-hand as cheaply as possible. Here are a few of the best ways to use Booko to make sure you can source everything on your reading list as cheaply and quickly as possible. 

Step One: Create an account 

We treat data very seriously at Booko and want to give you ultimate control of all of your data too. Creating an account allows you to make wish lists, set price alerts and view your search history along with deleting said history, and disabling Booko from keeping track of your history altogether. Just so you know, we don’t actually use your history for anything at all; it’s housed just for your entertainment and reading pleasure.

Click on the ‘sign in’ button at the top of the page and follow the prompts to enter your name, email address and password. If you already have an account, welcome back, just pop in your password and proceed to the next step.

Step Two: Make a List

Once you have a Booko account, you can set up lists to keep track of textbooks on your required reading list or lists. 

Want to know how much all of the books on your reading list will cost? Booko will take your list, find the shop that sells the whole lot for the best price and calculate shipping for the entire list.

What’s best is you can have multiple lists which is great if you like keeping your subjects and classes seperate. The list feature allows you to check the prices for used books as well as new, if you wish. 

To add a textbook to your list, simply search up your book by entering either the ISBN or the title of the book into the search bar and when the search populates click the little orange box ‘Add to a list’. (Please note that searching by ISBN is the best way to ensure you have the edition your lecturer wants, and you should always check before finalising the purchase that the edition in your shopping cart is the correct one.)

Step Three: Set Price Alerts

Booko has a price alert feature (which is a super handy set-and-forget tool) that emails you as soon as the price of a book falls below the current price, or a price specified by you.

To set an alert, you need to be logged into your account (because we need to know which email to send the notifications to). Just click the ‘Add an Alert’ button directly below the book’s cover image on the left side of the page. Nominate a price you are happy to pay, type in your email and the Alert is set. Now all you need to do is wait for the Good News email!

The Booko alert function is really handy when you have a little extra time up your sleeve (like buying textbooks for courses next semester). You can have multiple alerts on each book too. 

You can also specify a separate price alert for new and used books. This function is loved by many of the students that use Booko – because let’s be honest, not all courses ask for a brand new textbook… nor do they need one. Academic textbooks can be breathtakingly expensive – a single title can be over a hundred dollars, so imagine how much your entire reading list will cost! Booko is great for searching for specialist or academic texts. All you need to do is type a book’s ISBN into the main search box (this ensures you are searching for the correct edition) and away you go. Booko can find most books, whether they are e-Books, Reference books, Fiction or Non-Fiction. And since Booko can locate used copies, you may be able to save even more by buying second-hand!

To set a price alert for a textbook, simply search up your book by entering either the ISBN or the title of the book into the search bar and when the search populates click the little orange box ‘Add an alert’.

Once the ‘Add an alert’ button is pressed, a box will appear asking for you to enter a price for a new and a used version of the book. Enter the price you would like to pay for either and click ‘Add’. The alert will be created and and email will be sent to you when the book has been sourced at the prices you have set.

Step Four: Create shop filters

Have some shops you’re not a fan of? Now you can filter them out of Booko’s price table and remove them from triggering your alerts. Simply edit them at the filters page.

Finally, shopping clever means being one step ahead. Did you know we now have a newsletter? It’s super low volume and we don’t email you every week, or even every month, just when we have something exciting to share. We’d love you to subscribe (oh, and you can unsubscribe at any time – it’s okay we won’t bug you or make you feel guilty, we know inboxes can get a little overwhelming). 

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Enjoy!

Booko: the clever way to buy textbooks online – Design Research Methods & Perspectives

Heading back to uni and have a textbook list as long as your arm? Pop the ISBN into Booko and load up your cart the clever way.

Today’s clever pick is Design Research Methods & Perspectives.

Booko: The clever way to buy textbooks online – Calulus

Heading back to uni and have a textbook list as long as your arm? Pop the ISBN into Booko and load up your cart the clever way.

Today’s clever pick is Calculus.

Booko: The clever way to buy textbooks online -Language, Literacy & Early Childhood Education

Heading back to uni and have a textbook list as long as your arm? Pop the ISBN into Booko and load up your cart the clever way.

Today’s clever pick is Language, Literacy & Early Childhood Education.

Monday Inspo

School and Uni start back soon as summer comes to an end. This week on the blog we’ll share how to be clever when buying textbooks with Booko; how to set price alerts, find the best prices and even search used books.

Booko: The clever way to buy textbooks online -Essential Statistics Fourth Edition

Heading back to uni and have a textbook list as long as your arm? Pop the ISBN into Booko and load up your cart the clever way.

Today’s clever pick is Essential Statistics.

Booko: The clever way to buy textbooks online – Metric Handbook: Construction Technology 2: Industrial & Commercial Building

Heading back to uni and have a textbook list as long as your arm? Pop the ISBN into Booko and load up your cart the clever way.

Today’s clever pick is Construction Technology 2.

Soak up the Bestsellers List this Summer

What does “holiday reading” mean to you? Does the slower pace of summer make you reach for light, breezy reads; or is this the time when you can finally commit to that big, substantial book? I do a bit of both – my Holiday Brain craves cheerful reads, but I always pack a variety just in case. I hope you can find YOUR perfect holiday read from this selection of recent bestsellers:

The Grand Tour by Olivia Wearne

When longtime friendly-neighbours Ruby and Angela set off for Adelaide in their campervan, little did they know what’s in store. These Grey Nomads became unwitting kidnappers when they discovered a little stowaway, and they also crossed paths with Angela’s estranged brother Bernard, a C-list celeb with his own troubles. Not only is The Grand Tour a quirky and very Aussie adventure, it is also a story about families – the ones you have and the ones you make. The laughter and heart just draws you in. The Grand Tour is Olivia Wearne’s debut novel, but she has a background in screenwriting and it shows – her descriptions are cinematic, the characters are well-developed, and the dialogue zings.

Dark Tides by Philippa Gregory

If you like holiday reads that sweep you off to a different time and place, then Dark Tides is for you. This atmospheric tale, set in London in the 1670s, is the sequel to Tidelands. We meet again with Alinor, a poor, hardworking woman who now owns a warehouse on the Thames riverbank. On Midsummer Eve, she receives two unexpected visitors, who set off a chain of events amidst the poverty of early Restoration London, the splendour of Venice as well as the wild frontiers of colonial America. Philippa Gregory is best known for her novels about Tudor royalty; her assured writing has translated equally well to this immersive series about a commoner family in a later era. 

All Adults Here by Emma Straub

All Adults Here is the ironic title of this gentle black comedy about an extended family from upstate New York – think Something’s Gotta Give crossed with The Royal Tenanbaums. The most grownup member of the Strick clan is probably 13-year-old granddaughter Cecelia – her parents, aunts and uncles, and even her grandmother still struggle with insecurity and adulting from time to time. Emma Straub writes affectionately about her cast of flawed characters, creates much humour from their interactions, and grounds their personal challenges in current issues including abortion, bullying, IVF, gender identity and sexual predators.

Because of You by Dawn French

On New Year’s Eve, as a new millenium arrives, two women are in the same hospital, giving birth. Only one of them will bring a baby home. Seventeen years later, the consequences of what happened that night slowly unravel, with surprising and poignant results. Five long years after her last novel, Dawn French has given birth to her latest hit, Because of You. This is a story about mothers and daughters, nature and nurture, mistakes and regret. Dawn French’s wit adds richness and lightness to an emotional and thought-provoking story; the rich characterisation and multiple points-of-view will draw you in and keep you hooked till the last page.

Lucky’s by Andrew Pippos

Another strong literary debut rewarded by bestselling status. Lucky’s is a big, multigenerational family saga about the rise and fall of Lucky Mallios, a Greek-American who settled in postwar Australia, and his eponymous chain of cafes. Sharp, vivid vignettes tell a story that spans almost a century, across several continents; yet this vastness telescopes into a finely interwoven web, where each character’s actions affect others in unforeseen and pernicious ways. Informed by Andrew Pippos’ personal history, the post-war migrant experience, and the iconic Greek-Australian cafe scene, both play important roles in this immersive story.


The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

Richard Osman joins a long list of successful comedians-turned-authors – but he stands out by debuting with a murder mystery. The Thursday Murder Club is a quartet of residents in an upmarket retirement village, who meet weekly to pore over unsolved crimes. This seems a fun but academic pastime – until the day a murder happens close to home. Richard Osman’s clever, deadpan personality, as seen in TV shows such as Taskmaster and QI, also shines through in his writing. He skilfully balances distinctive and recognisable characterisation with a pinch of Miss Marple, a smidge of the Ealing comedies, and balances everything with poignant asides on ageing and the end of life. No wonder that The Thursday Murder Club has become the fastest-selling adult crime debut ever in the UK.

Booko: The clever way to buy textbooks online – Metric Handbook: Planning and Design Data

Heading back to uni and have a textbook list as long as your arm? Pop the ISBN into Booko and load up your cart the clever way.

Today’s clever pick is Metric Handbook.