request it at your library. There will be a waiting list, but bestsellers tend to have a lot of copies and they don't allow renewals, so you will get it with in 2 months (this is why you should request it before it comes out). I am 36, so 2 months is not a lot of time to me... as you get older time goes by faster. And yes, I feel that way with Robert Jordan.
reading in the bookstore is a good option. Earlier in my programming career, I used to go to Barnes and Noble every Saturday morning and spend several hours sampling a variety of programming books. The library never carries a good selection of these and they are about $50+ each. So it would have cost me $1,000s of dollars to buy them. Learned a lot.
I believe amazon.com still gives you a $25 credit if you get their credit card. That covers the cost of the book. If your too young to get a credit card have your parents do it. Costs them nothing. Just rip the card up when done if you don't want it (I have a drawer full of once used cards that I got for discounts).