I am going to use C to represent cookbook and N to represent N. I find that easier to remember which is which.
Day 1: 5C + 3N = 167
Day 2: 3C + 1N = 89
We need to solve one of these equation for either the C or N. I always choose the easiest one! Day 2 looks like the one.
3C + 1N = 89 (I am doing to solve for N because we won't have a fraction)
1N=89-3C
N=89-3C
Now we take this solution for N and put it into our first equation.
5C + 3(89-3C) = 167 (We need to distribute)
5C + 267 - 9C = 167 (Use subtraction to move C values to the right and numbers to the left)
267-167 = 9C-5C
100 = 4C
25 = C $25 for the Cookbooks.
Now, we have to go back and solve for N by putting $25 in for C in the second equation.
N=89-3(25)
N=89-75
N=14 dollars for each novel.
Check by putting both back into the first equation:
5C + 3N = 167
5(25) + 3(14) = 167. It checks out!