Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't "How to Create Your Own Freaking Awesome Programming Language" the motivation for CoffeeScript. That alone should be enough motivation for sending your money that way.
Check out Andrej Bauer's Programming language Zoo for some simple languages implemented in OCaml. Although he focuses more on the implementation/runtime semantics than on syntax.
Compiler Construction: http://www.ethoberon.ethz.ch/WirthPubl/CBEAll.pdf
The Elements of Computing Systems: http://amzn.to/GQycqj
MetaCompilers: http://www.bayfronttechnologies.com/mc_tutorial.html
How to Create Your Own Freaking Awesome Programming Language: http://createyourproglang.com/
Bootstrapping a simple compiler from nothing: http://www.rano.org/bcompiler.html