Strolling through a bookstore, online or brick and mortar, do you browse by sections, Sci-fi, Self Help, Romance, by author, the price, cover art, jacket blurb or placement of the book?
In a nutshell, I am asking you, the reader, how do you choose a book?
Answer in 100 words or less. There are no right or wrong answers. The lucky or hapless winner will receive a $20.00 Barnes & Noble eGift Card that may be used online or in the Barnes & Noble Bookstore near you. This means you can browse just about any way you like. The winner’s name will be drawn by Jeepers, my 3 year-old grandson, after the 28th of February, 2011.
Because comments are moderated on this blog, your post may not appear right away. Remember, to leave your name and email.
Jeeper’s drew the winning name from the NaNoWriMo Mug.
And the winner is —- Barbara Wright!
Comments
27 responses to “February Contest”
There are authors that I really enjoy reading and usually jump on their books when they come out. I pay absolutely no attention to the covers when it comes to shopping for other books. If the synopsis on the back intrigues me enough I will buy it or check it out. I work in a library and constantly see new and old books as they are checked in and out. I have bought so many books because I enjoyed them so much that I know I will read them over and over. I purchase donated books from the library, the proceeds from the sale of those books go directly back into the library for new material. I also purchase books from Borders, Barnes and Noble, Half Price Books, Target, and Amazon. I find a lot of books that are no longer being printed through Amazon. This resource is amazing!
First, the cover has to get my attention somehow. There is no formula for this as I am not drawn to anything specific, necessarily. But it is how I found Harry Potter (before the phenomenon) and also The Red Tent (which is about as far away from Harry Potter as you can get). I read across almost all genres and every book in the store has a shot at me if it can manage to flag me down, so to speak.
Second and most importantly, I read the first page or two. Maybe I should say I read the first paragraph or two because very often I can tell whether a book is for me that quickly. For me, if a writer has voice it will pop right off the page in those first paragraphs. When I am buying books online from Amazon or wherever, if there isn’t a ‘look inside’ I usually will not even consider buying.
For fiction I scan for favorite authors, interesting titles and/or hints on the content from the title. Then I’ll do a quick look at the back or inside cover to get the gist of the story, followed by reading a few pages if I get that far. For non-fiction and cookbooks I concentrate on flipping through and reading content.
Going to the bookstore is always an adventure. What goodies will I find today? Ooh, there’s that new Castle novel everyone’s talking about—I don’t have that. And look, that six-month-old Oates on the bargain table is only three dollars. Oh, the manager is signaling me she got in the true crime I asked for. And there’s that new Finca Vigia edition of Hemingway. What about the new King? Lehane? A whole five minutes in the store and I’ve already got a foot-high stack. Because you don’t choose a book, it chooses you.
Hope my credit card holds out.
I am captivated by the colors, intensity, uniqueness, and design of a book’s cover (and books with dogs on the front are almost always up my alley). Sliding it out from the shelf or, online, turning it over virtually, I look on the back and on the jacket flaps to find out what the book is about. A good summary has character and plot information and leaves me curious. When I open the book I look for clear, readable font, pleasant design, and a great first sentence!
I read writing books like crazy, so I always head for the writing section first. If nothing there catches my attention, I usually head for the manga or the romance section. It all depends on my mood. The title, the cover, and the back teaser all have to work to draw me in.
Oops, posted twice! Sorry about that.
Interesting question. I used to work for a tiny bookstore and it was a huge question every day of the week. Those days, the main answer was reader loyalty to big name authors, but I don’t think that applies now. So many times I’ve been disappointed with a big author read recently. So what counts for me now is the blurb. I’m a genre reader and if the blurb interests me, I’ll read it. And I’ve found that new and small pub writers are sometimes a better read. I also like to read anthologies to discover new authors.
This is an interesting question to me as I used to work for a tiny bookstore for many years. So it was a huge question every day of every week. And several factors went into what people would buy to read. One thing we could always rely upon was author loyalty, but I’m not sure if that counts as much in this new world. For me, what counts now is the blurb about the book. I read genre and if the blurb sounds like my type of thing, I’ll give it a try. I also love to read anthologies to find new authors that I might like. I must say that my author loyalty is often tested these days with the big names being forced to produce quickly and that I’m finding more and more often that new or small press authors are better reads. Never thought that would happen.
It doesn’t matter if it fiction, history, biography or cookbooks…I read jackets and cover descriptions. If the description catches me, I start reading on page one. Get me through a chapter or two without stopping, I’ll buy it.
What a fun and interesting contest/survey!
When I walk into a bookstore, I tend to stop by the periodicals first and see what interests me in that front – dogs, home remodeling, gardening, hobby farming, etc. The results of that venture tends to send me on my way to whatever department of similar interest held me the longest. From there, I suppose the cover photos and/or title do tend to be what makes me take a closer look at a book. I read very little fiction, so the ultimate decision as to a purchase is based largely on a book’s ability to be a reference guide in the future.
I like to walk into a bookstore and see where I end up. I wander through mystery, sci-fi, self-help, gardening, cooking, and more, and also sale tables if there are any. I read the titles, book covers, and jackets, and see what draws me in. It’s always fun and I end up with one or two books that are exactly what I was looking for but didn’t realize it. 🙂
[…] February Contest […]
I head straight to the Romance section first! I sometimes even do a second browse to make sure I havent missed anything. Then I head to the tables. Next I check out the Main Fiction. Last, the bargain books. Im like a kid in a candy store when it comes to bookstores!! I can hours there!
Thanks for the kewl contest!
hugs, Kari Thomas, http://www.authorkari.com
Having been a member of 3 book clubs for several years, I read specific authors and then keep a list of “to read” books as I learn of their upcoming release dates. I follow the authors and then who those author’s recommend!! LOVE having books on the nightstand awaiting a read!!!
A clever title will catch my eye. After that, I rely less on blurbs and more on content: the first paragraph, a paragraph from the middle, the last sentence. If I like the writer’s style or I’m curious about how the story unfolds, then I’ll invest my time in reading the entire book.
I do read everything by my favorite authors, partly out of loyalty and partly out of trust. Even books that I find less satisfying serve a purpose when considered with an author’s complete body of work. The collection of books tells its own story of the author.
I choose a book by walking in a book store and looking down the isle. Also if I see someone on line posting a book they read and it sounds good or if I see someone on TV mentioning a book the is interesting. But mostly walking around a book store. I like reading tons of different authors. I read books like a crack addict does crack. I never can get enough to read.
For me, about 90% of it has to do with my mood at the time of choosing the book. I tend to pick books that are the opposite of my current feelings. If I’m sad, I grab a happy, upbeat book. If I’m doing just great, I’ll select something deep and thoughtful to delve into. I like to stay balanced as much as possible, and that includes my reading. Thanks for this giveaway!
Interesting question. I worked as an artist in the past and so am drawn to the cover/title combo. If I like that I’ll flip to a random section and see if I’m grabbed by the style. If I’m REALLY grabbed I’ll sit down with it, maybe buy it. Most recent purchase: Mink River by Brian Doyle.
I browse by section walking slowly, looking for authors I know or have read about. I’ll stop and pull a book or two out to read the summary on the back cover. If one seems interesting I’ll leave it with the spine facing up and continue on down the aisle. Once I get to the endcap, which usually has featured favorites of employees, I quickly scan them. Usually I have read at least half of the books. If none interests me, I’ll go back down the aisle and take the books I have placed spine-up and buy them!
It’s all about the cover—end of story.–er, beginning of story, I guess. LOL
When I walk into a bookstore I look at the tables first, then I look in the fiction section and if the cover of the book grabs my attention, then I read the back cover to see if it interests me. I also look to see if some of my favorite authors have something new out.
There are three different ways I choose: by author, by cover art only if blurb looks good or recommendations (friends or online bookstore). If an author I love is coming out with a new book, I usually buy it (if I like the blurb).
I chose a book that I buy (not library, that I borrow) by genre. I like guides to anything nature. Especially wildflowers. A book that I borrow from the library, if it is terrific, sometimes I buy it. Also, if my favorite author comes out with a new novel and I don’t want to wait for it at the library or for the paperback, I buy the hardback and then give it to my high school library for their collection.
I read several different genres and will buy anything by certain authors that have never failed to entertain me with previous books. If it’s an author I haven’t read before I skim parts of the synopsis to see if it catches my interest. I prefer not to know to much before sitting down with a book, hence the brief glance at the synopsis.
I go by the cover – yes, I know about the cliche, but that’s how I do it. If the cover is mostly white, silver, gold, black, red, or blue, it’s between 300-400 pages, and it’s about lawyers, murders, or serial killers, it’s going to be good. Although at this point, I mostly just pick the authors I’ve already read and like. It’s only when I need a book and the library doesn’t have anything waiting for me that I’ll fall back on my other criteria 🙂
First, I go by sections that I like, then I’d have to say that covers are the next and most important things that catch my eye (yes, I DO judge a book by its cover – shame on me). I don’t go by back cover blurbs so much, but the first paragraph has to catch me.