What makes you buy a particular book?

[Tuffdisc]

Is it the author, recommendation from family/friends, what the (EDIT#3) blurb of the book surmises, or do you thumb through a few of the pages?

For me, I read the back of the book, plus thumb through a few pages of that book
EDIT#2:
Oops, it can be borrowed a book from the library, rather than just buy

Blurb the word

 

[Darrell]

I usually read the back of the book and then I just open a random page and read it. If it sounds interesting, I'll buy it. I don't read a lot of books, I don't have time. I read about 200 pages a week for school.

 

[Springsteen]

First and foremost the author, a good author who I have read before will always be a good thing. But I will always read the back of the book to see if I may like it. Generally speaking then I have a good idea about the book.

On the flicking through and briefly reading it thing, I find a big bookstore easy to do this in, they don't bother you in there.

 

[itsmeJonB]

The cover. Its the only way to judge books after all

 

[dkwrtw]

Cover Art initially attracts me to the book, then reading the back determines if I want to buy it.

 

[Kyle B]

Reading the back of the book.

 

[HK]

If I've read and enjoyed the author then I will generally buy again without reading the blurb.

If it's an unknown then the cover at attracts me first, then I'll read the back. If I like the back, I'll look at the first page to see if I like the writing style.

Generally I buy books from the front of the store where the new releases and big sellers go. There's often a nice mix of stuff I already know and new authors there.

 

[Zorak]

Usually because I've been told to buy it and read it and study it.

I have no interest in reading fiction of my own volition anymore.

 

[itsmeJonB]

The library lends the book, the consumer borrows it

 

[Tuffdisc]

The library lends the book, the consumer borrows it

OK, I will edit again :thumbup

 

[Niamh]

The first 3, the only one I don't do is thumb through the first few pages

 

[Abcinthia]

- Who the author is
- The blurb on the back of the book
- Genre
- If it's been recommended to me
- Cover
- If the book is part of any special offer (if I'm buying it)
- If it's been recently returned (if at the library)

 

[Delorean]

Author
Blurb
Recommendation-by others or another author I like
Cover
Publicity- I've bought a few things because they were in the media or talked about a lot; Harry Potter series, the Da Vinci Code, Twilight, etc.

 

[Obdurate]

It kind of depends on a few things, because I look for different things for different genres (for better or for worse).

If I'm looking to buy a Fantasy novel, it's cover all the way. There are so many shitty, uninspired, Dragon Lance lookin' Fantasy novels, so a novel with an interesting, not quite so generic cover will often get my attention. Same goes for Sci-Fi. That's not to say that I won't buy a Fantasy novel with a shitty cover because I know that some great books have awful covers, but it's my first impression.

Other fiction... it tends to be either the title or the author. Author if I've read something by him/her or have heard good things. Titles are extremely important in any genre but yeah. A good title means a lot. Sometimes I won't even read the back if it has a great title.

Then of course the back. So my post is nothing real original.

 

[Mystic]

Cover Art initially attracts me to the book, then reading the back determines if I want to buy it.

:homo::nod:...however, most of the book i have enjoyed in the last four years were recommended by friends.

 

[jassilem]

Cover art sometimes will get me to pick up a book..

But it's usually the author, the genre and if the blurb on the back sounds good to me.

 

[Rai Dimitri]

i dunno i pick it up, read it, observe it then... the soul does the rest of the job! Looooool. srsly!

 

[johnbriner]

The author is a big factor for me as well as the genre. I also read the synopsis written at the back of the book and some random pages. If I find make the purchase.

 

[pandandesign]

I would buy the book if it's written by my favorite author. I sometimes buy the book if it sounds good to me, regardless who writes it. However, I only buy books if they are Young Adult Contemporary fiction. That's the only genre I read.

 

[Katya S]

Mostly the blurb. But if I've already read some books by the author and enjoyed them, then I'm more likely to read it (and if it's been recommended to me by a friend).