Poll

It's the cover that draws me in & the description that makes me read it.

...is there another way to choose books?
(Oh. I guess some people buy books they haven't read, as opposed to browsing library shelves.)

Cindy wrote: "I do it all the time!"

ditto. why wouldn't you? it's more exciting that way.

I always decide based on the cover and description. It's how I choose books by authors I have never read before. Most of the time it pays off and I enjoy the book, but for the others... well, I can at least say that I have read it if someone asks me about it.

I don't have enough money to take the chance on something as expensive as a book!

Usally the only reason i read a book is because :

well:

The cover stands out, draws me to it:
the blurb gets me thirsting for it....

Subject, a catchy cover, both are important. But the real test comes when I read the opening paragraph...I want to be dazzled by style...I want an immediate sense of time and place...

I do it almost every time I'm at the store!

is this suppose to imply that people don't look at a cover and read a description and then read the book? I know of no one who doesn't(yet)

All the books I'd ever read would probably be narrowed down to like two if I hadn't gone off the description and/or cover

:) :) :) "Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy"-Miss Frizzle, The Magic School Bus

Kathy wrote: ":) :) :) "Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy"-Miss Frizzle, The Magic School Bus"

I used to LOVE That series !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The books AND THE TV series !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Lashya wrote: "Kathy wrote: ":) :) :) "Take Chances, Make Mistakes, Get Messy"-Miss Frizzle, The Magic School Bus"

I used to LOVE That series !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The books AND THE TV series !!!!!!!!!!!..."

Haha SAME!!!!!!!!!!

I select many of my books this way. I have also given myself permission to stop reading if it becomes torture.

Chant wrote: "I select many of my books this way. I have also given myself permission to stop reading if it becomes torture."

How exactly does someone ""give THEMSELF "permission to stop reading" ???????????????

i would cause thats how i found, The Rook and The Partials. both are amazing books.

I have. Some busts. Some gems. Sort of like my weekend drives. You take a road you've never been down before, no telling what you'll find.

Of course I choose books by their cover and description - sometimes just one or the other. It's how I've found some of my favorite books.

I have read some of the best books by just deciding to read from the cover picture alone.

i often pick up a random book, read the description, read the book, then the next in the series, and pretty soon, i've read all of the books by that author.

ISNT THIS HOW YOU PICK A BOOK?!?!?!

Of course, had I not done so I would have never read Emperor Mollusk versus The Sinister Brain, which I loved.

Emperor Mollusk versus The Sinister Brain

"Curb Appeal" is crucial. Not everything, but crucial...

i do all the time!

nope. I always actually have a "look"...read a few pages through the book, check near the end. OR it must have recommendations from people whose taste I trust implicitly. I don't have the money to risk on just a cover and some marketing hype.

They say do not judge a book by its cover but I totally do, I can't help it. If it looks good and sounds good, I will read it.

I think the question assumed (i know, not good to assume) that this was an author unknown to the reader. Otherwise it wouldn't be based solely on the cover and description. The reader would have other knowledge of the style, etc.


Jennifer wrote: "This seems like such a strange question to me but then again are they factoring in our knowledge of the author in this question or should I just assume we have zero knowledge of the author? Assumin..."

ya, i dont know. :/

Sometimes the cover catches my eye and i read the description and If i like that type of read i will get it

im so daring sometimes i base my reading a book on the cover, although not true with my favorite books. so, ...im gonna stop doimg that.

I would have to agree that this is how I find most of my books. I walk down the isle/shelves and if the cover catches my eye I check out the description. I know it's terrible and cliché to go based on the cover, but it's ridiculous to say it isn't a deciding factor.

I do it often. I walk into the library and like the look/sound of the book and take it home with me.

I don't even look at books that I pull off the shelf at my library, I just take them off the shelf and check them out before even looking at what I selected, I find it makes for the most fascinating book finds, and I get to reread books at times.

I definitely need to look inside the book! If I see sloppy typesetting for example - text is not justified I am not even reading a line. If it is OK I read first chapter or first page to have feel for writing - then I decide.

Oh, and I forgot to add: I am reading and buying tons of books but I never, ever read reviews: majority of people have different taste than me, so it is useless for me. I have reviewers who I know (New Yorker) if this guy likes a book - I am not buying if not - I do! So all those strangers reviews are not interesting for me.

Alina and Mildred, I like your attitude

Once I borrowed a book only because its author had a birthday on the day I came to the library. It was on the table where they displayed new books, and when I turned the back side I've decided immediately to take it home with me only because it was his birthday without even looking at the short description. It turned out to be a great book!

A sexy guy on the cover gets my attention.
The reviews and blurb about the book can draw me in totally---to purchase.
I am reluctant to pay $6 or more for an ebk when the print is only $7---14 and lasts forever.

Some of the best books I have read I have bought based just on the title, cover image, and brief description on the cover.

isn't that what we used to do before we could get hundreds of recommendations and reviews online?

Mostly how i pick out books!

So true!!!

I've found some unexpected, great finds that way!

Hard to say. Typically, the cover will draw me in to the description, then the description will draw me in to the reviews, then the reviews will force me to check on goodreads to see what my friends here are reading. I know a few people here that if THEY liked something, I'm all over it.

I'm picking up This Man and a few others because of some reviews here. I'm WAY behind on my own reviews. Gaar. Especially knowing how valuable they are to me, I should be getting them up in a more timely fashion, but even typing all this here, makes me think I should be getting to my own work....

So, laters....

isn't the description how you judge the book?!

I am a cover slut for sure and sometimes, I get whipped for it too.

its the only way to find any real good books, even if you dont like the first one, they usually get better as the series goes on, or somtimes they just make the one and they leave you thinking if they should have made another one or not, or you are just really thankful that they didnt...

I am totally judge a book by its cover kind of guy.

Oh sure I have done this many times. I always base my decision to read an unfamiliar book though on what the story is about, and the type of book that it calls itself from the inside cover: short story, inspirational, etc. I have read some good books this way. Yard sales are the best place to find these books.

Maybe.