Poll

The majority of the time that is how I select books to read.

Yeah, i do it all the time. I think the cover tells a lot about a book :)

Sadly for me, the cover and title will do it.

I first look at the cover. Being an artist I wonder how much the writer believes in their work to hire a good artist to do their cover. Then, if it passes my test, I read the blurb. The blurb tells me how well the writer can explain their book.It also tells me how well the writer can write.

That's how you find all the best books

ONLY if it was FREE!

I suppose the cover helps, but I don't need it. The description is good enough. If it interests me, I'll read the book.

I do this all the time! How else am I supposed to decide if a book at the library looks interesting? :-)

Shadow of the Wind.. just picked it up. Had no clue about the fame and was immersed in the magic. Another one is The Book Thief.. same case. Famous but for some reason I did not hear about it till I picked it up.

Are you kidding me? That's the only way I would have found some of my favorite books. Live a little! Sheesh!

I do it alot. They say you can't judge a book by it's cover, but I do (as does Chuck Norris). Ha! A good cover will draw my attention and lure me to read the book description and see if it pikes my interest. I have gotten hooked on several authors that way.

That's the way I usually do it. Unless I'm familiar with & really like the author -- then I don't usually even read the description... ;)

It's true! A cover can tell alot about a book!

Some of the books I ended up enjoying the most caught my eye to instantly read just from the cover alone

How else do people choose books? Is there another way? Have I been doing it wrong all this time?

I'm a risk taker and I love read all types of books! A lot of the time a book I choose that way turns out the best :)

As a retired librarian, I still go for reviews. Also I go for word-of-mouth.

I usually decide on which books to read this way, but sometimes I need to read some of the first chapter and look at some reviews

Yep! Got some real winners like this... a few losers too but the good seems to outweigh the bad so I will continue doing it...

I replied, yes, I would take a chance on a book. I did not say I would finish the book though.

Yep I do it all the time and most recently with what I am reading now-Blind Obsession. I wanted to go into this blind so I read nothing. I didn't even read the synopsis.

Yes, I can tell if I will like it by reading the back cover. Also reading the first paragraph usually seals the deal.

Selecting a book by its cover is totally different from selecting based on its description...If you are selecting a book by its cover, then you are definitely taking a chance... but if you are reading the description then you actually have some idea of what that book is about... so how exactly are the two connected???
I, however, have often selected a book based only on its cover... and at times I have very very lucky with it ... take
Now that's one book I guess anyone will readonly gor its cover :-) Its perfect...

How else am I going to choose them?

Mari wrote: "How else am I going to choose them?"

Mari... What I mean to say is that the poll asks if we would read a book based on "the cover and the description" ... when you use the word "and" it means both... what it should have said is: "Would you read a book based on its cover or its description?" and then the options could be tweaked a bit :-)

I always read the cover and description before I decide to read a book.

I feel like the poll creator kind of limited the question. There are multiple ways of saying "no", yet only a "this might backfire on me" way to say "yes".

Personally, cover and summary are the primary and most often used method in picking the books I'd like the read. It's not about reading things you know you'll absolutely like. You aren't expanding your mind if you stay within your safe zone on everything you read.

Have you heard of "Lady in Gil"? I haven't met a single other person who has read that book, yet it was an amazing read. I got it at a Dollar store. I wasn't even in there looking for books, but I saw the cover, read the summary, and suddenly I was handing over money for it. Finding real treasures always requires some degree of risk. :)

I do it all the time. What is life without a little risk and mystery after all?

;)

Well if the description suggests a good story then I don't see why taking the chance would be so bad. I found my favourite book doing that. Sometimes I read the first few pages though if I'm not sure.

I have to admit that every once in a while, I only base the book on the cover and nothing else...I try not to though.

If the book intrigued me, and looked like the type of story I enjoy, I'd buy it.

When I first got interested in reading that is how I chose my books, reading the backs and finding ones that interested me. Then I found certain Authors I liked more than others or got invested in an Authors series and that became how I chose my books. Then I got interested in certain genres and added that to my criteria for choosing as well. Now I have more books than I can keep up with, with buying books to complete series, buying a favorite Author or a new series in a certain genre lol. Between my Kindle purchases and the actual books I buy from favorite Authors, I will never not have a new book to read and will always have a pile of new books lol.

I am a sucker for it! :) Only I hate it when it turns out to be a book that isn't my thing. I ALWAYS read the backs though.

Totally agree Patsy! I always have new books too. :P

I go to the library JUST to find books that sound interesting and intriguing based solely on the description. I especially need the books to be clean. I find it really fun to just walk in a library and pick up a random book, then check it out and devour it (of course, this is if I can get through the first five chapters without seeing curse words or inappropriate references). Picking a random book based on cover and description is like a treasure hunt. :)

It worked wonders for me when I first tried Divergent, which is now my favorite book. It even beat out I Am Number Four, which I went for in the same way, with only basic knowledge of the plot description and the awesome cover art.

i do it all the time. that's how i found my favourite book series Skulduggery Pleasant Pack: Skulduggery Pleasant, Playing with Fire, the Faceless Ones, Dark Days, Mortal Coil plus the rest of the series. i knew no one else who had read them, and i decided to take a chance.

Haha me too. I always seem to find the best books this way instead of recommendations from friends. My own personal discovery.

Same with Naomi. The cover matters a lot to me, and the description matters even more. C:

O the joys of picking a book.

Generally the only way I pick out books unless I already know the author.

I read quite fast so I have the time to waste, 2 hours of my life for a 150 page book is worth my time because it could be the best book I have ever read!

This is usually how I choose!

This is what we used to do in the old days before the Internet.

Cat wrote: "This is what we used to do in the old days before the Internet."

OH MY GOSH! THANK YOU! :D

I do it all the time with library books, but I don't think I'd actually buy a book without more information.

I accidentally clicked the wrong answer, oooops! I would definitely do this, I do it all the time.

It depends on how interesting the description is and if a author i love has made a commented on it saying it was an amazing book then i will for sure read it! Like The Last Thing I Remember i had that the author was an influence to Stephen King so that made me wanna read it!

It can depend. It's usually a combination of the description interesting me and if one of my favourite authors is quoted on the cover praising - note: it's the authors words praising it not some lazy 'like [X author]' tagline - then it'll sell me on it.

For example, I've bought books before now because the description sounded promising and two or three of my favourite authors were quoted on the cover praising it.

a cover draws me to look at the description then if the description sounds good its mine!

Strange poll imo because that's how I pick up books to read.