When buying a book

When you hear about a book that interests you, how much of it do you read at the store before buying it? Assuming it's not a popular book series such as Harry Potter, do you think most people read the first few pages before they buy?

edit: Forgot to ask if there's a site you can go to to preview a book (aside from Amazon) or do you just go to the store and read it there?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I tend to order my fiction books online. For travel guides, photography handbooks and anything similar, I'll go to the shops and flick through the entire thing first.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I read the back and judge it on that. As well as friend recommendations, reviews on the cover or previous knowledge of the author.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I just take out arm-fulls of books out from the library. Anything that sounds remotely interesting is alright with me. And, hey, if it sucks, no matter. Take it back, get another.

I love the library.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I buy books on a whim. As long as a book roughly deals with some sort of subject I'm fascinated with at that precise moment, then research into the book will not be required and the whim will be strong enough for it to override any "will this book actually be worth it and will I be bothered to read it" line of rational thinking.

I have about 20 books here which I bought ages ago and haven't bothered with. I can only hope my list of possible intellectual pursuits is quite short and cyclical in nature.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I rarely buy books, and when I do I'm sure of the author and what I want. Thus, I just buy a book whenever I know I want it beforehand. This applies to the Harry Potter series, anything by Dan Brown, and anything by Amy Tan for me.

Otherwise, for books in the humour section, I'll flip to random pages and see if I like what I read. If the humour book is designed like a novel, I instantly put it back. If it has an interesting layout I keep flipping to more random pages and eventually make a decision.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I usually just read the back and ,if I find it interesting, I'd read a few pages at random to see if I like (Or can stand) the author's style of writing.

I also look at the cover sometimes; it can give you an idea of the setup. Its not always accurate but oh well.

FELIPE NO

Sadly I succumb to judging a book initially by its "cover." If it looks interesting, then I pick it up and read the back's synopsis. However this method is occasionally successful for it is hard for a book to please me (I guess I am too harsh of a critic).

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

As others have said, generally I'll give the back a read and see if it sounds interesting. Generally though I tend to be interested in books by authors I'm familiar with some sometimes I just do it on the strength of the author's previous work.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'll have to read half the book or more before buying it. Its very easy for a few pages of book to get interesting conveniently before the story drops out from beneath you. Although this is sometimes faulty thinking, I find that an author who can keep me entertained with the story AT LEAST half way though the book, stands a much better chance of maintaining interest through the rest. At the very least, you know that you could be getting 200+ pages of goodness whereas reading 14 pages and losing out on another 300 after making a purchase without realizing what was in store, just doesn't seem to be worth the trouble.

Its best to feel the book through a bit before coming to a decision. There are times when this is unnecessary but I find it works for me.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

How do you actually go about reading half a book before buying it? Do you take it out from the library, read halfway, and go "WELP THIS LOOKS PRETTY GOOD, BETTER RETURN IT AND BUY A COPY BEFORE A FINISH".

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I read the first paragraph of the first chapter (not preface/prologue). Normally I'll know whether or not I'll like the author with that. But if I don't get the idea after that, I read the first 2 pages. If I still don't like it, I put the book down and move on.

I buy online from chapters, but make a book list and read inside chapters.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

When I'm buying a book, I tend to read the back/dust jacket to get the synopsis. If it sounds interesting, then I'll pick it up. I usually start with authors I like, then look for something that catches my eye. That's how I found Steve Berry.

That's not to say I haven't found a few duds by my favorite authors--but for the most part--it tends to work.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I always flick through a few pages, but I don't necessarily read the first few paragraphs; just a few sentances from random places and the blurb. I mostly buy books based on my favourite authors so I'm pretty certain I'll like the style without having to bother with the above. So far, I haven't come across any duds this way (although I've yet to read the first of the Liveship Traders trilogy by Robin Hobb and I bought the first two about half a year ago).

I've become quite the library whore recently. If I like a book I recently took out on loan I'll buy a copy. I've not much money to spend on literature so it's handy to stop me from buying a book I'll never read again.

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Most of my happenstance books (ie: 3/4 of my novel collection) were chosen by:

1. Noticing the cover and/or title (I'm an artist/graphic artist, so sue me for being shallow...)
2. Reading the synopsis on the back cover/inside flap.
3. Possibly noticing the author...if it's somebody I recognize.

There's always the odd book you find mostly at used book sales and antique shops that doesn't have a dust jacket, therefore no synopsis. In that case, I do flip around the book and read some of it, but it's hard to get a feel for a book in that way. My grandma, on the other hand, reads about 1/4 of the book in the store before making a decision -- something I really can't do.

I never have really liked checking out books from the library, but since UT's library system is so freaking amazing I've come to appreciate it more. I don't like to check out things mostly because I don't usually read stuff that I'm interested in for at least 6 months to a year, oftentimes longer. So...yeah. Checking out a book for a few weeks doesn't really jive with my habits...

FELIPE NO

The last time I bought new books at a brick-and-mortar retailer was a long time ago. Amazon serves me well these days. I used to read the blurb, plus maybe as much as two pages from the first chapter. I've usually made my decision by the time I'm in a bookstore, or at the least I have a shortlist of books I expect to like. I guess that's why shopping online suits me. I don't make impulse purchases. Sometimes I buy something I wasn't expecting to buy, but that would be because I've found something in a used bookstore that is out of print, and I never expected to find a copy. The most impulsive I would ever get is to buy another book by an author I'm accustomed to.

All of that applies to all my purchasing decisions, really. Videogames, DVDs, CDs. I've usually researched my choices long before the moment of purchase. The only time that wouldn't apply is if I'm buying something on a personal recommendation.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Most of the books that I buy are books that I have checked out from the library and I like them so much that I absolutely have to procure my own copy. My brother buys a lot of books that are good though, and so usually I just mooch off of him.

If I do buy a book randomly, the look and feel of the book is very important to me. Dover thrift editions are my absolute favorite; the font and size of their books are really nice. I'm kind of particular about the way the books appear, which is kind of weird to some.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I will randomly buy a book, but only after reading a little up on what it's about, and if it's part of a series, if I can get the other books in the series. Sometime the other books in the series aren't readily available, like most of the books in F. Paul Wilson's The Adversary Cycle, only The Keep and The Tomb are readily available (unless you want to spend up to 70.00 for special editions for each title) the final four can be got through used book stores and stuff, but that's not always an easy thing.

If I like a book from a author I just "found" then I will get all the books by them I can, like Jack Ketchum after reading Off Season, or in rare occassions, just buy all I can at once and hope for the best, like F. Paul Wilson's Repairman Jack series, and Robert R. McCammon, who I at one time bought all his books that were in print.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Usually, I think of something interesting, go to that section, browse, pick up a random book, read the back, read part of the middle &/or beginning, then put it in the stack.

When I'm finished browsing, I usually go through the 20-30 books I've picked up, see what interests me most, what I can afford, and then buy a coffee and read random parts. Then I buy the best 5 or 6.

I only buy a book online if I can't get it directly from the store or if it's IMMENSELY cheaper. ex: Just bought "Journey to the West" and "Dream of Red Mansions" after I was inspired to read Asian Literature via the Tale of Genji. Amazon says 40 bucks. They must be out of their minds, i don't care if it IS imported, that's too much. So I buy it used. I rarely ever buy a new book online.

How ya doing, buddy?

I buy too many books for my own good. I don't know why I don't just go to the library .

My shopping style is very erratic. Sometimes I sit down and read like thirty pages of the thing before buying it. Othertimes I literally judge it by its cover. But then, I read a ton of fantasy, and, considering how much high fantasy shit is on the shelves these days, if there aren't any unicorns (Mercedes Lackey) or topless chicks (Jacqueline Carey) or the name Terry Goodkind on there, then it's bound to be interesting. (Hey, it worked for American Gods and Perdido Street Station.)

When I actually know and love a particular author, I purchase their new books indiscriminately. When I have the money.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I buy too many goddamn books. I mostly buy food books and cookbooks anymore (I'm a culinary arts student) and I look at specific subject matter when I'm looking to make a purchase. I give it a short look through to determine if I really want it (thank God for comfy chairs in bookstores) and then make up my mind. I also patronize an independent bookstore in my area which orders anything I want (it's good to be a good customer.) Anyway, I also look at authors and who they have connections to.

I was speaking idiomatically.

I live near an awesome used book store that carries a lot of recent stuff (not to mention a ton of cool older stuff) and I often leave the place with 2-3 books for less than $5, so I don't really have to fret over price. I also frequent library book sales, which again is beans as far as money goes. New books are way too pricy and I'm so backlogged on new stuff that I can easily wait for things to go on remainder or turn up used somewhere.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Typically I go by favorite author first. If I see a new book by Haruki Murakami or Neal Stephenson, I tend to check those out before anything else. If I like the first few pages, I typically buy the book from an online vendor to save money (I hate paying cover price for books at B&N).
I like to read it first before I buy it, no matter how much I like the author. It might turn out that the author writes worse in each successive book, like what happened with Chuck Paulahniuk (sp?). Yeah, after Choke I just couldn't read his books anymore. It all felt so...regurgitated.

As for unknown authors that I stumble on, well...I guess I go by what catches my eye. I tend to look for interesting titles, then I'll read the description and the first few pages. That's how I discovered the amazing House of Leaves. And looking back, that's how I found Murakami. I noticed his book Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World and was blown away. Even the first 3 pages were unlike anything I'd ever read before.

FELIPE NO

I'm someone who researches a fair amount into any purchase, so I may have some bias when buying a book. For fiction and non-fiction, I'll turn to whichever contains my favorite themes or subjects and try it out until I reach something particularly compelling. If I make it through 20 pages or the chapter on what would be a normal-sized paperback without finding it, I put it back, re-research, and then decide.

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Read the beginning of Italo Calvino's 'If on a Winter's Night a Traveller'. That just about sums up how I ended up buying Italo Calvino's 'If on a Winter's Night a Traveller'.

Jam it back in, in the dark.