There’s nothing surprising here to discover my life revolves around books. Whether it’s reading them or writing them, I love books. At any given time I have books on my night-stand, on the book shelf and in my Kindle just waiting for me to find the time to read them. I’ve read all kinds of books, fantasy, paranormal, mystery, romance, thriller, contemporary and literary fiction to name a few. I’ve even read a few non-fictions and self-help books. I lend books, swap books and buy books. I think you get the picture.
With the popularity of on-line review sites, review blogs and review magazines there’s any number of ways to get my hands on just the kind of book that appeals to me. Instead, it has become more of a challenge. Everyone seems to have an opinion now and is more than willing to share it with whoever might listen.
Is one bad review enough to shun a book? How about two? Does five stars mean I’ll stay up all night turning the pages on my latest purchase? Unfortunately, I’ve found out through probing and testing that there is no fail safe way to find books that I like. So I still revert to the old fashion way. I look for covers that appeal to me. Then I check out the back cover blurb and see if the story seems interesting and if something there resonates with me. I must admit, sometimes my test fails and I end up throwing books on the do not resuscitate pile. I have a list of favorite authors that I buy books from without doing any of the above. Most of the time, I’m pretty happy with process
But it got me wondering, how many people buy books based on a review, or a recommendation. How many people check the New York Times Best Sellers list or wait to hear an endorsement from a television show or a book critic? How about a book awards, like the Pulitzer? Do these steer you towards books you love?
What about you? I’d really would like to know how you buy a book? What is your process for making that selection?
