What draws you to a book?

What draws you to a new book?

Covers?
I will admit that a book cover carries more weight than it should. I judge books by their covers and if I don't like a cover, it will take a really good recommendation for me to pick it up. Covers also make it incredibly easy to recognize self-published books. Which fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on who you are, can be a good thing.

Titles?
A title should be catchy. I love when a title accurately reflects the subject matter in a book. I hate when a title goes for the obscure and vague and you never do quite figure out how it's related to the actual story.

Reviews?
I look at reviews, absolutely. I appreciate honest reviews. I like knowing ahead of time if a book has excessive profanity or sex, because it will affect my decision to read it. I like reading two and four star reviews because I believe those to be the most honest. If a book has only 4 or 5 star reviews, I am instantly on guard and I will assume that most of those reviews are from the author's friends and family. In the same vein, I sometimes question a book that is only 1 or 2 stars. The quality of the reviews always makes a difference regardless of whether it's positive or negative. When the reviewer can give me specific reasons, I am more likely to give that review weight.

Lists?
Just because a book is on a best selling or newspaper list, won't make a big difference on my decision to read. Last year, I saw several lists of "must read" or "best books of 2015" and it was interesting to note that many of the books on those lists weren't books that I'd read.

Recommendations?
If a friend directly recommends a book to me, I am more likely to look at it. If they have a copy I can borrow, that's even better! I loan out a lot of my books to friends and family because we share the same tastes.

What about you? What draws you to a book?

Comments

  1. A cover and title will certainly make me pick a book up more quickly but it takes a good description to lure me in.

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  2. Love this! I'm a complete cover slut so covers are a big deal. Author is important asbi own even read the blurb for my favorites, if they wrote it, I read it. Recommendations are always good. And of course subject matter. If it relates to WWII or my favorite Hapsburg, I'm sold!

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  3. Agreed! A beautiful cover or great description will draw me in, but the best way to get on my tbr list is to be recommended by readers I know.

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  4. I agree about covers and titles being important, but I also get drawn to books because of certain time periods or settings--like the Gilded Age, Boarding Schools, anything to do with ballet, any book set in Cornwall or Paris, the Roaring Twenties, etc. :)

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  5. Titles always, covers sometimes, recommendations often :)

    Shelleyrae @ Book'd Out

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  6. I love to read, so am glad to happen upon your blog today. The descriptions draw me in but if I'm still not sure, I read a review or two.

    I'm visiting from the Weekend Blog Hop. Here's my blog hop post... http://www.midlifemakeover.me/2016/02/menopausal-weight-gain-update.html

    Hope you're having a wonderful weekend!

    Jeanine

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