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    [Books] How do you choose books you buy?

    I came across an interesting series of books mentioned in another topic. Had it not been brought up I probably never would have come across this 4 part series, which seems to be the basis in-part for the Stargate series.

    So I was curious how people decide what books they are going to buy when at the bookstore.

    For me its all in a name. If the name doesn't grab me I probably won't buy it. Secondly the cover art. Doesn't have to be an extravagant masterpiece, could be sometime simple like a symbol. But if the name or to a lesser extent the cover art grabs my attention I will check out the back of the book.

    I have yet to be disappointed in a book choice, but I think I am also missing a lot of great books as well. So how do you guys pick your books?

    One book I would like to share I read many years ago called 'The Eyes of Light and Darkness." by Ivan Cat. The name and cover art grabbed me and I knew I was going to buy it before I read the back cover. It is a science fiction novel, no epic series, no sequels, just a one shot story.

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    Usually pick any Fantasy/Horror book and do my best to stay clear from youth books(except for Bert Ljung if you're from Sweden).
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    Typically, I only buy books after being recommended them, either by a friend or a credible source on the internet. It's how I first stumbled upon the Wheel of Time series, and I haven't regretted buying the first box set since.

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    Quote Originally Posted by StationaryHawk View Post
    Typically, I only buy books after being recommended them, either by a friend or a credible source on the internet. It's how I first stumbled upon the Wheel of Time series, and I haven't regretted buying the first box set since.
    A good friend of mine ordered me to read that series, haven't had a chance yet though.

  5. #5
    Scarab Lord Skizzit's Avatar
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    Usually I will go on a site like amazon and look up authors or novels that I liked and go down to the "Customers also bought" thing and look through those. Either that or by recommendations. I vary rarely go into a store without already knowing what I am going to purchase.

    BTW, what is that four part series you mentioned?

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    I am Murloc! Cairhiin's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Skizzit View Post
    Usually I will go on a site like amazon and look up authors or novels that I liked and go down to the "Customers also bought" thing and look through those. Either that or by recommendations. I vary rarely go into a store without already knowing what I am going to purchase.

    BTW, what is that four part series you mentioned?
    Pretty much do the same. Go to an online book store and check my usual writers and then check the "customer also bought" and then check up on some reviews.

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    I always look at the title, the cover, and the synopsis. If all three are to my liking I will buy it.

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    I really won't ever buy a book before I do a little research on it. I'll go up to Barnes and Noble and look through books or surf sites and look up reviews. Sadly these days that's not becoming to much of a help because people feel the need to review the price of the ebook instead of reviewing the actual book. It's so stupid. God I won't get into it here because that's not what this is about but I wish people would stop reviewing a price at 1 star. But I'll look through the reviews see what people are saying before I buy a book. Sometimes they don't help because I'll read bad stuff about the books but I get it anyway because I think they are being biased.

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    I don't often buy books - I rather try to get them from friends or the library because I need to read up on the important novels of the English literature. Ohterwise, it's usually Die Drei ??? (The Three Investigators) books, which is actually a children's book series, but I think it has a charming nostalgia to it, and if you look at a children's book from the right perspective, it can be pretty funny.

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    Titan Gallahadd's Avatar
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    usually by looking at the covers, that's what you're supposed to do right, judge books by their covers?

    j/k usually it's one of two ways, either if I've read something by that author before, and know they're good, or if I've read good reviews/had friends tell me their good. VERY rarely, if I need a book, and have no recommendations, I'll go into waterstones and spend 3 hours looking at various books, reading the dust jackets and getting general impressions, then I go home and just read the Night Watch series again
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    Recommendation by friends or a certain site on the internet I trust. Sometimes an author I like will 'dedicate' a book to one of their favorite authors (not that blurb crap that they are contractually obligated to do), and that will often have me take a look at them.

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    If it doesn't have a recommendation from some of my friends (who have good taste, mind you) then I probably won't get it. Bonus if Amazon reviews are highish.

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    Almost stay exclusively to recommendations from a few literature-obsessed friends. I will also read a book if I see a movie that I really enjoy (and I mean REALLY enjoy) that was based on it. Examples: LOTR, Game of Thrones, Frankenstein (yes I know that GoT is a TV show, but same difference).

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    I get a couple free books a month from the publisher that we work for, so I browse the catalog and pick things that seem remotely interesting. I also wait for manuscripts that I've read over (and like) to be released and will usually buy 'em to support the author. Other than that, I ask guildies.
    This concept of wuv confuses and infuriates us.

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    I judge the book by its cover...

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    I have a friend who reads a lot more than me. He usually recommends series or authors he think I might like.
    Otherwise I usually just stumble over a good series by chance. As was the case when I found Gardens of the Moon which introduced me to the Malazan Book of the Fallen series. I thought the book had an interesting cover, and when I read the summary of the plot on the back, I decided to give it a shot, I don't regret that one bit.

    So yeah, Advice from a good friend or by reading the summary of the plot.

  18. #18
    Banned Rageissues's Avatar
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    Is the author John Steinbeck? If yes, I buy it. If it's not, then I just check it out. John Steinbeck mastered the art of transferring an orgasm into written format.

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