# What made you buy your last book?



## TracyRozzlynn (Jun 15, 2011)

I'm curious - how do you decide what book to read next?

I'm guilty of judging a book by its cover. I go to the YA section and browse by the covers. If I'm on-line I usually put them in best-selling order and then brows. If the cover interests me, I read the book blurb.

However, that's not how I've found some of my favorite books. I read my first _Harry Potter_, because someone left it in the book pile at work and everything else looked boring. Friends and family have given me some great hand-me-down books. I skipped over the _Hunger Games_ several times because I didn't like the cover. Fortunately, curiosity over what such an ugly cover could be about, got me to read the blurb. I only discovered Amanda Hocking's books because Nathan Bransford's blog had an article about her. _My Blood Approves _ was the first eBook I ever read.

So, I guess I'm asking two questions. How did you decide to buy your last book and what are some of the more interesting ways you've stumbled onto a great read?


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## Lyndl (Apr 2, 2010)

The last book I bought was Bitterwood. It was recommended in the KB thread on Dragons. I bought it 2 days ago and finished it last night . Starting on Book 2 in my lunchbreak shortly.

I would normally never go near 'chick-lit' books but a friend sent me two as a birthday gift. Angels and This Charming Man, by Marion Keyes. I had them for over a year and finally picked them up and read them because I'd run out of books to read (this was pre-Kindle) I enjoyed them, but wouldn't spend money to buy more.

Edited to add: I've bought quite a few books by clicking on the thumbnails of KB authors. If the title and/or cover catches my eye, I'll click.


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## TracyRozzlynn (Jun 15, 2011)

Lyndl said:


> The last book I bought was Bitterwood. It was recommended in the KB thread on Dragons. I bought it 2 days ago and finished it last night . Starting on Book 2 in my lunchbreak shortly.
> 
> I would normally never go near 'chick-lit' books but a friend sent me two as a birthday gift. Angels and This Charming Man, by Marion Keyes. I had them for over a year and finally picked them up and read them because I'd run out of books to read (this was pre-Kindle) I enjoyed them, but wouldn't spend money to buy more.


I know what you mean. I rarely go outside of the YA realm. Frankly I don't need to. There always something new to read. Usually when I do stray from my genre, I'm sadly disappointed. Even if it is a good book, it's just not my taste, and it usually takes me a lot longer to read it.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

The last book I bought was recommended by Pixel of Ink and I liked the blurb.


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## John Dorian (Jul 23, 2011)

The title, pretty much always the title. If I don't like the title I don't usually buy it.

I'll read pretty much anything because when I do read, it's just that I want to read, not anything specific, you know?


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## hakimast (Jul 23, 2011)

It had some nice reviews


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## NSRob (Jul 29, 2011)

The last book I bought is part of a series of books I've been reading. Its Angie Sage's Septimus Heap series actually. I stumbled across these books while I was waiting for one of the Harry Potter books to come out. Many of the books I read has come about from recommendations from people I know.


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## Laura Lond (Nov 6, 2010)

The last one I've grabbed is _Venom of Vipers_ by a fellow KB author, currently available for free. It wasn't the "price" that made me take it though, I was impressed with the book's reviews.


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## Patrick Reinken (Aug 4, 2011)

Reviews and recommendations catch my eye, but I buy based on the first few pages.


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## Jim Franz (May 22, 2011)

The last book I bought (the past few, actually) have all been KB authors, since I hadn't been exposed to their work before joining the forums.

The last books I read, however, are still hardbacks and paperbacks that I'm trying to get through from my To Be Read piles, before I only read on my Kindle.


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## D/W (Dec 29, 2010)

The last book I purchased is Confusing the Seasons, by Dan Cavallari. The author is a newcomer to Kindle Boards.

I was first attracted by the cover because I love autumn colors. I thought the story sounded intriguing in the book description. The clincher was that the book has numerous outstanding reviews. My too-be-read list is _very_ long, but I'm looking forward to reading it!


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## J.R.Mooneyham (Mar 14, 2011)

Once I find an author whose writing I like, I tend to read as many books by them as possible in a row; especially if they have one or more series of related works available (and they all belong to one of my preferred genres; however, some authors are so good they can transcend genres (at least with me)).

I'm currently reading my third book by Iain M. Banks, about the Culture: a utopian society of the far, far future, with amazingly advanced technologies. Previous to that, I was reading books by Neal Stephenson, Charles Stross, Vernor Vinge, Clive Cussler, etc. In my youth I read many by Niven, Heinlein, Norton, Pohl, and others.


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## *Sandy Harper* (Jun 22, 2011)

Since I read lot of non-fiction, I buy only if there is value in a book or I am looking for a particular kind of info.


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## PatrickWalts (Jul 22, 2011)

The cover is rarely if ever a deciding factor for me.  Usually it's a combination of blurb and reviews.  Blurb more than anything.  Some of the best books I've ever read have had the worst covers I've ever seen...and vice versa.


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## Riven Owler (Jul 9, 2011)

I don't usually buy books because my Mom has good eclectic taste and generally piles me up with more books than I can read.  I do go off of people's opinions though, and lately I'm really curious about Unbroken because so many folks like it.


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## cheriereich (Feb 12, 2011)

The last books I bought from Amazon were from authors I've read before and enjoyed their book. I found out they had new books out, so I bought. The last books I bought at a bookstore was when I went to the Ash2Nash book tour for Beth Revis (_Across the Universe_), Myra McEntire (_Hourglass_), and Victoria Schwab (_The Near Witch_). I bought _Hourglass_ and _The Near Witch_, so I could get the authors to sign those books (I already had _Across the Universe_ and loved it). Plus, I bought Holly Black's _White Cat_ because I heard it was good and it was only $3.97 at Books-a-Million. Price and word of mouth or a given track record does work.


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## Gregory Lynn (Aug 9, 2011)

Laura Lond said:


> The last one I've grabbed is _Venom of Vipers_ by a fellow KB author, currently available for free. It wasn't the "price" that made me take it though, I was impressed with the book's reviews.


If you like fantasy, check out her Kinshield Legacy, it and it's sequel are fun reads.

I stroll through the kindle store and get gobs of previews and check them out. And there's word of mouth...keyboard these days I guess.

And every now and then my ten year old self finds something and goes "Squeee." I thought I killed him thirty years ago but it turns out, not so much.


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## KateEllison (Jul 9, 2011)

I can't remember the exact last book I bought (for the Kindle), because I downloaded about 5-6 this week, but it definitely came from hanging out here. I am being exposed to a lot of authors on the boards and I am such a sucker for a good cover/blurb combo.  

I also tend to pick up books based on friends' recommendations and based on positive reviews on book blogs. Occasionally I'll get something because of those emails Amazon sends out with the "notable books of the month" ... or is that B&N that does that?


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## WriterCTaylor (Jul 11, 2011)

I read both hard copy and Kindle. I have brought a couple of Kindle books recently based on what a few people said on these discussions. I haven't read them yet, but plan to. Like others, I need to get through my pile of hard copies first. Hard copies I buy based on the cover, then the blurb, then the price. Some authors I buy regardless because they have a proven history with me.


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## PatrickWalts (Jul 22, 2011)

Riven Owler said:


> I don't usually buy books because my Mom has good eclectic taste and generally piles me up with more books than I can read. I do go off of people's opinions though, and lately I'm really curious about Unbroken because so many folks like it.


When I was a kid my mom worked at a bookstore, and you know how they rip the covers off and report damaged books as "unsold and destroyed" to the publisher? Well, she'd come home every day with grocery sacks full of books with the covers ripped off. That was awesome.


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## Riven Owler (Jul 9, 2011)

That's cool.  Do you remember reading books that were way out of your age range?  I do!  The Trinity by Leon Uris and The Agony and the Ecstasy (bio of Michelangelo) by Irving Stone are two that stand out in my memory.


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## PatrickWalts (Jul 22, 2011)

Riven Owler said:


> That's cool. Do you remember reading books that were way out of your age range? I do! The Trinity by Leon Uris and The Agony and the Ecstasy (bio of Michelangelo) by Irving Stone are two that stand out in my memory.


Yeah. I mainly read Star Trek books at the time, though. I do remember that I used to love reading books about the holocaust.


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## Julia444 (Feb 24, 2011)

The last book I bought was A GAME OF THRONES, book One, because EVERYONE was telling me how good this series by George R.R. Martin is.

My son snagged it when it arrived, so I haven't started it yet, and goodness knows how long it will take him to read all 700 pages.  But he's reading away.  

Julia


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## mistyd107 (May 22, 2009)

The Last book I bought was Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman based on the reccomendation of my College best friend mainly because she was absolutely raving about how great it was. Not something she usually does.


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## Libby13 (Jul 31, 2011)

So I'm a nerd and bought my own ebook so I could get my first sale.  I just published so I was excited.

BUT - the last one before that was because I heard I had to read Shirley Jackson several times, once from Neil Gaiman.  Okay, he didn't speak to me but I read it on Twitter so now we're best friends.  Okay, maybe not.  After Neil's personal recommendation (made to millions) I then saw her collection again on Goodreads.  It was fate.  Well, fate and Neil Gaiman.


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## Nancy Beck (Jul 1, 2011)

I saw a tweet (or did I Google something? can't remember), which brought me to J. A. Marlowe's site. I read with interest how she had to allow for certain health issues with her writing (a very thoughtful post).

Which led me to looking at her books. I've always loved fairy tales, and I'm on the lookout for stories that take a well-known tale and put it in a different culture, etc.

Which is what Into the Forest Shadows is about. It's Red Riding Hood set on a space colony. Haven't read it all, yet. Looking forward to it, though.


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## jd78 (Dec 8, 2009)

The last book I purchased was James Rollins' The Devil Colony. I purchased it because i've been reading the other books in the Sigma force series and have really enjoyed them. I choose the series based on several recommendations from other forums when I was looking for an action/adventure series along the lines of the National Treasure movies, Indiana Jones, and the Uncharted games.

The next series I'll be reading will be the Dresden Files and this is based on a friend recommendation and that I actually liked the short lived TV series.


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## John Dorian (Jul 23, 2011)

I had the hard copy, but it was a little beat up. So I got the e-version.


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## mikelewis (May 31, 2011)

I bought the Hunger Games because someone mentioned it as a comparison in one of the reviews of my novel and I realised I'd never read it...

Mike


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## Evan Couzens (Jul 18, 2011)

I was strip mining samples from the Book Bazaar and the sample for Joseph Garraty's VOICE creeped me the hell out and made me want to keep reading after the sample ended, so I bought it. Digging it so far, sad I can't read at work.


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## StephenLivingston (May 10, 2011)

The quality of the previous book I'd read by the author.


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## balaspa (Dec 27, 2009)

I saw a post about the book I am currently reading on KB and then read the first few paragraphs.  That was enough to get me to buy it and download it.


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## Andrew Davis (Aug 5, 2011)

Research for my next project.


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## Grace Elliot (Mar 14, 2011)

mikelewis said:


> I bought the Hunger Games because someone mentioned it as a comparison in one of the reviews of my novel and I realised I'd never read it...
> 
> Mike


I bought the Hunger Games trilogy because they were on sale in the UK. (My last purchases.)


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I'm re-reading books from by teen years now available on kindle - comfort books in a stressful time - and it was the next in line.


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## LucieSimone (Jun 30, 2011)

I bought Marian Keyes' Rachel's Holiday because one of the blogs I follow said it was $1.99 on Kindle and that was one of the few books of hers that I hadn't already read. Sweet!


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## Cheryl Bradshaw Author (Apr 13, 2011)

The first page of Patricia Cornwell's _Scarpetta_ had me hook, line and sinker!  I bought it immediately and am reading it now.


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## Katie Salidas (Mar 21, 2010)

I hate to say it, because it is so cliche, but the last book I bought was because the cover drew me in. From there, the synopsis was good too, but really if I hadn't seen the cover, I wouldn't have picked it up. Blood Wicked.


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## Adam Kisiel (Jun 20, 2011)

I have read "Siddhartha" By H.Hesse and many friends recommendations made me buy it.


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

jd78 said:


> The last book I purchased was James Rollins' The Devil Colony. I purchased it because i've been reading the other books in the Sigma force series and have really enjoyed them. I choose the series based on several recommendations from other forums when I was looking for an action/adventure series along the lines of the National Treasure movies, Indiana Jones, and the Uncharted games.
> 
> The next series I'll be reading will be the Dresden Files and this is based on a friend recommendation and that I actually liked the short lived TV series.


James Rollins rocks. I love his action/adventure novels. I discovered him about the time I discovered Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child.


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## Elizabeth Black (Apr 8, 2011)

I met two writers on Facebook who were already very known (I had heard of one a few years prior), and I bought their books. These writers actually talked to me and made a connection. I liked that. Otherwise I go by blurbs or recommendations. I also look for specific genres like horror and action/adventure and I look for "best of" lists. I discovered Clive Cussler after seeing a movie based on one of his Dirk Pitt books. Same for Olivia Goldsmith. Sometimes movies or TV shows draw me in. Once I like a writer I'll read a bunch of his or her books in a row.

The last book I read was from a writer on Facebook I like very much. The book was great.


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## mscottwriter (Nov 5, 2010)

I think of it like dating.

If your friends tell you that a particular guy/gal is wonderful, then you'll probably want to get to know him/her better.  And if you meet this person and find them attractive, that's good, too.  Best of all is to start a conversation with him/her.  If you enjoy your chat, then you can decide to take things further and spend more time with them (and money...if you're buying dinner).

So...if my friends like a book and recommend it to me, I'll be more apt to look it up online.  A great cover doesn't hurt (it certainly gets my attention), but at the same time, I wouldn't pass by a book with a poor or mediocre cover.  A blurb (or even a sample chapter) is the best way for me to determine the quality of a book.

For me, reading a book is kind of like falling in love.


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## RuthMadison (Jul 9, 2011)

Covers do draw me in for sure.  I'll click on, or in a bookstore approach, a book with an interesting cover.  The thing that gets me to actually buy it, though, is the blurb.  I want to be intrigued, to hear a premise or a question that I really want to know more about.  If I find myself thinking "Oh, that sounds interesting!" then I'll probably be buying it.


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## Krista D. Ball (Mar 8, 2011)

Beyond my favourite authors and recommendations, I now only buy people I meet. I go to a number of cons and such, so I meet a lot of local authors. I'm finding that many are writing what I love, so I'm buying them. I'll do this for about 6 months, then I'll find a new way to find new works to read. I like having biannual purchasing themes


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## Michael_J_Sullivan (Aug 3, 2011)

I bought "A knight in Central Park" - what attrated me first was that it was on the mover's and shaker list.  Then I read the blurb and was intriqued.  For me - it's usually about the blurb.


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## Tamara Rose Blodgett (Apr 1, 2011)

_Beautiful Disaster_ had a great book cover and a HUGE amount of 5-star ratings...$5, over budget and worth it!


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## bhagwat68 (Aug 15, 2011)

You have to take some risk while buying any book. Well can easily trust on well known writers, but for new emerging writers you have to take risk. Some time your faith works, sometime not. I love to read books of new writer, because they may have new style of writing, they may have new topic to write. Buying books of new writer we are encouraging him. I like it very much.

*- Pradeep *


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## Tess St John (Feb 1, 2011)

Son needed it to read before school starts (school starts in 5 days)...he'll read it on my kindle or hubby's HPtouchpad.


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## Linda Andrews (Aug 16, 2011)

The last book I bought was her Fill in Fiance by Stacy Connelly because I met her at a book signing. The next book I plan to by is Soulless because I read the blurb and reviews.


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## Tara Maya (Nov 4, 2010)

I buy fiction when I'm in the mood for a certain genre and a book's concept intrigues me. Sometimes I will buy a book I know I'll like (say a hard sf) but not read it if I happen to be in a different reading mood at the time (say for YA fantasy). Then when my mood changes, I look through my library for the kind of book I'm in a mood for. 

I buy nonfiction much the same way. Tend to go on sprees. Sometimes, a book just intrigues me. My most recent purchase was Poor Economics. I was fascinated by it because it is one of the few books that reports on actual controlled experiments (rather than ideology) to determine what methods for helping the poor actually work. Before that I read Line of Control, a thriller about a near-future war between India and Pakistan. It was very good.


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## Tony Richards (Jul 6, 2011)

I bought 'Midnight,' the new supernatural thriller by Stephen Leather, because I'd heard of his success on Kindle and wanted to find out what all the fuss about about. And he turned out to be a whole lot better than I'd first suspected, combining chills and humour in equal measures, with some excellent characters (especially his demons). And a really fast read too -- I tore through the book at massive speed. Great stuff for train journeys, which perhaps partly explains the big success rate.


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## MarionSipe (May 13, 2011)

It's all about the blurb for me.  Having an attractive cover helps, but if the blurb intrigues me and makes me want to know more about the world, characters or plot, I'll read the preview or the first few pages.  Then it's all down to the writing and the book itself!


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## ML Hamilton (Feb 21, 2011)

This summer I've found a few authors that I really enjoy and so I've bought everything they've written to date. Now I have three different series that I'm in the middle of and I'm waiting for the next installment.

I love the Kindle for the variety. I also really love the instant gratification of getting a book whenever I want. However, it makes waiting for the release of the next book really frustrating.

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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

It was .99.


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## soyfrank (Feb 2, 2011)

I bought Supervillain Sonnets by Nathan Kross because I saw the author had recommended my book on three different posts on Amazon forums. It turned out to be right up my alley. So glad I got it.


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## AnnetteL (Jul 14, 2010)

For me, social media is huge in helping me choose books. I often download books after seeing them on a blog (often the author's blog), or recommendations from friends (via Twitter, FB, etc.)


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Lord I dont recall why I bought this book, but I wanted something on my new Nook and got a YA paranormal novel.  I really, reallyreallyreally do not care for kids books.  I think this one was recommended on the "read in store" feature and I was a ways into it and already purchased before I hit the "I'm only 17" by the main character.  It went downhill from there.

But of coarse, she is of average looks but uber special in the paranormal world where EVERY single male wants her.  Doesnt matter whether she is interested in them or not, they must want her because she is so special.  

Is this really what teen girls read?


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

An email from another author, who had been bugging me to try someone. He was right.


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## James Lorenz (Jul 29, 2011)

I'm not _that_ big of a book reader but always have to have one on long flights. Picked up a book on the Italian Renaissance.


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## Gina Sartucci (Aug 21, 2011)

The sample is what I always go on.  In fact if there's a title I've heard is good, I'll go get the sample and try to d/l it without even viewing the cover, through the web, if possible.  Then I read the sample and my litmus test is whether when I reach the end I feel a profound sense of disappointment because I was enjoying it so much.

If I get that feeling, it's an instant purchase even if I have a backlog.  If I liked it but wasn't quite so eager I put it into an archive to consider again in the future if/when I run out of things that have me really excited.


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## AnnetteL (Jul 14, 2010)

Realized my answer was more "how I pick books" and not specifically about my latest purchase.

My most recent Kindle purchase was "I Don't Want to Kill You," by Dan Wells. I bought it because I'd read the previous two in the trilogy and loved them. (I'm not a horror girl, but dang, these are good. And deliciously creepy.)


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Latest purchases was "The Future of Freedom: Illiberal Democracy at Home and Abroad" by Fareed Zakaria.  I bought it as I enjoyed his other book (The Post American World) and columns etc., and I wanted to read something non-fiction as I'd been reading a lot of light fantasy etc. over the summer.


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## Guest (Aug 23, 2011)

I bought the last book because of the cover. =-)


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## Evelyn Collier (Jul 7, 2011)

I am also guilty of judging a book by the cover and also the blurb and genre. In a bookshop you are more rushed. With a Kindle you can read the sample and make up your mind before you buy.


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## emilyward (Mar 5, 2011)

The last book I bought was Nyphron Rising by Michael Sullivan, and I bought it because it's the next in a series, and I was dying to know what happened!

Usually, though, the cover catches my eye first. If I like the blurb, I check out the sample. If I like the sample, I check out the reviews. If it looks like something I'll like and it's in my price range, I buy it! Of course, with a lot of books, I hear reviews about them first, and then I check out the blurb and sample.


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## nickpeirson (Mar 26, 2011)

The books I've recently bought have been KB recommendations 

Apart from that I tend to read any works that come out from a particular author. I sometimes use What should I read next if I hadn't had any good recommendations recently. I also think that Amazon's recommendations are pretty good as well.

If I've exhausted those avenues, then covers and best seller lists it is!

Anything that gets flagged by more than one of the above techniques goes to the top of the list.

Actually, that sounds like something that could be implemented in software, a personal recommendation aggregator! Usually when I have good ideas like this a quick Google turns up someone already doing it :/


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## jsmclean (Mar 6, 2011)

TracyRozzlynn said:


> How did you decide to buy your last book and what are some of the more interesting ways you've stumbled onto a great read?


I'm so terribly unpicky. I read books primarily because other people are reading them--when I notice more than one person at work reading a particular book, for example, I'll read it no matter what the cover or reviews--and I love old books.

My mother and father found a bunch of abandoned books from the early 1900s in some houses that were about to be torn down. That is probably the most romantic way I've come across a book


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## mscottwriter (Nov 5, 2010)

> For me, social media is huge in helping me choose books.


I'm addicted to Good Reads and Shelfari, so many times, I get recommendations from them. Also, Kindleboards will direct me to a book. I just bought "Rachel's Holiday" since someone on the "Chick Lit and Women's Fiction" got me interested.


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## Sean Sweeney (Apr 17, 2010)

I'm friends with the author.


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## Richardcrasta (Jul 29, 2010)

The name on the cover.

Henry Miller.

The book was Quiet Days in Clichy.

Is not his best book by far, and yet, it took me back to his world once again; the world of Paris, of living on the edge, mad people, erotic women.


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## JRTomlin (Jan 18, 2011)

The sample. I didn't intend to buy it, but after I finished the sample, I kept wondering what happened next so I bought it.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

Tara was reading it in the first episode of True Blood where she gets fired from the hardware store.  How sad is that?  I am so addicted I now peep titles even on fictional TV shows.

The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein


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## DrugWarAnalyst (Aug 24, 2011)

It's #1 on Amazon for fiction (I think), my neighbors just saw the movie and loved it, and I ALWAYS need to read the book before I see the movie. I figured there had to be something good to it .

The Help by Kathryn Stockett


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## Stacey Joy Netzel (Aug 3, 2011)

Three things factor into my book buying these days, and not necessarily in this order: 1. Friend 2. Cover catches my eye 3. blurb and/or excerpt grabs me and I want to read more. I recently experienced this with Carol Ericson's *Kick It Up * when it was featured on the Only Romance blog. Can't wait to have time to start reading the book.


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## marimorimo (Aug 8, 2011)

Recommendations, good reviews, and low price


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## Aubrie Dionne author (Feb 10, 2011)

My friend put it on her Goodreads TBR list.


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## leep (Aug 25, 2011)

I seem to pick most of mine having encountered them numerous times online, different sites are mentioning them, a little story here, one there.  It can just be authors I see reoccurring and so I take a look at their catalogue.  Sometimes if they get picked up for a film I take a look so I have read it before the film comes out.  A lot of sites have best of lists come the end of the year which are useful.

Having said that, sometimes I'm in the mood for a certain type of book/story and I go searching for one, checking google to see who has published lists, sometimes those reader's lists on Amazon that show up on a book you liked, etc.


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## Sharon Red (Jul 23, 2011)

The last one was the cover (Yes that works on me).  The one before that was a family recommendation.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

A post by an author here, Nina Croft.  She has a book about space pirate vampires.  So much fun!!


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## Meb Bryant (Jun 27, 2011)

I bought Water For Elephants today, $2.99 ebook. Hype made me want to read it. Price allowed me to afford it. Although I love printed books, eBooks are affordable.

Meb


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## That one girl (Apr 12, 2011)

Meb Bryant said:


> I bought Water For Elephants today, $2.99 ebook. Hype made me want to read it. Price allowed me to afford it. Although I love printed books, eBooks are affordable.
> 
> Meb


I think you just convinced me to buy Water for Elephants. Been waiting for it to go on sale.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

T.S. Welti said:


> I think you just convinced me to buy Water for Elephants. Been waiting for it to go on sale.


Unfortunately it was only on sale for the one day as a part of Amazon's Kindle Daily Deal.


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## Laura Lee (May 17, 2011)

I used to buy based on friends' recs, and on newspaper and magazine reviews... but in the last year I find I'm almost exclusively influenced by book bloggers. It certainly took me a while to get to this point -- basically, until I'd been reading their reviews long enough I had a good handle on their individial tastes. In short, they became sort of surrogate friends. There are some bloggers whose review will make me buy the book almost at once, but with others, I have to see the book around at a few sites until it imprints itself on me and I start to get curious. So ultimately, I guess a combination of the personal and the impersonal (constant exposure.)

(I should add that I don't think I've ever bought a book because of an advertisement. The exposure I'm talking about is reviews, interviews, giveaways etc.)


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## RosalieLario (Jun 21, 2011)

I discover pretty much all my new reads by reading blog reviews or posts about them. But I'm a writer so I read a lot of blogs. Before I wrote? Mostly through browsing the book store, picking up covers that appealed to me.


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## Joseph Robert Lewis (Oct 31, 2010)

Good cover art catches my attention and then I just download the samples (tons of them) and then I buy the ones I want to continue reading. It's a great time to be a reader!


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

The last book I bought, I thought was the next book in a series I'm reading . It's not.  But it's still good! 

Duh.


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

The last four books I bought were old favorites that had been recently kindleized. Oh, and one freebie.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake' said:


> The last four books I bought were old favorites that had been recently kindleized. Oh, and one freebie.


I bought City of Dragons based on my daughter's recommendation, although she told me to read the first in the series. I'm busy with editing right now, so I may purchase the first.


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

Actually - its not what I'm reading next - but I just bought a book this AM based on a friend's recommendation  -  Ariana Franklin's  Mistress of the Art of Death - the first book of a series.  Apparently the author recently died and my friend told me how much she will miss the characters.


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

bordercollielady said:


> Actually - its not what I'm reading next - but I just bought a book this AM based on a friend's recommendation - Ariana Franklin's Mistress of the Art of Death - the first book of a series. Apparently the author recently died and my friend told me how much she will miss the characters.


I hadn't started City of Dragons when I saw Ann's notice about the Kindle Daily Deal.Today was The Lincoln Lawyer, which I haven't read at 2.99, my kind of price.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

I just got The Lincoln Lawyer for $2.99.  I never would have bought it at of $5.

And I purchased a used book on ebay, Jay J Armes autobiography.  It was first edition and signed.  I am putting it with my action figure and hoping his movie gives them a bump so I can resell.  Or maybe I will just give to my brother.


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## Meb Bryant (Jun 27, 2011)

I usually don't read romance, but yesterday, my friend Christie Craig had a book signing for her new release, DON'T MESS WITH TEXAS. Since TXdot (Texas Department of Transportation) took her to court this week over the name, I wanted to support my friend. I'm a native Texan and a friend....


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

TracyRozzlynn said:


> I'm curious - how do you decide what book to read next?


The last book I bought was a collection of short romantic comedy stories. I bought them because I was looking for something light and fun that could be read in bite sized pieces while keeping an eye on my kids on the playground. I wanted something cheap, which meant indie, and since I like to support Kindle boards members I hunted up a particular KB author on Amazon and picked the work with the most appealing price/description/cover.


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## shiny_cherry41 (Aug 29, 2011)

I'm fond of buying and reading books, but the last one I bought was for my friend's birthday. And it was a devotional book for career women.


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## tneighbors (Aug 20, 2011)

Other than following my favorite authors, what gets me is a great "what if" premise in the description.  I love a book that delves into something strange or interesting.


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## Thalia the Muse (Jan 20, 2010)

The last one I bought was the Styron memoir that was deal of the day yesterday. I'd wanted to read it for a while, and at that price I grabbed it! There were some freebies in there too, various by G.K. Chesterton because I'd just read and liked The Man Who Was Thursday and wanted to try more of his.

I generally choose books because I've heard or read reviews,they've been recommended by someone I trust, or because I've gotten interested in a particular subject and there are certain books on it that have generally positive Good Reads/Amazon comments. Sometimes I pick something up at random because it has a lovely title or appealingly quirky subject matter or great cover art, but I'll read the sample (or flip through the book extensively, if it's a paper book) before I buy it.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

It showed up on my "you might like" list and the blurb hooked me. The Peanuts gang are imprisoned and Charlie Brown is the warden.


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## Tim Greaton (Sep 8, 2011)

My last half dozen book purchases were writers who are also friends. I support them whenever possible. My last mainstream purchase was a Baldacci novel, and it was the back cover that clinched the deal in a bookstore


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## Marata Eros (Jul 23, 2011)

The author's recent work was so amazing that I snagged the rest of her work the next day and am currently reading it. Wow! Jamie McGuire rocks!


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## Beth Groundwater (Apr 6, 2011)

I usually buy books because they're recommended by friends whose reading tastes are similar to mine or written by author friends whose writing is similar to mine--or better.


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## Harry Shannon (Jul 30, 2010)

Authors I admire.


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## lib2b (Apr 6, 2010)

The last couple books I bought are from authors that are on my automatic buy list:  (new ebook release),  (pre-order), and  (indie ebook release of a previously trad pubbed book).

Generally, I buy books from authors I know I enjoy before I buy authors unknown to me. If someone I really trust recommends it (whether that's a friend with similar reading tastes or a professional review from a source I trust), I may consider purchasing as well. Usually I will try an unknown for free only (borrow or free download).


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## Kayden Lee (Sep 9, 2011)

Right now I am reading Tell No One, by Harlan Coben. Honestly, not sure what made me choose this one. Although I hate to admit it, if the cover doesn't grab my attention, unless I am a fan of the author, I probably won't pick the book up. Not good, I know.


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## EGranfors (Mar 18, 2011)

It was about the OJ trial by Vincent Bugliosi--a "what the prosecutors should have done"---I lived near OJ's house on Rockingham as a nanny in college (UCLA) and I am quite frankly an OJ trial freak.  I took the kids for walks on those streets.  I always wondered (and still wonder) why we didn't get testimony from OJ's friend, Al Cowlings (he drove during the famous slow-speed chase).

So it was subject matter and author.


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## Meb Bryant (Jun 27, 2011)

Two words: LEE CHILD


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

I'm reading through Lee Child's  Jack Reacher series so the last book I bought was number 8 - The Enemy.  Great series!


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## tsharp (Jul 14, 2011)

Various things make me buy a book - the pitch, price, cover, reviews etc.

I am currently reading The Death of Bunny Monroe by Nick Cave - I bought it because I think Cave is an interesting guy and I was intrigued by his book, plus the fact it was £3. Would I have bought it for £7.99? Probably not.

The two previous books I bought, I bought them because I was intrigued by the pitch and the extracts I'd read...


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## SylviaLucas (Sep 14, 2011)

What a great question. Answer: the cover. Usually I'll read the synopsis and the reviews, but I just loved that the cover looked like something painted rather than being a picture. A silly reason, but Chuck Palahniuk's "Lullaby" ended up living up to the single upside-down bird on the cover.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

What almost made me buy my last 2 books was Jill Scott mentioned them in an article, but when I went to download them they were not available for the Kindle.  I guess Ms Scott is not a Kindle owner?


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## SPaulBryan (Jan 8, 2011)

The most recent book I bought was a second-hand copy of _The Sword of Shannara_. I bought it because I met Terry Brooks at a book signing, and was embarrassed to tell him that I hadn't yet read any of his Shannara series (even though I had just bought the 24th book in the series, so I'd have something for him to sign).


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## Dan Ames (Feb 8, 2011)

It was a new book in a series.  I love those - it's a no-brainer, for the most part.  Plus, I don't get bored with a series.  The characters are familiar, and there's always something new.


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## ronvitale (Mar 11, 2011)

I've only had my Kindle since March so I'm pretty new to reading ebooks on it (though I love it). Usually, my friends recommend books to me and say: "Hey, you should read this." And I do. Problem is: Between writing, work and family life I don't have as much time to read as I would like so I take on a lot of books and it takes me a while to get through them.

Because I have so little time to read, recommendations and then my usual fair (Harry Potter, Star Wars, Twilight, etc.) are what's on my shelf these days.

Though I saw Amanda Hocking mentioned and I also read Nathan Bransford's blog post about her and I bought Hollowland. But then my friend told me to try The Angels are the Reapers as it's similar to Hollowland and I loved that book as well.


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## Doug DePew (Mar 26, 2011)

The last few books I bought were from authors I met here and on the Amazon boards. I was keeping a wishlist as I ran into books that looked interesting. I bought six the day I got my Kindle, and I've read three and a half. So far, I've enjoyed all of them very much. I'm keeping it as a running list as I see books (or authors) who interest me. I don't read much fiction, so that will probably be all of the fiction I read. I don't have a genre. If it interests me, it interests me. 

I'm about due for another order from History Book Club. I make one around once or twice a year from them. The last books prior to these Kindle books were a large order from History Book Club. I normally wait until the monthly selection is something that interests me. 

I buy a lot of books based on falling in a subject I'm interested in at the moment. I bought around ten books on the Missouri guerrila war in one order a year or two ago. I got most of them from the "also boughts". It all started with a Jesse James book I saw in Rural Electric magazine. 


(I absolutely loved every one of those books, too!)


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## Verbena (Sep 1, 2011)

I bought my last book written by a KB author. The description shows a good story of my taste.


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## EGranfors (Mar 18, 2011)

Two different things:

1) I didn't win a giveaway on goodreads, but I was intrigued by the subject matter (Not My Type, a book about fonts and what they say to the world)

2) The Concert Killer, RJ McDonnell--He's someone who has helped me in the past with networking and I love his rock 'n roll mysteries!


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## Iowagirl (Jul 17, 2011)

An interesting blurb, eye-catching cover, good reviews, and a sample that made me click the "buy this book" button as soon as I finished it. 

Tracey


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## Todd Trumpet (Sep 7, 2011)

Price.

I had picked up a book I hadn't read since I was a teenager from a library sale for $1 - namely, "MR. MIDSHIPMAN HORNBLOWR".  After reading it, I wanted to revisit/reread the rest of the series, so I went online and found, to my surprise, that no one really sold a box set.  The most recent editions on Amazon, even used, were going for $5-$10 apiece, which is more than I wanted to spend (the "Hornblower" series consists of 11 books).

So I checked Ebay.  Normally, Ebay is NOT the best place, IMO, to get the best bargains on books.  But after a little browsing, I hit the jackpot:

All 11 "HORNBLOWER" novels, most recent editions, for $30 plus $5 S&H.

Turns out that the Seller wanted to unload them quickly.

She did.  And I'm now reading Book #6:  "BEAT TO QUARTERS".

I'll recycle them - resell or donate - after I'm finished (I don't collect books any more).

But that's what made me buy these last books...

...Price.

Todd


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## GerrieFerrisFinger (Jun 1, 2011)

The last book I bought was a Kindle Daily Deal. Haven't read it yet, but it's got good reviews.


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## kisala9906 (Sep 4, 2011)

The last book I read was The Help I picked it because I thought the movie looked really good and if I can I like to read the book first. 
Now I am reading The Dresden Files White Night and that one because it is next in the series and I am odd because I don't usually read series straight through I take a break with another book then go back and read the next one in the series.


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## naomi_jay (Feb 1, 2011)

The last ebook I bought was the Complete Works of HP Lovecraft, which I picked up because my paper copy is too massive to carry around and I like to dip in and out of his stuff on the move. The last paper book was Maggie Stiefvater's Forever - I finished up Linger and just couldn't stand the idea of waiting for the end of the trilogy so I ordered Forever immediately... And now of course it's languishing in my TBR pile under a stack of other books I simply couldn't wait for!


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## Not Here (May 23, 2011)

The last book I bought had an amazing cover and it's really what hooked me. The plot sounded interesting enough so I went for it.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

The book I just bought and am currently reading, No Second Chance by Harlan Coben, was 50c at a used bookstore. Nuff said.


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## Susan Brassfield Cogan (Mar 25, 2011)

The last book I bought, I found here on the KB board: The Tale of Asha by Joseph Lewis. 

A good cover and a good blurb will get me to read the sample, but I'll buy it on the strength of the writing.  And, yes, you can tell in the first page or so if you are looking at trash or something worth your time.


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## shel (May 14, 2011)

The thread about Kurt Vonnegut in this forum.  I just purchased it within the last hour or so.


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