# Finding New Authors to Read



## SA_Soule (Sep 8, 2011)

I was at the bookstore yesterday, and when I picked up a book it was because of the cover, then I skimmed the back jacket copy. Next, I opened the book to a random page and read a few lines, then I flipped to the front page. The first line was awesome, so I bought the book.

While we were there, my daughter and I had fun flipping open novels in the YA section and reading the first sentence out loud. For me personally, if the first line has a great "hook" I will buy the book 9 out of 10 times. in my own books, I rewrite my opening lines more than any other area in the book. ;-) They all have to "pop"!

_So, I have a few questions.... _

I mostly buy my books through Amazon, so where do you purchase novels? How do you discover new authors to read?

What do you notice first about a book?

Do you read the back jacket copy?

Do you read an excerpt?

Do the reviews influence your decision?


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## Bec (Aug 24, 2012)

I pretty much do exactly what you do! When browsing a bookshop, it's definitely the cover that grabs me first. I seem to take more time over picking out paperbacks. They're not cheap in Australia ($20+), so I am much choosier in what I actually buy than with ebooks on Amazon.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I think its different now for me. Back in the day before the internet, you know, the dark ages, I didn't really have much choice as to what books to get. What they had at the book stores in my small home town was all there was and the library of course. So I either grabbed it because of the cover and blurb, or in most cases my family members had the book already or recommended it. Many of us read in our close family circle and just passed the books around. 

Now I don't have any books stores around me. I live in a large city now and the Barnes and Nobles are out of my way to drive to. And I prefer doing my vetting and researching online now. I am very OCD with reading things in order so I have to look books online always first to make sure its the first in a series, or chronological. 

As to how I come across new authors now? It always starts with genre for me. And from that I have like minded online reading friends, goodreads friends and reviews, genre specific blogs I visit with reviews, amazon customer forums and I also love reading my one and only magazine I get in paper, RT book review magazine. I find some new authors there too. On occasion I come across an author by myself without a recommendation, but I always first look up the authors other books and reviews. 

So it has changed for me with new technology but at the same time there are also way more books and authors now to sift through so I kind of need the internets for help now.


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## jeffaaronmiller (Jul 17, 2012)

I love judging whether or not to buy a book based on the opening line. In fact, I have yet to be disappointed. An opening sentence that really hooks the reader seems to be a good indicator of a compelling story.


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## Saul Tanpepper (Feb 16, 2012)

First line, absolutely. But with so many choices, now if a book's first chapter doesn't capture me, I'm gone. I go to the library every week and bring home a good dozen books whose cover, blurb and first few pages captured my attention. In a good week, I'll like two of them enough to read all the way through. In a bad week, none. In the bookstore, I'm a lot more picky.


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## KMA (Mar 11, 2009)

I'm usually willing to give books the better part of a first chapter. I love brilliant openings, but I detest the ones that strive for brilliant and end up gimmicky. An honest, slow build will keep me reading much longer than a sales pitch.


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## lmroth12 (Nov 15, 2012)

An intriguing title usually will hook me enough to open the book (or the Look Inside feature on Amazon) and check it out. I rarely have my interest piqued by just the opening line so much as by reading the first chapter to get a sense of the writer's style, the plot, and whether the main character(s) will sustain my interest. If the first chapter draws me in I will usually finish the book. If I like that book then I usually read everything that author has written.


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## SA_Soule (Sep 8, 2011)

jeffaaronmiller said:


> I love judging whether or not to buy a book based on the opening line. In fact, I have yet to be disappointed. An opening sentence that really hooks the reader seems to be a good indicator of a compelling story.


I totally agree!


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## SA_Soule (Sep 8, 2011)

I ALWAYS go to the Amazon's "Look Inside" feature to read an excerpt.

Nowadays, I hardly go to actual bookstores, but I buy all my books online at Amazon. Usually, I come across a book blogger review of a book that I think sounds interesting, then I go to Amazon and check out reviews, and read the sample pages. Book covers are what snag my attention first, though.


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## Mike D. aka jmiked (Oct 28, 2008)

Primarily I go by the author, so finding a new-to-me one is difficult. Whether I pick up a new one depends on whether I've heard the name before, then what genre(s) the work is in, etc. An interesting premise is very important, very slightly ahead of interesting characters.

Re-reading a good book that I read 20-30 years ago is quite enjoyable, and I find I'm doing that more and more lately.

Mike


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## Gertie Kindle (Nov 6, 2008)

jmiked said:


> Re-reading a good book that I read 20-30 years ago is quite enjoyable, and I find I'm doing that more and more lately.
> 
> Mike


That's about where I'm at, too.

I have such a busy life that it's difficult for new authors to hold my interest, or even tried-and-true authors with new books. I need to be able to read on the run.


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## JFHilborne (Jan 22, 2011)

If I'm looking for a new author and not going by recommendation, it's almost always the blurb that is the deciding factor on whether I buy the book. For me, the cover is secondary to the blurb. I don't usually go by first line as I've read some books that took a while to get going (which I'd likely have rejected had I been a publisher), but that actually turned out to be great books.


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

I find new books/authors a few different ways. I read a lot of different genres, so I tend to rely on different ways.

First, other people telling me I might like a book means that I download a sample. If I'm looking for a historical romance and Atunah says to go read ABC, I'll go check out ABC. (i.e.).

Other times, I'm looking for a specific book and see the other books mentioned in the also boughts or the reviews. Some will catch my eye and I'll stick in my samples.

Sometimes, authors I like will tweet/facebook about books they've read recently. I'll generally pick up a copy. That's how I got into the Iron Druid series, for example. Jim Butcher mentioned the series.


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I've never been interested in that "first line hook". It feels gimmicky to me. You get too many authors trying way to hard to make their first line really amazing and it just comes across forced and/or pretentious.



Sherry_Soule said:


> I mostly buy my books through Amazon, so where do you purchase novels? How do you discover new authors to read?


Goodreads, friends recommendations, browsing Amazon. I'm already pretty familiar with most popular historical fiction authors so when a new name pops up, I tend to notice.



> What do you notice first about a book?


The cover or the title.



> Do you read the back jacket copy?


Do you mean the synopsis or quotes and praise about the book? I always read the synopsis since how else am I to know what the book is about? If the synopsis doesn't interest me, I'm not going to buy it. However, I almost always ignore praising quotes printed on the book - even if they are quotes from my favorite authors, it doesn't mean I'm going to like it.



> Do you read an excerpt?


Generally only with indies.



> Do the reviews influence your decision?


Yes and no. It depends what they say, it depends what the general consensus is, it depends how many reviews there are.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

Back in bookstore days (and I haven't bought a paper book since getting my first Kindle in spring of 200, I used to do pretty much what the OP describes. I'd browse the new books tables, genre sections I'm interested in and remaindered books, pick up books here and there because of the cover or an author name I recognized, read a bit of the first page, a bit in the middle, trying to include dialog, and the end. (_Gone With the Wind_ made me an ending reader).

Nowadays, I sometimes spend time following trails of Amazon's also boughts. Like Atunah, it still starts for me with genre, but after that the blurb has to appeal, and after that the sample. Reviews don't factor in for me individually too often, but the average does. Sometimes a recommendation will catch my eye, but it has to be more than such and such is free today or I loved such and such. I need a reason someone liked something.


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## PandorasParanormalBox (Aug 10, 2014)

*I mostly buy my books through Amazon, so where do you purchase novels? How do you discover new authors to read?*
I'm guilty of impulsively buying books through social media!

*What do you notice first about a book? *
Cover first, then blurb, then opening paragraphs.

*Do you read the back jacket copy? *
See above 

*Do you read an excerpt? *


*Do the reviews influence your decision?*

I used to read the bad reviews, but it only effected me if they were ALL saying the same thing and it was something that would really bother me. However, nowadays I realize there are trolls who make things up, so I've stopped bothering with the reviews and just trust my instincts. I very rarely pick a book I don't like.


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## David C. Dixon (Aug 11, 2014)

I just started reading the new Wool series by Howey, Hugh. Great series to read, I even heard it is going to be a movie soon. I just decided to download it from the Kindle store and give it a try. I mostly stick to just my regular authors but sometimes you can find a diamond in the rough.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Honestly, I don't go looking for new authors to read.  

Sometimes I stumble across them. Usually because the cover looks interesting in a signature here on kboards (reader signatures more so than author signatures) and I check it out.  OR someone here recommends an author as similar to some author I'm already familiar with.


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## alawston (Jun 3, 2012)

Ann in Arlington said:


> Honestly, I don't go looking for new authors to read.
> 
> Sometimes I stumble across them. Usually because the cover looks interesting in a signature here on kboards (reader signatures more so than author signatures) and I check it out. OR someone here recommends an author as similar to some author I'm already familiar with.


Yes, that's pretty much my experience too.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

Must admit, I'm more of a library-goer, so most of my choices don't have financial impact.  At the library, I usually browse first by genre (romance section, mystery section, etc.), and then, since books are usually shelved with spines facing out, I see what catches my eye aesthetically.  I know, that might seem silly, sort of like cheering for a team based on the color of its uniform, but whether cover or spine, catching the reader's eye is the first step to being chosen.  Then I go with the blurb, and if it interests me, it goes in the "maybe" pile.  I might end up with a number of maybes, but I finally winnow it down to two to take home.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

I see that some readers go by a first line. I had to think about that, but I don't think I have ever decided on a book based on a first line. Its not even anything I paid attention too or know that that is a thing. The first line doesn't really mean anything to me. Wouldn't tell me anything about the book. Now a chapter or two can tell me something. But I am not a sample reader either. I pretty much read every book all the way through. 

Now that isn't saying I haven't seen a first line, but I can really only think of one I ever noticed. That was Deanna Rayborne and the first Lady Grey novel. That was a good one. But I already bought the book at that point for other vetting. And it really is the only one I can think of or were I even paid attention to that. 

I am just so happy now to have internet and all the blogs and book sites. Because of other readers I would never have any access to otherwise, I have found some fantastic reads over the years with my Kindle. I have a feeling without them, I would have read a lot more do not finish books and books I didn't like. So other like minded readers are very important to me in my quest to find the next good read. Its also a lot more fun this way to be able to share, rather than go digging on my own.


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## ruecole (Jun 13, 2012)

Title
Cover
Look Inside
Reviews

But the biggest influence on me to buy a book is a friend referring it.

Rue


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Review sites, come across the book on GR (which generally means I'm already looking in a group that contains genre books I'd be interested in) or a friend.  If a friend rec's it, it usually gets sampled even with a bad cover or horrid title.  That can be true with some review sites too.

First lines mean nothing to me, but I have been fooled by very strong starts (samples) and bought books that later fell apart plotwise or characterwise, etc.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

Silly question time....  how is a sample different from the Look Inside feature??  I've used Look Inside, but never downloaded a sample.  Is it the same selection of text?


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## PandorasParanormalBox (Aug 10, 2014)

Jena H said:


> Must admit, I'm more of a library-goer, so most of my choices don't have financial impact. At the library, I usually browse first by genre (romance section, mystery section, etc.), and then, since books are usually shelved with spines facing out, I see what catches my eye aesthetically. I know, that might seem silly, sort of like cheering for a team based on the color of its uniform, but whether cover or spine, catching the reader's eye is the first step to being chosen. Then I go with the blurb, and if it interests me, it goes in the "maybe" pile. I might end up with a number of maybes, but I finally winnow it down to two to take home.


I love the library and how peaceful it is. However, I seem to get caught up in buying off ebook sites more than checking them out first. I guess it's the convenience that I buy into. Though I've had to return a few books that I've hated after buying. It sucks to do that because I know how it would feel but personally, I think the library is a good safe bet. And though we've all heard of the adage "never judge a book by its cover" every single one of us does. Covers help sell the books (or in this case, check them out). I don't think it's a bad thing.


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## Adrian P (Aug 5, 2014)

I still discover new authors in bookstores as often as I do on Kindle.  I'm a bit more rigorous with my checking out of new authors on Kindle, actually.  I look for reviews of the author, and check out what series they have produced, and other things.  

I love the feeling of a bookstore, and I love browsing by genre in a bookstore.  There's so much more to read than I possibly can read.  
I certainly discover different authors on Kindle, though.  It's fascinating how I get shown completely different sets of books and authors, actually.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Jena H said:


> Silly question time.... how is a sample different from the Look Inside feature?? I've used Look Inside, but never downloaded a sample. Is it the same selection of text?


I don't know. I think it is similar. The sample goes directly to my kindle and is 5 percent? of the book, I think. It's usually about a chapter or two, enough to give me an idea if there are a lot of errors, whether I like the characters and whether I like the writing voice. Sometimes it is too short for me to decide or now and then, those pages are the best of the book...


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

Jena H said:


> Silly question time.... how is a sample different from the Look Inside feature?? I've used Look Inside, but never downloaded a sample. Is it the same selection of text?


A sample can be downloaded to your kindle device or app. It roughly equals 10% of the book, calculated according to locations. If you read the sample, there's a link at the end to go get the book directly and when it downloads it opens to the end of the sample you just read.

Look Inside has select pages and you have to view it via a browser from Amazon on line. You can't download it. I don't think it's a set percentage, but it doesn't seem to me to usually be as much as a sample. It has the front and back cover and most of the 'official' pages. Usually it then has a few of the beginning pages, but I've seen some where the 'inside' you can 'look at' is an excerpt from the middle.


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## Jena H (Oct 2, 2011)

Thanks Ann and Maria.  As I said, I don't use the downloaded sample, I've only ever clicked on Look Inside.  I imagine it's enough of a sample to show A) whether the author's writing is intelligible, and B) if the opening 'hook' is of sufficient interest.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

One other note -- if a book is really short, because the sample is 10%, you may not actually get ANY of the story if there's a fair bit of 'front matter' -- copyright notices and such.  In that case 'Look Inside' will work better because it will have at least a page or two of actual writing.

Look Inside may not show whether it's well formatted for Kindle.


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## mysterygal (Aug 7, 2014)

I read mostly mysteries, so judging a book by its cover seems a waste of time. I think most of the covers in mystery sections are black and dull. Traditionally, I've read only well known authors. I'm branching out now, and reading indies. But I don't pay much attention to the cover. I rely mostly on Amazon recommendations and instinct. LOL.


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## Adaman14 (Mar 20, 2013)

Don't forget about the great resources in the sticky
http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,83367.0.html
on this forum!

One of my favorite:
http://www.literature-map.com/

It is a fun way to find authors similar to your favorite author.


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## Adrian Howell (Feb 24, 2013)

First lines are very important for me too, but I don't think I've ever bought a book based solely on its first line, however great. I'm a cautious person. I'll read at least the first page, and more often the first paragraph if available.

But the choice to buy or pass on a book starts well before the first line for me.

I don’t worry too much about the cover unless it’s really shabby. But I do judge the blurb. If there are any typos there, I won’t bother reading the first line.


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## WDR (Jan 8, 2014)

Sherry_Soule said:


> I mostly buy my books through Amazon, so where do you purchase novels? How do you discover new authors to read?
> 
> What do you notice first about a book?
> 
> ...


The cover. Absolutely the cover. The cover is the built in advertising poster for the book, any book. I still remember very clearly the first time I saw the cover of Anne McCaffrey's _The White Dragon_, painted by Michael Whelan. I was absolutely transfixed.

Yes, I read the back cover. The greatest cover in the world could cover up a narrative that just repeats the word "Fart" 100,000 times. I want to know what is inside. So I read the description of the story. Because _The White Dragon_ featured a protagonist who was close to my age, I had to have it.

Yes, I do read an excerpt from the story, especially if I'm not sure of it. I try to read through the first four or five chapters of any story; I have read many incredible stories that started out a little slow but turned into real page turners the deeper I got into the story.

No, for the most part, I am not strongly influenced by reviews. However, if someone I know or respect mentions a book and how good it was, I will go take a look for myself. A lot of good reviews will certainly draw my attention. For the most part, I completely ignore negative reviews. Let's face it, if a book has dozens of raving reviews and only one or two negative reviews, that tells me more about the negative reviewers than the book. The only time negative reviews are relevant for any book is if an overwhelming majority of the reviews are bad.


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## Dean F. Wilson (Aug 15, 2014)

I tend to rely mostly on recommendations. That said, I do make decisions based on the cover and blurb. I rarely read a sample before purchasing, as I've usually made a decision to buy before then.


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## Otsana (Apr 12, 2014)

Sherry_Soule said:


> I was at the bookstore yesterday, and when I picked up a book it was because of the cover, then I skimmed the back jacket copy. Next, I opened the book to a random page and read a few lines, then I flipped to the front page. The first line was awesome, so I bought the book.
> 
> While we were there, my daughter and I had fun flipping open novels in the YA section and reading the first sentence out loud. For me personally, if the first line has a great "hook" I will buy the book 9 out of 10 times. in my own books, I rewrite my opening lines more than any other area in the book. ;-) They all have to "pop"!
> 
> ...


I buy most of my books on amazon, but I also read so many indies to help them with reviews, that I rarely buy books. I have read some flat out awesome indies, and some really bad ones too. When I used to buy paperbacks, the first thing I'd notice was the cover. If that looked awesome, then I'd read the back. If that was interesting, I'd read the inside cover part, and yes read a few lines of the book. When I do look at reviews on amazon, I always read a 4 star 3 star and a few 1 stars even. To get a honest feel. Most 3 stars are very honest readers. Where the 5 are hit and miss.


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## Jon_Nace (Aug 20, 2014)

I don't think I really judge a book by its cover, so to speak.  At least, not consciously.  I do think the Kindle sample downloader option is a game changer for me.  Read the first 20 pages or so, see if you like it... if not, done.  If yes, you usually end up liking the book.


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## E. Christopher Clark (May 1, 2014)

If the cover is obviously unprofessional, I do skip it. I can't believe I just typed that, but it's true.

After that, it's the first page and the last page for me. I know, I know: reading the last page is sacrilege, but I'm a big believer in not wasting my time on a book (or film or TV series) that can't handle having its ending spoiled. It's the journey and not the destination that matters. If the ending sucks, I don't want to bother.

If I'm in a brick and mortar bookshop, I also tend to gravitate toward the Staff Picks section. I've found a few gems that way in recent memory, including _Tunneling to the Center of the Earth_ by Kevin Wilson.


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## sngraves (Aug 10, 2014)

I haven't been inside a real bookstore in years. I buy most of my reading material from Amazon. My interest always starts with the cover, jacket copy, excerpt, and finally the reviews. I actually tend to read mostly one star reviews too. I've been talked into reading a book based on the one star reviews more often than the five star ones.


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## Marie Long (Jan 11, 2014)

The cover is the first thing that attracts me. Then I read the back cover. Then the first page. Then I'll flip to random pages and read a little more and decide from there whether or not I'm going to buy it.


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## derekailes2014 (Aug 4, 2014)

In the old days, I can't believe I'm saying that, I would go to the bookstore (most of them out of business now) head for the scifi and horror sections.  I look at the covers and read the back to each book.  If I like what I read on the back, I read the first few pages.  If I like the first few pages, I'd buy the book.  I use this same method with ebooks now.  I love the look inside option.


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## Ergodic Mage (Jan 23, 2012)

*I mostly buy my books through Amazon, so where do you purchase novels?*
Amazon for fiction, though for non-fiction I still prefer physical from a book store.

*How do you discover new authors to read?*
Of the last 10 new authors I've read in 2 years.
4 from KB Boards - mostly the reading bars! 
3 from Winchell Chung of Atomic Rockets http://www.projectrho.com/public_html/rocket/
3 from browsing on the internet.

*What do you notice first about a book?*
First is cover and title, but they have little impact on purchasing.

*Do you read the back jacket copy?*
Absolutely, the blurbs are what really sells me on a book.

*Do you read an excerpt?*
Rarely because I want whole books not a teaser. But I will read a free first book to check out a series, that works well with me.

*Do the reviews influence your decision?*
I won't read professional or blog reviews and I've not found any good books from those types of reviews.
I may peruse the reader reviews on Amazon ... with a large caution sign.


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## JeanetteRaleigh (Jan 1, 2013)

I spend at least a few hours every week or so wandering up and down the bookshelves at the library.  That's still my favorite way to find new authors or even new genres. I read a whole series of Amish romances a few months back, something completely out of my typical reading pattern. 

A lot of the kindle reads I've found have been downloads of free books which lead to the purchases of the whole series.  My favorite 'find' using that method was Brandon Hale's Day Soldier's series which is a completely new take on the whole vampire urban fantasy genre.


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2014)

I really miss Borders. I used to go there and browse the shelves. Nothing was more fun than opening a book from a new author and asking myself, is this the one?

Now, I've returned to my childhood method of checking the library shelves. Also, I use boards like this to point me in the right direction. I'm trying two new authors based on recommendations from Goodreads.


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## Atunah (Nov 20, 2008)

R.Marquez said:


> I really miss Borders. I used to go there and browse the shelves. Nothing was more fun than opening a book from a new author and asking myself, is this the one?
> 
> Now, I've returned to my childhood method of checking the library shelves. Also, I use boards like this to point me in the right direction. I'm trying two new authors based on recommendations from Goodreads.


I went to my local library last year quite a few times. Often just to pick up what I "ordered" online. They ship from every library in the city to the one I specify. So I thought I wanted to browse again. Just take a couple of hours and pick through the books. Something I haven't done for many years. I have been reading ebooks since 2008.

But after like 15 minutes, my neck hurt so bad I had to stop. To read the spines, I had to tilt my head constantly. And I had to get within a certain distance with my bifocals so I could read the spines. It wasn't a lot of fun at that point. Now if all books where pointed with face forward, I could do it. So back to browsing online I go. Much better recommendations anyway.


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## K.B. Rose (Sep 7, 2014)

I haven't browsed a bookstore or library in forever. I feel kind of bad about that, because I used to love it so much, but with everything online it's so much easier. Goodreads is great for discovering new authors.

I buy now through Amazon, almost exclusively. I also check out ebooks through the library website.

The first thing I notice is the cover and title. If that grabs my interest, I click on the book to read the blurb. If that catches my interest further, I read over some of the reviews.

If I'm thinking of purchasing a book, I usually read the sample first. When the sample ends, if I want to keep reading, I purchase.

I do sometimes let the Amazon reviews persuade me. I click on the one-star ratings first to see if there are any warning signs. But the blurb and the sample are the main things that decide if I'm going to purchase.


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## devalong (Aug 28, 2014)

In a bookstore, I mostly go by cover. But I don't buy much in bookstores anymore because it all seems to be the same thing on the shelves, predictable.

On Amazon, I use search. I like certain genres, so I search and then go by cover and blurb to the look inside. If that turns me on, I'll often buy.

I've also purchased books here and other boards because the author said something I liked and I wanted to find out more .


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## kristen_luciani (Sep 4, 2014)

I love going to bookstores but I don't always have time.  And it seems that I always finish a book while I'm on the treadmill and need a new one right away! I tend to use my Kindle to quickly find books of interest and because there isn't a lot of "browsing" time allotted, it's cover and blurb that sell me.  No time to read an excerpt as I'm making my uphill trek.  I usually give authors a few pages to capture my interest.  I know at that point if I'm really in or totally out.


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## paf2011 (Sep 15, 2011)

The cover attracts me first. I mainly find new authors on forums, Goodreads, and Amazon.


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## andyb (Sep 22, 2014)

I look into Goodreads a lot too, besides browsing on Amazon and a brick and mortar bookstores. When I go to a brick and mortar bookstore, I usually browse the "sales" section of past bestsellers and have found several treasures in those tables!


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