what entices you to purchase?

[abecedarian]

Most of tthe time I choose a book because it's an author I know, or have heard good things about. But every now and then I see a cover that catches my eye and I've just got to get it and see if it's any good. It should be said though that I buy all my books at a used bookstore and never spend more than a fraction of cover price.

I'm rather balky about paying retail myself..I hear ya! My "impulse" buys are after an intense search all over the net to find the best deal. If I'm really living large, and can leave all the kids at home..I'll sneak off to my favorite used book store...Sneak tactics are necessary since the kids all have 400 reasons why they should get to go too if their radar detects a book trip in the works. I don't know where they get that.

 

[Tasku]

What is your ratio of good to bad? I'd be surprised if it was better then 1:4.

You're forgetting average. What I call a "good author" (in the sence I meant on the sentence you quoted), is someone who's work I truly enjoy. Bad authors would be those, who's books I can't even finish all the way.

I would say good to average to bad authors would be something like 2:7:1.

I run into good authors more often than bad ones, but the majority are just "okay". I read them thru, like some of it, but might not be looking for them on the next trip to the bookstore.

Reading is not a passion for me, it's a past time, like watching a movie, only deeper and more meaningful.

 

[sparkchaser]

I couldn't do that. My reading stack is too high for me to pick new reading material nonchalantly.

 

[Tasku]

Yeah, well... when you don't know what to read, but you need to read something this is how I get around doing it. I'm not reading five books at one time because I'm uncontrollably buying books on impulse, but rather because I prefer reading several books at the same time.

I do know when to stop though - I just keep out of the bookstore, if I have too many unfinished.

 

[Aaron S.]

It's a combination of
1) The Cover Art
2)Blurb
3)Genre