When you go to the book store do you look for well known authors or ....?

Question

...do you go out of your way to find interesting stories by unknown or obscure writers?

Answer 1

I don't look for any particular author. I just buy according to my current state of mind: if I feel like reading Dickens, Huxley, Montesquieu, a history book or a psychology book...etc. I make decisions based on my mood or my interest at the time. I tried to make my reading style more organized by period or literary current, but that doesn't seem to work for me.

Answer 2

Whatever catches my eye. I am shallow that way.

Actually it depends upon why I am in the shop. Who I am buying for. Where the shop is. If it is new to me I reconnoiter and cruise certain aisles looking at things which interest me. I tend to avoid places like Chapters and seek out locally owned and run shops. The personal touch is so nice.

What I buy in my local bookshop is a far cry from what I would buy in the Dubai Airport on a stopover. In India I tend to read every cover in the shop to remain in the air-con.In India I bought books written by local writers; books that are not to be sold outside of the country.

Actually I was shocked to feel that the Dubai Bookshop was about the same as the Heathrow bookshops as the Vancouver Bookshops. The only differences were the local papers and maps and tourism ... and the dress of the people. Same books translating to roughly the same price as well. How dismal.

I am not a big fan of best sellers although occasionally one catches my eye. Even then, I may not read them for years. I tend to look for the unusual or the historical but accurate novel. Most of my reading is from the library.

When I look at books, I always read the very first sentence. If it does not snag me, I often end up not taking the book. Now that is shallow! Really shallow! But, I was told that is something a good author can do, snag em with the first 50 syllables. So far it has been pretty right on too.

Answer 3

Usually when I go to a bookstore, I'm going for a specific title. When I'm in there, though, I WILL browse. I don't look for well known authors specifically. I'll look for interesting titles or subject matter, and I'm not afraid to buy books from unfamiliar authors. I do quite a bit of skimming, though, before I commit to a purchase.

The skim test includes:
1. Book cover - intriguing title
2. Back cover - any useful comments?
3. Table of contents
4. First page of text (if interesting, then more front pages)
5. Random flip through to see if it remains interesting somewhere in the middle

If it passes the skim test, obscure authors will be purchased.

Answer 4

It's take me HOURS to find a book to buy. I start off with catchy titles in the section that I feel like reading and then I read the synopsises. If it's still appealing, then I read the first few pages to get a feel of the writing.

My real challenge begins when I have 5 great books in my hand and I don't know which ones to purchase.

This process is very long but I LOVE IT!

Answer 5

it's like with people, u never know why do u like this or taht person. with books the same, u r just attracted.
i like to touch cover, read annotation, trace over several pages without noticing really if the author is well-known and adviced by books reviews. i like mornings in the book-shops and wondering around the shelves. it's like waiting the love of ur life. meeting and loosing strangers.)

Answer 6

I look in the Travel Section and the Travel Magazines. I also buy a Godiva Dark Chocolate Bar.

Answer 7

i go in a crazed frenzy whenever i get in a bookstore... that's usually the reason why i leave bookstores without money in my wallet anymore and my mom reprimands me for "wasting" my money...

it's like i get into my own world... let me explain it to you...

when i go in a bookstore, the first thing i usually see is the new arrivals, so i rummage through that until i see anything i like and i lovingly put them in my friend's arms...

then i go and look for books by my favorite authors.. if there are any that i havent bought yet... i carefully put them in my friend's arms too!

after that.. i go to the fiction section (by that time i get this glazed look in my eyes) and just feel the covers of the books, breathing in the wonderful smell of new paper. i get all the books that catch my eye, place them in my friend's care making sure he's still cradling them like babies.

actually, i spend a long time in the bookstore and it's so tiring to enumerate so let me summarize. i go from genre to genre, topic to topic, author to author and get anything that grabs my interest.

i read the summaries at the back or whereever they are. if i see anything that's isn't that interesting, i put it back. then i read the first few pages of the books whose summaries i did like, just for fun.

i look around the store, then go over it again. but this time, instead of looking at the covers first, i look at the synopses. ^^,

and then i go to the cashier and fork over all of my cash.

that's all, thank you. *bow*

Answer 8

I have a list of authors on my "instant grab" list. Meaning, if I see something new by one of them, I grab it instantly. I also look for certain subjects, and sometimes I walk out with something totally off of the wall. It mostly depends on how much cash I have to spend.

Answer 9

often, especially for my favorite authors...but even though they're my favorite sometimes they write bad, so i go on reading reviews in the internet about the book prior to buying them, and i take note of who rated those book if they are credible and reliable? and sometimes, my friends recommend some books.

Answer 10

I judge a book by its SUMMARY not cover or awards