How do you pick a book?

I like books that really make me want to read them by presenting me with a great synopsis on the back. If the plotline doesn't seem interesting then it's pretty likely that I wont pick the book up. Pictures usually don't draw me in, and titles don't always matter either. The title may catch my attention, but the plot is what reels me in.

There are two things that have to get my attention when picking up a book. First, the picture on the cover of the book is what catches my eye, and it has to be a drawn picture, not one that was photographed. i dont know why, but i seem to completely ignore real pictures. and Second, it has to have a catchy title, or one that intreges me enough to pick it up. once the book accomplished that, they have me hooked and reading the back or inside flap. pretty much after that, you'll see in the checkout line. :)

I look at the title and what the story is about. If I like a certain author, I'll read more books by that author. I don't pay attention to cover art at all. That doesn't tell me about a book... I want to know what the book is about!!

I usally go by the author and descrpition also before I buy a book. My favorites are usally Dean Koontz, Stephen king and v.C. Andrews

i usually looks for the author, read the discription and title whether its gonna filling useful thought in my little brain or not, then see the price, and memorized the price for next month if its too expencive for my budget. lol

Sometimes I will pick up books with interesting titles or cover art. For nonfiction, I'll skim the table of contents, for fiction, I'll read the back and then read a passage of the actual fiction from inside the book - I just pick a page in one of the earlier chapters as not to spoil anything, and start reading. I don't like reading the inside of jackets, I think it tells too much about a book. I like just picking a page and reading to see if I think the style is intriguing instead.

If it's nonfiction I usually skin the atable of contents. If it's fiction I usually read the description. And maybe go to Amazon and read some reader reviews.

Just ordered four new books from amazon.com. Here's how I picked. Sidney Poitier's Measure of a Man because I've recently fallen in love with him as an actor all over again. And I've learned a few things about his life and am eager to hear more. I bought both Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama's most recent books because I feel one of them will surely be our next president and I want to be prepared by having read what they want to present to the world. I also ordered Nora Ephron's I Feel Bad About My Neck because I recently saw her on a talk show and she was making some pretty funny remarks. I need a good laugh, and I think we're on the same wavelength.

When looking for a book I first check to see if my favorite authors have anything out that I have not yet read, then from there I can go to a section. At times I will scan by title to see if anything will catch my eye. For the most part though I tend to just pick up books either randomly or in order off the shelf, reading the back discription, until I find something that really connects for me. It is not unheard of for me to read as many books as possible in any given genre before the people I have gone to the store with are ready to leave and I am still looking. I will make a list of the books I wanted to get as I go along since I am limited in the number of books I can buy. I have also when rushed, this translates to me with someone who has no clue what it means to look for a good book to read, do a quick scan to see if a title or cover will jump out at me. At times I do go for what I call pot luck. I will randomly go and just pick things, reading the back of a few and taking the first one where the description stands out for me as something I want to read.

Depends on my mood :) I have a few (well, several, perhaps) authors that I read almost religiously. For unknowns, I try to find a brief description of the plot to see if it sounds like something that would interest me. I have also based choices on title and/or cover art, but those are few and far between. I try to read a book before I consider buying it. Usually, that means the local library, but at least one publisher I know of has started the practice of including CR-ROMs bound into some of their hardback editions with digital formats of several (many!) books. They also allow free distribution of these digital formats, and I have found sources online which have the CD contents mirrored. If I really like a book, I seriously consider buying it to add to my not yet big enough personal library :) My $0.02 at the moment.

Its all of the above. I will pick up a book with a good cover & read the blurb on the back. If that doesn't get me, I put it back. Titles are another eye catching tool and I pretty much will read almost anything by certain writers. I think the publishers will agree about the eye catching, something has to stop you long enough to pick the book up in the first place.