When you go to the bookstore...

[Luis Antonio]

Ok, one morning you wake up, think with yourself "its saturday, I'll have breakfast and read a good book from my shelf". Then, after breakfast, you search for a book and all titles have been already devoured by your vast intelect, and none of those books offers you any challenge.

Then you go to that bookstore you like so much.

Now this is the topic:

Where do you guys like buying books?

I like going to a bookstore downtown (unfortunately it is very very far indeed from my house) where the salespersons know me by my name and tastes, and where I know I'll find almost any title I could desire.

In my opinion the great bookstores are not specialized for the book business. They pay for salespersons who dont know anything about the product they are selling, so you cant discuss or ask another opinion about the book you have in your hands.

How do you guys choose your books?

My first tactic is to search by known authors, like Arthur C Clarke, Dostoievski, Goethe, so that I can figure out what to expect from the book.

The second thing I look is for the book design. I love books in good cover, and with that paper (we call it polen paper) that is a little bit yellow to make reading easier. Some books come even with a cool texture on the book paper, so you can actually feel pleasure not only on the reading, but on having the book on your hands.


You guys read the "ears" of the book before buying or you take a look at the index or the first chapter?

I read them all, but I'm sceptic to those books in wich you may see the whole history in a few lines written on the book ears. I really prefer those who have a important quote from the book and a quick resumée from the author. I also like seating down for an instant and reading a bit of the first chapter before making my decision.

So, I have a little collection of books, and I'm going to the bookstore tomorrow after a month reading my old books again... The topic came to my mind and I guess it will be really cool to know what you guys look when buying a book...

[C Elegans]

Originally Posted by Luis Antonio

Where do you guys like buying books?

When I was younger, I used to buy all my books from Dillon's university bookstore at Gower Street, London. I loved that bookstore, the staff was really, really knowledgeble and they had everything.
Now, they don't exist anymore, and I buy books at a local bookstore where I live or at a British online bookstore Blackwell's.

How do you guys choose your books?

When I was younger and read a lot, I used to go to the city library (I couldn't afford to buy so many books) and just pick randomly. I was finished with the great Western masters in the middle of my teens, so after that I would pick anything, and also read what my friends recommended me.

Nowadays, I read very little fiction, so I am very particular about what I read. Mostly, I take recommendation from a people I know or believe share my taste in literature. Once in a while if I have the time, I will check book reviews and see if anything interest me.

You guys read the "ears" of the book before buying or you take a look at the index or the first chapter?

No, almost never.

I have a very sparse collection of books, most are textbooks from my student days, then a few ones I found very cheaply or I just couldn't live without. The only book I own which I really value, is my Oxford Uni edition of Shakespeare's complete works with original spelling. I value it most simply because it is quite hard to get by.

[Ekental]

Where do you guys like buying books?

For me its Barnes&Noble, Borders and 1/2 Price Books.

How do you guys choose your books?

Known authors, then recommended, then the "classics" (Tom Sawyer etc.)

You guys read the "ears" of the book before buying or you take a look at the index or the first chapter?

Very rarely... I usually skim through the book to highlight the major parts and see if they interest me.

I used to read a lot of sci fi fantasy... I still do but not quite as much as before. I have a nice little collection of 4-500 books or so that cover everything from the hardcore sci-fi to the silly generic fantasy. I have a smaller collection of other genres... though now I dont read as much >_<

[Xandax]

Originally Posted by Luis Antonio

Where do you guys like buying books?

I buy books via the Internet.
There is no stores near me that carries the book I read to any great extend.

Originally Posted by Luis Antonio

How do you guys choose your books?

By toipic. If/when I want to buy books I generally have a pretty good idea what they should be about. Then I look for books on that topic.

Originally Posted by Luis Antonio

You guys read the "ears" of the book before buying or you take a look at the index or the first chapter?

Well - shopping for books over the Internet gives me almost instant access to countless of reviews. Simply copy the name and place it in a search engine and presto. I can read what others have thought about the book.

Then again - my shopping tendencies are likely not typical, because I around 95% of the time only read literature regarding programming (references, strategies, methods etc).
It is very rare that I enter a bookstore. Last time I did was about 1 year ago where I ended up buying some tales of Dante, but I also had a giftcertificate to the store. Last time I bought books - I purchased 3 via a danish technical bookstore, and did it over the web. (VB.NET, ASP.NET and VB.NET reference book )


I'm wierd ... I know.

[Paranitis]

Where do you guys like buying books?

I rarely leave the house, so online..don't really care from where, whatever is cheapest and in New condition (I will not read a pre-read book).

How do you guys choose your books?

By topic, I don't go by recommendations because every time I have, I have been very disappointed or uninterested in the topic to which I can't get past the first page (which is why I have never in my life completed a book report for school).

You guys read the "ears" of the book before buying or you take a look at the index or the first chapter?

Well, usually when I grab a book I have an idea what it is generally about, and I won't read a book unless I am already interested enough to want to read it. Now what happens when the ears are written horribly or give away the entire story? That would just suck. So no, I don't read the ears until AFTER I am done with the book. It's like licking the spatula after you pop the brownies into the oven.

[frogus23]

I get my books from Blackwells...Oxford's claim to the world's greatest bookshop! It is fantabulous, and caters mainly to the student population so they have all the academic books you could ever need..

I also love Shakespeares the famous English bookshop in Paris, but mainly for the feel of the place - they do not cater especially to my taste...

I am still buying all the classics and famous ones really, so I go by author quite a bit...Dostoevsky, Camus etc...

I read philosophy and theology most, so I read books found in the bibliographies of other books...but still I tend to pick by author rather than by theme: St. Augustine, Nietzsche, St. John of the Cross, Kierkegaard, Austin, Wittgenstein...

The themes I do buy books on without much regard to author are Pirates...David Cordingly is the best, but I buy the well-regarded historical ones too - The Buccanneers of America, The Murders & Roberies of the Most Notorious Pyrates etc. and Gothic horror...

I don't read that much fiction either, but what I do read are classics (for now), so pretty much anything on Penguin Classics will do

[fable]

Depending upon where I lived, I typically found the largest, best stocked used book store in the area. There's still a very good one up in NYC, but that's two hours away. These days, I usually go to a few third party used book dealers that work through Amazon.com.

[jopperm2]

I usually buy books from a chain called BooksAMillion becasue they are cheap and there aren't many independants around here. I primarily by gaming books though from game shops. I usually look into books that I am buying in great detail first. I'll get it from the library if it isn't something I REAALy want.

[Shai Hulud]

Originally Posted by Luis Antonio

Where do you guys like buying books?

Used book stores supercede any other place to purchase books. There is one close to my house that I swear the lady who runs it has read every book on the shelf. It's more of a personal experience rather than going to a large bookstore and feeling like your in a retail department store.

Also, when hitting the used shelves you have the ability to take a bit of history with you. I actually ran into a used bookstore a few years ago and found a collection of short stories, all seven volumes at a dollar each. *not sure because i'm not at home to check the books but i believe they are years 41-48.

Originally Posted by Luis Antonio

How do you guys choose your books?

I have purchased books based on author also. Now it's more of a genre search. What fits my mood at the time is pretty much leads me to something.

Sometimes I don't even choose a book based on any substance, partially why the used book store is so great. I started doing this because I found myself reading books similar to each other or the same authors over and over.

Originally Posted by Luis Antonio

You guys read the "ears" of the book before buying or you take a look at the index or the first chapter?

I only read the "ears" of books that I purchase for nonfiction or authors that I regularly purchase. When Its someone or something I have not read before I tend not to read the flaps. It adds suspense.

[werebeargoddess]

I usually go to Barnes 'N Noble (sp?). I usually go to the sci-fi /fantasy section, or the teen section. I always look for books by Terry Brooks, Mercedes Lackey, and Tamora Pierce when she comes out with a new book.
They're all good authors, so I usually try to find books written by them.

[Tower_Master]

Originally Posted by Luis Antonio

Where do you guys like buying books?

How do you guys choose your books?


You guys read the "ears" of the book before buying or you take a look at the index or the first chapter?

Well, I used to go book-shopping at this AMAZING little used bookstore that was run by the sweetest old lady ever put on this earth. I got to go back to my old hometown and see her the other year, and she absolutely REFUSES to keep track of her books via a database of some sort - she quite literally can tell you the exact location of any book in her store. However, since moving last, I've become a slave to the corporation that is Barnes and Noble.

I choose mine of peer recommendation, whether I've like the authors previous work, and the purty pictures on the little cardboard cover thingy

I don't read the ear - I'll start the book, get a chapter or two in, and see if I like the style before checking out.

[Scayde]

Other than On Line?

Three places mainly.. I love going to a used and rare book store called Timeless Books, a little Mom and Pop shop.. Village books is another locally owned book seller...but I admit to enjoying having a coffee and sitting around in B&N with friends discussing new releases...I don't read a lot of fiction, but they have enough in the History and Theology sections to keep me occupied for hours.. If I get into the book and can't put it down, I will buy it. My home library is my only material treasure other than my PC

[giles337]

I rarely leave the house, so online..don't really care from where, whatever is cheapest and in New condition (I will not read a pre-read book).

Contrarily, I prefer reading well thumbed books! Not only do they feel more comfortable, but they stay open easier, and are cheaper. And i only but paperbacks, becasue i don't like heavy books.

Because of this I buy books from a second hand book shop, borrow from libraries, or, occasionally pick something up at the market stall where i buy comics.

I pick normally by author when buying, to guaruntee a good read, but when borrowing books i always try new authors/genre

[Chanak]

@Scayde: Your library is sweet. I can attest to this.

Where do you guys like buying books?

Half-Price Books here is pretty decent. A great number of unusual titles show up in there on a regular basis. There's also a number of university bookstores around the fringes of the UT campus worth going to. I miss Oxford Books in Atlanta - three floors of wall-to-wall books, and a coffee shop downstairs to chill out in. I normally don't buy online unless I am familiar with the title. I like looking at the book first, which leads to...

How do you guys choose your books?

I simply roam through the titles. I don't necessarily pay much attention to the authors, unless I am looking for something specifically. Generally, I'll haunt the Non-Fiction, Fiction, Sci-Fi, and whatever section in the bookstore that houses the "FarSide" and "Calvin and Hobbes" cartoon compilations.


You guys read the "ears" of the book before buying or you take a look at the index or the first chapter?

I speed-skim through sections of it. I can pick up any book and speed through it, and glean essential knowledge that way. A really good book will stop me in my tracks - that's how I discover the gems.