What is your criteria for selecting a book to read?

[Shorty]

Titles are the first things I judge books on. I confess, I do look at the covers of books when determining whether or not to read them; if one has a particularly interesting or aesthetically pleasing image or even type on the front cover, I will be more inclined to pick it up. I always check the back description, but I usually find that they don't tell me whether or not I want to read the book.

Opening the book to the very first sentence is usually what draws me in. I am stupidly picky. If it doesn't have an excellent opening line, or even paragraph, I am less inclined to continue reading it. There are certain topics and genres I prefer reading about more than others, but I am pretty open to a variety of subjects when reading. The pull of the initial introduction of the book is really what speaks to me about whether or not I am going to keep reading it. I am not someone who tends to pick up something and keep reading, hoping for it to get better. I need to feel that spark right away to continue reading or to feel like it is worth it for me to continue reading.

Additionally, I am more inclined to pick something up if it has been recommended to me by someone whose literary opinion I trust, or if it's by an author whose past works I've enjoyed reading. Sometimes the author part is tricky; I feel like some writers back themselves into a corner with certain novels and when they try to branch out, it doesn't go so well for them. So that one is a little wishy-washy on me.

What about you? What's the spark that you look for in making your reading selection?

[Del Murder]

If my wife has read it and thinks I'd like it, I probably will. She's my main source of books. For the sci-fi titles that aren't really her thing, I look through lists of best sci-fi or fantasy novels online. I'll also read the 'inside the cover' description as a check.

I don't give a smurf about titles or covers, and I've only been drawn in by the first sentence or page of a book a couple times. Some of the books I read need a few chapters to get going but are pretty good once they do.

[Jinx]

I also judge books by their cover.

Basically, if I see a cover I like, or a title that sounds interesting, I'll pick it up and read the back/inside cover. If it sounds interesting to me, I'll read a few sentences before purchasing. Or, if I'm at the library, I just check it out. I also have a few friends whose recommendations I'll take, who share similar reading interests and have always given good suggestions (even if their suggestion is a book I've already read).

I also use Goodreads recommendations, which tailors recommended books to you based on how you rate them.

But like you, Shorty, I will not keep reading a book if I'm not enjoying it. I think I usually give it to about half way, unless the book is just absolutely dire. If someone has lent it to me, though, I usually try to finish it. Sometimes I'll come back to the book, though, because there have been times I just haven't really been emotionally ready or in the right place to read that particular book at that time. Or, I'll want a lighter read, and it's too heavy for me just then.

[Pant Leg Eater from the Bad World]

I browse not quite, but nearly exclusively within the Sci-Fi/Fantasy sections. I will meander into Fiction or History/War or the Classics on occasion though.

If a title catches my attention, I will investigate, or even an authors name. I don't even have to know it, but if their name stops me I feel obligated to check their book out. I also give an initial judgment to books covers.
If any of these things stop me, I will read the books description and maybe the first couple pages.

If I'm intrigued enough past that point then I probably going to get the book, if not right at that moment, then eventually. I actually just picked up a trilogy this weekend that I have been eyeing for the past couple months.

But one of the most important factors that I judge books on is their smell. I mostly shop in used book stores because I feel like the books have so much character themselves in there. There are certain authors or series that I only buy new from B&N, but the get a book that has already been loved and to give it a whiff, there is something magical about that.

I have found a book that I really wanted, but put it back until a different copy came to the shelf because it just didn't smell right.

[Pumpkin]

I only read books by authors I like or by recommendation. So the only way I'll branch out in to new authors to read more of their books is if someone recommends me one of their books and I like it

[G13]

I bought the first two books in Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle simply because Patrick Rothfuss was quoted on the back of one saying Brett was his favorite new author.

Cover art and titles are important, to a ridiculous degree, and sometimes it's even the company that published it that gets me, but if an author I love gives it praise I will pick that book up.

[blackmage_nuke]

I use to choose what had an interesting cover/title/blurb but now I usually read things that have been recommended to me by others who like the same kind of stuff as me.

Or I saw a reference to it somewhere and want to understand the joke so I look up the book and if the premise of the book sounds interesting enough I'll look into it.

[Mirage]

It's got to have pretty pictures

[noxious.sunshine]

I rarely go to bookstores anymore (hello Play Books!), but if a cover and title grab my attnetion, then I'll read the description and download the free sample.

If I get sucked in, I'll download it.

Who are we kidding? I'll probably download it anyway. I'm a bookworm and I tend to finish every book I start. And I'll read pretty much anything- no matter how bad it is.

[sharkythesharkdogg]

I just walk along until I see one that interests me. Title, cover, description on the back, etc.

I'll go sit down and read a chapter or so. If it still interests me, I'll buy it.

[Shorty]

I bought the first two books in Peter V. Brett's Demon Cycle simply because Patrick Rothfuss was quoted on the back of one saying Brett was his favorite new author.

Ah, I do this as well! Additionally, if review quotes mention a book is alike to another or even an author's writing that I like, I will pick it up. One I just picked up today on pure chance after reading Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy was quoted as saying, "Wholly original, and by turns annoying and exhilarating, this antidote to formula fiction reads like Douglas Adams channeling William Burroughs channelling Ionesco, spiced with the comic brio of Vonnegut." Had to get it.

[Ayen]

If I liked the movie made from it.

[Pike]

Basically it just has to sound interesting or be about an interesting topic. That mostly goes for non-fiction, though. For fiction I pretty much exclusively read sci-fi (with a smattering of fantasy) so basically if it's considered a classic and I haven't read it yet, I'll read it.

[Kalevala]

Goodreads recommendations, praise from other authors I love or from friends, an upcoming film or tv adaptation, a Tor.com review, etc.

There are a lot of factors that come into play when I'm selecting a book, but my method is a little sloppy and tends to lead to overload. Right now I have something like 400+ books listed as "to-read" on Goodreads.

[Miriel]

Amazon's Best Books of the Month usually has a good list of recent books to check out. Their "100 Books to Read in a Lifetime" list is also SUPER solid. One of the most solid book lists I've ever seen, as far as my personal tastes go. I've read around 50 of the 100 and of those I've probably liked and enjoyed 90% of those.

I hit up "Best Of" lists a lot, like just the other day I went through Book Riot's Best Books of 2015 So Far.

Goodreads I find is only really good for Young Adult recommendations.

I'll also do google searches with two books I love but are very different to see who else has liked BOTH books and what other books they liked. So I'll search for both "Bel Canto" and "Born to Run" (two completely different genres, both books I loved) or "Dune" and "My Life in France". This way I can sort of stumble across a book blog or a list that has both books on them and I can also trust in the taste level of that person or list.

I also will occassionally browse places like Reddit Books or Ohnotheydidnt to see what people are reading. Reddit is usually only good for Science Fiction or Fantasy recommendations given the demographic, and Ohnotheydidnt is GREAT for finding feminist/female lead character books.

And then once in awhile I'll just dip into the classics.