Books. How do I love thee?
Enough to go on a book buying frenzy!
So after abusing the “BUY” button on Amazon’s website, I began to wonder what possessed me to buy a virtual truck load of books? What about them drew my attention?
The first few sentences.
It’s said that these sentences are the most important part of the book and I agree. It’s usually what readers use to determine if they want to buy your work or not. For me, the first sentences simply have to grab my attention and make me wonder what’s going to happen next.
Open Minds (Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy) by Susan Kaye Quinn
“A zero like me shouldn’t take public transportation.
The hunched driver wrinkled a frown before I even got on the bus. Her attempt to read my mind would get her nothing but the quiet of the street corner where I stood.
Defiance Rising (Book 1 of the Rising Trilogy) by Amy Miles
“I’ve been told that this world used to be a beautiful place, filled with
twinkling electric lights and tables overflowing with food. A place where children played in parks and couples took leisurely strolls on Sunday. A time when humans weren’t slaves to aliens or nature. Staring out over the concrete graveyard before me, I find that hard to imagine.”
Artificial Evil (Book 1 of The Techxorcist) by Collin F. Barnes
“In 2153 the lottery didn’t just change lives, it ended them. And Gerry Cardle’s numbers were up.”
What steps do you take before buying a book?
Loved it, http://www.byelenasears.wordpress.com I would really like to hear some thoughts on my almost 30 chapters, it’s some fiction wrapped with fanfiction and mostly fashion. Enjoy 🙂
Thanks! I’ll check out your blog as soon as I can. 😀
I like blurbs, that’s always what I go buy. Sometimes it can be disappointing when a blurb isn’t quiet accurate to the story inside, but then other times it can be a great surprise 😀
I know what you mean about inaccuracies. I think that authors try to slim down what they put in their blurbs in order not to spoil anything.
I’m with Mishka, I’m a black cover blurb girl. I can go through a boring opening if the story sounded promising. I like the events to slowly unfold. I want the beginning to slowly suck me into the book.
True. If the story shows a lot of promise I can usually wade my way through slow beginnings too. Actually…I can’t put any book down once I start them lol.
I can’t say that. I’ve definitely met a book or two I’ve had to walk away from at least for a while. I always attempt them again later.
And where the heck are you in the world? It’s 0300 here in the states. I may very well be the only one who keeps these hours.
I’m in the states too! It’s 12 in the morning here. I’m a bit of a night owl 😛 (I can think better but my writing suffers for it lol)
yup. I work 3rd shift. East Coast!! You’re more to the West I see. 0300 isn’t the witching hour, it’s the writing hour.
Exactly! This is the only time that my inner critic goes to sleep.
I must have several then that work in shifts!
Ouch, fire some of them!
Ever seen the movie Officespace? I imagine them wandering around clutching their bright red papermate gel pens. Haven’t paid them in months yet they still show up!
Lol! You’d figure they’d get the clue, right? (and…no I’ve never seen the movie. Does that make me less cool?)
Um, no but it is a rare thing that I actually like a comedy movie. That one is hilarious. There is a guy who had been “fired” but kept showing up for work. He was obsessive over his red swingline stapler. I picture my editor pack that way.
Hey you gonna post some of your nano wip? 😉 And I sent a quick camper message out.
I’m thinking about it. I’m kinda juggling between writing my NaNo project and editing a manuscript that I finished last month. Buuuuuut we’ll see.
I read yours and I must say…I wanted to read more!! 😀 Is it about angels?
Mine is about Aliens and I’ll be posting an entire page worth (270 ish words) in a little while on my blog 😉
Can’t wait to read it! (oh and I just got your camper message…sorry for not getting to them earlier. It’s been really busy here in Desiree-land)
Are you kidding? I just sent it a little while ago. Not many are active with the messages this camp I’ve noticed. Everyone is busy. My cabin isn’t very chatty either. I guess it is a quiet camp this round.
I usually go for the blurb. These days with ebooks though I find it’s a combination of the blurb and first few sentences. If I like the blurb I will check out the sample pages and see if it’s something I can get through. So many books so little time and all that lol.
Lol, I know what you mean! I usually spend hours rummaging through amazon’s database and end up buying LOTS of ebooks.
1. the premise: I mean, anything about Mahabharataa will ignite my interest, but maybe not Mughal empire related stuff.
2. good reviews? but of course, so many are engineered nowadays. plus I don’t agree with many so called best-sellers.
3. good cover- yup, one does judge by it
4. good backpage cover story.
I usually follow most of your steps, but I rarely go off of reviews because…well like you said, “so many are engineered.” Plus, one reader’s tastes for a book may be totally different then mine. Oh, about the book cover thing, so true (shame on us)!
I started reading Lisa Unger books because of one quote I found in goodreads.
““The truth has not so much set us free as it has ripped away a carefully constructed facade, leaving us naked to begin again.”
Nice quote! It makes me want to check out Lisa Unger’s books. In your opinion, how are they?
I started with the novel “Beautiful Lies”. I love the way she constructs sentences in her story. She writes it in a first person narrative so it feels like you’re part of the story. The story line is quite intriguing as well.
I really love it. It’s my type of book. Hope it would be one of yours too!