The Mystery, Crime, and Thriller Group discussion

I ask this primarily as an author trying to get visibility, but was is the main mechanism by which you choose your next book purchase?!

Is it:

- what comes up first on the best sellers list
- what kindle recommends to you
- what a friend recommends to you
- what goodreads recommends to you
- what has lots of positive reviews
- what has a nice cover
- what is on offer
- there are more options than I realised
- All of the above

Hmm, more complicated than I thought. But what do you think?!

Okay, maybe this will seem complicated but first I decide what I'm in the mood for - thriller? moody? scientific? cozy?

I go through my TBR (already purchased) list and my wishlist on Amazon to see if anything fits.

If not, then I go to the webpages of similar books I've already read on Goodreads or Amazon and I look through the list of, "readers who enjoyed this book also purchased..." or "books similar to this one," and then I just keep clicking on stuff until one description sounds good and hopefully isn't too expensive.

Also I read through the recommendations in my groups here on goodreads, but those are usually already in my wishlist or TBR.

I barely glance at covers. I will turn down a book if it has a ton of very bad reviews, especially notes about editing issues. I don't look at best seller lists or even the main "Kindle recommends for you" lists.

Kindle daily deals are killing me though, I have grabbed up a ton of cheap books, just because they sound good, but no idea when/if I'll ever get around to them.

So I'm trying to be picky about the books I will pay full price to buy.

Oh I forgot, if a book has whispersync and I can add audible cheap that's a major plus.

I keep a running list of books I want to read, adding to it as new books come out and deleting books from it as I read them. Most new books/authors I add come from recommendations here on Goodreads or word of mouth (and loaners) from friends.

When I buy books at a store or get them a the library, I select from ones on my list then read them in random order based on which one catches my eye at the moment.

Books I buy on-line I read in the order I buy them for some reason.

With series, I read them in order if at all possible and if I read one out of order, I re-read it after I've read the books that come before.

Read the first few chapters of 3-4 books onmy to read list, and go with the one that draws me in.

The best seller lists don't do it for me ... I watch Twitter for what's new and read publisher catalogs.

Most of the time, the book seems to choose me. I will cruise the library shelves, picking books at random until one grabs my attention. Of course, I use my TBR list, but I normally don't go book hunting. I enjoy the serendipity of the moment. And I have read things I would have never considered had I gone looking for a particular book.

I agree Michael. I stumble into most of the books I read. It's summer so I'm traveling a lot and stock up on books on cd from the library. James Patterson this summer. He's got so many books I'll never listen to them all. The book on my kitchen table--A Polish Doctor in the Nazi Camps -- came from a book signing event I participated in at the local independent bookseller. Its author was a fellow panelist. I just finished Mennonite in a Little Black Dress because I'm the librarian for my church and a member complained the book was inappropriate. Now to find time to read all the mystery/thrillers on my shelves and all the books on my wish list.

I keep a record of the books I have read and the series I am reading.

I look at recommendations on Goodreads both from what shows up in my Goodreads Recommendations and in these discussions. I have specific likes: mystery/detective, set outside the US, series, prefer important female character, etc.

I get most of my books from the library and ILL. I read some on kindle (library or ones I buy). The only physical copies of books I have bought recently are ones published in the UK that aren't available in the US.

I don't choose many new authors. However, once in a while something will catch my eye like Torquil MacLeod's Meet Me in Malmo series Torquil MacLeod. It is now three books but was only one when I read the first one and only on kindle.

I have various lists as well. My wife bought me a fantastic book that I take with me any time I go book shopping. It's alphabetical so at the front of each letter I have a list of authors I'm interested in plus a list of books I want from them. When I buy one, I erase from the 'want' section and move to the 'bought' section. I've had for about 5 years or more, so some of the letters are now also filled with yellow stickies.. lol.. I've also got a spreadsheet with a list of all the books I've ever bought (over the last 8 or 9 years) plus where they are located in the house, if I want to find them quickly (also indicate if I have traded them in).. and then on goodreads, I've also got another list. Yup, you've guessed, I like lists. Any recommendations for new books get added to my manual system. My electronic lists are only for books I actually have on my book shelf or have read... How's that?.. :)

Of course, that doesn't really answer the original question does it? I try to follow specific authors firstly; I use recommendations from friends, especially on goodreads, I spend lots of time wandering around my local book stores, checking book covers and synopses and any that seem interesting get either purchased or added to my Want list..

1-author: if I find a book that I like by a certain author, I move to reading the other books by the same author
2-mood
3-goodreads recommendations

I look on the internet to check out different authors, and then I only buy my mystery books at the local mystery bookstore, and I look for a couple hours. I pick my top four or five that sound interesting (based on the back cover) when im done reading a book, ill go through the few I still haven't read yet. once I go through them all I sift through some more at the store. I like taking a little notebook with me and jotting notes and browsing through the used books, its part of my little ritual :)

I peruse the Internet, primarily Barnes & Noble where I purchase most of my books, and keep a long list of future reads. I tend to purchase debut books and give the underdog a chance.

reviews and availability.

I know this might sound a little strange, but the cover and title play a big role for me to read the synopsis and then consider a book as my next read.

Obviously, if I've found a series that I like from a specific author I'll go through the list.

Goodreads lists and groups also directed me towards great hidden gems.

Interesting. I find that covers are often misleading and that a majority of the titles of mysteries have little or nothing to do with the book.

Gary wrote: "Interesting. I find that covers are often misleading and that a majority of the titles of mysteries have little or nothing to do with the book."

I agree. I guess it comes down to the fact that there are so many books to chose from that grabbing my attention is key, if that makes any sense.

Gary wrote: "Interesting. I find that covers are often misleading and that a majority of the titles of mysteries have little or nothing to do with the book."

I let the book cover lead me, especially if I'm looking for something in the genres of horror and thrillers. Which I have noticed that on GoodReads, the book covers are different in what you find in bookstores.

Philip wrote: "Gary wrote: "Interesting. I find that covers are often misleading and that a majority of the titles of mysteries have little or nothing to do with the book."

I let the book cover lead me, especial..."

Usually if you click on the all editions button for a particular book, you'll find that there are quite a few editions of that book available. Of course it depends on how many people have actually added specific editions. I found that out after awhile on goodreads and while I was adding books to my goodreads library..

If I'm cruising, it's cover first, then description. I'm willing to give a new guy a try. Anything with a canned cover (the same chick in leather with a gun is on dozens of covers - I guess the stock art is inexpensive) gets a pass. If the cover is that unoriginal, then I question how original the book can be.

I follow some authors specifically, automatically buy the newest one published ... some I've followed for years and a good number of newer ones I've been introduced to through Amazon free downloads. I don't buy on 'speculation' ... I buy if I've read one or two by a new to me author and liked them very well or occasionally from a recommendation from other readers here on Goodreads.

My two major sources of new authors come from free downloads from Amazon (selected by reading the intro information) or from books checked out at my local library but the biggest percentage the last two years comes from the free Kindle downloads.

Oh, great question, esp from an author trying to master her own marketing strategy! Go, you!

For me, its a melange of these ones...
- what a friend recommends to you
- what goodreads recommends to you
- what has lots of positive reviews
- what has a nice cover

PLUS add in (my own write ins for reasons)
-what a GoodReads friend and/or author recommends to me either in a 'calling for recommendations' thread, or from our chats or forum posts... often when I'm comparing books with a new 'friend' I find gems I missed.
-what a book group I'm involved in is reading (GR group)
-what's on crazy discount for sale when I look it up
-what series/authors I adore have released new books in a series, or released new books

I also am a NUT for the GoodReads recommendations (they don't start out very good when you're new to GR, but the more books you 'rate' and more shelves you add books to... well... my GR recs are almost always stuff I love, now.), as well as the 'readers also enjoy' sliders to the right of a book in the description page. There are many many times when i'll look up a book because it was recommended, then also add half the books in that slider to my 'to be read' pile. Then I'll take all the month's book choices from groups I'm in, stuff I'm super excited about reading from a recommendation, books I need to review for an ARC review... and plop em in my 'short stack - read asap' shelf that I set up to decide what to read next.

feel free to yell out if you have any questions. I worked in sales/marketing for a decade before I got stuck at home with health reasons, so I'm happy to help if you need any suggestions.

Wow, so it seems no-one knows! I think the real answer is the book often finds the reader dependant on mood etc.

I do find it fascinating that we still rely on covers so much to choose a book (or to at least peak our interest in the beginning) - there really doesn't seem to be a way to get away from that. You can't judge a book by it's cover but we certainly seem to still choose based on that!

Bill wrote: "I have various lists as well. My wife bought me a fantastic book that I take with me any time I go book shopping. It's alphabetical so at the front of each letter I have a list of authors I'm inter..."

Just reading through your process, have you ever explored the free software Calibre? I'm a total Calibre addict, as I can add tag words, download blurb and cover art, keep track of series name and book... pretty much anything you can imagine. Its great for ebooks, but you can also use it to add books that don't have ebook files attached. So what you'd have there is a VERY elaborate software that works beautifully and allows you to not only track your books, note where the copy is in the house, series, etc, but also go in and peruse all of them at a glance, as well as see blurb and cover, etc. Might be fun for you, as you seem about as careful a cataloger of books as I. Plus, at any given point you can go in, search for a specific tag (fantasy, magical realism, series name, etc), author, whatnot... and see a whole list of what you have available. I LURVE it... literally makes managing my library a joy, instead of trauma. lol Here's the dl, and there's a DEMO at top, as well as tutorials on youtube. Feel free to ask if you've got questions. Its a free safe download... millions of people love calibre. http://calibre-ebook.com/download

Rob wrote: "Wow, so it seems no-one knows! I think the real answer is the book often finds the reader dependant on mood etc.

I do find it fascinating that we still rely on covers so much to choose a book (or ..."

Person = Face as Book = Cover. Its a first impression thing, and as such can be essential to draw the eye, and can really do amazing things in terms of intriguing a reader, and drawing interest to your book. lol Can you tell I'm an aspiring cover artist? ;) But seriously... like any great marketing, cover is essential. That's not to say I won't read a book I hear great stuff about if its got a crummy cover, mind you. But my eye won't automatically find it on a bookshelf, either. Same goes for people... I've dated and loved men who aren't necessarily physically striking in my single days, but if I'm out in a bar, they're not necessarily the first people I'd take note of. Make sense? I've got a shelf of 'Swoonworthy Cover Art' here at GR, if you want to take a gander ever.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

I'm not a cover person at all -- it just doesn't phase me.

Nancy wrote: "I'm not a cover person at all -- it just doesn't phase me."

That's pretty much me too, though I think it's a bit odd as I am an artist. I do occasionally get somewhat annoyed with the comic/character type illustrations that seem getting more common with a lot of the cozy mysteries ... and sometimes (after the fact) with a cover that has little to do with the book itself.

Sharon wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I'm not a cover person at all -- it just doesn't phase me."

That's pretty much me too, though I think it's a bit odd as I am an artist. I do occasionally get somewhat annoyed with th..."

I noticed a long time ago looking at old Agatha Christie paperback covers that sometimes what's on the outside of the book often gives away the show of what's on the inside. I could tell just by looking what the main clues were going to be even before opening the book.

And excuse me for being illiterate here -- it's "faze," not phase. I was up at 4 am again today and I've been tired all day!

Discoverability is a huge issue for most authors, and unfortunately it can be hard to tell what works the best. However, I often read books by friends or books that friends have recommended first - and I've seen many polls of readers that seem to indicate word of mouth is the most important factor in finding new books to read. Word of mouth can come from social media (yay, Goodreads!), family, colleagues, or whomever. Personally, I don't usually consider covers, reviews, or blurbs (although some folks do). Book descriptions are a little more important, as is reading the first few chapters.

Top 5 would be :

1)smell of the book if it is soft/hard bound.

2)Using goodreads recs and listopia - one of the reason why I started using Goodreads.

3)The content/summary

4)The cover

5)Author

Great question....my decisions depend on my mood I suppose. Sometimes I'm taken in by a cover, skim the summary, reviews and go from there.

I'd say the single most influential thing is a friend's recommendation.

Sharon wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I'm not a cover person at all -- it just doesn't phase me." That's pretty much me too, though I think it's a bit odd as I am an artist. I do occasionally get somewhat annoyed with th..."

I'm a cover freak. I immediately skip past a mystery or romance with a cartoon on the cover. The cover may not sell the book, but it can be enough of a turn off to stop the purchase of a book. I know how difficult (and expensive) it can be to come up with a good cover, (I have one that I really don't like and need to replace) but I believe in spending the money on the visible representation to hopefully cause the browser to pause. With my first book, Protecting Parker, several people actually mentioned the cover in the review. Sometimes, the cover is the only thing that stops people from scrolling past. I also think if you're an established/popular author that the cover image become less important than the name on the book.

If I'm shopping with a plan then it's the recommendation of a friend. If I'm just wandering through the bookstore - it's all about the cover.

Lynne wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Nancy wrote: "I'm not a cover person at all -- it just doesn't phase me." That's pretty much me too, though I think it's a bit odd as I am an artist. I do occasionally get somewhat a..."

You should never judge a book by its cover, but I also think alluring cover art is terribly important to selling a book. It is the first thing the reader sees when he or she approaches a potential purchase or read.

Generally, if I'm not buying something on my current wish list, then I'll buy a book based on cover, blurb, and sample.

If it's it in a genre I like, has a cover good enough to make me click on its listing, has an interesting premise, and appears to be well-written from the sample, then I'll probably buy it. Only reason I wouldn't is price -- if it's too expensive for my current budget, it gets stuck on the wish list for later.

I'm always up for a mystery or psychological and/or political thriller. I admit, I search those criteria, and then judge initially on the cover. If I'm drawn in by the "blurb" then I check the reviews, and based on that I decide to pull the trigger or not.

I've rarely taken advantage of the "look inside" feature. On rare occasion have downloaded a free sample. Although I know those are very popular features, if the book doesn't grab me with cover, blurb, and reviews then I move on.

I'm with you on the not often taking advantage of 'look inside' and 'free sample' features, Tim. Not sure why, really, but like you, if cover art/synopsis/reviews don't particularly pique my interest, looking deeper at the first few pages of content isn't likely to, either.

If I'm reading the "look inside," it's because I'm intrigued by the cover and the blurb, but not sold based on the quality of that blurb. I'll cruise the first three pages of the free peek and make a decision from there.

You know, I really should start doing that, Lynne... not to sell myself on the book, but more to check the quality of the writing. So I guess to potentially 'unsell' myself? lol Can't tell you how many times I've been appalled by the horrid state of affairs betwixt front and back cover. I understand how poorly written books get created, but can't imagine how someone in this poor author's life hasn't clued them into major errors, just to save the person bad review trauma! ;) The sad part is, often the ideas in the book are lovely... it just seems that not a lot of thought was given to language flow and word choices, so its all clunky and disjointed. Kind of a personal preference of mine, but I find books like that almost impossible to read.

We both know it's no guarantee. LOL I find a lot of books with the first three chapters very polished, since that's what they send off with their letters to publishers. But #4 through the end are the acid test for quality. I'm inclined to give a new guy a chance if the premise is interesting and the price isn't ridiculous.

Oh yeah, I agree with you there. No guarantee rest will be as 'clean' or well developed. lol I hadn't thought of that, honestly. I used to grab almost everything that struck my fancy... spent as much on books as on my mortgage monthly. But my circumstances changed, and now I'm so careful about every book dollar... so when I make a $5 mistake, I flog myself heinously over it, since I figure it means I missed out on some great ones. ;) Kinda like dating... never know what you're gonna get till you get into it, but have to take a chance on someone.

OddModicum Rachel wrote: "Bill wrote: "I have various lists as well. My wife bought me a fantastic book that I take with me any time I go book shopping. It's alphabetical so at the front of each letter I have a list of auth..."

I just got around to reading this, Rachel. Thanks for the suggestion. I will definitely check it out..

Nancy wrote: "And excuse me for being illiterate here -- it's "faze," not phase. I was up at 4 am again today and I've been tired all day!"

Oh Nancy! I did wonder about that when I read that it just doesn't "phase" you. Then I thought it might be some new saying, as half the time I don't understand what people are saying or writing!

I use every means possible. Awards winners, Goodreads & sometimes just plan luck. I do not remember how I discovered Dept Q books but now I tell everyone to pick them up,

Most of the time i just close my eyes, spin around 3 times, and point.

Tom wrote: "Most of the time i just close my eyes, spin around 3 times, and point."

Very good - I love that answer!

Bec wrote: "Nancy wrote: "And excuse me for being illiterate here -- it's "faze," not phase. I was up at 4 am again today and I've been tired all day!"

Oh Nancy! I did wonder about that when I read that it ju..."

No -- just a moment of not thinking!

I use "psychic shopping" techniques. I enter a bookstore, join the thumb and first two fingers of either hand, and head off in the direction I'm drawn. Here comes an aisle, up there's a row, there's the book, I take it and go.

Rick wrote: "I use "psychic shopping" techniques. I enter a bookstore, join the thumb and first two fingers of either hand, and head off in the direction I'm drawn. Here comes an aisle, up there's a row, ..."

even better.

Stephen wrote: "I use every means possible. Awards winners, Goodreads & sometimes just plan luck. I do not remember how I discovered Dept Q books but now I tell everyone to pick them up,"

All I could think of when I read this was that I also do just about everything except ask the Ouija Board for a good read. lol And sometimes it is all about luck.