[Timboli]

There was a time, when buying physical books, in person, where I would open the book up at a random location, and start reading for a couple of paragraphs, and assess if it at least seemed to be well written.

It has been so long since I have done that, that I'd almost forgotten about it. I used to buy a lot on sales tables back then, so grabbing a lot of new authors, where often I did not even recognize the name.

Usually attracted first by the title, then maybe the cover, then the blurb, then the price if it wasn't a price table, i.e. $2 each.

Pretty rare for me to use the Amazon Look Inside feature, as generally I am buying books by authors I know, unless I am getting a freebie I have been directed to by BookBub. I use it mainly to check on story collections and alternate title names.

Aside from what BookBub dishes up, I rarely look out for new authors, as I have way too much to read already, and plenty of variety. I might check out a recommendation from a good source. Indeed, that is how I started reading Hugh Howey. Sometimes I see stuff in passing that grabs my attention enough to look deeper, but very few end in a purchase.

I well remember being ensnared by the covers on C.J. Box books in a department store, on a stand dedicated to them at the end of an isle. Reading the blurbs, just captivated me further, and even though I resisted buying the physical books then and there, it did lead to my first Amazon purchases of them in ebook form. I was away on holiday at the time, and just noticed them in passing.

Liking the Wire In The Blood TV series led me to Val McDermid ebooks eventually. Took reading two of them, and some time to ponder, to finally convince me to buy more.