Paranormal Romance & Urban Fantasy discussion

Is it the “sexy” or “humorous” cover that catches your eye? Or is it the one-line praise blurb from one of your known authors on the front cover that catches your eye?

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To catch my eye it’s the sexy cover and/or the one-line praise blurb. Then I read the blurb on the back cover to see if it's something that might interest me.

I don't really look at covers. What sells a book for me is if it is the kind I like to read...meaning a contemporary, urban setting. I've never been a trad fantasy fan. I'm just not into world-building in the future or in the past.

Anyway, once I see it is an urban setting, then I want to know what Amazon and my Goodreads friends are saying about it. If my friends like the book and have good things to say about it, then I will add it to my TBR list and read it.

So that's how I research new series. Simple, but it works for me (grin)!

I read the blurb - if it sounds interesting, I'll research the author. If I can find an anthology with a short story by the author in it, I'll pick it up and get a sample of how they write, I'll ask people I know if they've read anything by the author and sometimes I'll just buy something on a whim!

For me, the cover usually has to catch my eye. When I go to the bookstore, the books that are turned with the front cover facing out are more likely to get a second look from me. Just reading the title off the spine really doesn't pull me in. If the cover and title grab me, then I'll read the excerpt on the back and maybe flip a couple of pages in the book to see if it sounds promising.

Also, if I see it mentioned/recommended by online friends either here or other places I frequent, I will give it a shot.

I try to not be swayed by covers, but I do tend to grab for the pretty ones, ha! One thing that will turn me off of a book is a typically chick-lit cover.

I tend to walk the romance shelves and look for titles or covers that catch my eye. I'll read the blurb on the back, but then I'll read the first page and maybe part of a page further into the book. If the writing style doesn't blow my skirt up, I'll put it back, but if the plot seems interesting and the writing doesn't make me roll my eyes, I'll snag it. :)

I also read the Smart Bitches blog and get recommendations there.

Sometimes I'm swayed by an interesting looking cover but if the blurby on the back doesn't get me it goes back on the shelf. If the blurby grabs my attention, I read the first sentence and that is usually the deciding factor for me.

The irony is that neither author nor publisher has any control over whether the cover or the spine faces out. That is all down to the bookseller stocking the shelves.

Spine out takes less space! Imagine... the store has however many copies they ordered for about six weeks (then they rip off the covers to return for a refund, and pulp the rest of the book for recycling money). Yet, instead of making the books look as attractive as possible for their short shelf life, they turn them spine out to save space!

Supermarkets are much more sensible!

I'm an author. I've turned up for scheduled, drive by book signings by appointment towards the end of my books' six week window, only to be told "Sorry, we stripped and pulped it. Shall we order some more?"

If you want to be a good fairy godmother for an author when you are next in a bookstore (I don't mean a used one) turn the cover face out.

:-)
Rowena Cherry

If I am trolling for a new book with no knowledge of the author or anything, it will be the cover that first draws me. Then I read the blurb. If I like the blurb I'll read the first page or two and maybe a few paragraphs randomly in the middle of the book to get an idea of how the author writes.

This is how I found Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead. The title almost turned me off, but the cover drew me in and then the blurb was well written. And the book is quite good.

Same here, the cover tends to be what jumps out first if I'm just looking around.

@ Karen: I'm also finding that many of the books I'm reading now are actually falling into the scifi/fantasy section. Which is annoying, because I feel so OLD when I'm browsing next to the manga/graphic novel section.

Haha! I actually read comics/graphic novels (though not manga; just haven't been able to get into it), so I always feel old browsing through the graphic novels next to teenagers trawling for manga. I've been reading SF/fantasy for years, too, and it's always been kind of awkward to turn around and find a guy staring at me like I have two heads. Yes, women do read this stuff, heh.

I started out using the different awards as a method to pick authors. Then I would do research on the authors sites that I liked and see if they had recommendations. Before I discovered good reads I would also use amazon to discover what people also bought when they bought some of my favorite authors. Now I honestly use this site to find new authors. I type in a book that I liked find out who else liked it and go through their shelves. It is similar to the Amazon method only more robust.

So many ways to choose a book for me!!!!

1. Recommendations. If someone I know recommends it, I'll look into it. Hands down my favourite way to find new books/authors.

2. I'm a snot. If I get a dozen or more emails saying a book is evil... my chances of reading it goes up exponentially. For example all the crazy crazy over the new Spyglass movie? 150 emails in one day was a little over the top, especially since not a single person had read the ELEVEN YEAR OLD book. Guess what went strait to the top of my "next to buy" list. Yeah. So you want me to really read somehting, get a bunch of people to email me saying it's evil.

3. Cover. Yes, I do judge a book by its cover. If there's something really cool on the cover, I'll pick it up and investigate further. Worked well for Bimbos of the Death Sun (original cover)!!

4. Title. How do you pass up a book called Dixieland Sushi or Carpe Demon: Tales of a Demon Hunting Soccor Mom? Yes, if a book has a catchy title, I'll also pick it up for further investigation.

5. Blurb. The most important thing EVER. I truly despise books that have no blurb. OK, great. I'm so glad you have 12 quotes from critics and other authors. Does not help me to know the plot of the book. A great blurb will sell me a book. A book with no blurb means I have to do a lot of extra research when I get home and generally by then I've forgotten the name.

6. Magazines/Newspaper/etc recommendations. When I lived near a Barnes and Nobles (love that store) they always had these little things that would tell about new books they liked. I'd always pick up my genres 'zines and make lists that way.

7. Meeting the author. Since I moved about a quarter of a mile from my mother, she buys most of the books and then gives them to me to read. This has freed up all my book buying money in a big way. Woot! So for the last year and a half the only books I've purchased are from authors I know. I go to a lot of conventions and have quite the string of authors that I follow. This is fab because these are books that dont' generally end up in my craptastic Borders run by illiterate freaks. (Seriously, my Borders is all kinds of BAD. So bad I haven't been in the bookstore in MONTHS. Once I asked for staff recommends and the clerk looked at me like I was a freak. How does a bookstore not have a staff recommends????)

8. That leads me to what I USED to do. Staff recommends. In a NORMAL bookstore you have people working that... read. Novel (ha!) concept. I'd cruise in, check out the staff recommends and see what there was to see. Or I'd accost staff members with the usual, "My book club is looking for a book in the ____ genre this month. Have any good ideas?" I'd walk out with three or four books for us to choose from with the idea to return them if we weren't going to read them. Then I'd decide all the books were too good and read all of them. I so miss having a REAL bookstore. *SIGH* (Yes, I hate my Borders that much.)

9. My newest way... Goodreads!! :) Need I say more? This place is awesome!

10. You gotta have a tenth way if you get this far. What's a list that only goes to nine? Ten is just so good. You got Letterman, you got the ten commandments, you even have ten little fingers and toes... So for ten... Um... Er... Any other way possible that just aren't as common as the above nine for me. :)

I am a voracious reader. This year I only read 36 books. :( (I'm partially through about 5 more.) It's been a bad year. Plus I spend the majority of my time homeschooling my kids as well as other wifely/motherly duties on top of my part time writing/photography work. I don't always get the time to read that I want. I miss the days when I could read over 100 books a year, but I wouldn't trade these days for the world.

--Lady O

Wow, your Borders must really suck! I work at Borders, actually, and we do a good job having "Borders Recommends" in every fiction genre--and I usually agree with them!

I find books in one of three ways:

1) Amazon recommendations. Not only is it tailored to what I've already read and reviewed, but it also lets me read a blurb and other peoples' reviews.

2) Cruisin' the shelves! Publishers are pretty good about giving paranormal books paranormal titles, so if something with "blood" "bite" "dark" or whatnot catches my eye, I'll usually pull it down and look at it.

3) What other writers read. On many of my favorite authors' websites, they list what they're currently reading or what they like to read. Chances are, if I like what they write, I like what they read.

I find new books a couple of ways:

1 - I get reviews from friends and or off various internet sites.

or

2 - I browse shelves until something catches my eyes.

Mostly I get ideas from friends.

You have absolutely no idea. My borders store is primarily music, dvds, and coffee shop. The employees make a person want to cry. It's like you are interrupting their compelling lives if you ask them a question. And I'm not serious about the lack of reading. I once asked for a Margaret Atwood book and they were like, "Who?" Anther time I asked if they had any idea when DaVinci Code would be released in paperback and they asked if it was an art book. I was like, "Um, it's on the NYT Bestseller list for oh.. the last... week or 60!!!" I mean come on.

*SIGH*

They still don't have a recommends shelf. I mostly just peruse the "What's on the buy three get one free shelf" and then hit up for the usual authors... If I go in. This is really bad... I don't think I've been in the bookstore since the start of the school year. Did I mention I homeschool my kids? That's pretty bad. LOL

One day my town will get another bookstore. One day... I just pray they fill it up with people actually interested in the field instead of high school kids that just don't want to work fast food.

Now there is a Borders in Baltimore that's very nice. It's only 90 miles away... LOL So I fully recognize this is just a my Borders problem. :)

Wow, the people who work in the Borders I go to are so nice and helpful. I almost always have someone approach me to ask if I need help finding anything. And the cashiers have recommended authors to me several times. "If you like so-and-so, you should try this author!"

A lot of my friends and family read, so I often pass books back and forth with them. Very fun because then you can discuss books together.

I also just sort of stumble onto books or authors. I keep my eyes peeled in the bookstore and online to see if anything jumps out at me.

Now that I'm on GoodReads, I'll be taking recommendations from all of you fine people!

How does one not know Margret Atwood and what the DaVinci Code is and work in a book store.

As I said, I've been in other Borders that are more normal seeming. :) So I don't know. It's my mutant store. I can't stand it... oh well. I just keep hoping and praying something else will open up.

Luckily, like you, I have friends and family that are readers so we pass the books around. The majority of the 130 books in my closet that are my TBR shelf came from other people. (Mostly my mother.) It's fun to be able to talk about the books, too. That's why I love being in a book club!

I do a lot of stumbling upon people, too. It's one of the reason I like going to conventions. You find out a lot of good stuff. Sometimes the smaller press authors bring books from others that use the press. "Oh if you like my book, you might also like this book." Very nice. :)

Carrie, I wondered the same thing. Seriously! This is also the store that had no idea who L Ron Hubbard was. Seriously...

If it wasn't for the fact I have good bookstores like an hour or two away from me, I'd lose faith. I think it's just my one weirdo store.

It's the megastore unskilled labourer mentality. Why work McDonalds when I could go work at Borders?!?! Welcome to 2008 and God Bless America! /tongue in cheek

Seriously though, a guy I know was trying to find a job. He applied to a bookstore in his town but was scared he'd actually get hired because he was afraid they'd make him read. I said, "If you don't like to read, why on earth would you apply at a bookstore?" He said, "Um,they are hiring." He did get hired, but they stuck him in the calendar shack outside the store.

I think I mentioned before though that my Borders seems to be mostly coffee, DVDs, and CDs with a smattering of books to boot. See, if I got hired there I'd do great with the books and the DVDs but I know nothing about music. (However I'd learn what is popular on the charts because there's a pride in one's job. A job worth doing is worth doing well.)

I guess I'm lucky then. There are two Books-a-millions, a couple Barnes & Nobles, and five Borders within about a half hour from my house. One of the Borders is a half a block from my office, so I go there the most. Here's to living in the city/suburbs!

HEHE I live in the burbs actually. We used to have another bookstore, in the mall. But the mall is all updating to become "posh". I loved that bookstore, but we had to lose it so they could put in a food court. What kind of craptacular mall would move the bookstore out to build a food court? Especially when they actually had a wing that was pretty much gathering all the food.

In a town where we have about 250k people, we need more than just our crummy Borders hiring to the "we don't care about reading" people.

Thankfully, I go places with real bookstores a lot. Just hate that I have to drive about half an hour or more.

I just found an awesome Books A Million at Dupont circle. So I might start making time to pop in when I go visit the hubsters at work in DC. :)

If they're spine-out I browse titles. If a title sound interesting, I'll check out the cover & blurb. Then I go from there.

Face-out, obviously I judge by the cover. ;)

I get a lot of ideas from Goodreads & Amazon ect. As well as employee picks.

I used to work at Half Price Books & while we didn't ALWAYS have an employee picks shelf, we USUALLY had one. We always sold a good number of books from that little display. (My picks always included Neil Gaiman.)

Like Trinity, I use Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine to get an idea of what's coming out--and yeah, sometimes the ads are more interesting than the reviews to me. Cover art is some influence but like Rowena says, we often have little to no say on that (can you hear me screaming and pounding my head on my desk over that?).

Back blurb is huge for me but again, now I realize the author sometimes doesn't have control over that either. But I want to know the 'spunky' factor of the hero/heroine and I want to know if the basic plot points appeal to me.

Recommendations from friends play a big part, especially if they can tell me things like "if you like Susan Grant then you'll like Colby Hodge." And as 'friends' I count the postings on places like Goodreads as well as other reader forums.

If it has a cat in it, I'll buy it. >^..^<

I've also been lucky to get advanced reading copies directly from publishers for author quotes. I've discovered some AWESOME new authors that way (ie: Lisa Shearin--RUN to buy her books if you like fun, kick-butt fantasy romance).

And sometimes I just stumble over a book in the grocery store that looks interesting.

Serendipity, I guess. ;-) ~Linnea

A lot of times I'll find a new author because a book I'm reading has a quote from another author on the cover of the book. Things like "An fun ride"...New.2.Me. Author

Sometimes I"ll find them from links on other authors' website.

Other times I'll just peruse the bookstore shelves.

Lately I've gotten a lot of ideas from looking at other people's wish list on paperbackswap.

Check out this website for a large vampire book guide:

www.vampirelibrary.com

There is also a website that in my opinion takes all of this vamp stuff a little to seriously, but has some good recommendations:

www.vampires.nu

This is actually the only genre by which I've been reading almost exclusively as per people's recommendations - mostly from you lovely people! This is probably because a) I'm still relatively new to the genre; and b) I'm still apprehensive about the Romance section, and the covers really do not give you any clue as to whether the book is any good or not. So I trust your opinions (and your Goodreads libraries) more and so far, they haven't failed me! My pnr library is growing quickly :)

On another note, I noticed that people have been mentioning the names of large chains a lot. I gather the majority of people here are American, and wanted to ask: What about the independent bookshops? Do you not have any, or do they just not carry paranormal romance?

Shannon, you are so sweet! I have had great fun with you too, hearing what you like and don't like, as I discover new series in this genre to love.

Yes, there are some fabulous inde bookstores in the US. But they have been hard hit by the chains in the last 10 years. Feminist and women's bookstores have survived more or less, but so many general indes have been driven out of business by the better pricing of the chains. One of my fav inde bookstores to do a booksigning at is Malaprops in Asheville, NC. It is also one of the most famous indes in the country. Asheville is about 3 hours from where I live in Columbia, SC, so I don't shop there often. But every time I am in Asheville I buy books there.

However in my neighborhood in Columbia the chains rule, and there are two large ones just 5 minutes from my house, and they send me lots of coupons by email because I have member cards. That means I buy 99% of my books locally from those two chains, who also host fabulous booksignings for me, so it evens out. I always like to financially support the local bookstores who stock my novels (grin).

http://www.TheWitchesofDixie.blogspot...

There seem to be fewer independent book stores available anymore. The ones that have survived seem to have a loyal consumer base established.

Although, I have to admit that I like the consistency of big chains. When I walk into a Borders, I know exactly what I'm getting, no matter which one in town I go to. I also like that I can check their store inventory online before I go, if I'm looking for something specific. It can save you wasted trips.

There's one really big chain in Canada (that mercilessly bought up almost all the other bookshops about a decade ago; people are still recovering from that one it seems!) called Chapters-Indigo, that also owns Coles (incidentally the name of a supermarket chain in Australia - still gets me confused!), they're everywhere and have effectively taken over. There're no Barnes & Nobles or Borders (I do remember a Borders in Melbourne though, of all places), and there are a few selective inde bookshops still.

The thing that gets me about Chapters, aside from the fact that they have thousands and thousands of books but never what you are actually looking for, is that you can search online, and within the shop, and it'll tell you that there are 3 in-store. Only they're not there. I've had shop assistants searching for an hour and they can't find it. So I don't trust their online inventory. Other times it will say 0 in-store, but you'll find one on the shelf anyway. Not reliable.

But it's pretty much the only place to get Paranormal Romance books, because all the independant places focus more on literature and non-fiction.

I miss all the bookshops back home :(

Depends on where I am shopping...if it's in a bookstore, sure I will look for a flashy cover. Something that will catch my eye, but I wont buy unless I read the jacket and it sounds like something I would be into. If I notice someone looking in the same genre I am I will sometimes ask if they have read the book and if it was any good.

If I am shopping online, that's a whole different story. I will not only read the blurbs, I will read reviews and ask people online what their thoughts are on them (like here).

I look on the PNR and Romantic Times Magazine web sites. I also take recommendations from other paranormal romance fans. Usually, I find an author I like and continue reading everything by that author. I also like to pick up books by authors who give "blurbs" to some of my favorite books.

I use the Borders online site and type in the authors I know I like and see what pops up in the "you might also like" author suggestions. I also read a lot of short story anthologies and keep a list of the authors I liked from those story collections.

I use the reccomendation of authors by Amazon or Fantastic fiction.com when i search for books i liked then i read the blubs and see if I'm interested.

One word AMAZON . I live on an island at the east end of the Aegean and the nearest bookstore stoking the sort of books I enjoy is in Athens. So the only reason I'm kept sane is that I can order from Amazon. As other members of this group have pointed out they make suggestions. They also have forums (PNR, fantasy etc) where readers can express their opinions and exchange ideas. I found quite a few authors from suggestions in the various forums there. And of course I have recently discovered you people of goodreads though such a comment. I just can't tell you how grateful I am for that little piece of information.

I get a lot of my reading addictions from my mother, she reads something she likes and passes it along to me. She got me hooked on romance (way too young I guess) back in the day and later on got me into PNR. She got me hooked on Sherrilyn Kenyon, and then I in turn got her onto Karen Marie Moning.

I read what other people on goodreads suggest, but the problem with that is with a new budget and house buying as a goal, I have relegated myself to only used bookstores, and as such I try not to go in with a list, but rather just stumbling upon things. Makes for an adventure, but its tough when someone gets me all hyped up about an author or specific book and I can't find it!

I've friended quite a few people from this group who have posted interesting comments. When they write reviews of books, goodreads emails them to me, and I add the ones that sound good to my to-read list. I've put quite a bit of that to-read list up on Paperbackswap.com and have gotten 15 to 20 books so far for just the cost of postage - very nice.

I agree with Shannon. Up here in Timmins, we have Coles. While their tied in with Chapters, the store is relatively small scale and it's usually pretty easy for them to find my book when I call. Most of the time, however, I have to order from the kiosk at the store. Shipping is free cause I have it set to deliver to the store, since I'm there every Friday night anyway, LMAO!

Besides Chapters, I also check online with Amazon.ca and .com. I've bougth some off eBay as well, and used book stores if worse comes to worse.

Looking for books in certain genres, Fantastic Fiction is one spot I use the most. I can click on the genre I want and find new releases. Most of the time I somehow manage to hit a series and end up picking them all up, LOL! I haven't really discovered another site that does this.

We have a lovely Waldenbooks in the mall. Sadly their lease is up this year, they just built a Borders about 2 miles away and they built a BN at the mall so they're probably closing. I've been in the Borders once and sadly, I've been in libraries with more atmosphere. No slam on libraries either, but the store wasn't very cozy or inviting....hard to put my finger on but I was really disappointed.

How do I find books? I buy friends books, I get recs online, I check amazon reviews too. I've been burnt a few times buying from amazon without checking a book out (like totally fry my a$$ burnt) so I'm more careful about buying new-to-me UF authors.

I'm a tart for a great cover LOL, then the blurb which has to be compelling, then I have to read a few pages and see if I like the author's voice.

I have been going to www.bookswim.com, which is a book rental site. I have received a few shipments an so far it has been pretty good. Plus if you like the book you can purchase it for a good price.

I go to fantasticfiction.com and search my fave authors at the bottom of the authors page the have a list of authors that are similar. But when I'm out shopping I usually go for the Colorfully book covers when looking for a light read or the Dark sensual books cover for something a little darker.

Sometimes I'll search. I particularly like Amazon for the scrolling similar reads list that they feature on book pages. In bookstores, it's sometimes the cover that draws me, sometimes the synopsis, but always, one way or another, I'll read an excerpt because I'm about fed up with buying books with high expectations and ending up reading sloppy or unintelligent writing from published, "bestselling" authors. I like a lot of stuff, but I steer clear of some stuff; poor romance (you know, the one with the "Highlander" on steroids cover).

Sometimes I'll find similar authors because of those one-line recommendations on the covers. I found Viehl because I saw the line from Ward praising her. I know they recommend each other necessarily because they're from the same publisher, but it gives you a clue to other authors in the same genre.

I look at what people are reading on sites like Goodreads. I also look at what's on the book store shelves and ask the owners about what's new.
G W Pickle

Depends on the genre. Run of the mill romance: I usually browse Borders or the local used bookstore, reading the back cover and the book cover. I am pretty good at this as I have been reading romance for a long time and have a good feel for what is going to be good and what is going to suck.

Sci-fi, fantasy, & PN romance: I am fairly new to all these genres so I typically go by word of mouth recommendations. A friend will say she/he just finished an awesome new book or one of my book clubs will read a new author. Recently, I've started looking into books mentioned by Goodreads members. For instance, Shannon mentioned Isabella Carmody in another group and I remembered that she is part of this group also. So I ordered one of her books and plan to start reading it once it gets here.

I also take recommendations from the few blogs I read. Or if an author I really like says someone else is good. Linnea Sinclair said she liked Ann Aguirre and HOLY COW...yes!

I usually get recommendations from online book clubs or if the book sounds interesting I will give it a go.

Another site that's introduced me to authors is www.literature-map.com One just types in the name of an author and then the programme generates a list of related authors. I then go to their websites and read any excerpts to see if they interest me.

My other main online source is Charlaine Harris' website - both CH's and other posters' recommendations.

The blurb usually catches my attention. Sometimes I'll find a good review, and that will get me to read the book. I also look for similar authors in a particular genre. Internet searches come in handy, too.

Usually the covers catch my eye first then I read the blurb. I can browse in a bookstore for hours. Lately I've been reading reviews on different blogs and finding lots of authors new to me. Also I buy lots of books from Amazon using their recommendations.

I go through amazon.com and I rate books- they'll give me recommendations based on the books I've rated.
I also check this site http://www.lovereading.co.uk/
there is a like for like option that lets you chose an author and they'll recommend other authors
I read Charlaine Harris' blog - she blogs about three times a month on what books she's read.
Lately I've been trolling this site extensively- I'm a member of a ga jillion groups so I check out what they're reading.
I go through the book lists
And I'll also check out people's profiles to see what they've read

Finding the book with the dumbest cover always works for me.



There, that took me 30 seconds to find.

i tend to trawl thru other peoples booklist shelves/reviews:: i sometimes end up with a huge book trail and now i always add something i may find interesting to my TBR shelf;;i can always go and prune them out at a later date::found loads of books this way::i also trawl thru the listopia:: amazon usually directs me to books i already know about:: i prefer doing things this way because i'm finding more and more that bookstores only carry a minimal amount of whats out there::i've alos been introduced to genres that i may not have been drawn to before::