Christian Nonfiction Lovers Book Club discussion

Okay, I admit it, I have bought books because I liked the cover, or because everyone was talking about it... or even because someone forced me to read it :)
What about you?

Sometimes getting something free...like http://kimberleypayne.wordpress.com/ Fit for Faith ...or trying to help a fellow author

Usually word of mouth or my own tastes in topic leads me to make my choice. But I have bought a few just because of the cover.

I like to read non-fiction that will stretch my mind, and lean towards topics that I want to learn more about, or works that come from points of view that I don't already share.

Sadly, I read a lot of books because someone, usually my mother, tells me that I shouldn't. If my mother can determine that a book is terrible without even actually seeing it, I just have to read it for myself. Sometimes the books come from a very different point of view, but even if I disagree with the writer, I always learn something.

Recommendations from a friend, the "sales pitch" on the back cover, and of course, the book cover itself on occasion. Usually it's a matter of whether or not the topic "fits" the stage of life I am currently in.

Or, in non-fiction primarily, to fill my bookshelf with quality (hopefully) reference information for the future.

Anita wrote: "Sometimes getting something free...like http://kimberleypayne.wordpress.com/ Fit for Faith ...or trying to help a fellow author"

Yes, that's a good one too Anita, trying to help another author, I've done that many times and stumbled upon some real gems!

Usually, I read something based on a suggestion, because the book sounds interesting to me, or because it's written by an author that I like.

Speaking about liking the cover....
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Speaking about book covers... great example of cover designs with the same theme Patricia, I like it. great blog post!

Alan wrote: "I like to read non-fiction that will stretch my mind, and lean towards topics that I want to learn more about, or works that come from points of view that I don't already share."

Me too Alan! Nonfictions is one of my favorite ways of learning about a certain event, time period or person.

It's interesting that nobody has said, "Because I saw an author's tweet", "Their book said 'Bestselling author'", "Because I read an author's blog". I find this interesting because most authors are encouraged to tweet, post, blog and talk up their book to get readers!

A good source for recommendations are the yearly nonfiction nominations for the Pulizter Prize. This method introduced me to "The Devil's Highway" and "Maximum City", two fantastic reads.

Honesty, I oftentimes read non-fiction books based on the Title and if it[the title] reads in such a way to sparks my interest. The cover never particularly matters to me in non-fiction, but does so a little more in my fiction reads.

Once I look inside the book and see the format and if it would prove to be staged in such a way as to keep me reading...I will probably by the book. Strange, I know, but true.

Hard copies: I evaluate or read the inside jacket cover, the recommendations by others, table of content, consider who the author is, whether there are footnotes or not, browse through the index. This can be done very quickly and help weed out books not worth reading.

eBooks: I download the sample and read the first chapter. Then I check the table of content to see if it is of interest.

Of course, I also buy books based on other people's recommendations.

Interesting indeed James!

James wrote: "It's interesting that nobody has said, "Because I saw an author's tweet", "Their book said 'Bestselling author'", "Because I read an author's blog". I find this interesting because most authors are..."

Marketing DOES work somehow, when I see the same book cover for the six umpteenth time... I get curious and order the book!

Age. The older it is, the more interested I am.

I love reading classics too Melly!
Melly wrote: "Age. The older it is, the more interested I am."

I love reading non-fiction, not only to stretch my mind, but to grow spiritually. The book cover may catch my eye, and the title may sound great, but I choose the books that I connect with by reading what it's about. Especially if I know I need growth on a particular subject. It doesn't matter if it's used or new and popular or not. sometimes it's fun to compare the new and old books of the same subject matter :)

Comparing old and new books on a certain topic sounds rather interesting, thanks for sharing that idea.

For me, it varies. I'm drawn to certain nonfiction topics and will search them out whether a book is popular or not. I also subscribe to some daily eblasts from book promo sites. Sometimes it's word of mouth or noticing a book on Amazon's Top 100 Bestseller or New Release lists. A good cover encourages me about what's inside the pages. I read the description and if that interests me, I'll check the reviews, then read the Look Inside if I'm not familiar with the author. Right now I'm reading a book by a pastor I'd heard good things about. I'd noticed on an Amazon Top 100 list.

Word of mouth certainly makes me buy books... but covers draw me in :)

I'm drawn in by word of mouth and an author's reputation, but if especially the cover looks too self-published, I read the description, reviews, and the sample before I buy.