Connecting Readers and Writers discussion

I am always curious to know if readers buy books that look interesting at the time, or if they have certain subject matters they look for. What do you do?

I'm an open book *grins* I'll read just about anything if it piques my interest. One day it could be romance, the next sci-fi, the next historical fiction.

I don't have set 'things' I'm looking for, but the blurb to attract readers needs to be punchy.

I like a good cover, then a good blurb, and then just a good story. No vampires, not an erotica fan, but most everything else. I love finding little known authors in books from antique stores.

Horror, suspense/thriller usually grab my attention first but I will read almost anything other than romance or YA.

Usually, a book sort of jumps out at me when I'm walking around the bookshelves of a public library or a bookstore. It's a 'book chooses you sort of thing' and I'm rarely disappointed. Then there are authors I've heard about and read book descriptions of a novel that interests me so I'll invest the time. I do have a tendency of avoiding fantasy and romance. Not my genres.

I go straight to the book shop sections that are called Dark Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy, Science Fiction and Horror. I'm mostly looking for UF and horror but I need to check all similar sections in case a book has been put in the wrong category.

Then I look for good covers and catchy titles. If I see a half naked vampire and the title Her Fanged Desire, I run a mile! But if I see a scary fanged face and the title Teeth, I'm more likely to pick it up. But it is the blurb that makes my final decision.