I think I have only once bought a book based on an author-rec on the cover (the book: Jumper; the rec: Bujold; the verdict: decent book). And even then, I recall that the rec was the tipping point, as I was already holding the thing. The backblurb/synopsis-teaser, the front page which should, in a fair and just world, contain an excerpt from the book itself (and not recommendations!)... Those I read. The rest is just visual noise and I don't even read author-rec blurbs 99% of the time. Unless I'm skimming desperately to see if there is anything about what the bloody book is about, of course.
(As you can guess, I am actively hostile to rec-blurbs when they take up space that could be better served by samples from the book itself, teaser/backmatter, or even nice art. I'm too used to making my own decisions because my own tastes are out of kilter with... well, everyone. Venn diagram with some overlaps, at best; I grew up both reading Dray Prescot and Belgariad books in tandem with my mom (reading the funny parts out loud), but she also adores Regencies, and it's only lately that I was actually terribly interested in any of them that didn't also have psionics or magic. And even then, I have to be in the right mood.)
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2012-02-19 03:48 am (UTC)(As you can guess, I am actively hostile to rec-blurbs when they take up space that could be better served by samples from the book itself, teaser/backmatter, or even nice art. I'm too used to making my own decisions because my own tastes are out of kilter with... well, everyone. Venn diagram with some overlaps, at best; I grew up both reading Dray Prescot and Belgariad books in tandem with my mom (reading the funny parts out loud), but she also adores Regencies, and it's only lately that I was actually terribly interested in any of them that didn't also have psionics or magic. And even then, I have to be in the right mood.)