Personal policies for purchasing fantasy books

[Celestiara]

I personally like to read a book before I buy a copy. Sometimes I make an exception; if it's another book in a series that I like, or is by a trusted author, or is highly recommended to me by someone I trust, then I'll probably buy it.
What about you guys? Do you buy everything fantasy in sight, or do you have your own ways of decided what to purchase?  

[NightIntent]

I like to buy books. I have the worst memory for titles imaginable, so whenever I get a book from the library, I forget the title and can never re-read, even if I want to read it again. I use the library for non-fiction books, mostly. Ones that I probably won't want to read again. It's working fine for me so far. n.n  

[Wissakins]

I tend to buy books based on whether the blurb on the back grabs me. If someone has recommended an author a few million times I might pick up one of theirs too. smile  

[Eragon-12015]

I'm like you. I usually read them first. I don't do impulse book buying. I like to be safe and make sure that I like it before I purchase it. Unless it's in a very good series I'm reading or I get a whole bunch of recommendations to read that book then I might get it.  

[GuardianDragonsSpirit]

There's a few conditions a book has to meet in order for me to buy it:
1. If I've read it before, it has to be one I know I'll re-read a lot, i.e. Sabriel
2. It's by an author whose previous work I like and re-read regularly (i.e. Garth Nix, Anne/Todd McCaffrey, or Marianne Curley (sp?))
3. The cover, title, and/or blurb attract me, and I like the writing style after reading ten pages
4. It is highly recommended by my friends who are avid fantasy readers (i.e. Twilight/New Moon/Eclipse (ordered and waiting on!))
5. If it is a series I am already reading, they have to be the same edition as those I already have (I had The Magician's Nephew and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, and, when I got the rest of the series, I had to get the same edition (the one with the original illustrations for a cover; calls itself the full-color collector's edition, I think...))  

[kel aka gandy]

I only buy them if I know I'll like them, i.e. a favorite author, I've already read it, or I read a few pages and enjoyed it.

 

[Minerva the Whore 4 Books]

I love book-shopping! I own 4 full bookcases and am working on filling more! Having many books in my home makes me feel happy. biggrin

I browse the shelves in the fantasy-section looking for an attention-grabbing title. I pull it off the shelf and read the synopsis on the back. If that's uninteresting I'll put it back, but if it's good then I'll read a few pages to see if I like the writing style. If that's great too then I'll buy it even if I've never heard of the title/author before.

I also buy fave reads from the library, new books by fave authors, and recommendations from friends with similar tastes.  

[Rabid Nozomi]

Hrm...I don't remember what started getting me buying books. I remember hearing so much about Kelly Armstrong's Bitten, that finally I bought it and loved it. So I've always bought Kelley Armstrong's books, she's my favorite author.

I generally buy the first book in a urban werewolf series because there really isn't enough for me to really lose money. And if I like the series, which I generally do, I buy the rest in the series as they come out. I've only not liked a book I bought once. (It's Dancing With Werewolves, and it's painfully boring.)

In that case, I simply give the book away to my friends as a Christmas or birthday present when the time comes. xD

The libraries around here suck, so I don't find what I want to read in them.  

[NightIntent]

Rabid Nozomi

I generally buy the first book in a urban werewolf series because there really isn't enough for me to really lose money. And if I like the series, which I generally do, I buy the rest in the series as they come out. I've only not liked a book I bought once. (It's Dancing With Werewolves, and it's painfully boring.)

Oh! I read that book! I agree, it was very boring. And in the end, nothing really happened. Pretty disappointing.  

[Aurora Epithets]

I am completely an impulse buyer. I own several bookshelves worth of books and am NEVER seen without a book. I would definitely call myself a book addict. If a book catches my attention then I buy it. Almost every penny I own goes out again in books, so the volume seems to indicate that all a book has to do is look good.