I have a habit that I think has served me well. If someone I know mentions a book they like, I try to remember the title, the author and what the book is about. If that person liked it so much, I might, too. These days, it can be a bit complicated to get a copy, even one just to look at.
If I want to "look at" a book, I like to be able to see the paper cover. I realize that book jackets are a big deal, that a well-designed cover communicates the spirit of a book quite quickly, often better than some words. In Google: "do book jacket designers read the book first?" There are various answers but in general, no. They read a synopsis, talk with the author.
But in many cases, the jacket is long gone. I look at the title page and the table of contents. I don't do that with fiction. Then, I just start reading. I am not against opening the book somewhere in the middle and reading a few lines, just to get a sample of the writing.
I was a "page" in the main branch of the Baltimore public library in high school. Patrons could locate books on their own and the pages returned the books to the proper place on the shelf.
Things are different now, seven and more decades later. When I hear of a book, I just ignore it if it doesn't sound like it might be of interest. If it sounds interesting, I look it up in Amazon. I often find that a book of interest costs $25 or more in paper for a new copy, $14 in e-format but maybe $2 for a used paperback copy. I look it up in Libby, an app that can send borrowed ebooks to my Kindle or my iPad and or my phone. Popular non-fiction that is available in Kindle eformat often has 1 to 6 months worth of borrowers waiting. I haven't developed the patience needed to put the 617th hold on a book to get it next year.
By this point, I look at the online catalog of the local university library and of the local public library. Despite Covid, I may zip over and borrow the old-fashioned physical book.
