The summary on the back of the book and also the cover design. I usually look up the book later to see if I can read a chapter and get reviews. but usually its just the first two.

If I heard about the book from someone.

Several things, first where it is in the store. I am unlikely to read horror as I don't like it so I don't go into that area. But if it is on wide display, I might pick a horror book up to read the back.

Second, if it is on a table full of general stuff, like if a horror novel was placed next to a book I have read. Example,a book on a table next to Twilight will likely have me pass it by as I found Twilight a good read, but not a book that I would want to reread if written by someone else. All the vampire in schools books are just being over done.

Third, has a friend recommended it? And do I like her choice in books? In this vein also falls, have I read this author before, and is this a sequel. Did I mention listmaina?

Fourth, the shelf that says "have you read this, try this." That will get me to pick up a book like nobodies business.

Finally the cover. Yeah most new authors I read I read because of the cover.

As far as finding out what your kid will read, try asking her and her friends. Teachers might be able to help here too. Ohh and don't forget to have some classics there, you know just in case she turns out to be into mythology. I was, but not my folks, so you can never be sure.

One of them are grades and another is for cure of boredom. xD

If I'm just reading whatever I fancy, I just pick up whatever catches my fancy. xD The cover may draw me, the title, or I may just pick it up for no reason at all and read the back. Reading the back is usually the final step, if it seems horrible, I will put it back depending on the summary information. If it's a book by an author I recognize, that will make me more likely to read it, as well. The topic of the book can draw me in readily, I love historic fiction, or books set in places other than the US.

If it's from a list, I will check every book to see if the title or summary is interesting to me. >w<'

What makes me read a book? Hmm I don't know usually if other people go omg I LOVE this book! I make an attempt at reading it. Or books that just interest me are historical fiction books ^__^ So I will just read any of those!!

I buy a lot of books but I read on average about two books a week. Not all of them are new though. I am always reading one book that I have never read before and one that I have. It keeps me from getting bored with the new book if it isn't as good and I like coming back to a book I've already read.

I find new books through recommendations or just wandering the bookstore picking up random things and reading the back. I find a lot of random books by getting them from the "buy two get one half price table". I am the queen of that table.

I also have a strong tendency to stick with an author. If I like one book by that author I immediately go and search out all their other books. This just happened to me with E. Lockhart. I love John Green and he recommended a book on his vlog. I read it and loved it which lead me to a bunch of other books that I am liking so far.

It depends on what its about. I read the summery of the book, and if it seems interesting, then I'll read it. ^^

Alot of the time I'll see a cover that looks interesting. Then,
I read the summary to see if the book sounds as interesting as it looked.

Sometimes a family member or friend will recommend a book.
Or my sister will get a bunch of books out of the library (like she always does xD)
& I'll pick one of them up because I'm bored -- then get hooked on it.

Sometimes I'll even read a quote from a book online, then read the entire book because of that one quote. xD

Wow, thats quite a range. I guess it really just depends.

I usually get suckered into reading books with series my friends have read and do nothing but talk about them. lol That's happened twice so far with the Harry Potter and the Twilight series. XD But I often go into the book store with them and we have fun reading the description of the backs of books and sometimes I find something random to pick up that way. :D

i research good books or from word of mouth sometimes i pick a book for it's cover also.

well...just that fact that i'm the only one who's interested in reading gives me the will to read...other than the fact that i love reading for some reason...sometimes i feel like i'm an outsider since my interests dont meet any of those i know!
Whenever i'm bored, i get a book and start reading...its just like that
but now i dont have time to read...and even if i do...my parent wont allow me to...
they dont think that i'm studying enough...which is seriously annoying...
especially when they have to compare my grades with others!

You know.. I actually get asked this question a lot by people my own age. I'm REALLY picky when it comes to what I read. First the Title has to interest me enough to look at the book. After that the cover has to interest me. Lastly there has to be a description of the book that actually interests me, which in my case is a lot harder than it should be. If all those add up, then I read the book.
Seeing as how so little new books ever interest me I tend to read the same things over and over again. In my case that's not a bad things since I have a horrible memory and only remember small things so each time I find something new again.

I think it's the fact that I also prefer science fiction and fantasy books opposed to more modern books. Then within that category trying to find things that interest me is even harder.

I really wish I could be less picky with books. If I were, then I'd have read hundreds more than I have seeing as I can read a book like the 5th Harry Potter that's 870 pages in 5 hours. Maybe with age I'll become more versatile. =^.^=

Depending on the book being recommended, I'll pick it up if a friend suggests I should. Sometimes it yields good results (in the case of Hero) but lately it's been a whole bunch books i couldn't get into or they were just awful!

If I'm browsing the store for a book, both the covers have to appeal to me usually. The front cover is what compels me to pick the book up, the back is what will have me buy/rent the book to read it.

before i read a book i check:
1: cover/title
2:blurb
3: first page
4: random page in the center

if i like it i buy it <3

Not to sound shallow or anything, but what makes me want to read a book is definitely a good cover. It has to be something that appeals to be. Idk. Not necessarily something that's flashy, but something that just feels like it looks good.
Then definitely a good summary (the short paragraph that they have on the back of the book, or inside the jacket); something that hooks me up straight away.
And then there is always recommendations from friends, and media. (although I was never too keen on picking up a book that had been featured on Oprah for some reason o.0)

For me, it's often the first chapter or so. I'm a fast reader, so I'll often grab 10 or so books off the shelves (provided the jacket description of the plot was interesting) and whittle down the pile of stuff I want based on the writing of the first chapter or so.

I don't generally trust other peoples' views on books, becuase I have found that sometimes the stuff I really hate is very popular (Twilight, for example) and the stuff I like, no one else has heard of.

I am shallow when it comes to books a lot of the time. I judge books by their cover very often. The best books I've read have had the best covers, so it has always worked out for me. I like cryptic simple covers with puke type colors like green and mustard. I read books about teenagers growing up. I love bildungsromans. The best genre hands down, which is pretty much the same as "coming-of-age." I like books about mental hospitals as well. The Bell Jar, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and It's Kind of a Funny Story, included mental wards as well as interesting covers. I also love more realistic fiction. I rarely read fantasy.

I'll pick up a book if it's by an author I like or the cover or title is interesting. Sometimes the description will catch my attention. It's good to pick up ones that don't catch your attention though. I make it a habit to read the first five pages to first chapter before deciding to read the book though. If it catches my attention then, I'll read it fully. If it's on a topic I want to read about (like zombies or magic or fairies or real life issues) I'll pick it up and see if it interests me. So, it's mostly about topic or author for me. Like the topic/author, pick it up, look it over, read a little bit, and decide if I want to read if fully.

Ahh. Sorry about the ramble.

If I see something with a dragon or something like that on the front, then I read the description, and if I like it, I'll read it.

usually if a friend recommends it and enjoyed the book, i will try to read that is how i started reading twilight. most of the time is if i can through the first chapter of the book and it is interesting i can usually read it. sometimes it just has to deal with the theme of the book to hook me. didn't factors for different kinds of books

For me its usually the cover, if it's interesting I'll read the back and then the whole book if it catches my interest. Sometimes my parents tell me of a good book that I just have to read cuz they know I might like it. We have a rather impressive library in our house and all of those books my parents read, and when I'm bored I'll go and pick up a random book to read. This is how I started to read Terry Pratchett, my dad's a big fan and he's got most of his books, if not all, and he kept raving on and on how good the author is, so one day I picked one of his books off the shelf and read it in a day. Then went back to my dad and asked which ones he liked the best and read those too. Other times my friends would recommend something, or my cousin (she raved on about Twilight, so I eventually read that too).

Usually, what makes me read a book, is when it has a Romantic Love story. I know really cheesy. =3 I don't know why, but I can't seem to enjoy a book, unless it has a love story in it. As long as it does, I would pick up the book, no matter what genre it is (maybe I would skip on the non-fiction), and will read away. :) I found that if the book envolves one of the lovers dying is a real eye catcher for me. Anyways, if any of you have a recommendation on a Fictional Romance Book do tell. Thank you!

I go through books pretty quickly, so I'm constantly going to the local library. The first thing that attracts me to a book, like most people, is the cover. If it has a wolf or something interesting on it, I'll pick it up. Sometimes, when I can see it, the title gets my attention. I found a book the other day called Cupcake, and I just had to get it. xD I always flip through the book or read the back, too. Somehow I didn't care that Cupcake was the third of the series; it was easy to pick up on, though.

What makes me read a book if it gets me from the beginning. I won't read it if it has a boring beginning. I'll also read it if the description on the back is good, or if it's by an author I know.