Jena, I was asking more why do we read what we read, but the fact that the format and cover of the book makes a difference in what you read is very interesting! I never would have thought of that affecting book choices. I don’t think I’ve ever bought or not bought a book because of how it feels: It’s all about what’s on the pages for me!

The questions why I read what I read and why I buy which books I buy are two very different questions with two pretty different answers. I suspect the second question is really what you’re asking, so: I tend to buy books on impulse–usually paperbacks–books that suit my mood or which have covers I like (yes, I’ll buy a book if I love the cover, but only if the story seems like something I at least might enjoy). Last time I went to Powell’s, I scoured my wishlist and the titles that stuck out–that had received a great review I trusted or had really interesting jacket blurbs–I looked up the location in the store. I culled the list even more by looking at some of the books around them, sometimes opting to not bother this trip, sometimes opting for a neighboring book instead. Why? Because the book from the list didn’t feel right in my hands.

I read classic literature simply because that’s what I like. The stories are usually interesting, I learn from them, I see the world from different points of view, and I feel like I’ve grown afterwards. Periodically I’ll read something in a genre and I always feel afterwards like I’ve gorged myself on a huge McDonalds meal - kind of sick and heavy. And usually, the genre books just aren’t that interesting. I don’t retain anything. I think it’s all about taste. I don’t read classic lit because I’m trying to make myself smarter or any other reason people assume, I read it because that’s what I enjoy, the same way a person might enjoy romance or mystery or crime drama.