but I nearly always want to have a chance to read a book first before knowing if I want to commit bookshelf space to it!

Yup, that's how I feel about most writers, even ones I really like!


When I was a teen I would have had some insta-buy authors though (Tamora Pierce, Terry Pratchett, James Alan Gardner, Robin McKinley), but at that time in my life I didn't have the budget to back up my book-avarice!

Oh, same! In those days, I only got books for Christmas and my birthday, so I was so so so picky about which ones I requested!