@boomerang,
Quote: I just read "The Sister Brothers" because I loved the title
That title would never have worked for me.
I look at the title of a book, prefer them on the shelf so I see the spine, this way there's as little as possible to draw me in. No pretty pictures or quick statements. The title grabs me first, then the author's name. If I don't care much for the author's name I may pass on the book. In those cases, I try to read a few paragraphs within the book, sometimes that will change my thinking.
In cases where the cover is viewable, a police badge tends to gain my interest. Quick turn offs are 'recommended by _____________' and it's some television star who I don't care about.
Actually looking at the shelves, there are a lot of books with red lettering on the spine, maybe that's one of the things which attracts me.