Beyond Genre: Inside 29,397 Book Recommendation Requests

Key points

• We coded 29,397 Reddit requests for book recommendations. 93% asked for more than a subject or genre, and seven in ten gave two or more extra details.
• Fiction readers asked for an experience. Two in three named a book, author, film, show or game, and half described how the book should feel.
• Nonfiction readers described themselves. 39% explained their situation, and more than a third stated their level.
• Three in ten fiction readers said what to leave out, most often a genre, romance or sex, or a plot element.
• Each category asked differently. 85% of requests for cozy and comfort reads described how the book should feel, and 54% of business requests described the reader's situation.
• Use readers' details and words wherever you describe a book: the description, metadata, Amazon keywords, web pages, answer engines and ads. Keyword counts missed four in five of the requests that described how a book should feel, so finding them takes reading the requests in full.

A reader planning a week in Vermont in October asked r/suggestmeabook for "just the right novel to bring with me":

Looking for something literary but not too heavy or bleak, around 350 pages or so, ideally set in the northeast US and with strong autumnal themes.

They had read North Woods by Daniel Mason earlier that year and were tempted to reread it for its sense of place and the part the seasons played. Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver had "the right vibes (just wrong season/place)."

In a few sentences, that reader gave the occasion, the length, the setting, the season, the tone and two reference books, with what to keep from each. For this reader to recognize the right book, its page would need to state all of it.

We collected 29,397 requests like this one from Reddit for our GEO research and coded every one for the details readers gave beyond a subject or genre. This article covers what they asked for, in their own words, and how to use it.

Kadaxis research / One request, seven kinds of information

A book to read on my cozy autumn in Vermont vacation

I’m spending a week in Vermont in October¹ and I’m looking for just the right novel² to bring with me.

Looking for something literary² but not too heavy or bleak³, around 350 pages or so⁴, ideally set in the northeast US⁵ and with strong autumnal themes⁵.

I read North Woods by Daniel Mason⁶ earlier this year and am honestly considering just rereading it because it’s the perfect vibe I’m looking for. Strong sense of place, the seasons play a huge role⁵, interesting and engaging storytelling³.

Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver⁶ is another one that has the right vibes (just wrong season/place)⁷.

What would you suggest?

What the book page needs to state

1. 1Setting and time of year
2. 2Category: literary fiction
3. 3Tone and intensity
4. 4Page count
5. 5Setting, season and sense of place
6. 6Comparison titles
7. 7What the books share, and what they don't

View the request on Reddit ↗

Only 7% of requests stopped at a genre

The median request ran 62 words, title included.

Only 2,170 requests, 7%, gave a subject or genre and nothing else. The other 93% added at least one more detail, and seven in ten added two or more. Readers gave eight kinds of detail:

1. A reference point: a book, author, film, show or game
2. How the book should feel
3. Their situation, or the occasion for reading
4. Their level, age group or prior knowledge
5. A limit: what to leave out
6. A practical requirement, such as length, format or series
7. A particular approach or kind of author
8. Whether the book was for someone else

Fiction and nonfiction readers gave different details, as Diagram 2 shows.

Two in three fiction readers named a book, film or game

65% of fiction requests named a reference point: a book, author, film, show or game. A 36-year-old who hadn't read a book since he was a teenager listed 24, Law and Order, the Bond and Bourne films and Metal Gear Solid, then asked for "anything else along those lines."

No single reference dominated. Harry Potter, the most mentioned, came up in about 1 request in 70.

Some readers said which part of a reference to repeat. The Vermont reader wanted the feel of Prodigal Summer in a different season and place. A reader looking for space opera named the strategy game Homeworld and asked for its "sense of isolation and scale and wonder."

How to use it: in the description, name comparison titles and say what the books share: the setting, the pace, the voice or the kind of ending.

Half of fiction readers asked for a feeling

51% of fiction requests described how the book should feel: its tone, pace, darkness or prose. One reader wanted "something warm, cozy, sweet, and wholesome with a little bit of tension and a little bit of danger." No single adjective on a book page covers that.

The most common feel words were cozy or cosy (775 requests), heartwarming (174), slow burn (156) and feel-good (143). Nonfiction readers asked for a feeling in 18% of requests, sometimes to rule out dry writing: "Any books about evolution thats not too dry."

How to use it: describe the book's tone, pace and intensity in readers' words, where they're true. Pairs such as cozy fantasy (77 requests) and cozy mystery (91) make keyword candidates.

Nonfiction readers led with their situation

39% of nonfiction requests explained the reader's situation, three times the fiction rate. One reader was two weeks from a promotion to team lead. Another was "an aspiring athlete who happens to be vegetarian." Another had started dating a biochemistry major and wanted to understand her subject.

Fiction readers gave the occasion instead: a fifth named a trip, a slump, a book club or a gift. One wrote, "I think I need a short, fast-paced thriller to pull me out of this reading slump before I try Mistborn again."

How to use it: for nonfiction, name the situations the book helps with, in the description and keywords. For fiction, write copy for the occasions it suits: the long drive, the book club that wants under 300 pages, the gift for a fan of a particular series.

A third of nonfiction readers stated their level

35% of nonfiction requests stated the reader's level: their age, what they already knew or the depth they wanted. One reader with "almost 0 knowledge" of UK investing wanted a book that "starts at the very beginning (assumes the reader knows nothing)." 801 requests used the word beginner.

Fiction readers stated a level in 27% of requests, and it could mean age: "My 11 year old has read every dragon fantasy novel in our public library and is asking for adjacent recommendations for thick novels, maybe in sci-fi or along the lines of magical realism."

How to use it: say who the book is for and what it assumes the reader knows, in the description and in your audience and age metadata.

Three in ten fiction readers said what to leave out

30% of fiction requests set a limit, twice the nonfiction rate. The most common were a genre, romance or sex, and a setting or plot element, each in a quarter to a third of those requests.

Some readers were precise about romance: "Love slow burn romance but not overly descriptive sex scenes." Others ruled it out in the title: "Christmas/winter books that are NOT romance?"

707 requests used heat-level words such as spicy, smut, steamy or closed door. Of 75 chosen at random, 32 asked for little or none and 26 for some or more. Several named the level exactly: "between fade to black and open door."

How to use it: if a book has no romance, say so. If it has a romance subplot, say how central and how explicit it is. Describe the intensity and the kind of ending without spoilers, and check every such statement against the text.

A quarter of fiction readers set a length, format or series

26% of fiction requests set a practical requirement, twice the nonfiction rate. One reader wanted a book "preferably under 300 pages because i have low attention span." A family on a long road trip wanted "an audiobook for the ride that we would all enjoy." 808 requests mentioned audiobooks and 326 mentioned standalones.

How to use it: keep page count, audiobook length and narrator, and series order complete in your metadata, and say in the description when a book stands alone.

A fifth of nonfiction readers specified the author or approach

20% of nonfiction requests asked for a particular approach or kind of author: books "based in science and factual data," real estate advice from an investor who had done well and not from "some fake guru," and management advice without "the borderline 'linkedin lunatic' stuff."

How to use it: describe the author's approach and their basis for writing the book, in the description and the author bio.

One request in ten was for someone else

11% of requests were for someone else: a child, a partner, a parent, a class or a book club. Some described the recipient as closely as the book: "I need a birthday gift for my mom who plays a lot of Chopin, and I thought a piano/classical music history book in the style of Bill Bryson would be great."

How to use it: in ads and seasonal marketing, say who the book suits as a gift, and for book clubs, what there is to discuss.

What readers ask for changes by category

The requests came from 15 topic groups, and each asked for a different mix:

• Cozy and comfort reads: 85% described how the book should feel, against 40% of all requests.
• Fantasy, sci-fi and mythology: 72% named a book, author, film, show or game, against 52% of all requests.
• Children's, young adult and education: 71% stated an age or level, and 39% were for someone else.
• Family, health and psychology: 60% described a situation in the reader's life or work.
• Business and careers: 54% described the reader's situation, and 13% how the book should feel.
• Book clubs, audiobooks and getting back into reading: 64% gave the occasion for reading, and 54% set a practical requirement.

Kadaxis research / The category comparison

Every category asks differently

Scroll across the table to compare all nine details.

Share of requests giving each detail, by topic group

Topic group	Named a reference	How it should feel	Reading occasion	Life or work situation	Level or age	Limit	Practical requirement	Approach or author	For someone else
All requests29,397 requests	52%	40%	17%	23%	29%	24%	21%	12%	11%
Cozy and comfort reads1,331 requests	60%	85%	20%	20%	17%	38%	18%	4%	5%
Fantasy, sci-fi and mythology3,031 requests	72%	39%	15%	6%	22%	30%	24%	6%	5%
Mystery, thriller and crime2,608 requests	65%	58%	20%	7%	18%	29%	22%	6%	6%
Romance, relationships and LGBTQ+2,600 requests	48%	47%	14%	19%	20%	37%	14%	14%	8%
Literary fiction, poetry and short stories2,737 requests	64%	45%	20%	14%	25%	24%	38%	10%	11%
Book clubs, audiobooks and getting back into reading1,849 requests	57%	45%	64%	9%	47%	25%	54%	9%	29%
Arts, film, music and language1,751 requests	54%	42%	10%	24%	22%	16%	20%	8%	7%
Travel and places1,738 requests	48%	33%	19%	13%	13%	17%	17%	14%	3%
Children's, YA and education2,198 requests	51%	33%	21%	31%	71%	23%	24%	10%	39%
Science and nature2,042 requests	47%	34%	9%	21%	39%	19%	14%	14%	7%
History, philosophy and religion2,548 requests	42%	26%	10%	23%	32%	17%	13%	20%	4%
Family, health and psychology2,207 requests	31%	28%	7%	60%	25%	20%	11%	19%	12%
Business and careers1,969 requests	26%	13%	5%	54%	23%	13%	9%	17%	7%
Gardening481 requests	46%	32%	10%	29%	32%	15%	14%	9%	8%
Food and cooking307 requests	35%	23%	15%	31%	25%	28%	12%	12%	16%

How to use it: lead with the details readers in your category give most. A cozy mystery's page needs its feel up front, and a leadership book's page needs the reader's situation. Pick your category in the explorer to see its profile, the words its readers used and example requests.

Keyword counts missed four in five requests for a feeling

Before coding the requests, we tried the approach behind most keyword and social-listening analysis. We counted requests that contained phrases such as "similar to" or "I've read" as naming a reference, "cozy" or "page-turner" as describing how a book should feel, "no romance" or "avoid" as setting a limit, and "beginner" or "easy to read" as stating a level.

Checked against the full coding, those keyword counts found only 18% of the requests that described how a book should feel. The other four in five used wording the lists didn't include. Readers worded the same limit on sexual content as "nothing too racy," "clean," "without the spice" and "closed door."

If you analyze reader requests or reviews by counting keywords, read a sample in full before you trust the counts.

How to use this data

Readers meet a book's description on retailer pages, in web search and in ChatGPT's answers, and its marketing in ads, newsletters and social posts. Each of those places can answer what readers asked for.

Descriptions and metadata. Your description goes out with the metadata to every retailer, and your own book pages are on the open web, so they're the text that retail search, web search and answer engines all read. State each detail plainly where it's true, and check any statement about romance, violence or explicit content against the text before you publish it.

Answer engines. Much of the GEO advice you've heard is about page format, such as FAQ sections, schema markup and question headings. Readers asked about the books themselves, and ChatGPT explained its picks in the same terms. In our FAQ study, the typical ChatGPT answer referenced nine books with about 56 words on each, and 29.5% of those explanations mentioned tone and mood and 26.2% audience and fit. Our study of where AI book recommendations come from found ChatGPT citing publisher pages that stated the detail a reader asked about: Simon & Schuster's page for Christopher Moore's Bloodsucking Fiends, to rule it out for a reader who wanted a "completely PLATONIC" vampire story, and a Routledge page that named first-time students as the audience. The same study found that 43.5% of the editorial pages ChatGPT cited were cited for more than one question, against 13.2% of single book pages, so write guides where several of your titles could suit the same reader.

Web search. Search engines match pages to the words in a search, so a page that says a mystery is cozy, has no romance and stands alone can match a search for those words. Use readers' words on book pages, author pages and reading guides wherever they're true of the book.

Amazon keywords. Amazon search reads the title, the visible metadata and the keywords you submit far more than the description. In our description study, a distinctive phrase found only in the description surfaced the book in 1.6% of searches for it, against about 35% for phrases in the title and visible metadata. Readers described fit in phrases such as cozy fantasy, slow burn romance and beginner-friendly, and in our keyword phrase study, phrase keywords surfaced books in 41.8% of exact searches, against 2.3% for mostly single-word keywords. Each phrase still has to pass the tests any keyword does: readers search for it, it's true of the book, it adds what the rest of the metadata doesn't, and the book can rank for it.

Show the 16 phrases readers used most

Phrase readers used	Requests, of 29,397	Kind of detail
audiobook	808	Format
beginner, beginner-friendly	801	Level
cozy, cosy	775	How it should feel
get back into reading	558	Occasion
book club	528	Occasion, for a group
twist, twists	393	Plot
found family	357	Trope
easy to read, easy read	334	Level
standalone	326	Series or standalone
smut	280	Heat level
no romance	181	Limit
heartwarming	174	How it should feel
slow burn	156	Pace
feel-good	143	How it should feel
happy ending, HEA	130	Ending
enemies to lovers	125	Trope

These are literal counts across all 29,397 requests, so they include negative uses such as "no smut." Reader reviews show the same gap between the trade's language and the reader's.

Ads and marketing copy. You have a few lines to show the fit, so lead with what readers in the book's category ask about first: for a fantasy novel, the comparison and what it shares; for a cozy mystery, how it feels; for a business book, the reader's situation.

Kadaxis research / One request, answered in five places

The reader asks

Looking for something literary but not too heavy or bleak, around 350 pages or so, ideally set in the northeast US and with strong autumnal themes.

Illustrative copy for a fictional novel

Book description

A quiet, hopeful literary novel of one October in rural Vermont, 340 pages, with the sense of place readers loved in North Woods.

Web page or guide

Literary novels set in a New England autumn.

Answer engine

It's set in rural Vermont in October, runs about 340 pages and stays hopeful, with the strong sense of place you liked in North Woods.

Amazon keywords

literary fiction set in vermont · new england autumn novel · quiet small town literary fiction

Ad

One October in Vermont, in 340 pages. For readers of North Woods.

Check your own titles

1. Collect real requests your books could answer, from Reddit, Goodreads groups and your own reader correspondence, and keep the full wording.
2. Break each request into the eight kinds of detail, match it to your books and check each match against the book itself. A book can fit the subject and still miss on length, intensity or what it assumes the reader knows.
3. Open each matched book's page, metadata, keywords and ad copy, and check whether a reader could see the fit in each. To measure the effect on AI recommendations, put a fixed set of requests to ChatGPT before and after a change, more than once.

How we use this research

Reader requests are where our GEO analysis of a book starts. We work out the complete requests the book's readers would make, from reader reviews, our audience and marketing models and evidence of customer demand. We put those requests to ChatGPT without naming the book, repeat them, and record which books it recommends, how it explains each one and which pages it cites. Then we compare what those answers needed with what the book's own description, metadata and pages say, and show where the missing details should go. Our study of a dementia caregiving guide walks through one analysis in full.

We build Amazon keywords from reader language too. In our keyword results study, 42% of the keywords we built ranked in the top Amazon Books results, against about 8% of publisher-assigned keywords measured the same way.

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Method. The 29,397 requests are original Reddit posts asking for book recommendations, title and body, collected for our GEO research; 98% came from r/suggestmeabook and r/booksuggestions. The collection excluded posts over 1,024 characters and was gathered across 15 fiction and nonfiction topic groups, so the topic mix describes this collection. Claude Sonnet 5.5 coded every request against a written codebook for the eight kinds of detail, the split between situations and occasions, and the kinds of limit. Before the full run, we compared its codes with 400 requests chosen at random and coded separately with the same codebook, and they agreed on 91% to 100% of the 400, field by field. The heat-level figures come from 75 requests chosen at random from the 707 that used heat-level words. Keyword and phrase counts are literal matches and include negative uses.

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