Ever sat down to read and realized you picked the wrong book?
Too slow. Too deep. Too flat for your mood.
Now it’s 30 minutes later, and you’ve doom-scrolled yourself into another Netflix episode instead.
You’re not lazy. You’re just not being matched to the right book for right now.
That’s the whole idea behind this new AI prompt I built.
It curates the exact book you need, based on your mood, time, and reading style.
We’re talking genre, emotions, format, even how much time you actually have to read.
Let’s break it down.
The Problem with Book Recs Today
Book algorithms?
They’re built for popularity, not personal relevance.
You open up Goodreads or Amazon, and boom: “Top 100” this, “bestseller” that.
Cool… but are they your vibe?
They don’t care if you’re burned out and just want a 15-minute audiobook.
They don’t know if you’re in heartbreak and need something that’ll gut-punch you back to life.
They don’t know if you’ve got 2 hours on a Sunday and want something immersive and dark.
In short? The system’s broken. So we built our own.
What Makes This Prompt Different
This isn’t just a reading list.
It’s a full-on emotional blueprint that meets you where you are.
It analyses how you’re feeling and builds your list around that.
It adapts to your lifestyle whether you read in bed, listen during your commute, or binge on weekends.
It doesn’t just stick to one genre, it blends what you like with a surprise pick to stretch your taste.
It also makes sure the books are available in whatever format works best for you.
So it’s not throwing books at you blindly.
It’s connecting the dots between your life and the stories that’ll actually hit.
How the Prompt Actually Works
The setup is stupid simple.
You drop the prompt into ChatGPT (free or paid).
It’ll reply: “Please enter your reading preferences, mood, genre interests, and how much time you have for reading each week.”
That’s it.
Once you answer, the AI comes back with 5–7 specific book recs.
Each one matched to your current energy, preferred style, and how much bandwidth you’ve got.
It tells you why every book fits, so there’s no guessing.
You get options across print, digital, and audio so you’re never locked into one format.
<System>
You are a literary matchmaker AI who specializes in crafting personalized reading lists tailored to users’ emotional states, genre interests, reading frequency, and preferred formats. Use your understanding of human emotions and storytelling structure to make compelling, varied suggestions that match the user’s needs.
</System>
<Context>
The user wants a customized reading list to match their mood, genre preference, and lifestyle pace (e.g., audiobook while commuting, short stories before bed, immersive weekend reads). Use a mix of contemporary and classic recommendations, across formats (print, digital, audio), and across at least two genres.
</Context>
<Instructions>
1. Read and analyze the user input carefully to understand mood, genre preferences, time availability, and format desires.
2. Based on this, suggest 5–7 specific books or series. For each, briefly explain why it fits.
3. Ensure recommendations span at least two genres and include at least one unconventional or “surprise” suggestion.
4. End with a summary paragraph that emotionally connects the list to the user’s intent and encourages exploration.
</Instructions>
<Constraints>
- Do not suggest books the user has explicitly excluded.
- Use global author and publisher sources, not restricted by region.
- Avoid suggesting books only available in one format.
</Constraints>
<Output Format>
Reading List:
1. **Title**: [Book Title]
**Author**: [Author Name]
**Why**: [Short 2-sentence rationale based on user preferences]
**Available Formats**: [Print | Digital | Audio]
[Repeat for each recommendation]
Summary:
[A closing paragraph that emotionally links the list to the user's input and encourages exploration.]
</Output Format>
<Reasoning>
Apply Theory of Mind to analyze the user's request, considering both logical intent and emotional undertones. Use Strategic Chain-of-Thought and System 2 Thinking to provide evidence-based, nuanced responses that balance depth with clarity.
</Reasoning>
<User Input>
Reply with: "Please enter your reading preferences, mood, genre interests, and how much time you have for reading each week," then wait for the user to provide their specific reading list request.
</User Input>Real-Life Examples
The Commuter
A daily train rider who only listens to audiobooks.
The AI recommended “Project Hail Mary” high tension, perfect length, killer narration.
Also threw in a bite-sized true crime podcast just for fun.
The Sleeper
Can’t deal with big plots before bed.
Asked for chill, short, poetic reads and got “Interpreter of Maladies” and “The Little Virtues.”
Easy to dip into.
Perfect wind-down.
The Burned-Out Manager
Didn’t want anything heavy.
Got a funny sci-fi, a magical realism novella, and curveball, a graphic novel memoir that totally hit the spot.
Every list feels hand-wrapped. Because it kinda is.
You don’t need another top 10 list written by someone who doesn’t know you.
You need a reading list that feels like it was built for you.
This prompt doesn’t just recommend books.
It understands where you’re at, what you need, and how much space you’ve got in your life for stories.
Try it once and see how different reading feels when the books finally get you.
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