Personalized Book Recommendations

$5.99

What Makes Our Recommendations Different?

No algorithms. No crowd-sourced lists. Just expert curation based on your unique reading profile. You're getting recommendations from someone who has spent years matching readers with books they love, combining professional library science training with deep literary knowledge and genuine passion for connecting readers with their perfect next read.

We specialize in fantasy but draw from the entire literary landscape to find books that fit your unique reading profile. Whether you're searching for books that challenge what you know about the genre or books that perfectly align with you're taste, our recommendations are tailored specifically to you.

Three Tiers of Adventure

Choose the level of insight that fits your reading journey. From quick, essential picks that cut straight to what you need, to legendary curation that explores the deeper literary landscape around your preferences, we have the perfect service to match how you discover and consume books.

How It Works

Step 1: After purchasing your Personalized Book Recommendations you'll receive an email granting you access to our comprehensive reading preference questionnaire. Complete as much of the questionnaire as you like, telling us about books you've loved, what Flavors and Ingredients you're in the mood for, deal-breakers, and what makes a story click for you.

Step 2: Our librarian analyzes your reading profile using their experience matching readers with books they love, first as a library director and fantasy specialist, and always as a passionate reader.

Step 3: You receive personalized recommendations with detailed explanations of why each book matches your taste.

	NEEDLE Swift and Efficient	ANDÚRIL Reforged and Refined	EXCALIBUR Legendary Curation
Personalized Recommendations	3	3	5
Wildcard Recommendation i A book from outside your favorite genres that we think you'll love	✗	✗	✓
Explanation	Brief	Extensive	Comprehensive
Theme & Mood Tags	✓	✓	✓
Reading Time Estimates	✓	✓	✓
Comparative Recommendations i A list of books similar to your recommendations	✗	✓	✓
Goal-aligned Selections	✗	✓	✓
Discussion Questions	✗	✗	✓
Author Context i An overview of the author's work, their influences, etc.	✗	✗	✓
Literary Significance	✗	✗	✓
Cultural Influence	✗	✗	✓
Delivery	2 business days	1 business day	24 hours

Trevor here! Fantastic question! Pairing readers with books that truly resonate with them is one of my favorite things to do.

My recommendation approach comes from three key areas of expertise. First, I have extensive hands-on experience from my years working at the library's circulation desk, where I helped patrons find their next great read daily. This constant practice taught me to quickly identify what someone is really seeking, even when they struggle to articulate it. There's an art to reading between the lines of "I want something like X but different."

Second, my deep personal expertise in fantasy gives me a significant advantage. Since reading Lloyd Alexander's 'The Chronicles of Prydain' in 1st Grade I've been a sucker for all things fantastical. My extensive reading background and community interactions with fantasy readers allow me to understand subtle differences between subgenres, recognize unique author voices, and spot the specific elements that make each book special.

Finally, I stay current through professional development. I maintain subscriptions to key librarian and publishing trade publications, plus I follow trusted fantasy blogs and industry websites. This ensures my recommendations draw from both personal expertise and the broader literary landscape, including upcoming releases and emerging trends.

Our questionnaire is specifically designed to address this concern. We ask targeted questions about your reading experience. If you have truly niche interests or consider yourself exceptionally well-read in fantasy, we encourage you to be as detailed as possible in your responses to help us better understand your reading history.

You can preview some of the questions we ask on this page.

We stand behind all of our selections. Each book recommendation includes a detailed explanation of why we chose it for you based on your reading profile responses.

That said, you may not love every book we recommend. Taste is, after all, highly individual. However, we believe there's value in expanding your literary horizons, and that books we initially dislike or don't understand often teach us something worthwhile.

Remember, you don't need to finish every book you start. Consider giving each recommendation a fair chance (perhaps two or three chapters) before deciding whether to continue.

Meet Your Librarian

Trevor Sherping received his MLIS from the University of Iowa School of Library and Information Sciences in 2020. He was the Director and Adult Services Librarian of Kalona Public Library until 2024. He has worked in public libraries, special collections, and medical libraries.

Trevor lives in Iowa City with his wife and daughter. He enjoys reading, playing disc golf, and running (when he can be convinced to do it). His favorite books/series are Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke, Memory, Sorrow & Thorn by Tad Williams, The Liveship Traders by Robin Hobb, and The Books of Babel by Josiah Bancroft.