What should I read next?
A book recommendation app where readers answer.
Describe the book you want in your own words. Readers who follow you, and readers whose taste overlaps yours, send back the books they'd hand you and a note about why. Recommended by people, not generated by an algorithm. Free on iPhone, Android, and the web.
Download the appHow to ask for a book recommendation
ShelfLife calls the request a Book Signal. There are two ways to send one:
- Describe a mood. Up to 200 characters, like "dark academia, atmospheric, unreliable narrator." Attach up to three books you loved as reference points.
- Send a shelf. Pick one of your shelves and ask for more books like it, with an optional note.
The signal stays open for seven days. You get a notification for each answer, and a reminder a day before it closes if people have answered.
What an answer looks like
Each reader who answers picks one to five books and writes a short note about why they fit. You see who answered, their note, and every book's cover, title, and author. Tap a book to open it, add it to a shelf, or read what others thought.
When a pick lands, thank the reader who suggested it. They get a notification, and you get a reason for them to answer next time.
Who answers
Your followers see your signal. It also reaches other readers on ShelfLife, including readers whose ratings line up with yours and with the books you attached, so you hear from people with overlapping taste, not only the friends you already have. Your name is on the request, and blocked readers never see it.
Software decides who sees a signal. People decide what to recommend. And you can return the favor: signals from other readers show up in your home feed, ready for you to answer.
Readers, algorithms, and Reddit
Most book recommendation apps generate suggestions. Goodreads bases its recommendations on what you shelve and rate. The StoryGraph recommends by mood, pace, and genre, with more personalized picks on its paid Plus plan. Those work well when you want more of what you already like.
When you want a book to match a feeling, many readers would rather ask a person, which is part of why r/suggestmeabook has about 3.4 million members. Book Signal brings that kind of request into the app where your books already live, and sends it to readers who know your taste.
What to expect
- One open signal at a time. A new one replaces the old.
- Answers aren't guaranteed. How many you get depends on who is reading that week.
- No anonymous requests. Your name is on the signal.
- No genre filters. Describe what you want in words.
More on the social side of ShelfLife in a book tracking app to use with your friends.
Questions about book recommendation apps
Is there an app where real people recommend books to you?
Yes. In ShelfLife you send a Book Signal describing what you want to read next, and other readers answer with up to five books each and a note about why. It goes to the people who follow you and to other readers whose ratings overlap with yours. ShelfLife is free on iPhone, Android, and the web.
What should I read next?
Describe the feeling you're after rather than a genre, because that is what a good recommender needs. 'Something short and sad about a family' or 'a book that feels like In the Mood for Love' gets better answers than 'literary fiction'. In ShelfLife, write it as a Book Signal, and readers have a week to answer.
How is Book Signal different from Goodreads or StoryGraph recommendations?
Goodreads and The StoryGraph generate recommendations from your shelves, ratings, and preferences. In ShelfLife, the books in an answer are chosen by a person who read your request, and each answer comes with that reader's note. ShelfLife's software decides which readers see your request, but it doesn't pick the books.
Who sees my Book Signal?
Your followers, plus other ShelfLife readers, including readers whose ratings line up with yours and with any books you attached. Your name is on the request, the way it would be if you asked in person. Blocked readers never see it.
How many recommendations will I get?
It varies. Each reader who answers can suggest one to five books, a signal stays open for seven days, and you get a notification for each answer. You can close it early, and you can thank the readers whose picks you liked.
Can I ask for books like ones I already love?
Yes. Attach up to three reference books to your mood, or send a whole shelf and ask readers for more books like it, with an optional note.
Is Reddit better for book recommendations?
Reddit's r/suggestmeabook has about 3.4 million members, so a post there reaches far more people. A Book Signal reaches readers who follow you or whose taste overlaps yours, keeps every answer next to the books on your shelves, and lets you open each suggested book in one tap.
Free, on iPhone, Android, and the web
Ask readers what to read next.
Build a shelf of a few books you loved, then send your first signal.
Download the app