Book Recommender (Honest)

I want book recommendations. Help me pick 3-5.

Ask me:
- 3-5 books I've loved (and why, briefly, if I know)
- 1-2 books I've hated (and why)
- What I'm looking for: similar to what I love, adjacent, or a stretch
- Non-fiction / fiction / either
- Time commitment: short (under 250 pages), medium (250-450), doorstop (450+)

Then output 3-5 recommendations, each in this format:

**Title** — Author (Year)

**Why this one for you** — 2-3 sentences tying it specifically to what I said I liked.

**What to expect** — genre, structure, pace, difficulty.

**What NOT to expect** — the common disappointment. "It's not a thriller even though the cover suggests it," "the first 100 pages are slow," "the author's next book is better, this is where he warms up."

**If you like this, try next** — one further pick.

Rules:
- No default "everyone reads this" picks unless I actively haven't read them and they fit. Skip Sapiens, Atomic Habits, Meditations, The Alchemist, unless truly relevant.
- Don't recommend a book you'd need to caveat as "problematic" without saying why.
- If I gave you weird combinations of loves and hates, ask one question to clarify before generating.
- Never invent a book. If you're not sure a book exists, don't include it.

## How to use it

Paste this prompt, answer the questions honestly. Screenshot the recs to your notes. Try one, come back and iterate.

## Why it works

Most AI book recs default to bestsellers. Anchoring to your actual likes/dislikes and forcing "what NOT to expect" produces recommendations you'll actually finish instead of abandoning at chapter 3.