You know that feeling when you finish a book, close it with a satisfied sigh, and then stare at your bookshelf like it has personally betrayed you? Yep. The dreaded “What do I read next?” crisis.
Enter: AI.
Yes, the same magical tech that can write emails for you, meal plan with three sad Trader Joe’s items, and convince you that you do in fact need another Amazon cart purchase. AI can also be your bookish bestie.
Here’s how to make it happen:
1. Treat AI Like Your Personal Librarian (Minus the Shushing)
You can literally say:
“I loved The Measure (Amazon) #Ad, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Amazon) #Ad, and Remarkably Bright Creatures (Amazon) #Ad. What should I read next?”
AI will scan its virtual brain and whip out 10+ options, everything from heartwarming octopus tales to science writing that makes you feel smarter than you are when you bring it up at brunch.
2. Ask for Vibes, Not Just Titles
Don’t just type “recommend me a book.” That’s like asking a waiter for “food.” Be specific.
Try things like:
- “Give me something like A Man Called Ove (Amazon) #Ad but set in America.”
- “I want a book that makes me laugh and then cry in the same chapter.”
- “What’s a nonfiction book that makes science feel like gossip?”
AI eats vibes for breakfast. The quirkier your request, the better.
3. Use It to Break Your Genre Rut
Raise your hand if you’ve read six thrillers in a row and can now identify the killer by chapter three. 🙋♀️
Tell AI: “Surprise me with something totally different but still binge-worthy.” Boom—you’ll get a memoir, a sci-fi gem, or a quirky little translated novel you never would’ve found otherwise.
4. Make It Personal (Because Algorithms Don’t Judge)
You can even spill your life tea.
“I’m a busy mom who wants something uplifting but not cheesy. Bonus points if it makes me laugh while waiting in the school pick-up line.”
And voila—AI matches you with a book that feels like it was handpicked by your therapist-slash-best friend.
5. Let AI Build a Whole Reading Pathway
Why stop at one rec? Tell it to create a reading journey. Example:
- Start with a heartwarming novel
- Then slide into a memoir
- Then finish with a nonfiction science book that’ll blow your mind
Basically, a literary tasting menu. 🍷📚
Bonus: Use AI for Book Club Flexing
Want to be the one who always suggests the perfect book at book club? Let AI do the heavy lifting. You’ll look like a genius while secretly sipping wine and letting the robots work.
Here was my exact ChatGPT prompt and the results:
“I loved The Measure (Amazon) #Ad, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Amazon) #Ad, and Remarkably Bright Creatures (Amazon) #Ad. What should I read next?”
Got it — you like books that are thought-provoking, human-centered, with a blend of ethical questions, heart, and wonder. Since you enjoyed The Measure (Amazon) #Ad (speculative with moral dilemmas), The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (Amazon) #Ad (nonfiction, science + humanity), and Remarkably Bright Creatures (Amazon) #Ad (warm, quirky, emotional), here are 10 strong recommendations across fiction and nonfiction:
Fiction
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin (Amazon) #Ad – A story about friendship, creativity, and the lives we build through video games and imagination.
- The Midnight Library by Matt Haig (Amazon) #Ad – Philosophical, heartwarming, with speculative “what if” choices, similar in vibe to The Measure (Amazon) #Ad .
- Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus (Amazon) #Ad – A sharp, funny, feminist story of a scientist in the 1960s who ends up an unlikely TV cooking star.
- Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng (Amazon) #Ad – A dystopian yet emotional novel about censorship, family, and resistance.
- A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (Amazon) #Ad – Heartwarming with humor and grief, perfect if you liked the quirky poignancy of Remarkably Bright Creatures (Amazon) #Ad .
Nonfiction
- Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly (Amazon) #Ad – Like Henrietta Lacks, it blends science, history, and overlooked women’s stories.
- Being Mortal by Atul Gawande (Amazon) #Ad – A profound exploration of medicine, aging, and what makes life meaningful.
- The Song of the Cell by Siddhartha Mukherjee (Amazon) #Ad – Science writing with deep humanity, connecting biology to the story of us.
- Educated by Tara Westover (Amazon) #Ad – A memoir about resilience, knowledge, and reclaiming one’s story.
- The Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (Amazon) #Ad – A nonfiction companion to Remarkably Bright Creatures (Amazon) #Ad —fascinating, emotional, and full of wonder for animal intelligence.
Final Chapter
Your TBR list may never shrink, but at least with AI, it’ll be way more fun to expand. So the next time you’re staring at your bookshelf in despair, just remember: you don’t need to stress… you’ve got a sassy little book genie in your pocket.
Now excuse me—I asked AI for a book “like Remarkably Bright Creatures (Amazon) #Ad but with less octopus and more dog,” and I need to go see what it came up with.
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CLAiRITY 
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