Why I Created This Site
I love reading almost to the point of obsession. I’m the stay up too late, just one more chapter, read over a hundred books a year kind of reader. I LOVE a good book, but when it came to how to find the right book to read? That was a whole different beast.
I used to take ages scrolling through endless Reddit threads, skimming half-baked Goodreads lists, and doom-scrolling social media, and still either not find quite what I was looking for or end up unsure if I was about to start something I’d actually enjoy.
Sure, sometimes we just want a fantasy—any fantasy—but more often, I wasn’t looking for just any fantasy or romance or mystery. I wanted something specific: a historical fiction with a morally gray lead set in Victorian England, a sci-fi with both robots and time travel, or a fantasy featuring a marriage of convenience steeped in mythology. And I couldn’t find an easy way to search for that.
And while some might call that picky, I say sometimes the heart wants what the heart wants! And the more I talked to other readers, the more I realized I wasn’t alone. And people don’t just want to choose specific tropes, dynamics, and themes they love—they also want to read more diversely, with characters of different races, backgrounds, sexualities, neurotypes, and life experiences. But finding those books—especially when you do know exactly what you want—can still be surprisingly hard.
And it goes beyond characters, tropes, and diversity. Some readers want a slow-burn romance with lots of spice; others want to avoid it altogether. Some want content warnings upfront so they’re not caught off guard. The reality is, readers aren’t just browsing by genre anymore. We’re looking for fit. And while there are lots of places to leave ratings and reviews, the recommendations on these platforms either fall flat or don’t niche down enough.
That’s why I created The Book Rex—a site that lets you search for books based on the specific elements that matter most to you. Whether it’s the level of romance, a particular character dynamic, a niche historical setting, or a book that reflects your lived experience, I want it to be easy to find.
And finally, one more thing I care deeply about: indie authors. We love our traditionally published friends, too, of course, but often, great books get buried simply because they’re not part of that traditional publishing machine. On this site, nothing is sorted by popularity or sales. If an indie author wrote a book with the content you’re looking for, it deserves to show up—and you deserve to find it.
What This Site Is
The Book Rex is a searchable, filterable database of fiction books, designed to help you find exactly the kind of story you’re craving. Every book post includes essential information like the title, author, series, page count, and description, giving you a helpful quick overview.
But what really makes this site unique is how each book is tagged by its story elements—genre, subgenre, tropes, romantic pairing, spice level, content warnings, and more. These tags are what power the search and make it easy to find your next favorite read.
This isn’t just “show me fantasy.” It’s “show me a fantasy with a morally gray hero, enemies-to-lovers tension, and a low-spice slow burn.” You pick the tags, and the results will show books that match all of them.
The goal? To take the chaos out of book hunting and help you land on something that actually fits what you’re in the mood for.
Whether you want to supplement your review-reading, take a break from BookTok doom scrolling, or just stop relying on vibes and guesswork, we’re here for that. Come in with a craving—“Give me a heist novel with no romance,” or “I need a cozy mystery with neurodivergent rep and a small-town setting”—and we’ll help you find books that fit the bill.
And one more thing: every book here gets a fair shot. No sorting by popularity, no trending lists, no industry bias. Whether it’s a bestseller or a debut indie release, if it matches your search, it shows up.
What This Site Isn’t
Let’s get this out of the way: The Book Rex isn’t here to replace Goodreads or The StoryGraph—and honestly, they’re great at what they do. If you want to track your reading, leave reviews, or join a reading challenge, those platforms have that covered.
This site is different. It’s not about ratings, reviews, or popularity. There’s no star system, no social feed, and no algorithm pushing books that are trending. The Book Rex is built for discovery, plain and simple.
We don’t care how many people have read the book—we care whether it matches what you’re in the mood for. This is where you come when you’re not asking, “What’s everyone reading?” but “What fits me?” When your reading taste is extra fussy and you don’t want the judgment—we get it. We’re a judgment-free zone.
Use this site alongside the ones you already love. Check reviews elsewhere if you want them. But when you’re ready to find a book based on the story elements you love, this is your spot.
How To Use The Site
Start with Search
Head to the search page, and you’ll see a list of tags you can mix and match to your heart’s content.
Want a literary novel with a neurodivergent rep, found family, and no romance subplot? Done.
Looking for a suspenseful thriller with a female lead, cults, and an isolated setting? We’ve got it.
Craving a horror novel with psychological elements, a haunted house, and no gore? You’re in the right place.
The more tags you choose, the more specific your results will be—and yes, all tags must match. No vague “close enough” suggestions. If you check five boxes, we’ll only show you books that check all five.
What You Can Search By
Here’s what you can currently filter for:
- Genre
- Subgenre
- Tropes and common story elements
- Time period and historical setting (when relevant)
- Types of romantic pairings
- Spice level
- Content warnings
- And more to come!
What’s Coming Soon
We’re just getting started.
- We’re adding more books every day.
- We’re working on expanding the search so you can look up authors, series, and more.
- Soon, you’ll be able to mark books as read or not interested so you can hide them from search results and avoid seeing the same ones again and again.
More features and filters are on the way—but for now, the tag-powered search is live and ready for you to explore.
Ready to Find Your Next Read?
Whether you’re here with a super-specific reading craving or just want to browse what’s out there, The Book Rex was built to help you discover books that match exactly what you’re in the mood for.
So start searching, explore the tags, and see what turns up. We’re adding new books all the time, and we’ve got more features on the way—so check back often or follow along for updates.
Take the guesswork out of how to find the right book to read—start exploring with The Book Rex.
Happy reading,
Danielle Potter
Founder, The Book Rex