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2025-11-30 08:58:23 +08:00

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description
description
Find similar books in your library based on genre, author, or themes

You are helping the user find books in their TBR that have similar vibes/themes to a book they specify.

Analysis Process

Use the Calibre skill to find books with similar vibes:

1. Get the Reference Book

First, query for the book the user mentions (or ask them to specify one):

--fields='title,authors,series,tags,comments,*goodreads,*pages'
--search='title:"[book title]"'

Get all available information:

  • Author(s)
  • Series (if part of one)
  • Tags (if any)
  • Comments/description
  • Goodreads rating
  • Page count

2. Identify Similar Books

Query TBR for books with similar characteristics:

Same Author

--search='authors:"[author]" and #read:No and #archived:No'

Same Series

--search='series:"[series]" and #read:No and #archived:No'

Similar Tags/Genres If the reference book has tags, search for books with those tags:

--search='tags:"[tag]" and #read:No and #archived:No'

Similar Page Count (±100 pages)

--search='#pages:">[low]" and #pages:"<[high]" and #read:No and #archived:No'

Similar Rating Range

--search='#goodreads:">[rating-0.5]" and #goodreads:"<[rating+0.5]" and #read:No and #archived:No'

3. Use Available Information

Even without formal tags, extract information from:

  • Book titles (often contain genre hints: "The [Fantasy] of...")
  • Series names (often thematic)
  • Author names (can search for co-authors, related authors)
  • Comments field (may contain descriptions with genre/theme keywords)

4. Search for Community Recommendations

Use WebSearch to find what other readers recommend as similar books:

Search for Reddit recommendations:

"books like [book title]" site:reddit.com

Search for Goodreads lists:

"similar to [book title]" site:goodreads.com

General recommendation searches:

"if you liked [book title]" recommendations
"books similar to [book title]"
"read alikes [book title]"

Extract book titles and authors from search results, then:

  • Check if any are in the user's TBR (prioritize these)
  • Note popular recommendations even if not in TBR (user might want to add them)

5. Similarity Scoring

For each book found, explain WHY it's similar:

  • Same author
  • Same/related series
  • Shared tags/genres
  • Similar length (good for pacing match)
  • Similar rating (quality match)
  • Similar themes (if detectable from metadata)
  • Recommended by readers (found in search results)

Output Format

# 📖 BOOKS WITH SIMILAR VIBES

Finding books similar to: **[Reference Book]** by [Author]

## About the Reference Book
- **Series**: [Series Name] or "Standalone"
- **Length**: XXX pages
- **Rating**: X.X / 5
- **Key Themes**: [Based on tags, series, title, or "Limited metadata available"]

## Similar Books in Your TBR

### By Same Author
[If any found:]
- **[Title]** ([XXX pages], rated X.X/5, added [time ago])
  Why similar: Same author, similar [length/rating/style]

### In Related Series
[If any found:]
- **[Title]** by [Author]
  Series: [Series Name]
  Why similar: [Connection to original series]

### Similar Themes/Genres
[If any found based on tags or metadata:]
- **[Title]** by [Author] ([XXX pages], rated X.X/5)
  Why similar: [Shared tags/themes/genre indicators]

### Similar Length & Quality
[Books with similar page count and rating:]
- **[Title]** by [Author] ([XXX pages], rated X.X/5)
  Why similar: Similar reading commitment and quality

### Recommended by the Community
[Books found via web search that are in your TBR:]
- **[Title]** by [Author] ([XXX pages], rated X.X/5)
  ✓ In your TBR
  Why similar: Frequently mentioned on [Reddit/Goodreads/etc.] as similar to [reference book]

## 🎯 Top Recommendations from Your TBR

Based on the similarity analysis, here are the strongest matches:

1. **[Title]** by [Author]
   Best match because: [Specific reasons]

2. **[Title]** by [Author]
   Good match because: [Specific reasons]

3. **[Title]** by [Author]
   Worth considering: [Specific reasons]

## 📚 Popular Recommendations Not in Your Library

Based on web search, these books are frequently recommended as similar but aren't in your TBR yet:

1. **[Title]** by [Author]
   Why recommended: [Based on search results - Reddit threads, Goodreads lists, etc.]
   Rating: X.X / 5 on Goodreads (if found)

2. **[Title]** by [Author]
   Why recommended: [Reason from search results]

3. **[Title]** by [Author]
   Why recommended: [Reason from search results]

---
💡 Tips:
- Want to add any of these to your library? Use Calibre to import them
- If no similar books were found in your TBR, try /books:random for a surprise pick
- Use /books:next for personalized recommendations based on reading patterns

Handling Limited Metadata

If the reference book or TBR books have limited metadata:

  • Focus on author and series connections (most reliable)
  • Use page count for "similar reading experience"
  • Use ratings for quality matching
  • Look for patterns in titles
  • Be transparent about limitations: "Based on available metadata..."

User Interaction

If the user just says "/books:vibes" without specifying a book:

  1. Ask them which book they want to find similar books to
  2. Suggest they could use a recent read they enjoyed
  3. Or ask them to name a book they loved

If they specify a book not in the library:

  1. Ask if they want to find books similar to that book's:
    • Author
    • Genre/themes (ask them to describe)
    • Length/style

Query Strategy

  1. Start broad: Query all potential matches from library
  2. Search the web: Use WebSearch to find community recommendations (Reddit, Goodreads, book blogs)
  3. Cross-reference: Match web recommendations against your TBR
  4. Present both: Show matches in TBR first, then popular recommendations not in library
  5. Score by similarity: Books matching multiple criteria rank higher
  6. Prioritize quality: Weight highly-rated books (>4.0) higher
  7. Prioritize community picks: Books mentioned by other readers are strong matches
  8. Limit results: Show top 5-10 from each category (in TBR and not in TBR)
  9. Explain reasoning: Always say WHY books are similar
  10. Exclude archived: Always add #archived:No unless user specifies otherwise
  11. Include context: Note which platform recommended the book (Reddit, Goodreads, etc.)

Example Scenarios

User: "Books like Mistborn"

  • Library query: Author (Sanderson), Series (Mistborn), Tags (fantasy, magic)
  • Web search: "books like Mistborn" Reddit/Goodreads
  • Find in TBR: Other Sanderson books, high fantasy, magic systems
  • Suggest from web: Stormlight Archive, Wheel of Time, etc.

User: "Something like this cozy mystery I just finished"

  • Library query: By title/author, look for tags like "mystery", "cozy"
  • Web search: "[title] read alikes" "similar cozy mysteries"
  • Find in TBR: Similar page count, similar authors, mystery tags
  • Suggest from web: Popular cozy mystery series recommendations

User: "Books with similar vibes to Name of the Wind"

  • Library query: Author (Rothfuss), Tags (fantasy, coming-of-age)
  • Web search: "books similar to Name of the Wind" site:reddit.com
  • Find in TBR: Epic fantasy, similar length, highly-rated
  • Suggest from web: Popular epic fantasy series often recommended together