You’ve Got a Reader Type—ReadYourColor.com Just Helps You Name It
Okay, so you know how sometimes you pick up a book that everyone swears is amazing, and... nothing? Like, it’s fine, but it doesn’t move you. Doesn’t stick. Doesn’t make you want to stay up late reading “just one more chapter.” That disconnect? It’s not you. It’s the mismatch between your reader personality and the book.
That’s exactly the problem ReadYourColor.com is solving.
It’s not just another personality quiz that spits out a genre. It’s built to help you figure out how you like to read—not just what. Think emotional intensity, narrative style, pacing, themes. Stuff most book rec engines don’t even think about.
So, What Is ReadYourColor.com?
It's a quiz—but not the “Which Jane Austen Heroine Are You?” kind. It’s designed by author Steven J. Reese, and it sorts you into one of six “reader colors.” Each color taps into a specific kind of story energy.
Here’s the breakdown:
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Red Reader: Lives for high stakes and emotional extremes. Think Gone Girl or The Silent Patient.
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Blue Reader: You want something that hits your soul. Introspective, beautiful writing. Maybe A Little Life or The Midnight Library.
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Yellow Reader: Big feels. Found family. Emotional journeys. If you cried through The Fault in Our Stars, you’re probably here.
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Green Reader: Low drama, high connection. You like quiet realism and solid characters. Maybe Anne Tyler or Celeste Ng.
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Purple Reader: All about the world-building. Dune, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Game of Thrones. You get it.
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Orange Reader: Fast, fun, thrilling. You're reaching for The Hunger Games, Jack Reacher, or The Martian.
It’s not about genre labels. It’s about story vibe. A thriller can feel totally different depending on whether it’s written for a Red or an Orange reader.
The Quiz Doesn’t Ask the Obvious
That’s what makes it good. It’s not like, “Do you like fantasy or contemporary?” because those aren’t helpful. Instead, it’s stuff like: “Do you want to feel wrung out emotionally, or would you rather stay on the edge of your seat?” Or “Do you care more about what happens, or why it matters?”
I got Yellow, which checks out—big on feelings, relationships, and character-driven stories. A friend of mine is Red. Total plot junkie. Can’t stand a slow burn. It explained so much about why we recommend books to each other that just... flop.
It’s Blowing Up on Social
This thing’s already made the rounds on BookTok, Instagram, and X (yeah, Twitter’s new name still feels weird). People are sharing their results like Hogwarts houses. “I’m a Blue Reader ✨ Soulful. Reflective. Drawn to meaning.” That kind of energy. And honestly? It’s kind of fun to see everyone leaning into it.
One post I saw on Instagram said, “I’m a Red Reader—Bold. Intense. Always chasing the next high-stakes story.” And you could feel that person’s bookshelf in that one sentence.
Even the author behind it, Steven J. Reese, is in the mix. He's pretty active online, talking about what inspired the colors, how he created the types, and which books line up with each.
Why It Actually Works
Most book recommendation tools are useless unless you already know what you’re looking for. They’re like Netflix suggesting romantic comedies because you watched one once during a breakup. But this quiz? It figures out how you connect with stories, so the recommendations actually make sense for you.
You stop chasing what’s trendy and start reading stuff that just clicks. That’s a pretty big deal if you’ve ever been in a reading slump. It’s not that you don’t want to read—you just haven’t been reading the right stuff.
Not Just for Casual Readers Either
This isn’t only for the “I’m trying to get back into reading” crowd. I’ve seen hardcore bookworms use it to sort out their massive TBR piles. Some book clubs are using it to balance out picks—so you don’t end up choosing six Blue Reader books in a row and burning everyone out.
Writers are even getting in on it. If you know you’re writing a story for Purple Readers, for example, you can lean into lush settings and mythic structure without worrying about readers getting bored because “nothing’s happening.”
And No, It’s Not a Scam
Because yeah, anytime a new quiz like this goes viral, people start asking if it’s shady. But there’s no sketchy signup. No fee. No weird data grab. ScamAdviser gave it a “probably legit” score of 61%, which sounds lukewarm, but dig into it and you’ll see there’s no red flags. It's just new.
Honestly, it feels more like a passion project than a data trap. Reese even said he made it because he was tired of people being told they “just haven’t found the right genre,” when really they just hadn’t found the right way to read.
What Comes Next?
He’s hinted at building this out into more—maybe deeper breakdowns, maybe community stuff, maybe even color-based newsletters or book clubs. There’s definitely room to grow it, and the people seem into it.
You can already feel this turning into a whole ecosystem. Imagine color-based book boxes or author interviews filtered by reader type. I’d be into that.
Bottom Line
If you’re even kind of a reader, take the quiz. Takes like five minutes. Best case? You find your literary home and stop wasting time on books that aren’t for you. Worst case? It’s a fun five-minute break and gives you something to tweet about.
ReadYourColor.com isn’t magic. But it’s smart. And weirdly accurate. It tells you something you might’ve felt but never had words for. That’s always worth clicking.