The Origin of the Mood Map That Changed My TBR
Have you ever been on social media and fallen so deeply down a rabbit hole that you’re not even sure how you got there in the first place? Yeah… that happened here.
One of my friends shared that she was a “yellow reader,” and you could take a quiz to see what color reader you were. *Insert curiosity here* I clicked the link and took the quiz. Cute, right? I compared with my friends, and I was the only one who got a different result – Orange.
Okay, not what I expected—but also, not surprising. My reading tastes have always been a little different. But what did it mean to be an “orange reader”?
After the test was complete, the site gave me a breakdown of my reading color and what that means for my reading preferences.
Why is it that this aligns with exactly the stories and worlds I enjoy? I’m not even sure enjoy is the word to use here, because this summary was me, as a reader, in a nutshell. These are the stories I seek when looking for my next read.
Funny How Right They Got It
The Orange Reader thrives on masterful world-building. They look for stories with Imagination, exploration, and vivid storytelling that transports them far beyond the ordinary. They seek out expansive worlds, epic adventures, and richly detailed narratives that ignite their sense of wonder and possibility. For them, reading is about discovery, excitement, and embarking on journeys that stretch the boundaries of their imagination.
– Serial Reader Team
“They are drawn to richly detailed worlds, complex plots, and unforgettable characters who embark on extraordinary journeys.” Well, damn. If that line from the “Types of Books You Read Are…” section didn’t sum up my reading life, I don’t know what would.
I’ve taken a lot of personality quizzes that sort of get it right, but this one? Nailed it. I’m not saying I never enjoy a good rom-com or the occasional smutty read, but they’re not my go-to. Fun fact: I didn’t even read much smut until a 2023 when a book club buddy peer-pressured me into that particular spiral.
What I gravitate toward—consistently—is rich world-building, layered characters, and plots with teeth. The kinds of books that sink in and stay with you. I used to say “I read anything,” but really? I just read anything with depth. And sometimes a little chaos.
So... I know my reading habits, now what?
So… I leaned in. If these were the kinds of books that lit me up, why not let that be my compass? I started looking at what I read—not just at what I read, but how it made me feel. I noticed patterns: the books I devoured in a day, the ones that haunted me for weeks, the stories I couldn’t shut up about.
And from there, I did what anyone with access to the internet does. I turned to ChatGPT. I explained to it pretty much everything I’ve told you here. What the test said, what the definition of the orange reader is. I told it about the books, stories, and characters I couldn’t stop thinking about, and between my inputs and sharing my results from the Read Your Color test, the Orange Reader shelf was born.
We mapped out that I read based on emotion, tone, and aesthetic—not just genre. And once I really leaned into this idea of how I read, everything clicked. Every book I loved had the same underlying qualities, even across wildly different genres. I also started noticing why some books I struggled with (even when everyone else loved them) just didn’t give me what I needed. Turns out, what I want in a story is depth, atmosphere, and unforgettable characters—and apparently, that’s a thing. Who knew? Not me. Not until a few months ago.
Being Orange has Changed Everything
When I tell you, I fell down the rabbit hole, I’m not kidding. I chased that little white rabbit and now I’ve been late several times because I was so immersed in research, chats with ChatGPT, and we won’t talk about the culling of my GoodReads TBR that happened over a week, week and a half.
It has almost been cathartic to remove books that were 1. no longer calling to me, and 2. weren’t going to fit my reading preferences. How did I do this? I used ChatGPT to go through my TBR and help me narrow it down to reads I would actually enjoy – because I’m one of those readers who struggles to DNF (did not finish) a book. Could you imagine trying to slog my way through 1764 books, and over 600 of them had a high chance of me not liking them? Ooof.
Now, I still have a TBR that is longer than my arm, BUT I know the reads I have on my list align, roughly, with my reading preferences. I now have a fully-stocked “orange” shelf.
Now I'm Reading with Intention
While 2025 so far has seen a lot of growth for me (my word of the year is believe.. it was growth last year), I now feel grounded in who I am as a reader.
I set goals at the beginning of the year for my reading, and while they have shaped some of my recent decisions, finding myself on the orange shelf has really been a pivotal moment for me.
Since I read a lot—for fun, for school, while editing and beta reading, I want to make sure I’m still loving every second that I’m sitting with a book. A lot of self-reflection has happened since this discovery, and in one way it’s freeing to know that I’m no longer chasing the hype of bookstagram/booktok and I’m creating my own, very orange, lane in my own little cozy, reading world.
What started as a curious quiz result turned into something so much more. Over time, this “orange shelf” evolved into a full reading system—one that maps books to mood, emotion, and aesthetic. I didn’t mean to build it. I just followed what felt right. And now? I’ve got a compass I can actually read.
More to Come from the Orange Side
The Orange Reader shelf started as a quiz result. Now? It’s the lens I use to understand why I love what I love—and why some hyped books never quite hit right. If you’ve ever felt like your reading taste didn’t “fit,” you’re not alone.
I’ll be diving deeper into the why behind my mood map soon, including a post all about the reading filters I created to match each vibe. So if “whimsical but eerie” or “cozy with emotional teeth” sounds like your kind of shelf? Stick around.
Curious what the Orange Reader system looks like in action?
Explore the Mood Map and see how each shelf captures a vibe—and maybe even your next favorite read.