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Read Your Color: Discover Your Reading Type and Build a Life-Changing Love of Books
Not yet published
Expected 3 Nov 26Get more out of reading with this radical guide to shelf-improvement, which reveals your core preferences and helps you choose books based on why you read, not what you’ve read before. Includes the viral quiz taken by more than two million people!
Read Your Color introduces a six-type system that identifies the essential desires you have as a reader and builds a personalized plan from there. Are you a Red reader who craves intensity and stakes? A Blue reader seeking emotional resonance and truth? A Green reader looking for clarity and real-world application? Whoever you are, this framework gives you a vocabulary for your reading impulses and a map for reading well.
The book isn’t just a diagnostic manual; it’s a step-by-step guide to transformation designed to help you fall (or fall back) in love with books. Think of it as a personal trainer for your reading life. In Read Your Color, you'll
learn how to break free from algorithmic and genre-based reading habitsexpand your literary range without losing your core preferencesbuild a sustainable rhythm that makes reading feel less like a chore and more like a reward
With honest cultural observations, tested psychological insights, and a practical 120-day plan, Read Your Color meets you where you are—scrolling, burned out, distracted—and shows you what’s possible on the other side of a truly meaningful reading life. Read Your Color doesn't ask you to try harder. It gives you the tools to fall in love with reading, and with who you become when you read the right way.
Read Your Color introduces a six-type system that identifies the essential desires you have as a reader and builds a personalized plan from there. Are you a Red reader who craves intensity and stakes? A Blue reader seeking emotional resonance and truth? A Green reader looking for clarity and real-world application? Whoever you are, this framework gives you a vocabulary for your reading impulses and a map for reading well.
The book isn’t just a diagnostic manual; it’s a step-by-step guide to transformation designed to help you fall (or fall back) in love with books. Think of it as a personal trainer for your reading life. In Read Your Color, you'll
learn how to break free from algorithmic and genre-based reading habitsexpand your literary range without losing your core preferencesbuild a sustainable rhythm that makes reading feel less like a chore and more like a reward
With honest cultural observations, tested psychological insights, and a practical 120-day plan, Read Your Color meets you where you are—scrolling, burned out, distracted—and shows you what’s possible on the other side of a truly meaningful reading life. Read Your Color doesn't ask you to try harder. It gives you the tools to fall in love with reading, and with who you become when you read the right way.
- GenresNonfiction
Kindle Edition
Expected publication November 3, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
July 20, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
A few disclaimers before taking in my review: I’m not the target audience for this book. I LOVE to read. I read 178 books in 2025 (side eye me all you want Mr. Reese. I consume books by hardback, paperback, ereader, and audiobook formats, and I do prioritize that over all other forms of entertainment). I also did not follow the timeline for the process for review purposes. Given I’m fully aware of what type of reader I am, I did read through it all and have thoughts.
That being said, I went into this like reading a horoscope: open minded but not seeing it as scientific fact, here for the fun of it. After having finished this book, spoiler alert, science or not, Steven J. Reese makes some valid points and has really broke down reading processes in a way I think would really help guide someone.
I am a yellow reader. I read to feel versus to think MOST of the time. I like to be rooted in reality than have “wings” on what I recognize to be true (almost always). If I don’t feel attached to a character I have a more difficult time enjoying my time with the book. I have immersive yellow (leaning red) and even sometimes analytical yellow (leaning green) tendencies. Probably more of the latter because I also resonate with the Grounded Red a lot. I have read a lot of the suggested books for multiple colors of the reading spectrum and could relate to what he was saying about every reader based on my experience either being that color, leaning that color, or not that color at all.
I have two qualms and they’re relatively minor. The first being more personal, maybe it’s the empathetic yellow reader in me, but I hate labeling anyone as a good or bad reader. It really comes down to the labeling of it - there are performative readers, people who only read Stephen King, people who only read nonfiction, people who only read magazines, they’re reading - mind your business. People who don’t read, yes, you’re kind of a bad reader but not really, you just haven’t figured out what works for you. I think there can be good and bad books, like with anything else, but not bad readers. It’s subjective. Putting labels on it may continue to discourage those who have a hard time reading at all. The second is, going along with Reese’s practice of being a “good” reader by balancing what you read, even stepping into your “reach” color - that category you have nothing to relate to how you enjoy books. That’s a good way to get yourself into a reading slump and that’s a big NO THANK YOU from me. There’s nothing wrong with liking what you like, life is short and book selection options are endless. Sure, try it but don’t make yourself read anything for the sake of reading something. I am pro-DNF.
I never heard of the viral quiz Steven J. Reese created (the rock I live under is better known as my bookshelf) and would recommend his method for those who want to find out how to direct themselves to read more. I hope this book does well, because the approach is simple and I do think effective. I have my concerns that it may just be read by readers who want validation in their reading, understanding the almost psychology of it all. A book for people who have a hard time reading… I have my fingers crossed for you Mr. Reese.
A few disclaimers before taking in my review: I’m not the target audience for this book. I LOVE to read. I read 178 books in 2025 (side eye me all you want Mr. Reese. I consume books by hardback, paperback, ereader, and audiobook formats, and I do prioritize that over all other forms of entertainment). I also did not follow the timeline for the process for review purposes. Given I’m fully aware of what type of reader I am, I did read through it all and have thoughts.
That being said, I went into this like reading a horoscope: open minded but not seeing it as scientific fact, here for the fun of it. After having finished this book, spoiler alert, science or not, Steven J. Reese makes some valid points and has really broke down reading processes in a way I think would really help guide someone.
I am a yellow reader. I read to feel versus to think MOST of the time. I like to be rooted in reality than have “wings” on what I recognize to be true (almost always). If I don’t feel attached to a character I have a more difficult time enjoying my time with the book. I have immersive yellow (leaning red) and even sometimes analytical yellow (leaning green) tendencies. Probably more of the latter because I also resonate with the Grounded Red a lot. I have read a lot of the suggested books for multiple colors of the reading spectrum and could relate to what he was saying about every reader based on my experience either being that color, leaning that color, or not that color at all.
I have two qualms and they’re relatively minor. The first being more personal, maybe it’s the empathetic yellow reader in me, but I hate labeling anyone as a good or bad reader. It really comes down to the labeling of it - there are performative readers, people who only read Stephen King, people who only read nonfiction, people who only read magazines, they’re reading - mind your business. People who don’t read, yes, you’re kind of a bad reader but not really, you just haven’t figured out what works for you. I think there can be good and bad books, like with anything else, but not bad readers. It’s subjective. Putting labels on it may continue to discourage those who have a hard time reading at all. The second is, going along with Reese’s practice of being a “good” reader by balancing what you read, even stepping into your “reach” color - that category you have nothing to relate to how you enjoy books. That’s a good way to get yourself into a reading slump and that’s a big NO THANK YOU from me. There’s nothing wrong with liking what you like, life is short and book selection options are endless. Sure, try it but don’t make yourself read anything for the sake of reading something. I am pro-DNF.
I never heard of the viral quiz Steven J. Reese created (the rock I live under is better known as my bookshelf) and would recommend his method for those who want to find out how to direct themselves to read more. I hope this book does well, because the approach is simple and I do think effective. I have my concerns that it may just be read by readers who want validation in their reading, understanding the almost psychology of it all. A book for people who have a hard time reading… I have my fingers crossed for you Mr. Reese.
July 19, 2026
thank you to netgalley and penguin random house for the advanced copy of read your color!
i had previously taken the test and i came into this knowing im a yellow reader. so maaaaybe 1. already knowing my color, and 2. this book’s general lack of “yellow-ness” is why i didnt mesh with this as much as i had hoped! i did really enjoy the section for yellows, but part of me wondered why i was reading the rest. i get it the overall point, to understand others better, but it felt hard to stay engaged once the information i needed had already passed.
i also didn’t love the tone of this book. it felt like there were a couple of “gotcha” moments where this book tried calling out people who read more than 100 books per year (and yes, i probably took offense to that because i read more than 100 books per year) but its because i choose books over watching netflix. and while i agree that its beneficial to read for growth and to get out of your comfort zone, i dont think that reading has to be this deep intellectual activity. for new readers especially, that can feel isolating and it’s ok to pick up a book simply because you want to be entertained.
i did appreciate learning the background and more about myself as a yellow. i personally find that though im a yellow and i do love when the characters feel real, i also love plotlines and fantastical experiences (ie dungeon crawler carl, a court of thrones and roses, once upon a broken heart, etc.) i think like any personality test, (and im glad the book addressed this!) the colors are not so black and white (ba dum tsh).
i had previously taken the test and i came into this knowing im a yellow reader. so maaaaybe 1. already knowing my color, and 2. this book’s general lack of “yellow-ness” is why i didnt mesh with this as much as i had hoped! i did really enjoy the section for yellows, but part of me wondered why i was reading the rest. i get it the overall point, to understand others better, but it felt hard to stay engaged once the information i needed had already passed.
i also didn’t love the tone of this book. it felt like there were a couple of “gotcha” moments where this book tried calling out people who read more than 100 books per year (and yes, i probably took offense to that because i read more than 100 books per year) but its because i choose books over watching netflix. and while i agree that its beneficial to read for growth and to get out of your comfort zone, i dont think that reading has to be this deep intellectual activity. for new readers especially, that can feel isolating and it’s ok to pick up a book simply because you want to be entertained.
i did appreciate learning the background and more about myself as a yellow. i personally find that though im a yellow and i do love when the characters feel real, i also love plotlines and fantastical experiences (ie dungeon crawler carl, a court of thrones and roses, once upon a broken heart, etc.) i think like any personality test, (and im glad the book addressed this!) the colors are not so black and white (ba dum tsh).
July 30, 2026
Fascinating read
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
3.5 stars! ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Firstly I’d like to thank Penguin Random House, Align Insight and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy! In the following review, my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
When I saw this book available on NetGalley, I immediately knew I had to request it. I took the Read Your Color quiz a few years ago and have always loved receiving their monthly recommendations by email!
Reese starts off very strongly by prefacing his theory with an essay on how modern media has shortened our attentions spans and reduced literacy over the years. To my surprise, what could have sounded like yesterday’s’ news was delivered quite excitedly. I felt driven and radicalized by his words, as any passionate reader would. Those first chapters feel like a love letter to reading — as expected in a book about books —, which definitely appeals to more experienced readers. However, his primary mission with his sorting test is to draw new audiences into the marvelous hobby that is reading.
I truly enjoyed understanding the logics behind the quiz I took all those years ago. Reece puts all readers into boxes by asking two questions:
— Whether you read to understand (head readers) or to feel (heart readers);
— How you want your content delivered to you: through imaginative scenarios and prose styles (wings reader) or with both feet planted firmly on the ground they stand on (roots reader).
His goal is basically to find whatever lights your soul on fire while reading, and what sort of characteristics keep you mesmerized in a book. It’s a very innovative way of classifying books, disregarding genre and pushing through boundaries to get you to experience a vast amount of stories delivered through different formats.
Nevertheless, I do believe you should take the author’s own recommendation to read it all with a grain of salt. Not everything is black and white, and I have to admit that I couldn’t find a category that really fully suited and matched my own interests. I’d say I’m a heart and wings reader, needing wonder and connection to truly be engaged by a book. But yellow readers (known for needing to bond to characters to become enthralled by a book) are driven away by imaginative and fantastical scenarios (well loved by orange readers) — which I deeply enjoy. In turn, orange readers don’t need emotional human connection to feel attached to a wondrous book. Alas, I found the theory itself interesting enough to admire Read Your Color and recommend it to anyone looking to get into reading.
What I disliked: I believe the author didn’t intend for someone to read every single page of this book. I think they probably intended for people to skip whatever colors/ categories they didn’t see as their own, since many paragraphs are copy-pasted throughout the book. Furthermore, some parts felt really repetitive, even if you were only to read the theory behind the test, the explanations and detailing on each of the categories and the chapters on your specific color.
I did enjoy the book recommendations on each category, but I do wish there were more of them, as sometimes they felt restricted to classics or widely known best-sellers. However, to my understanding, the author’s primary intent was to target his recommendations to inexperienced readers, so the present recommendations in those chapters might be more than enough for its intended demographics. That said, in part four the author proposes a plan to get you into reading books from your own color and then branching out. I found the book suggestions in this section of the book to be very interesting and oftentimes previously unknown to me, so those were a great surprise. Nonetheless, some of the recommendations were repetitive. A book indicated in the “comfortable” category for an orange reader was also indicated in the “stretch” category for a green reader or in the “neighboring” category for a red reader, for instance, and I think it would’ve been nice to see different books suggested so we could “borrow” even more recommendations from our opposing and neighboring colors.
Firstly I’d like to thank Penguin Random House, Align Insight and NetGalley for this advanced reader copy! In the following review, my thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
When I saw this book available on NetGalley, I immediately knew I had to request it. I took the Read Your Color quiz a few years ago and have always loved receiving their monthly recommendations by email!
Reese starts off very strongly by prefacing his theory with an essay on how modern media has shortened our attentions spans and reduced literacy over the years. To my surprise, what could have sounded like yesterday’s’ news was delivered quite excitedly. I felt driven and radicalized by his words, as any passionate reader would. Those first chapters feel like a love letter to reading — as expected in a book about books —, which definitely appeals to more experienced readers. However, his primary mission with his sorting test is to draw new audiences into the marvelous hobby that is reading.
I truly enjoyed understanding the logics behind the quiz I took all those years ago. Reece puts all readers into boxes by asking two questions:
— Whether you read to understand (head readers) or to feel (heart readers);
— How you want your content delivered to you: through imaginative scenarios and prose styles (wings reader) or with both feet planted firmly on the ground they stand on (roots reader).
His goal is basically to find whatever lights your soul on fire while reading, and what sort of characteristics keep you mesmerized in a book. It’s a very innovative way of classifying books, disregarding genre and pushing through boundaries to get you to experience a vast amount of stories delivered through different formats.
Nevertheless, I do believe you should take the author’s own recommendation to read it all with a grain of salt. Not everything is black and white, and I have to admit that I couldn’t find a category that really fully suited and matched my own interests. I’d say I’m a heart and wings reader, needing wonder and connection to truly be engaged by a book. But yellow readers (known for needing to bond to characters to become enthralled by a book) are driven away by imaginative and fantastical scenarios (well loved by orange readers) — which I deeply enjoy. In turn, orange readers don’t need emotional human connection to feel attached to a wondrous book. Alas, I found the theory itself interesting enough to admire Read Your Color and recommend it to anyone looking to get into reading.
What I disliked: I believe the author didn’t intend for someone to read every single page of this book. I think they probably intended for people to skip whatever colors/ categories they didn’t see as their own, since many paragraphs are copy-pasted throughout the book. Furthermore, some parts felt really repetitive, even if you were only to read the theory behind the test, the explanations and detailing on each of the categories and the chapters on your specific color.
I did enjoy the book recommendations on each category, but I do wish there were more of them, as sometimes they felt restricted to classics or widely known best-sellers. However, to my understanding, the author’s primary intent was to target his recommendations to inexperienced readers, so the present recommendations in those chapters might be more than enough for its intended demographics. That said, in part four the author proposes a plan to get you into reading books from your own color and then branching out. I found the book suggestions in this section of the book to be very interesting and oftentimes previously unknown to me, so those were a great surprise. Nonetheless, some of the recommendations were repetitive. A book indicated in the “comfortable” category for an orange reader was also indicated in the “stretch” category for a green reader or in the “neighboring” category for a red reader, for instance, and I think it would’ve been nice to see different books suggested so we could “borrow” even more recommendations from our opposing and neighboring colors.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Like many others, I am familiar with Steven J. Reese and his Read You Color test, so I was excited have the opportunity to read this book as an ARC.
Reese claims that he is someone who hates personality tests, but this still seems like a personality test? On the other hand, I love a personality test, so that works for me! According to his test, I am a Purple reader. My husband is also a Purple reader. We took the test some time ago, and have even suggested that some of our colleagues take it too. (Result: Also Purple readers...haha.)
I do think there's something to these groupings. I learned from this book that the opposite or "stretch" color for a Purple (head/wings) reader is Yellow (heart/roots), which includes books like Pride and Prejudice and The Fault in Our Stars. This is true. I don't usually gravitate to these kind of books. It was nice to see an explanation of this on paper.
That being said, I'm not sure I am the intended audience for this book. Throughout it, there is a recurring theme where Reese tells the reader that it's ok to think that you're not a reader, admitting that he was the type of student that used to lie about finishing assigned readings throughout high school and college. A kind of, "if we work through this together, even you can finish a whole book." So yeah, I'm not the ideal audience, because I read books...a lot.
I do think the test is useful for people who want to read more and are having trouble finding their preferences. For instance, I would consider having my AP Literature students take the quiz so that they can identify some things about their interests and reading habits.
I can appreciate that Reese has taken what was once a free, easily accessible online quiz and is now attempting to monetize it more with paid reading plans, books, and a monthly subscription. As I said before, there are people that this will be really helpful for. I believe that has real value. For people who already read a lot, I think there's less value.
I will still encourage my students to check out the test and possibly refer to the book, but for me, it was a 3/5.
Thank you to NetGalley, Steven J. Reese, Penguin Random House Christian Publishing, and Align Insight for the ARC! This review is completely my own opinion.
Reese claims that he is someone who hates personality tests, but this still seems like a personality test? On the other hand, I love a personality test, so that works for me! According to his test, I am a Purple reader. My husband is also a Purple reader. We took the test some time ago, and have even suggested that some of our colleagues take it too. (Result: Also Purple readers...haha.)
I do think there's something to these groupings. I learned from this book that the opposite or "stretch" color for a Purple (head/wings) reader is Yellow (heart/roots), which includes books like Pride and Prejudice and The Fault in Our Stars. This is true. I don't usually gravitate to these kind of books. It was nice to see an explanation of this on paper.
That being said, I'm not sure I am the intended audience for this book. Throughout it, there is a recurring theme where Reese tells the reader that it's ok to think that you're not a reader, admitting that he was the type of student that used to lie about finishing assigned readings throughout high school and college. A kind of, "if we work through this together, even you can finish a whole book." So yeah, I'm not the ideal audience, because I read books...a lot.
I do think the test is useful for people who want to read more and are having trouble finding their preferences. For instance, I would consider having my AP Literature students take the quiz so that they can identify some things about their interests and reading habits.
I can appreciate that Reese has taken what was once a free, easily accessible online quiz and is now attempting to monetize it more with paid reading plans, books, and a monthly subscription. As I said before, there are people that this will be really helpful for. I believe that has real value. For people who already read a lot, I think there's less value.
I will still encourage my students to check out the test and possibly refer to the book, but for me, it was a 3/5.
Thank you to NetGalley, Steven J. Reese, Penguin Random House Christian Publishing, and Align Insight for the ARC! This review is completely my own opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
4/5⭐️
I have enjoyed following Steven J. Reese’s book content and reviews on Instagram for a while, so I was happy to be able to review his new book.
This book surprised me. Even though I knew exactly what it was about conceptually, I did not expect it to be so emotionally freeing regarding my guilt as a serial DNFer. Life is too short to read books you do not enjoy, but there is always a part of me that feels guilty for dismissing someone’s hard work. This book really made me realise things about myself that I had never consciously considered, which I believe will help me efficiently filter out books that do not match my interests, and for that I am grateful.
I am a diverse reader who needs variety or I get bored, so I was not surprised to see where I landed in this colour compass and axis logic. I am mostly red, but with solid secondary representation in blue and purple. If a book is too fluffy and fantastical, it is a nope. If it is too factual and logical, it is also a nope. It turns out I need a middle ground, but with some wings.
It is very clear that the author has a genuine passion for reading and the written word; his enthusiasm and encouragement leap off the page. I really appreciate that even though the goal of the book is for people to define their tastes and preferences better, he still asks readers to challenge themselves. He encourages us to stretch beyond what is comfortable and lean into the wonder of what we might find just beyond our comfort zone.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and think it will be a great tool for people who want to get back into reading, or those who feel a bit lost in the vastness of the literary world and could use a helping hand to steer them in the right direction to either ignite or reignite their passion for reading.
Thank you to the team at Penguin Random House Christian Publishing and WaterBrook Multnomah as well as NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for review. My thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
I have enjoyed following Steven J. Reese’s book content and reviews on Instagram for a while, so I was happy to be able to review his new book.
This book surprised me. Even though I knew exactly what it was about conceptually, I did not expect it to be so emotionally freeing regarding my guilt as a serial DNFer. Life is too short to read books you do not enjoy, but there is always a part of me that feels guilty for dismissing someone’s hard work. This book really made me realise things about myself that I had never consciously considered, which I believe will help me efficiently filter out books that do not match my interests, and for that I am grateful.
I am a diverse reader who needs variety or I get bored, so I was not surprised to see where I landed in this colour compass and axis logic. I am mostly red, but with solid secondary representation in blue and purple. If a book is too fluffy and fantastical, it is a nope. If it is too factual and logical, it is also a nope. It turns out I need a middle ground, but with some wings.
It is very clear that the author has a genuine passion for reading and the written word; his enthusiasm and encouragement leap off the page. I really appreciate that even though the goal of the book is for people to define their tastes and preferences better, he still asks readers to challenge themselves. He encourages us to stretch beyond what is comfortable and lean into the wonder of what we might find just beyond our comfort zone.
I thoroughly enjoyed this and think it will be a great tool for people who want to get back into reading, or those who feel a bit lost in the vastness of the literary world and could use a helping hand to steer them in the right direction to either ignite or reignite their passion for reading.
Thank you to the team at Penguin Random House Christian Publishing and WaterBrook Multnomah as well as NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book for review. My thoughts and opinions are entirely my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Read Your Color has an incredibly insightful premise, and I thoroughly enjoyed the first part of the book. Reese does an excellent job explaining his reading-color diagnostic tool and why he developed it, making a compelling case for how it could help people reconnect with reading.
Unfortunately, the second and third sections were weighed down by excessive repetition. Taking the online quiz helped me find a starting point, but I wish the book had recommended doing that from the beginning and then focusing on the chapters related to your color. Much of the content repeated not just ideas but entire paragraphs, which became frustrating.
Part four was the strongest section after the introduction. Reese provides practical questions to ask when choosing books and useful clues to look for in reviews. While some of the reading recommendations felt inconsistent or repetitive across color categories, the overall book lists were valuable.
In the end, I didn’t follow Reese’s plan exactly. Instead, I used his framework to build my own reading roadmap by pulling books from multiple categories. Despite its flaws, Read Your Color gave me a helpful springboard to reinvigorate my reading life, and for that I’m grateful.
Thank you to Align/Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.
Unfortunately, the second and third sections were weighed down by excessive repetition. Taking the online quiz helped me find a starting point, but I wish the book had recommended doing that from the beginning and then focusing on the chapters related to your color. Much of the content repeated not just ideas but entire paragraphs, which became frustrating.
Part four was the strongest section after the introduction. Reese provides practical questions to ask when choosing books and useful clues to look for in reviews. While some of the reading recommendations felt inconsistent or repetitive across color categories, the overall book lists were valuable.
In the end, I didn’t follow Reese’s plan exactly. Instead, I used his framework to build my own reading roadmap by pulling books from multiple categories. Despite its flaws, Read Your Color gave me a helpful springboard to reinvigorate my reading life, and for that I’m grateful.
Thank you to Align/Random House and NetGalley for the ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I received an advanced copy of this book via Netgalley.
I had not come across Reese's work before (shocking, I know) and found it to be a fun theory to dig into reading more deeply. As a pretty avid reader I've gotten quite good at figuring out whether or not I'll like a book pretty quickly but don't necessarily have the words to explain what I'm looking for. In that respect I found this book quite enlightening. Even if I didn't agree with everything described, I did resonate most with the red reading type.
I think this book would be a great gift or recommendation for someone who wants to get into reading or get back into reading and doesn't know where to start. The course at the back of the book could be really helpful to solidify your taste and have a plan to become a more avid reader.
I like the idea of stretch reading and had begun implementing more of it this year without naming it like that. It was again nice to have words to explain/describe the reading I was doing. I'm typically the first to tell someone to dump a book that isn't for them but was having trouble explaining (in my head) why I was powering through books that I don't necessarily 'like' but that I want to have read and understood.
I had not come across Reese's work before (shocking, I know) and found it to be a fun theory to dig into reading more deeply. As a pretty avid reader I've gotten quite good at figuring out whether or not I'll like a book pretty quickly but don't necessarily have the words to explain what I'm looking for. In that respect I found this book quite enlightening. Even if I didn't agree with everything described, I did resonate most with the red reading type.
I think this book would be a great gift or recommendation for someone who wants to get into reading or get back into reading and doesn't know where to start. The course at the back of the book could be really helpful to solidify your taste and have a plan to become a more avid reader.
I like the idea of stretch reading and had begun implementing more of it this year without naming it like that. It was again nice to have words to explain/describe the reading I was doing. I'm typically the first to tell someone to dump a book that isn't for them but was having trouble explaining (in my head) why I was powering through books that I don't necessarily 'like' but that I want to have read and understood.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I’ve heard of Read Your Color for a while now and I’ve taken the quiz online. I don’t know if the quiz actually reflects my reading color, but after reading this book I understand it more. The colors are broken down into styles of book the reader might enjoy. Some of the colors do seem to reflect genres, but this book goes into more depth of how the styles can transcend genre. I love anything that helps me understand myself better and a book that potentially helps my reading life is a win. I think it was organized in an approachable way. The second half of it is a long form experiment to try homing in on your reading tastes. I did read through that part, but I want to reread it and go through some of the recommendations for my color. I find this fascinating and I highly recommend this book if you’re interested in this concept.
Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin House Christian Publishing. for allowing me to read this book early. The opinion in this review is my own.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Such a fun exploration of which experience we're seeking when we're picking up a book.
Refreshing insights about reading without limitation of genres and hypes. I loved the blurbs of the book recommendations but I couldn't help but notice that there were many repetitive explanations especially when it comes to book recommendations. I highly recommend this book to people who want to get back in touch with reading and new readers. This book will guide you toward consistent reading habit instead of reaching the phone to doomscroll.
Big thanks to both Align and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this early copy. Expected Publication : November 3rd, 2026.
Refreshing insights about reading without limitation of genres and hypes. I loved the blurbs of the book recommendations but I couldn't help but notice that there were many repetitive explanations especially when it comes to book recommendations. I highly recommend this book to people who want to get back in touch with reading and new readers. This book will guide you toward consistent reading habit instead of reaching the phone to doomscroll.
Big thanks to both Align and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this early copy. Expected Publication : November 3rd, 2026.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I found this book super helpful in explaining why certain books don’t resonate with me. I wonder, though, if the categories are a little more nuanced than the author expresses. For instance, I identified most as a Yellow reader, but I enjoy some intensity (Red) too, just not at the level of the Red examples he listed. Overall, though, I appreciated the insights this book offered and still refer to it in conversations a few months after reading it.
June 12, 2026
This book is very interesting. I truly loved the fact that you’re reading based on colors. I never saw that until I started reading this book. The book also shows so many things like stories or how to read a book based on colors.
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