> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://knovel-protocol.gitbook.io/knovel/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://knovel-protocol.gitbook.io/knovel/for-readers/discovering-books.md).

# Discovering Books

Knovel's Explore feed surfaces books based on genuine reader engagement — not ad spend or platform promotions. Here's how to find what you're looking for.

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## The Explore Feed

The Explore feed is your main discovery surface. It shows trending books, new releases, and recommendations based on genres and authors you've engaged with.

**Trending** is calculated from reader activity over the past 30 days: finishes, likes, and new followers on an author. This means trending books are ones readers are actually completing and responding to — not just clicking on.

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## Browsing by Genre

Use the genre filter on the Explore page to narrow results by category. Knovel supports a range of genres including literary fiction, romance, fantasy, sci-fi, thriller, horror, non-fiction, and more.

Genre tags are set by authors when they publish. If a book is miscategorized, readers can flag it for review.

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## Search

The search bar at the top of any page lets you search by:

* **Title** — partial matches are supported
* **Author name or username**
* **Genre** — typing a genre name returns genre-filtered results

Search results can be filtered by publication status (complete vs. ongoing) and license type (commercial, non-commercial).

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## Discovering Through Community

Some of the best discovery on Knovel happens through the community:

* **Author profiles** — follow an author you like and their new releases appear in your feed automatically
* **Reading lists** — public reading lists from other users (coming soon) surface books through social proof
* **Derivative works** — a popular fanfic or translation often brings readers back to discover the original