The Beyond the Spice Misson Statement

When I started my reading journey, I truly had no clue where to begin. Social media was a helpful tool, but I noticed the same books and authors being recommended over and over and rarely with any real clarification on spice content. As a spicy book reader, I often found myself scouring the internet just to figure out if a book had actual spice. And even if someone said it was spicy, what did that mean to them? Because I need a few well-written scenes or a storyline so good I don’t notice the lack. I can’t be the only one who’s read a whole book with incredible tension and build-up, only to get a single one-minute scene at the very end. STRAIGHT TO JAIL. I watched video after video from big BookTok creators, and all I ever commented was, “Spice?” Sure, there are creators who focus on spicy content, but what happens when you’ve read all their recs in two weeks and you’re back to searching again? Why is there no space where you can search by author name, book title, or even trope and get a reliable, honest spice review?

But it wasn’t just the spice I struggled with. I’d see books go viral like (Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez’s) and no one would mention that it’s the second book in the Part of Your World series. That made me realize how much more I might be missing. I’m also neurodivergent, and let me just say the phrase “interconnected standalone” makes me twitch. I don’t like starting something in the middle. Why do we watch people binge entire TV series start to finish? Because you need the whole story to understand the characters, their growth, and the brilliance of the creator. It’s the same with these incredible authors. Not only that, but I discovered that many authors don’t even have a proper reading order listed on their websites. Which should honestly be a crime. Publication date isn’t always the best reading order, especially for universe builders like Meghan Quinn.

I kept thinking, how is there not a searchable database for this? And then it hit me: I’ve read 300 books in just over a year, and I track everything, spice level, emotional damage, reading order, tropes, and chaotic feelings. I realized I might actually be the person to build this. There was just one problem: I’m a millennial who’s been out of the tech world for over a decade. To say this has been a labor of love would be an understatement. But Beyond the Spice Level is the space I wish existed when I started. And now I’ve created it for every reader like me, who just wants to know if a book is spicy, how much emotional damage they’re in for, and where the hell to start.

I may not have a review for every book just yet, but this database is growing day by day. And it’s not just a database, it’s a space for honest opinions, personal insights, emotionally unhinged commentary, and regular updates that reflect how real readers read. I’m building this with heart, intention, and a little bit of chaos because that’s how the best stories start.