> I found from using StoryGraph that there are patterns in my taste based on these clue words.

I have tried to used storygraph but it is useless to me if it is slow or fast paced, humorous or nt (and you can tell a lot by blurb and cover) that does not tell me if it is is good or not. I like the eccentric shelves at good reads also.

> I also like to know nothing about the plot before I start a book, which I realize it’s not common.

That is a problem to select books you will like.

>For example, if I’m recommended a book by a friend, I would just add it to my huge TBR list on goodreads without a second thought.

I usually do that, and my friend's reviews and ratings and of those people I follow show up first and that is a really important filter for me.

>But if I go to add it on StoryGraph, and see it has some elements that I historically don’t enjoy, I know not to waste my time adding it to the pile. For me it’s very helpful.

Well, it can be important to prune TBR but not considering friend's recommendations because of some storygraph very vague words is not something which would work for me.

Like fiction fantasy adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

that can be many many different books, some excellent, some fast paced, some with ludicruous non mysteries, some very bad...

But OTOH if it was showing me all my friends average rating of it was 4.68 or 3.0 that would be atotally different thing.

YMMV, just interesting how different things work for different people.