Not long ago, Jennifer Harlan, an editor at The New York Times Book Review, walked into Carmichael’s Bookstore in Louisville, Ky., her hometown. On a set of shelves sat several books, their covers wrapped in brown butcher paper.

Scrawled on the paper covers were vague, brief and intriguing descriptions (think: “quirky,” “star-crossed love” or “spicy and spellbinding”). Because their real covers were hidden, the books could have been recent best-sellers, literary classics, fantasy thrillers or something else entirely. To Ms. Harlan, buying a book from the display felt like going on a blind date.

She had noticed similar displays at other bookstores, including at the Strand bookstore in New York City.

“There’s this element of surprise and delight,” Ms. Harlan said. She began to think: Could The Book Review offer a similar experience for its readers?

So, in January, Ms. Harlan met with Aliza Aufrichtig and Rebecca Lieberman, editors on The Times’s Digital News Design team, to explore ideas. As they discussed the possibilities of a digital book recommendation tool, Ms. Lieberman brought up her own favorite part of in-store browsing: the staff-pick displays with personal notes from employees.

What the trio came up with is a sort of hybrid of the two.

The Book Review’s recommendation quizzes, as the editors call them, ask readers four questions (about a preferred vibe, setting, length and plot preference). Readers are suggested one title based on their answers.

The first recommendation quiz dealt romance novels and was published in February. The second, published this month, was designed to give the reader a book to push through the stubborn coattails of winter and into the warmth of spring.