Blog

Thoughts on reading, tracking, and building a reading life

4 September 2026 · 7 min read

The Booker Prize 2026 Longlist: All 13 Books, and Who Makes the Shortlist

Mary Beard's panel picked 13 novels from 163 submissions. Two past winners are on it. The shortlist lands on 22 September, so here is the full list and an honest read on who survives the cut.

4 September 2026 · 6 min read

Spotify Wrapped, But For Your Reading Year

Why a year-end reading recap hits harder than a music one, what separates a good one from a page of counters, and why December depends on what you do in September.

4 September 2026 · 8 min read

Goodreads vs StoryGraph vs Nocturn: An Honest Comparison

A head-to-head of the three most-compared reading trackers in 2026, including the parts where each one loses. Written by the people who make one of them.

4 September 2026 · 6 min read

Stop Finishing Books You Hate

Forcing yourself through a book you're not enjoying isn't discipline. It's the sunk cost fallacy with a bookmark in it. Why the DNF shelf is the most useful shelf you have.

10 April 2026 · 7 min read

The Best Goodreads Alternative in 2026

The reading tracker landscape has changed. We compare the top Goodreads alternatives and what to look for in a modern book tracking app.

5 April 2026 · 5 min read

How to Export Your Goodreads Data (Step-by-Step)

A practical guide to exporting your full Goodreads library as a CSV file, and what you can do with it once you have it.

28 March 2026 · 6 min read

The Best Reading Tracker for European Readers

GDPR compliance, EU data hosting, and privacy-first design: what European readers should look for in a reading tracker.

20 March 2026 · 6 min read

5 Reading Tracker Features You Didn't Know You Needed

Beyond simple book logging: the features that transform a reading tracker from a list into a genuine companion for your reading life.

12 March 2026 · 6 min read

Why Tracking Your Reading Habit Changes Everything

The surprising benefits of logging what you read: from building consistency to discovering patterns in your own taste.

18 April 2026 · 8 min read

10 Queer Books That Will Stay With You Long After the Last Page

From quiet coming-of-age stories to epic love letters — these 10 queer books belong on every reader's shelf.

15 April 2026 · 7 min read

10 Books Under 200 Pages That Pack More Punch Than Most 500-Page Novels

Short books that prove length has nothing to do with impact. Perfect for busy readers or anyone in a reading slump.

12 April 2026 · 8 min read

10 Dark Academia Books for Readers Who Like Their Fiction Atmospheric and Obsessive

Secret societies, crumbling libraries, and morally questionable intellectuals — the best dark academia novels for every mood.

8 April 2026 · 8 min read

10 Translated Novels That Prove the Best Books Aren't Written in English

The finest contemporary fiction from Japan, Korea, Argentina, Norway, and beyond. Expand your reading beyond the Anglosphere.

2 April 2026 · 7 min read

10 Perfect Book Club Picks for 2026

Books that spark the best discussions — surprising, divisive, and impossible to have no opinion about.

1 March 2026 · 7 min read

Why Reading Books Still Matters in the Age of AI

Deep reading builds the exact cognitive skills AI can't replicate: empathy, sustained attention, and creative synthesis.

4 March 2026 · 8 min read

10 Books to Understand AI (Without a Computer Science Degree)

The best books about artificial intelligence for curious readers who want depth without jargon.

8 March 2026 · 7 min read

10 Romantasy Books That BookTok Can't Stop Talking About

The biggest romantasy recommendations dominating BookTok right now, from Fourth Wing to When the Moon Hatched.

12 March 2026 · 7 min read

Ten Self-Help Books That Actually Change Behaviour (Not Just Your Mood)

The rare self-help books backed by real evidence that create lasting change, not just temporary motivation.

16 March 2026 · 6 min read

How to Read More Books in 2026 (Without Forcing Yourself)

Practical strategies to read more this year that work with your life, not against it.

20 March 2026 · 8 min read

Ten Books Set in Berlin That Capture the City's Soul

From Weimar decadence to Cold War espionage to reunification and beyond -- Berlin through literature.

24 March 2026 · 7 min read

Ten Books Every Founder Should Read (That Aren't Business Books)

The books that build the judgement, resilience, and perspective that actually matter when building a company.

28 March 2026 · 7 min read

Ten Cozy Fantasy Books for When the World Is Too Much

Low-stakes, high-warmth fantasy novels for readers who need comfort, not conflict.

1 April 2026 · 6 min read

Physical Books vs E-Books vs Audiobooks: Which Is Actually Best?

A nuanced look at the real trade-offs between reading formats, backed by research, not nostalgia.

5 April 2026 · 7 min read

Ten Books About Climate Change That Don't Make You Want to Give Up

Fiction, non-fiction, and poetry that confront the climate crisis with honesty, beauty, and even hope.

9 April 2026 · 7 min read

Ten Memoirs That Read Like Novels

True stories written with the craft and compulsion of the best fiction -- memoirs you genuinely can't put down.

14 April 2026 · 7 min read

Ten Philosophy Books That Don't Require a PhD

Accessible, engaging philosophy books for readers who are curious but intimidated by the canon.

20 April 2026 · 6 min read

Deep Reading vs Doomscrolling: What Science Says Your Brain Actually Needs

The neuroscience of reading versus scrolling, and practical strategies to reclaim your attention for books.

25 March 2026 · 7 min read

10 Historical Fiction Books That Make the Past Feel Alive

The best historical fiction novels that transport you to another era with vivid characters, meticulous research, and stories that resonate today.

22 March 2026 · 7 min read

10 Books About Money That Change How You Think About Wealth

The best books about money, investing, and financial thinking that go beyond budgeting tips to reshape your relationship with wealth.

18 March 2026 · 6 min read

10 Thrillers You'll Finish in One Sitting

Unputdownable thrillers with twists that keep you reading past midnight. These are the books you cancel plans for.

15 March 2026 · 6 min read

Books vs Podcasts vs AI Summaries: What Actually Makes You Smarter?

A nuanced comparison of books, podcasts, and AI summaries for learning. Which format actually improves understanding and retention?

12 March 2026 · 7 min read

10 Science Fiction Books That Predicted the Future

From surveillance states to virtual reality, these science fiction novels saw the future coming decades before it arrived.

8 March 2026 · 7 min read

10 Books About Food That Go Way Beyond Recipes

The best books about food, cooking, and eating that explore culture, memory, identity, and what it means to nourish yourself and others.

5 March 2026 · 6 min read

How Tracking Your Reading Quietly Changes What You Choose to Read

The surprising way that keeping a reading log shifts your habits, broadens your taste, and helps you stop guilt-reading.

1 March 2026 · 7 min read

10 Debut Novels of 2026 You Should Read Before Everyone Else

The most anticipated debut novels of 2026 spanning climate fiction, immigrant stories, queer romance, and dark academia.

25 February 2026 · 7 min read

10 Books About Loneliness and Finding Connection in the Modern World

Novels about isolation, belonging, and the messy ways humans find each other, from Eleanor Oliphant to Klara and the Sun.

20 February 2026 · 6 min read

The Reader's Guide to Digital Privacy: Why Your Book Data Matters

Your reading history reveals more about you than you think. How to protect your book data in an age of surveillance and data brokers.

18 February 2026 · 6 min read

10 Books for People Who Say They Don't Like Reading

Short, gripping, impossible to put down. These are the books that turn non-readers into readers.

15 February 2026 · 7 min read

10 Books to Read in Your Twenties (Before Life Gets Complicated)

The books that hit differently when you read them in your twenties: about identity, ambition, love, freedom, and figuring out who you are.