Book Shelf: Your Reading Life, Organized From To-Read to Finished

Reading is more rewarding when you can see it add up - the books you finished, the one you're in the middle of, the growing pile you can't wait to start. Book Shelf is the reading tracker built into Listub: a reading journal that lives right next to everything else you organize.

Why a reading tracker matters

Without a shelf to track it, reading blurs together. You forget what you meant to read next, lose the page you were on when you switch between books, and miss the quiet satisfaction of watching your finished list grow. A tracker turns reading into something you can see, plan and enjoy the progress of.

Many reading apps bury that simple wish under feeds, ads and clutter. Book Shelf keeps it calm: a want-to-read queue, a progress bar and a log of what you finished, inside the same app that already holds your lists, plans and notes.

What Book Shelf does

• Search a catalogue of millions of books from every genre and language, and add one with a tap.
• Covers, authors and page counts are filled in automatically.
• Statuses that match how you read: want to read, reading, finished.
• Log the page you are on and watch the progress bar move for each book.
• Finishing a book completes it automatically and saves the finish date.
• Rate each book and keep your own notes on what you thought.

Setting up your shelf

• Start with the book you are reading right now and set your current page.
• Add the books stacked on your bedside table and in your head as want to read.
• Add a few recent reads as finished, so your shelf has a history from day one.
• Rate the finished ones while you still remember how they felt.

That is all it takes. From then on, updating the page after a reading session is a few seconds, and the rest takes care of itself.

Making your to-read pile work for you

A want-to-read list only helps if it stays usable. Add books the moment someone recommends them, before the title slips away. Every so often, scroll through the pile and remove the ones that no longer interest you - a shorter list you are excited about beats a long one that makes you feel behind. When you finish a book, glance at the queue and line up the next one, so you are never left without something to read.

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Remember what you read, know what is next and see your progress - without the noise.

Reading with friends

Books are better shared. Book Shelf can show your shelf on your public profile to the followers or friends you choose, and you can follow other readers to see what they are reading, finishing and loving. They find you by your username, and nobody without a Listub account can open it. Sharing is opt-in and can be switched off at any time, so your shelf stays private by default.

Looking back on a year of reading

Because every finished book keeps its date, your shelf quietly becomes a reading log. At the end of a month or a year you can scroll back through what you read, see which books you rated highest and remember the ones you would recommend. It is a small pleasure, and it often answers the question friends ask most: "read anything good lately?"

Your notes add to that. A line or two after finishing - what stayed with you, who you would give it to - turns a list of titles into something closer to a reading journal, and makes rereading your own history far more interesting.

Ideas for different readers

• Avid readers: track several books at once and never forget where you stopped in each.
• Book clubs: follow each other, keep pace with this month's pick and compare ratings when you finish.
• Students: track required reading page by page and keep a clean log of everything you finished.
• Occasional readers: let the finished shelf remind you how much you did read this year.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Forgetting to update the page - make it part of closing the book.
• Letting the want-to-read list grow forever - prune it now and then.
• Skipping ratings - a quick rating now makes recommending books much easier later.

Questions people ask

Is Book Shelf free?

Yes. Book Shelf comes with Listub, is free for everyone and stays free of ads.

How do I track my reading progress?

Set your current page and Book Shelf shows a progress bar per book. Marking a book finished completes it automatically and saves the finish date.

Does Book Shelf work offline?

Yes. Like all of Listub it is local-first: your shelf opens instantly and works without a connection, then syncs when you are back online.

Can I keep my shelf private?

Yes. Your shelf is private by default. Share it on your public profile with followers, friends or both, or keep it entirely to yourself - and change your mind whenever you like.

Which devices does it run on?

Android phones and tablets, iPhone and iPad, Windows, macOS, Linux and the web, with your shelf in sync on every one of them.