Quick Reads
Under 20,000 words, these can be finished in under a couple of hours. Examples include 'The Butterfly's Funeral' (about 3,900 words).
Reading Tracker
Choose a book, record where you are, and set a daily goal. Your progress is stored in localStorage in this browser; it is not uploaded to a user account.
No sign-up required
Stored in your browser
Estimated time remaining
Choose a book
If the EPUB has no fixed print pagination, the tool starts with an estimated page count and lets you replace it with the page total shown by your own reader.
Reading progress
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Remaining
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Estimated time left
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At your daily goal
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Stored locally
Reading history
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How the progress estimate works
The Reading tool gives you honest estimates of how long it will take to finish a book. These estimates use the total word count and a typical reading speed, so they are approximate. They help you plan your reading time.
Books are grouped into four pace categories: quick, steady, immersive, and marathon. The median book in this catalog is about 54,000 words, which takes roughly 235 minutes to read.
Steady Reads
Between 20,000 and 60,000 words, these take a few sittings. 'A Book of Nimble Beasts' is about 42,500 words.
Immersive Reads
Ranging from 60,000 to 120,000 words, these books require several days. 'Birds in London' is about 72,000 words.
Marathon Reads
Over 120,000 words, these are lengthy works like 'Life histories of North American woodpeckers' at 176,000 words.
Planning Your Reading with the Tracker
The Reading Tracker is a simple tool for keeping track of how far you have read in a book. It records progress in pages, with a current page, total pages, and a daily page goal. If a fixed page count is not available, the tracker estimates the total pages by dividing the word count by 250 (the configured words per page). You can also override the total with the page count from your own reading app or edition. The tracker stores your progress in your browser's localStorage, so no account is needed.
Setting a Daily Page Goal
The default daily goal is 20 pages. This is a reasonable starting point for many readers, but you can adjust it up or down based on your schedule. If you have only 15 minutes a day, you might set a lower goal; if you are on vacation, you might set a higher one. The tracker will then estimate how many days it will take to finish the book based on that goal.
For example, consider "Animal portraiture — Key Ideas to Explore" (id 304). It has 46,553 words, which at 250 words per page gives an estimated total of about 187 pages. With a daily goal of 20 pages, you would finish in about 10 days (187 / 20 = 9.35, rounded up to 10). If you set a goal of 30 pages, you would finish in 7 days. This kind of calculation helps you plan a realistic schedule.
Understanding the Page Estimate
The page estimate is based on a standard of 250 words per page. This is a common convention, but actual page counts vary depending on font size, margins, and illustrations. The tracker allows you to enter the total pages from your own edition, which is more accurate. If you are reading a physical book, check the page count and enter it. If you are using an e-reader, the page numbers may differ, so you can adjust accordingly.
The estimated remaining time is calculated as estimated_minutes × remaining_pages / total_pages. This assumes a constant reading speed, which may not be true, but it gives you a rough idea. For instance, if "Animal portraiture" has an estimated reading time of 203 minutes and you have 100 pages left out of 187, the remaining time is about 203 × 100 / 187 ≈ 109 minutes. This is a helpful guide, but don't treat it as exact.
Tracking Progress Over Time
The tracker records your current page and updates the estimated finish date as you log progress. Since the data is stored in your browser, it will persist between sessions on the same device. This means you can read a few pages each day and update the tracker, watching the remaining pages decrease. It is a simple way to stay motivated and see that you are making steady progress.
The tracker does not record sections or minutes as progress, only pages. This is intentional: pages are a concrete, universal measure that works across different editions and formats. You might read a chapter that is 15 pages long, but the tracker only cares about the page number. This simplicity is a strength.
Using the Tracker with Long Books
The tracker is especially useful for the longer works in the library, such as Audubon's volumes or "The romance of the animal world" (id 305) at 93,960 words. Without a tracker, it is easy to lose track of where you are. With the tracker, you can set a goal of, say, 20 pages a day and know that you will finish in about 47 days for a 939-page book (if the estimate holds). This makes a daunting book feel manageable.
A useful approach is to be realistic about your daily goal. If you know you can only read 10 pages a day, set that as your goal. The tracker will show you the finish date, and you can adjust if needed. The goal is not to read fast, but to read steadily.