Interactive reading tools

Do more with this book catalog

This library holds 93 public-domain titles, arranged into four broad categories: Adventure Picaresque Fiction, Science Fiction Utopias, Fantasy Juvenile Worlds, and Historical Psychological Social Fiction. Each category contains 23 or 24 works, so you can explore a focused slice of literary history without feeling overwhelmed.

The catalog provides practical tools to help you choose your next read. Use the Book Finder to match titles to your preferences, the Compare tool to weigh similar books side by side, and the Reading Time calculator to estimate how long a book will take. These tools rely on objective details such as word counts and sentence lengths, not on subjective opinions.

93 books in this catalog
4 catalog categories
93 books with reading-time data
Book Finder What should I read next? Search the catalog by category, length, or subject. See which titles match your interests. Find a book → Compare Books Put 2 or 3 books side by side Place books side by side. Compare size, reading time, and sentence style. Compare books → Reading Tracker Track your reading progress Check word counts and estimated reading minutes. Plan your next reading session. Track reading →
Made for this collection

Ways the catalog data becomes useful

Book Finder

Tell the Finder what you're in the mood for—category, length, or subject—and it will suggest titles that fit. The matching is based on your stated preferences, not on any judgment about quality.

Compare Books

See up to three titles at once. Compare word counts, reading times, sentence complexity, and subject headings to make an informed choice.

Reading Time

Estimate how long a book will take to read. The calculation uses the median reading speed of about 250 words per minute, so you can plan your time accordingly.

UARAN Public Domain Literature Library

Choosing and Tracking Your Reading

With 93 public-domain titles spread across four categories, the UARAN library can feel large even before you open a book. The hub links three tools—Book Finder, Compare Books, and Reading Tracker—that work together to help you choose, compare, and plan. They do not rate literary quality; they simply give you a practical way to sort and schedule your reading.

Start with the Finder

When you are unsure what to read next, the Book Finder narrows the catalog by criteria such as category, word count, estimated reading time, chapter rhythm, sentence flow, and subjects. For example, if you are in the mood for a shorter piece, you might look for a book in the Historical Psychological Social Fiction category with a low word count. "Bizarre — Reading Notes" (id 274) fits that profile: it has about 32,000 words and 142 estimated reading minutes, with an average sentence length of 16.5 words—a relatively brisk, accessible read.

The Finder also lets you express no preference on any criterion, and that does not penalize a book. So you can start with a category and leave the rest open, or specify a time commitment and see what appears. The tool is designed to be flexible, not prescriptive.

Compare Before You Commit

Once you have a few candidates, the Compare tool lets you put two or three side by side. It shows word count, estimated reading time, text sections, sentence flow, chapter rhythm, subjects, and page information when available. This can reveal differences that matter for your schedule. For instance, one book might have a similar word count but far more text sections, suggesting a more fragmented structure that could suit short reading sessions.

Comparing is especially useful when you are torn between a longer classic and a shorter essay collection. The tool does not tell you which is better; it gives you the numbers to decide what fits your available time and reading style.

Plan with the Tracker

After you choose a book, the Reading Tracker helps you set a daily page goal and track progress. Since the catalog does not always include a fixed page count, the tracker estimates total pages from the word count (assuming 250 words per page), but you can replace that with the page count from your own edition. The tracker stores your history in the browser, so no account is needed.

For example, if you pick a book with 300 estimated reading minutes and the tracker shows 200 total pages, you can set a goal of 20 pages per day and see how many days that will take. The estimated finish days are simply remaining pages divided by your daily goal, rounded up. This turns a vague intention into a concrete plan.