Quick Reads
10 books that take under 2 hours, perfect for a short sitting. Examples include Alfred Bester's 'The Unseen Blushers' at 28 minutes.
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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Stored locally
Reading history
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How the progress estimate works
The Reading Time tool estimates how long a book will take to read based on its word count. The catalog's median word count is 72,916, which corresponds to about 318 minutes of reading at an average pace.
Books are also grouped into four time ranges: quick (under 2 hours), steady (2-4 hours), immersive (4-8 hours), and marathon (8+ hours). You can use these to plan your reading sessions.
Steady Reads
25 books lasting 2-4 hours, offering a substantial read for an afternoon or evening.
Immersive Reads
40 books that take 4-8 hours, suitable for a weekend or extended reading time.
Marathon Reads
24 books that take over 8 hours, including Walter Scott's 'Kenilworth' at 837 minutes.
Planning Your Page-by-Page Progress
The Reading Tracker takes the guesswork out of reading a long book by breaking it down into daily page goals. It records your progress in pages, not minutes or sections, so you know exactly where you are and how much is left. The tracker estimates your total pages from the book's word count, assuming 250 words per page, but you can adjust that number to match your own edition or reading app.
Setting Your Daily Goal
The default daily goal is 20 pages, which is a reasonable pace for many readers. You can increase or decrease it based on your available time. For example, if you are reading Frank Reade, Jr., and his new steam man; or, the young inventor's trip to the far west — Key Ideas to Explore, which has an estimated word count of 41,287, the tracker would initially estimate about 166 pages. At 20 pages per day, you would finish in roughly 9 days.
If you have more time, you might set a goal of 30 pages a day, finishing in about 6 days. If you prefer a slower pace, 10 pages a day would extend the reading to about 17 days. The tracker recalculates your estimated finish date based on your goal, so you can see how your pace affects your progress.
Tracking Your Progress
As you read, you update your current page. The tracker shows your remaining pages and estimates the time left, using the book's estimated reading minutes. For Frank Reade, Jr., that would be 180 minutes. If you have read 50 of 166 pages, the remaining time is roughly 180 × (116/166) = 126 minutes. This gives you a concrete sense of how much reading time you have left.
The tracker also estimates the number of days until you finish, based on your daily page goal. If you have 116 pages left and a 20-page goal, you have 6 days to go. This helps you plan your reading around your schedule, whether you want to finish before a deadline or simply enjoy the book at a leisurely pace.
Adjusting for Your Edition
The initial page estimate is based on a standard 250 words per page, but your actual edition may have different pagination. You can replace the total page count with the number shown in your own reading app or physical book. This ensures your progress is accurate. For example, if your edition of Frank Reade, Jr. has 180 pages instead of 166, you can update the total, and the tracker will adjust your remaining time and finish date accordingly.
This flexibility is useful because page counts vary widely between editions. A large-print edition might have fewer words per page, while a compact paperback might pack more. By setting the correct total, you keep your tracking meaningful.
Staying on Track
The Reading Tracker is a simple but effective tool. It does not require an account; your progress is saved in your browser's local storage. You can return to it anytime to see where you are. A useful approach is to update your current page regularly. With a clear goal and a record of your progress, you can steadily work through even the longest books in the library.