- Time to Read
- Reading guide
- What is a bookmatch?
What is a bookmatch? How Tinder for books works
A bookmatch is swiping, but on books. Here is what it means, how to tell when a book really suits you, and what it looks like in our own app.
A bookmatch is a book that suits you, found the way you would find someone on Tinder: you see a book, swipe right if it is for you and left if it is not. In the Time to Read app this is Today’s books: ten books every morning, dealt to your taste. Swipe right to shelve, left to pass, up if you have already read it. Download the app and try it free for seven days.
A bookmatch in short
The word says it: a match between you and a book. You see a book, decide in a few seconds and move on to the next. That is why it is also called Tinder for books. What you like, you keep. The rest is gone at once.
It usually works like this:
- A small pile. You get a handful of books, not the whole shop.
- One gesture per book. Right is a match, left is no.
- Your taste counts. The pile fits what you read and what you liked.
Why swiping works for books
A bookshop has thousands of titles, and an online top ten has the same ten for everyone. In the shop you have to do the looking yourself, and the list has no idea what you read. A pile of ten has a limit, and that limit is exactly what makes choosing easy.
You do not need to know what you are looking for either. You recognise it when you see it. Saying no costs nothing, because there is a new pile tomorrow.
A good pile does not ask what you are looking for. It shows you what you did not know yet.
What it looks like in Time to Read
We call it Today’s books, and in the onboarding we simply call it Book Tinder. You will find it under Discover. Ten books are waiting every morning, one to a page: the cover, the author, a short blurb, the stars, the number of pages and a line saying why this book is in front of you.
- Right: shelve it. The book goes on your Want to read shelf.
- Left: pass. The page turns and nothing goes on your shelf.
- Up: already read. The book goes on your Already read shelf.
Rather tap than swipe? The three buttons under each book do the same. You do not start from nothing: when you begin you tell the app your taste, and you can bring your Goodreads, StoryGraph or Fable with you.
How to get more out of a bookmatch
A match is a beginning, just as on Tinder. This helps, whichever app you swipe in:
- Look past the cover. Read the blurb before you swipe. A beautiful cover says little about the first fifty pages.
- Be strict on the left. If you are in doubt, pass. A list of only the books you really want to read is a list you will actually use.
- Read the first page. In the shop, at the library or as a sample online. If you want to read the second, it is a match.
- Keep your list small. What you keep becomes your TBR. If there is too much on it, pick the three books you want now and let the rest rest.
Would you rather ask than swipe? Read how to choose a book that fits. Under Ask in the app, other readers each choose one book for you, with a reason, usually within the hour.
Frequently asked questions
What is a bookmatch?
A bookmatch is a book that suits you, found by swiping, as on Tinder. Right is a match, left is no.
Is there a Tinder for books?
Yes, several apps let you choose books by swiping. Time to Read is one of them: under Today’s books you get ten books every morning, one to a page, and you swipe right to shelve and left to pass. It has nothing to do with the dating app itself.
Where do I download an app to swipe books?
Time to Read is in the App Store and on Google Play. The download buttons on this page take your phone straight to the right store.
What happens to a book I shelve?
It goes on your Want to read shelf. A book you swipe up goes on Already read. If you pass, nothing goes on your shelf.