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Curated Reading Lists

Topics

Subjects worth getting right. Each list is a small bibliography — hand-picked, with a reason every book is on it.

11 books

Altered Books

The definitive reading list for altered-book artists and collectors.

beginner how-toadvanced & experimentalfolded book art

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12 books

Books About Mesopotamia

A curated path from gateway histories to Gilgamesh and the primary sources.

ancient historyMesopotamiaSumerian

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12 books

Holocaust Books

The memoirs, novels, and histories every reader should know.

memoirwitness testimonyAuschwitz

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11 books

Rosicrucian Books

The manifestos, scholarly histories, and adjacent classics of the Rose Cross.

Western esotericismoccultmanifesto

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11 books

Weirdest Books

Eleven books that broke the rules of what a novel can be.

experimental fictiontypographicergodic

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Choose Your Shelf

Every reader is welcome. Pick the experience that fits your journey.

Browsing · Free

Browsing

For the casual book lover

Free

No account needed

Find books by plot description
AI-powered matching
Daily plot and cover puzzles
Last 7 days of the puzzle archive
Book details and purchase links

Start finding books

Membership · $5

Membership

For the devoted reader

$5 /month

Your personal book companion

Everything in the free plan
Full puzzle archive — every day, all the way back
Saturday themed mega-quiz, in your inbox
Deeper AI search across the catalog
Ad-free reading

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The free plan is here to stay. We'll always help you find your forgotten books at no cost.

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Ex Libris

What Membership gets you

The archive

The whole shelf, not just this week

Free readers get the last 7 days. Members get every plot and cover puzzle we've ever published. Browse back, pick a date, finish the ones you missed.

The weekend

A themed quiz, by post

Each weekend we send Members a themed quiz, built from books in your reading orbit. One author, one decade, one genre. In your inbox by Saturday morning.

The search

A slower, deeper way to find a book

Members get our web-grounded lane. It looks beyond the catalog and finds books from the foggy half-memories the fast lane gives up on.

The quiet

No ads, anywhere

The site stays quiet. No display ads on result pages, on the archive, or anywhere else you read.

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Ask the librarian

Questions, answered

Can I cancel anytime?

Yes. From your Account page, two clicks opens the Stripe billing portal and you can stop renewal right there. You'll keep Member access until the end of the period you've already paid for.

What's it cost, exactly?

$5 USD per month, or $50 USD per year (that's two months free). Both options run through Stripe. Switch between them anytime from the billing portal.

Do I need a Member account to play the daily puzzle?

No. The daily plot and cover puzzles are free for everyone, and so is the last 7 days of the archive. Membership opens up everything older than that, plus the Saturday mega-quiz and the rest of what's listed above.

What happens to my streak if I cancel?

Your streak history stays. You can keep playing the daily puzzles for free after cancelling. You lose access to the full archive, the Saturday mega-quiz, and deeper AI search, and you'll see ads again.

Will more features be added?

Yes. We're working on saved reading lists, personalized recommendations, and a reading-history export. Members get all of these automatically as they ship, at the same price. No upgrade or new tier.

How do you handle payment info?

Stripe handles all of it. Your card never touches our servers. To update your card or download invoices, use the billing portal from your Account page.

Can I get a refund?

Yes. Email justin@whatisthatbook.com within 14 days of your first charge, monthly or annual, and we'll refund you in full. No questions asked. Full details on the refund policy page.