How to track the physical books you read

Find your physical book and add it to your library

Start with the book already on your nightstand. Search Actually Read’s catalog for it; the app finds the cover image, author, and summary so you can add a recognizable book without assembling those details yourself.

You do not need to buy an ebook or import a digital file. Add the catalog record for the paper copy you own, then keep its progress in your library.

1. Search the catalog for the book you are reading.
2. Find the matching book with its cover, author, and summary.
3. Add it to your library and organize it in a reading list.
4. Pin the book to Focus when you want to read it.
5. Log your progress after the session.

Keep your progress with the book

After a chapter or a reading break, update your progress in Actually Read. Your reading history brings together your sessions, the time spent with each book, and your progress, so you can see your reading add up.

If you use page numbers, match your progress to the edition in your hands. Paperback and hardcover editions can have different page counts. Keep the update simple enough that it becomes part of putting the bookmark in.

Can you block phone distractions while reading a paper book?

Yes. Any book can be pinned to Focus. Select your physical book from the carousel, turn on Deep Focus, choose a session length or unlimited time, and start reading.

Deep Focus uses Apple’s Screen Time API to temporarily block selected apps, categories, and websites. You could protect twenty minutes for a paperback chapter, or choose unlimited time for an afternoon with the book. A Live Activity displays your session while the reading happens on paper.

Keep paper books and ebooks in one place

Actually Read is both a physical book tracker and an ebook reader. The paperback you track can sit in the same library as an ebook you read in the app or a book you read in another app. You can also explore over 70,000 free public-domain ebooks through Project Gutenberg.

Finding a physical book’s cover, author, and summary gives you a catalog record. A physical book record alone does not provide book-specific AI answers; the companion needs a supported digital book’s text to search and cite.

Core book tracking and focus sessions are free. You can use them for your physical books without subscribing to Advanced AI.