Word Count
The catalog has a median word count of about 45,000 words. Books range from short to epic, so you can choose the depth you want.
Compare 2 or 3 books
Search this site's catalog and put books side by side. The tool compares measurable metadata and text statistics so you can see practical differences without turning them into a subjective quality ranking.
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Start typing a title or author. You can compare up to three books.
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What this comparison can tell you
The compare tool lets you place two or more books side by side to see their word counts, reading times, and subject areas. This can help you decide which book to read first.
Comparisons are objective; they show factual differences, not which book is better.
Reading Time
Estimated reading time is based on word count and an average reading speed of about 230 words per minute. The median time is about 197 minutes.
Subject Overlap
See which subjects are shared between books. Useful for finding related works or avoiding repetition.
Seeing the Differences: How to Use Compare Books
When you have two or three books in mind, Compare Books lets you see the measurable differences that affect your reading commitment. It does not tell you which book is better—that is your judgment—but it highlights factors like word count, estimated reading time, text sections, sentence flow, and chapter rhythm. These numbers can change your decision more than you might expect.
For example, consider "Four Masters of Etching — Text and Context" (id 293) and "Memoranda of art and artists, anecdotal and biographical — A Reader’s Guide" (id 304). The first is 19,585 words, an estimated 86 minutes, with 9 text sections and an average sentence length of 22.6 words. The second is 62,609 words, 273 minutes, with 12 sections and a 21.2-word average sentence. The word count difference is stark—over three times longer—but the sentence lengths are similar, so the reading experience may not feel that different in density.
Word Count and Time: The Obvious Differences
Word count is the most straightforward metric. In the example above, "Four Masters of Etching" can be finished in an afternoon, while "Memoranda of art and artists" would take several days of dedicated reading. The estimated reading time—based on a standard pace—reflects this: 86 minutes versus 273 minutes. If you have limited time, the choice is clear. But if you are planning a long-term project, the longer book might be more rewarding.
The difference becomes more nuanced when you consider text sections. "Four Masters" has 9 sections, so you could read one section per sitting and finish in about nine sessions. "Memoranda" has 12 sections, meaning each section is longer on average (about 5,217 words per section) compared to "Four Masters" (about 2,176 words per section). This affects how you schedule your reading—you might need larger blocks of time for the latter.
Sentence Flow and Chapter Rhythm: The Feel of the Text
Sentence flow, measured by average words per sentence, gives a sense of how dense the prose feels. Both books in our example have similar averages (22.6 and 21.2), so the reading pace may be comparable despite the length difference. However, a book like "Spanish Painting — Reading Notes" (id 286) has a 32.4-word average, which can feel more complex and require more concentration. Compare Books shows these numbers side by side, helping you anticipate the cognitive load.
Chapter rhythm—the number of text sections—also influences pacing. A book with many short sections, like "The art of decorating dry goods windows and interiors" (id 306) with 33 sections, allows you to stop frequently. A book with few sections, like "Treatise on landscape painting in water-colours by David Cox" (id 292) with only 3, demands longer stretches. When comparing two books, these metrics can reveal which one fits better into your daily routine. For instance, if you read during a 20-minute commute, a book with 3 sections might be frustrating because you can't finish a section in one sitting.