Book Finder
Filter the collection by category, length, reading time, or subject. The matching tool ranks titles by how closely they fit your interests, using the catalog's own tags and stats.
Do more with this book catalog
This library holds 99 public-domain works, arranged in four reading collections. Each book page offers plain facts: word count, estimated reading time, section count, average sentence length, and subject tags. The tools on this hub help you turn those facts into a reading plan that fits your schedule and taste.
You can search by subject, compare two or more books side by side, or estimate how long a title will take to finish. These pages are meant to be practical, not opinionated. They give you the numbers and let you decide what to read next.
99
books in this catalog
4
catalog categories
99
books with reading-time data
Made for this collection
Ways the catalog data becomes useful
Compare Books
Put two or more titles next to each other. See word counts, estimated reading times, sentence lengths, and subjects in one view, so you can weigh your options before committing.
Reading Time Estimator
Enter your reading speed and get a personalized estimate for any book in the catalog. The tool uses the book's word count and a typical pace, so you can plan your reading sessions.
Choosing Your Next Read with the Library Tools
The NMEER Public Domain Literature Library holds 99 books divided among four categories: Historical Psychological Social Fiction, Exploration Survival Adventure Tales, Fantasy Juvenile Worlds, and Science Fiction Utopias. With a median word count of 64,678 and a median estimated reading time of 282 minutes, the collection offers everything from quick short stories to lengthy novels. The Book Finder, Compare Books, and Reading Tracker are designed to help you navigate this range, but each serves a distinct purpose. Knowing when to use which tool can make your browsing more efficient and your reading more satisfying.
Book Finder narrows the catalog by criteria like category, length, estimated reading time, chapter rhythm, sentence flow, subjects, and popularity. Compare Books lets you examine two or three titles side by side on measurable details. Reading Tracker helps you plan progress through a chosen book. The three tools work together: start with Finder to create a shortlist, use Compare to weigh a few finalists, then turn to Tracker once you have committed to a title.
Using the Finder to Build a Shortlist
The Finder is most useful when you have a general sense of what you want but need to see what the library offers. For instance, if you are in the mood for a story about family life, you might select Fantasy Juvenile Worlds and the subject "Family life -- Juvenile fiction." The results will include "The Peterkin papers — A Reader’s Guide" (id 275), a humorous tale of a hapless family, and "Helen's Babies — Reading Notes" (id 311), which follows a bachelor uncle caring for two energetic nephews. Both are relatively short, with word counts around 42,000–47,000, so you can quickly gauge whether that length suits your available reading time.
The Finder also lets you combine multiple criteria. Say you want a longer work of historical fiction set in New England. Choose Historical Psychological Social Fiction, select the subject "New England -- Fiction," and set length to "long." The results will include "Coniston — Complete — Story, Setting & Ideas" (id 304) at 174,791 words, a substantial commitment. You can then use the estimated reading time of 760 minutes to decide if that fits your schedule. The Finder does not judge quality; it simply surfaces books that match your stated preferences.
When to Compare and When to Track
After you have a shortlist, Compare Books is the next step. This tool places two or three books side by side, showing word count, estimated reading time, text sections, sentence flow, chapter rhythm, subjects, and page information when available. For example, you might compare "Helen's Babies — Reading Notes" (id 311) with "The Peterkin papers — A Reader’s Guide" (id 275). Both are short, but Helen's Babies has a higher average sentence length (19.9 words) than The Peterkin papers (15.1), which might affect your reading pace. Such differences are descriptive, not evaluative.
Once you have chosen a book, Reading Tracker helps you plan your progress. It records your current page, total pages, and a daily page goal. The default goal is 20 pages per day, but you can adjust it. If you are reading "Helen's Babies — Reading Notes," you could set a goal of 30 pages a day and finish in about a week, given its estimated 185 reading minutes. The tracker's estimated finish days are calculated from your remaining pages and daily goal, so you can see at a glance whether your plan is realistic.