Reading is better with your people
A book tracking app to use with your friends.
Most book trackers are a private list. ShelfLife is where you and your friends keep your shelves, see what each other is reading, ask each other what to read next, and cheer when someone finishes the book they've been talking about for weeks. Free on iPhone, Android, and the web.
Download the appUpdated October 2026
Which app, for which kind of reading with friends
Some apps are for reading one book together. ShelfLife is for keeping up with what your friends read on their own, and showing them your shelf. Pick by what you want to do.
| App | What "with friends" means there | Book clubs or buddy reads |
|---|---|---|
| The StoryGraph | Reading the same book together: buddy reads for up to 15 readers and readalongs for up to 1,000 | Yes |
| Fable | Book clubs with a room for each chapter, plus buddy reads | Yes |
| Goodreads | Groups, inside an established reading community | Yes, as groups |
| Literal | Following readers, plus reader-run book clubs, public or private | Yes |
| ShelfLife | Following friends, a newest-first feed of what they read, asking them what to read next, cheering their reading goals, and visiting each other's shelves | No |
See what your friends are reading
Follow a friend and their reading shows up in your home feed: the book they started on the train, the one they finished at 2am, the review they couldn't keep to themselves, a new shelf, a change to their Top 12, and their Month in Books recap.
The feed shows the newest activity first and only from readers you follow. There's no For You tab and no influencer posts slipped in between your friends.
Ask your friends what to read next
Book Signal is how you ask. Write what you're in the mood for in your own words: "something cozy with a mystery in it," or "a big fantasy series I can disappear into." Your followers see it, and so do other readers whose taste overlaps yours.
Each reader can answer with up to five books and a note about why. When a pick lands, you can thank the person who suggested it. More on how it works in a book recommendation app where readers answer.
A Strava for books, without the leaderboard
Set a reading challenge, which ShelfLife calls a Feat: twelve books this year, a classic a month, whatever you like. Your friends see when you start one, when a book counts toward it, and when you finish, and they can cheer you on.
You can open a Feat so other readers can join and read toward it with you. There are no rankings or leaderboards, so nobody has to lose. See the reading challenge guide for the kinds of Feats you can set.
Visit each other's shelves
In ShelfLife your library is a shelf of standing spines you arrange and decorate, and a public shelf is something your friends can visit. They can like it, save it to come back to, or browse it for their next book. Explore shows public shelves from readers you don't follow yet.
Talk about the ending without spoiling it
Every book has a Peanut Gallery for hot takes and favorite quotes, with a spoiler warning at the door for anyone who hasn't finished. Readers can react to takes and star quotes they love.
Reviews can hide individual spoiler passages too, so a friend can read what you thought without learning who dies.
You decide who sees what
Following is one-way, like Instagram: you can follow a friend without them following you back. If you'd rather keep strangers out, make your account private and approve each follow request yourself. Any shelf can be public or private, and you can block or report anyone.
Getting your friends on ShelfLife
Search for a friend's @handle in the app to follow them, or send an invite with your handle and a download link. ShelfLife doesn't upload your contacts to suggest people, so bringing friends along is up to you. If they're coming from Goodreads or The StoryGraph, they can import their library and arrive with a full shelf.
What ShelfLife doesn't have
There are no book clubs, buddy reads, reading schedules, direct messages, or comments on feed updates. If running a book club is the main thing you want, The StoryGraph (buddy reads for up to 15 readers and readalongs for up to 1,000), Fable, and Goodreads groups are built for it.
On the other side, some of the best-looking shelf apps have no social side at all. Bookology keeps your library on your device and in iCloud, and TBR Bookshelf's community is anonymous ratings. We compared both, including what they do better: Bookology and TBR Bookshelf.
Questions about reading apps with friends
What is the best book tracking app for friends?
It depends on what you want to do together. To read the same book at the same time, use The StoryGraph's buddy reads or Fable's book clubs. To see what your friends are reading, ask them what to read next, and visit each other's shelves, use ShelfLife: your library is a bookshelf of spines you arrange and share, and your feed is only the readers you follow, newest first. ShelfLife is free on iPhone, Android, and the web.
Is there a book tracking app where you can see what your friends are reading?
Yes. In ShelfLife you follow your friends and see what they start, finish, review, and shelve in a feed ordered newest first, with no For You tab choosing posts for you. ShelfLife is free on iPhone, Android, and the web, with no banner ads.
Is there a Strava for books?
ShelfLife is close in spirit. Follow friends, see their reading as it happens, and cheer when they start or finish a book for a reading challenge (ShelfLife calls them Feats). There are no leaderboards, so the cheering is the whole point.
Is ShelfLife a book club app?
No. ShelfLife has no book clubs, buddy reads, reading schedules, or group chats. If you want to organize a club, The StoryGraph's buddy reads and readalongs, Fable's clubs, and Goodreads groups are built for that. ShelfLife is for following the readers you know, asking them for recommendations, and talking about books with them afterward.
How do I ask my friends for a book recommendation?
Send a Book Signal. Describe what you want in your own words, such as a short, sad novel about a family. It goes to your followers and to other readers whose taste overlaps yours. Each reader can answer with up to five books and a note, and you can thank the people whose picks you liked.
Can I keep my reading private from strangers?
Yes. You can make your account private, so people have to request to follow you and you approve each one. Each shelf can also be public or private on its own, and you can block or report anyone.
How do I find my friends on ShelfLife?
Search for their @handle in the app, or send them an invite with your handle and a download link. ShelfLife does not scan your contacts.
Does Bookology or TBR Bookshelf have friends or a social feed?
No. Bookology keeps your library on your device and in iCloud, and TBR Bookshelf's community is built on anonymous ratings. Both are iPhone apps. ShelfLife has a similar shelf of standing spines, adds following and a feed, and runs on Android and the web too.
Free, on iPhone, Android, and the web
Build your shelf, then bring your friends.
Set up your shelf first, then send your handle to the friend you talk books with most.
Download the app