READING GLOSSARY
Reading glossary: TBR, DNF and other bookish terms
The abbreviations and words that keep coming up when people talk about books, from TBR and DNF to slow burn and ARC. Every entry has a short definition, and some link to a longer guide.
Lists, shelves and piles
TBR#
Short for “to be read”: the list, or pile, of books you want to read. It can be a shelf in an app, a note on your phone or a real stack by the bed.
How to keep a TBR listDNF#
Short for “did not finish”: a book you deliberately stop reading before the end. It works as a verb too: “I DNF’d it at page 80.”
When to DNF a bookCR (currently reading)#
The book you’re reading right now. In many apps it’s a shelf of its own; in Talemi it’s called “Reading”.
Tsundoku#
A Japanese word for buying books and letting them pile up unread. Usually said with a smile rather than guilt.
Book haul#
A show-and-tell of new books bought, borrowed or received in one go, usually in a photo or a video.
Wrap-up#
A round-up of the books you read in a month or a year: what you loved, what you didn’t and how many pages you got through.
How to keep a reading journalBacklist#
An author’s or publisher’s older titles, as opposed to new releases. “Backlist only” challenges nudge you to finally read what’s already on your shelf.
Reread#
Reading a book you already know again. In Talemi, “Read it again” starts a new read of the same book, and your stats count rereads separately.
Habits, pace and goals
Reading slump#
A stretch when you have the time and the books, but nothing grabs you. It usually passes when you switch genre or format, or ease off your goals for a while.
How to get back into readingBook hangover#
The feeling after finishing a book so absorbing that it’s hard to start the next one. The characters are still in your head.
Readathon#
A reading marathon: a day, a weekend or a week when you read more than usual, often alongside others and from a pile chosen in advance.
Reading streak#
The number of days in a row you’ve read at least a little. A few pages are enough to keep the day.
Reading streaks in TalemiReading challenge#
A goal or a list of prompts for a set period, like 52 books in a year or “a book by an author from another continent”. You can do one alone or with friends.
Reading challenge 2027Reading goal#
The number of books, pages or minutes you want to read in a given time. It’s easiest to keep when you break it down into a single day.
Reading goal calculatorWPM#
Words per minute: how many words you read in a minute. The simplest measure of reading speed.
Reading speed testReading journal#
A notebook, file or app where you record the books you’ve read, with dates, ratings and your own thoughts.
Printable reading logCommunity
Buddy read#
Reading the same book as a friend, or a small group, and talking after each section rather than only at the end.
How to do a buddy readBook club#
A group that reads the same book and meets, in person or online, to talk about it.
How to start an online book clubBookTok#
The book community on TikTok: short videos with recommendations, reactions and favourite tropes.
Bookstagram#
The bookish side of Instagram: photos of shelves and covers, reviews and shared reading events.
BookTube#
Book channels on YouTube: reviews, monthly wrap-ups, book hauls and readathon vlogs.
Spoiler#
Anything that gives away the plot, especially the ending. In book talk it comes with a warning or gets hidden.
ARC#
Advance reader copy: an early version of a book that publishers send to reviewers and booksellers before release. The text can still differ slightly from the one in shops.
Formats and editions
EPUB#
An open ebook format in which the text reflows to fit your screen and chosen font size.
DRM#
Protection that limits which devices and apps can open an ebook you’ve bought. The alternative is a watermark: the file has no locks but carries the buyer’s details.
ISBN#
The international book number. Each edition, including the ebook and the audiobook, usually has its own. In Talemi you can find a book by title, author or ISBN.
Public domain#
Works whose copyright has expired. In the EU and the UK that’s generally 70 years after the author’s death; other countries have their own rules. Public domain books can be read and downloaded free and legally.
Free ebooks, legallyGenres and tropes
Trope#
A recurring story pattern that readers recognise and often go looking for, such as enemies who fall in love or a found family.
Enemies to lovers#
A romance trope: the main characters start as enemies or rivals and end up together.
Slow burn#
A story in which feelings or tension build slowly, over many chapters.
HEA and HFN#
Happily ever after and happy for now. Romance shorthand for how the love story ends, without spoiling the details.
Cosy (cozy)#
Books with a calm, warm mood: a small town, a cup of tea and no cruelty in the foreground. There’s cosy fantasy, cosy crime and cosy mystery.
Romantasy#
A blend of romance and fantasy in which the love story matters as much as the world and its magic.
YA and NA#
Young adult books have teenage main characters and are written mainly for teenagers. New adult follows characters who are just stepping into adulthood.
Missing a word?
The glossary grows with the blog. If you spot an abbreviation in book talk that isn’t here, write to us and we’ll add it.
JOIN TALEMI
The next page won’t read itself.
Join early access and get your Talemi invite before the app reaches the stores.