My Experience with Novellair-Your Book Nook
My friend Sarah kept raving about this app for tracking her reading, so I finally downloaded it to my iPhone 15 Pro last Tuesday night. I have books everywhere—a stack by my bed, a bunch on my old Kindle—and I wanted one place to see it all. After using it for three days, my feeling is pretty mixed. It does what it promises, letting me scan my books and track what I’m reading, which is cool. But using it doesn’t feel effortless. I found myself tapping around trying to find things, and waiting for my progress to update between my phone and iPad was annoying. It’s a solid free tool, but it feels like it’s trying to do too much at once, making the simple act of logging a book feel more complicated than it should.
Features Worth Noting
The best part, hands down, is scanning my books. I spent maybe half an hour after work just pointing my phone at the barcodes on my shelves. It picked up most of them, and there’s something really satisfying about watching your digital shelf fill up. I also like the reading tracker. When I was reading a thriller yesterday during my lunch break, I kept swiping up to see what percentage of the chapter I’d finished. It’s a small thing, but it kept me motivated. The app let me download a classic novel for my commute when I knew I’d have no service, and changing the page color to a soft sepia tone made reading easier on my eyes. For a free app, having these kinds of practical tools is a big win.
What Needs Work
The biggest issue is how busy everything looks. The home screen has like five different buttons and sections, and it wasn’t clear to me what was for my books and what was for community stuff. I accidentally posted a note about a book plot in a public forum thinking it was just for me, which was a bit embarrassing. The syncing is my other gripe. I read a few pages on my iPad before bed, and the next morning on the bus, my iPhone still showed me two chapters back. I had to pull down to refresh a couple times for it to catch up. It works, but you notice the wait. These aren’t huge bugs, they’re just little friction points that add up.
Pricing
You can’t argue with free. There are small banner ads at the bottom of some screens, but they’re just pictures for other books or book-related products. They don’t jump around or play sound, so I mostly forget they’re there. Nothing I wanted to do—scanning my library, tracking progress, getting basic recommendations—was locked behind a paywall. For the price of zero dollars, you get a lot of functionality. If you’re okay with a few ads and a slightly messy layout, the value is definitely there.
Developer Notes
I had one problem where the app crashed when I tried to add a specific book. I used the help section in the app’s settings to send a message. I got an auto-reply right away saying they got it. I didn’t hear anything for a couple days, which I thought meant they’d ignored it. But then on the third day, I got a real email from a person named Alex. They asked for a screenshot and, after I sent it, explained it was a known issue they were fixing. It was helpful, but you have to be patient. They seem to be updating the app regularly, which is a good sign they’re paying attention.
Security & Privacy
I looked through the privacy labels on the App Store before downloading. The app says it collects “Usage Data” and “Diagnostics,” which is pretty standard for fixing bugs and seeing what features people use. When you create an account, it’s just an email and password. I didn’t have to link any social media profiles, which I prefer. My book lists and reading notes feel personal, so I’m glad they seem to stay in my account. I didn’t see anything that raised a major red flag for a simple book-tracking tool.
How does the book scanning feature work in Novellair?
You simply point your iPhone camera at a book's barcode, and the app automatically adds it to your digital shelf. During testing, it picked up most books quickly, making it satisfying to watch your collection grow in just a few minutes.
Can I change the reading display settings, like page color?
Yes, Novellair lets you customize your reading view, including switching to a soft sepia tone that's easier on the eyes. It also allows you to download books for offline reading, which is handy for commutes without service.
Why does the home screen feel cluttered, and how do I avoid posting publicly by mistake?
The home screen has multiple buttons for both personal books and community features, which can be confusing. To avoid accidental public posts, double-check that you're in your private notes section before typing—look for a label like 'My Notes' versus 'Community.'
My reading progress isn't syncing between my iPhone and iPad. What can I do?
Syncing can be slow, so try closing and reopening the app on both devices, or manually pull down to refresh your progress. If it's still stuck, check that you're logged into the same account on each device and that your internet connection is stable.
How does Novellair compare to Goodreads for tracking books?
Novellair offers a more modern scanning experience and built-in reading tools like page color adjustments and offline downloads, which Goodreads lacks. However, Goodreads has a cleaner, more straightforward interface for logging books, while Novellair can feel overwhelming with its extra community features.
