Product journal

What’s getting better.

A quiet record of the fixes, features, and small quality-of-life improvements shaping NovelTribe. New entries from the last seven days appear first, with this opening set preserved as the beginning of the history.

Last 7 days
September 26, 2026
New release alerts

Know when your next read comes out

Turn on New release alerts in Profile to get notified when the next book in a series you're reading, or a new book from an author you rate highly, is released. Add it to Want to Read straight from the notification.

  • Series continuations and favorite-author releases
  • Optional weekly email digest
  • Off by default; enable in Profile under New release alerts
September 26, 2026
Recommendations

Smarter, more varied For You picks

For You now suggests the next book in series you're reading and more from authors you love, spreads picks across more genres, includes recent releases, and genre filters show that genre only.

  • Series continuations and favorite-author picks
  • Not Interested removes a book everywhere
  • Recent releases mixed in
September 15, 2026
Libby imports

Timeline activity now maps correctly

Libby timeline exports use an Activity column. The importer now recognizes Borrowed and Returned events from that column and groups them by title/ISBN before assigning status.

  • Returned titles become Read
  • Active Borrowed titles become Currently Reading
  • Existing imports can be corrected by re-importing
September 15, 2026
Reading atmosphere

More light around the page

The sitewide background now uses a lighter espresso, amber, and paper-toned canvas so the reading-room atmosphere carries beyond the individual cards.

  • Shared lighter page canvas
  • Warm ambient gradients
  • Cards remain readable with clear contrast
September 15, 2026
Sitewide polish

Every corner joins the reading room

Inputs, timelines, search states, public pages, social surfaces, empty states, and shareable artwork now follow the same warm ink, amber, and walnut visual language.

  • Warm embedded controls and timelines
  • Consistent public-page actions
  • Matching social preview atmosphere
September 15, 2026
Tracker polish

The shelf feels warmer up close

The Add a Book form and Recent Reads library now use distinct walnut-toned surfaces and softer shadows, making the core tracking workflow feel less like a dashboard and more like a reading nook.

  • Warm Add a Book panel
  • Wood-toned Recent Reads surface
  • Clearer separation between working areas
September 15, 2026
Reading atmosphere

A warmer reading room, sitewide

The Tracker, reading views, profile, public pages, and sign-in surfaces now share a warmer ink, amber, and wood-toned visual language designed to feel more like settling in with a good book.

  • Warm structural surfaces across core pages
  • Amber/orange primary actions
  • Subtle paper texture and bookish typography
September 15, 2026
Imports

Bring in Goodreads or Libby

Profile and onboarding now make both library sources explicit, with separate import buttons and support for Libby/OverDrive tag spreadsheets.

  • Goodreads CSV import button
  • Libby spreadsheet import button
  • ISBN, tags, formats, dates, and duplicate-safe syncing
September 15, 2026
Library & onboarding

A smoother Goodreads library reset

Goodreads imports now classify books from ISBN metadata, preserve multiple categories, support full editing after import, and avoid duplicate shelf entries on re-import.

  • Goodreads-first genre handling with normalized categories
  • Editable ISBN, genres, finish dates, formats, reviews, and shelves
  • Getting Started guide with profile and feature-toggle instructions
September 15, 2026
Reading experience

Sharper covers and clearer paths into the app

Cover resolution now favors high-resolution ISBN artwork, while the homepage makes it easier to start a library or bring over an existing Goodreads shelf.

  • High-resolution Open Library ISBN cover fallback
  • ISBN-first Amazon book links when identifiers are available
  • Benefit-driven Tracker and Goodreads import CTAs
September 15, 2026
Reliability

More dependable sessions across devices

Authentication callbacks now stay on the host where sign-in began, with host-scoped cookies that behave consistently across desktop browsers, mobile Safari, and installed PWAs.

  • Cross-platform magic-link callback handling
  • Improved Safari PWA session persistence
  • Public profile navigation no longer relies on a different cookie domain