Reading and literature glossary
Expanded definitions about books, reading, and reader community. Reference for clubs and readers.
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Literary terms
Literary genre
A family that groups works by conventions, tone, or subject matter (novel, poetry, essay, science fiction, etc.). It is a useful label, not a cage.
Series
A set of installments connected by world, characters, or story arc. It is usually published in a suggested order, though not always strict.
Anthology
A volume that gathers selected texts - stories, poems, or excerpts - by one or more authors.
ISBN
A numeric identifier for a specific edition of a book. It helps find that edition in catalogs and add it to your library with prefilled data.
Omniscient narrator
A voice that knows more than any character: it can access other minds, foreshadow events, or comment from outside the action.
Unreliable narrator
Someone who tells the story incompletely, with bias, or deceptively; the reader rebuilds truth from clues and contradictions.
Literary trope
A recognizable device or convention (metaphor, archetype, plot pattern) the text activates and readers interpret through cultural tradition.
Enemies to lovers
A romance arc where two characters move from antagonism or mutual dislike to love with sustained tension.
Slow burn
A relationship or conflict that grows slowly, building tension before an emotional climax; common in romance and mystery.
In medias res
A start “in the middle of things”: action begins without chronological preamble and the reader rebuilds context from later anchors.
First edition
The first commercial printing of a work in a given market; collectors and used bookshops distinguish it from reprints and revised editions.
Ex libris
An ownership mark in a book: plate, stamp, or label (“from the library of…”), sometimes a collectible print.
Bibliophilia
Love of the book as object: binding, paper, editions, provenance, and care for the copy, not just the text.
Microfiction / flash fiction
A very short story that condenses situation and turn in a few lines or one page; demands precise style and a resonant ending.
Magical realism
A narrative mode where the fantastic appears in everyday life without rational explanation; wonder is woven into emotional and cultural reality.
Dystopia
A fictional society worse than ours in freedom or dignity; dystopian fiction warns or satirizes how control and fear become normal.
Alternate history (uchronia)
Fiction that imagines a different historical timeline from a recognizable point of divergence (“what if…?”).
Climate fiction (cli-fi)
Fiction where climate change and its effects (extremes, migration, resource conflict) structurally shape plot and characters.
Noir / crime fiction
Crime fiction with a raw tone, moral ambiguity, and corrupt atmosphere; flawed detectives and society weighing on the case.
Cozy mystery
A gentle mystery: violence often off-page, cozy setting, puzzle-like intrigue rather than graphic suspense.
Romantasy
A blend of romance and fantasy with similar weight to both: love arc and magical plot advance together with worldbuilding.
Young adult (YA)
Fiction aimed at teen readers (roughly 12–18), with protagonists in that range and themes of identity and belonging.
New adult (NA)
Fiction for readers about 18–25 (college, first jobs, independence), often more explicit in tone and content than many YA titles.
Stream of consciousness
Technique that mimics associative thought: sensations, memories and fragments without strict logical order or conventional syntax.
Bildungsroman (coming-of-age novel)
Story focused on a protagonist’s maturation: learning, mistakes and a changed view of self and society.
Epistolary novel
Fiction told through letters, emails or messages; the reader rebuilds plot from filtered voices and delivery timing.
Autofiction
Narrative that blends autobiographical facts and fiction without a clear boundary; authorial “I” and character deliberately overlap.
Worldbuilding
Design of a coherent fictional universe: geography, history, social rules, magic or tech that support plot and characters.
Deus ex machina
Abrupt, unlikely fix that resolves conflict without setup; in criticism it often signals structural weakness.
Chekhov's gun
Dramatic principle: if a detail appears as significant, it must pay off in the ending or it should not be on stage.
MacGuffin
Object or goal that drives action though its exact nature matters little; Hitchcock treated it as an engine of suspense.
Cliffhanger
Chapter or installment ending at peak tension (danger, half-reveal); staple of series and serial fiction.
Novella
Format between long short story and standard novel; often one focused arc with few subplots and one or two sittings.
Latin American Boom
Wave of Latin American novels and authors reaching global readership from the 1960s (García Márquez, Vargas Llosa, Cortázar, Fuentes, etc.).
BookTok
TikTok book community: short video recs, emotional reviews, and trends that drive reading lists and sales.
Bookstagram
Instagram book community: cover photos, shelves, caption reviews, and currently-reading posts with hashtags.
Bibliotherapy
Using reading and conversation around texts for wellbeing or reflection; clinical programs are guided and do not replace professional care.
Literary canon
Set of works a community treats as central reference; shifts with era, publishing power, and inclusion debates.
Reading culture
Review
A short text where a reader shares their opinion, analysis, or evaluation of a book. It usually avoids major spoilers and helps others decide whether it matches their taste.
Book club
A group of people who choose a common book and meet (in person or online) to discuss it on agreed dates.
Personal library
The set of books you own, have read, or want to read, with the states and lists you use to stay organized.
Reading list
A grouping by theme or priority, for example "Awards", "Summer", or "Contemporary women authors". It helps avoid mixing everything in one bucket.
Reading progress
An indication of where you are with a title: in Librarius it is usually expressed with states (to read, reading, read, abandoned) and notes, not with a server-stored page percentage.
Spoilers
Details that reveal twists or endings and can ruin a first read. In communities they are usually marked or explicitly warned.
Book swap
A book exchange between readers without going through a store. In Librarius it can be coordinated in person (for example, a quick swap event) or through the user-to-user marketplace.
Literary event
An organized gathering around reading: silent reading, a club, a swap, a bookstore route, or other formats with date, place, or online mode.
Blind date (book)
A dynamic where you swap or discover a book without knowing the title beforehand, often with limited clues.
Group read
Several readers move through the same title with a shared schedule and discuss it in a group or event.
BookCrossing
The practice of releasing registered physical copies so other readers can find them, read them, and release them again. Different from an agreed swap or a sale.
Readathon
A time-boxed stretch when readers or clubs set a shared reading goal, with check-ins and sometimes themed or charity challenges.
TBR (to be read)
The stack or list of books you intend to read soon; on social media it also tags the (sometimes ironic) pressure of piled-up pending titles.
DNF (did not finish)
Stopping a book on purpose before the end. In apps it often maps to “Abandoned”; clubs should agree how to discuss without spoilers.
Reader's block
A sustained stretch when you struggle to get into any book despite time or a pending list. Different from a tired day; short formats or low pressure often help.
Tsundoku
The often humorous habit of piling up unread books; Japanese term popular on bookstagram for shelves that grow faster than your reading pace.
App vocabulary
Reader
In Librarius, a user profile focused on sharing reading activity, reviews, and stories with other people.
Recommendation
A direct suggestion of a title or author aimed at someone with specific reading tastes or needs.
Story (ephemeral)
A short-lived post around your reading: a quote, page photo, or moment comment to share with the community.
Marketplace
A space to discover books for sale or exchange offered by other readers from their libraries. Librarius does not process checkout or payments: agreements are made directly between people.
Wall
A thread of posts and comments inside an event, group, or book page. It is used for announcements, discussion, and coordination without mixing it with the general feed.
Poll (group)
A vote inside a reading group to decide, for example, the next read or the meeting date.
Long-form writing
A long text by the author, publishable in parts with different visibility levels (private, followers, public).
Library profile
A type of institutional profile in Librarius for libraries that want to show catalog and public activity (subject to review).
Catalog / book page
The title page with edition data, ratings, and a comment wall. It is the page you open when you search or tap a book in your library.
Feed
The stream of posts from people you follow and from discovery. It is not the wall of a book, club, or event: those threads live on their own page.
Group
A book-club space with members, visibility rules and, if the organizer turns them on, polls and invite links.
Active profile
The role you post as at a given moment: reader, library, or bookstore. One account can have several profiles and switch the active one.
Notification
An activity alert. It can stay in the in-app inbox or arrive as a system push, depending on your settings.
Chat
Private messaging between users when it is enabled. Use it to arrange a swap, follow up on a recommendation, or talk off the public wall.
Read with others
Put these terms into practice in a book club.
