The Reading Room

Typing practice with books

Type a whole book, one chapter at a time. Fifteen classic novels, complete and free to type in your browser. Real sentences make better practice than word lists, your speed and accuracy are tracked for every chapter, your place is saved as you go, and every word you type earns coins in the game.

Start with Alice in Wonderland Take a typing test

Short reads

Alice's Adventures in WonderlandLewis Carroll · 1865 · 12 chapters · 11 hours at 40 WPMA bored afternoon, a white rabbit with a pocket watch and a long fall into a very odd world. Short chapters and playful wordplay.A Christmas CarolCharles Dickens · 1843 · 5 chapters · 12 hours at 40 WPMScrooge, three spirits, and one long night. Five staves, perfect for a week of evenings.Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr HydeRobert Louis Stevenson · 1886 · 10 chapters · 11 hours at 40 WPMA respectable doctor, a sinister stranger, and the secret that links them. Ten tense chapters.The Time MachineH. G. Wells · 1895 · 12 chapters · 14 hours at 40 WPMAn inventor tells his dinner guests where, or rather when, he has been. The book that named the idea.The Wonderful Wizard of OzL. Frank Baum · 1900 · 23 chapters · 16 hours at 40 WPMA cyclone, a yellow brick road, and three companions in search of what they think they lack.The Jungle BookRudyard Kipling · 1894 · 7 chapters · 21 hours at 40 WPMSeven stories: Mowgli raised by wolves, a brave mongoose, a white seal, and more.

Classics

Treasure IslandRobert Louis Stevenson · 1883 · 34 chapters · 29 hours at 40 WPMA map, a cook with one leg, and a voyage to an island of buried gold. Adventure from the first page.The Adventures of Sherlock HolmesArthur Conan Doyle · 1892 · 12 chapters · 44 hours at 40 WPMTwelve cases for the great detective and Dr Watson, each one a complete mystery.The Picture of Dorian GrayOscar Wilde · 1890 · 20 chapters · 33 hours at 40 WPMA portrait ages while its subject does not. Sharp, witty, and dark.The Secret GardenFrances Hodgson Burnett · 1911 · 27 chapters · 34 hours at 40 WPMA lonely girl, a locked garden, and a hidden key. A gentle story of things growing back.FrankensteinMary Shelley · 1818 · 28 chapters · 31 hours at 40 WPMA young scientist builds a life, then runs from what he has made. Told in letters and confessions.Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen · 1813 · 61 chapters · 51 hours at 40 WPMElizabeth Bennet, four sisters, and Mr Darcy, who is far too proud to dance. Sharp, funny, and full of dialogue.

Epics

DraculaBram Stoker · 1897 · 27 chapters · 68 hours at 40 WPMJournals, letters, and diaries piece together a hunt for the Count. Long, creeping, and gripping.Little WomenLouisa May Alcott · 1868 · 47 chapters · 77 hours at 40 WPMMeg, Jo, Beth, and Amy grow up through hard times and happy ones. A warm, long read.Moby-DickHerman Melville · 1851 · 135 chapters · 88 hours at 40 WPMA whaling voyage and a captain who will chase one white whale to the ends of the sea. The longest book on the shelf.

How book typing practice works

Choose a book and type its opening chapter. The words appear on the page as you type them, like writing out the book yourself.
Every chapter shows your words per minute and accuracy, and your Reading level rises with every page you type.
Your place is saved after every paragraph, so you can type a few minutes a day and pick up exactly where you stopped.
Finish a book to earn its own title and a cover banner for your profile, then start the next one.

Questions about typing practice with books

Can I practise typing with a book?

Yes. Pick any of the fifteen books here and type it chapter by chapter in your browser. Every paragraph is the real text, with its punctuation and capitals, so it trains you for real writing, not just word lists.

Is book typing practice free?

Yes. Every book is complete and free to type, with no sign-up needed. Signing in only saves your place across devices.

How long does it take to type a whole book?

A short read like Alice in Wonderland takes about eleven hours at 40 words per minute; an epic like Moby-Dick takes over three days of typing. Your place is saved after every paragraph, so a few minutes a day is enough.

Does it track my typing speed?

Yes. Each chapter shows your words per minute and accuracy, your Reading level rises as you type, and the typing test sits one tab away when you want a quick WPM check.

Is typing a book good practice?

Typing real prose builds speed and accuracy with the punctuation, capitals, and long words that word lists leave out, and a good story keeps you practising for longer.