Journey Mode: Visualizing Your Reading Path Through Time

Your reading isn't just a collection - it's a journey. You started somewhere, made choices, followed interests, and arrived at where you are today. Journey Mode lets you see that path.

What is Journey Mode?

Journey Mode is a way to view your book knowledge graph chronologically rather than by connection. Instead of seeing how books relate thematically, you see them in the order you read them.

Toggle it on, and your graph transforms:

Books arrange left-to-right by reading date
Lines connect adjacent books, showing your reading sequence
Animated gradients indicate the direction of time

Why Time Matters

1. Seeing Your Evolution

Your interests change. What you read five years ago might be completely different from what you read now. Journey Mode makes this evolution visible.

You might notice:

A phase where you read heavily in one genre
The book that sparked a new interest
A gradual shift from one topic to another

2. Understanding Cause and Effect

Sometimes one book leads to another. Maybe you read "Sapiens" because "Thinking, Fast and Slow" made you curious about evolutionary psychology.

Journey Mode shows these sequences. You can trace the path from book to book and understand why you made certain choices.

3. Recognizing Patterns

Do you always return to certain topics? Is there a rhythm to your reading - deep, then broad, then deep again? Journey Mode reveals temporal patterns that aren't visible in a static graph.

How Books Are Ordered

Journey Mode primarily sorts by reading status: 1. READ (completed books come first) 2. READING (currently reading) 3. WANT TO READ (future books)

Within each status, books sort by date - date finished for READ, date started for READING, date added for WANT TO READ.

This means your completed reading journey appears first, followed by your current reads and plans.

Using Journey Mode

Trace Your Path

Click on an early book and follow the path forward. What did you read after it? Did it lead to related books, or did you branch into something new?

Identify Pivots

Look for pivot points - moments when your reading direction changed significantly. Was there a book that opened a new door? A recommendation that shifted your focus?

Plan Future Reading

Look at where your journey is heading. Do you see a theme emerging? Is there a gap you want to address? Journey Mode helps you see your reading trajectory and decide where to go next.

The Difference from Connections View

Normal graph view shows conceptual relationships. Books that share themes appear close together regardless of when you read them.

Journey Mode shows temporal relationships. Recent books appear on the right, older books on the left, regardless of theme.

Both views are useful:

**Connections View** for understanding how ideas relate
**Journey Mode** for understanding how your interests evolved

Toggle between them to get the full picture.

Your Reading Story

Everyone's reading journey is unique. Some readers follow a linear path, going deeper into one topic over time. Others zigzag across domains, following curiosity wherever it leads.

Neither is better. The value of Journey Mode is simply making your particular story visible.

What will you discover about your reading journey?