You can support worm.so directly at https://www.worm.so/worm-plus. After three months of membership, you’ll be eligible to receive a worm.so–branded tote!

Kyle and Emily sit down with Kara Raynoha this week to share the good word about a new name in book tracking apps: worm.so. Kara walks the hosts through how the idea first took root, and why the current landscape of reader platforms leaves a lot to be desired.

From discovery feeds and swipe features to reading goals, clubs, and events, the conversation explores what happens when book tracking shifts from monomaniacal corporate incentive to active and informed community-building. Along the way, they dig into thornier questions: data privacy, corporate ownership, algorithmic influence, and how massive platforms shape what readers see.

At the heart of it all, though, is this: what does “community” really mean for readers? Libraries, indie bookshops, BookTok, worm.so positions itself as an app that responds to a need. Whether you log every page or just love talking books, this episode will get you think about who really benefits from the way we track our reading… and who should.

Join us every week as we explore the fascinating origins and meanings of words, uncovering the hidden stories behind language and how it evolves over time, for language enthusiasts and etymology buffs alike.

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Produced by Seth Gliksman, Kyle Imperatore, and Emily Moyers

Main theme and accompanying themes by Kyle Imperatore