Web Log: The future of books is serialised

The Pigeonhole iOS app combines serialised novels with a book club format

The Pigeonhole has perhaps brought publishing full circle to the serialising of books much like what Charles Dickens's The Pickwick Papers or Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories in The Strand. The difference is that this iOS app combines serialised novels with a book club format and, in many instances, enriches the text with added extras.

Pick a book – there are several free classics such as Moby Dick – and set up a book club with friends. Each day you are sent a new "stave" or instalment, all the while, with the ability to discuss with pals through the app. In the case of Moby Dick, it has audio and visual extras from live readings to liven up the reading process.

There is also the “premiere” feature hosting new titles each month, which anyone can join for collective real-time reading. Depending on the book, some authors join in the discussion.