diff --git a/fedireads/tests/__init__.py b/fedireads/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b6e690fd5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fedireads/tests/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+from . import *
diff --git a/fedireads/tests/test_models.py b/fedireads/tests/test_models.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3296e4565
--- /dev/null
+++ b/fedireads/tests/test_models.py
@@ -0,0 +1,145 @@
+''' testing models '''
+import datetime
+
+from django.test import TestCase
+
+from fedireads import models, settings
+
+
+class Book(TestCase):
+    ''' not too much going on in the books model but here we are '''
+    def setUp(self):
+        work = models.Work.objects.create(title='Example Work')
+        models.Edition.objects.create(title='Example Edition', parent_work=work)
+
+    def test_absolute_id(self):
+        ''' editions and works use the same absolute id syntax '''
+        book = models.Edition.objects.first()
+        expected_id = 'https://%s/book/%d' % (settings.DOMAIN, book.id)
+        self.assertEqual(book.absolute_id, expected_id)
+
+    def test_create_book(self):
+        ''' you shouldn't be able to create Books (only editions and works) '''
+        self.assertRaises(
+            ValueError,
+            models.Book.objects.create,
+            title='Invalid Book'
+        )
+
+    def test_default_edition(self):
+        ''' a work should always be able to produce a deafult edition '''
+        default_edition = models.Work.objects.first().default_edition
+        self.assertIsInstance(default_edition, models.Edition)
+
+
+class ImportJob(TestCase):
+    ''' this is a fancy one!!! '''
+    def setUp(self):
+        ''' data is from a goodreads export of The Raven Tower '''
+        read_data = {
+            'Book Id': 39395857,
+            'Title': 'The Raven Tower',
+            'Author': 'Ann Leckie',
+            'Author l-f': 'Leckie, Ann',
+            'Additional Authors': '',
+            'ISBN': '="0356506991"',
+            'ISBN13': '="9780356506999"',
+            'My Rating': 0,
+            'Average Rating': 4.06,
+            'Publisher': 'Orbit',
+            'Binding': 'Hardcover',
+            'Number of Pages': 416,
+            'Year Published': 2019,
+            'Original Publication Year': 2019,
+            'Date Read': '2019/04/09',
+            'Date Added': '2019/04/09',
+            'Bookshelves': '',
+            'Bookshelves with positions': '',
+            'Exclusive Shelf': 'read',
+            'My Review': '',
+            'Spoiler': '',
+            'Private Notes': '',
+            'Read Count': 1,
+            'Recommended For': '',
+            'Recommended By': '',
+            'Owned Copies': 0,
+            'Original Purchase Date': '',
+            'Original Purchase Location': '',
+            'Condition': '',
+            'Condition Description': '',
+            'BCID': ''
+        }
+        currently_reading_data = read_data.copy()
+        currently_reading_data['Exclusive Shelf'] = 'currently-reading'
+        currently_reading_data['Date Read'] = ''
+
+        unknown_read_data = currently_reading_data.copy()
+        unknown_read_data['Exclusive Shelf'] = 'read'
+
+        user = models.User.objects.create_user(
+            'mouse', 'mouse@mouse.mouse', 'mouseword')
+        job = models.ImportJob.objects.create(user=user)
+        models.ImportItem.objects.create(
+            job=job, index=1, data=currently_reading_data)
+        models.ImportItem.objects.create(
+            job=job, index=2, data=read_data)
+        models.ImportItem.objects.create(
+            job=job, index=3, data=unknown_read_data)
+
+
+    def test_isbn(self):
+        ''' it unquotes the isbn13 field from data '''
+        expected = '9780356506999'
+        item = models.ImportItem.objects.get(index=1)
+        self.assertEqual(item.isbn, expected)
+
+
+    def test_shelf(self):
+        ''' converts to the local shelf typology '''
+        expected = 'reading'
+        item = models.ImportItem.objects.get(index=1)
+        self.assertEqual(item.shelf, expected)
+
+
+    def test_date_added(self):
+        ''' converts to the local shelf typology '''
+        expected = datetime.datetime(2019, 4, 9, 0, 0)
+        item = models.ImportItem.objects.get(index=1)
+        self.assertEqual(item.date_added, expected)
+
+
+    def test_date_read(self):
+        ''' converts to the local shelf typology '''
+        expected = datetime.datetime(2019, 4, 9, 0, 0)
+        item = models.ImportItem.objects.get(index=2)
+        self.assertEqual(item.date_read, expected)
+
+
+    def test_reads(self):
+        ''' various states of reading '''
+        expected_current = [models.ReadThrough(
+            start_date=datetime.datetime(2019, 4, 9, 0, 0),
+            finish_date=None
+        )]
+        expected_read = [models.ReadThrough(
+            start_date=datetime.datetime(2019, 4, 9, 0, 0),
+            finish_date=datetime.datetime(2019, 4, 9, 0, 0),
+        )]
+        expected_unknown = [models.ReadThrough(
+            start_date=None,
+            finish_date=None
+        )]
+        expecteds = [expected_current, expected_read, expected_unknown]
+
+        actuals = [
+            models.ImportItem.objects.get(index=1),
+            models.ImportItem.objects.get(index=2),
+            models.ImportItem.objects.get(index=3),
+        ]
+        for (expected, actual) in zip(expecteds, actuals):
+            actual = actual.reads
+
+            self.assertIsInstance(actual, list)
+            self.assertIsInstance(actual, models.ReadThrough)
+            self.assertEqual(actual[0].start_date, expected[0].start_date)
+            self.assertEqual(actual[0].finish_date, expected[0].finish_date)