diff --git a/bookwyrm/models/fields.py b/bookwyrm/models/fields.py
index 408cf1c33..87d220856 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/models/fields.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/models/fields.py
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ from django.core.files.base import ContentFile
 from django.db import models
 from django.utils import timezone
 from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _
+from markdown import markdown
 from bookwyrm import activitypub
 from bookwyrm.sanitize_html import InputHtmlParser
 from bookwyrm.settings import DOMAIN
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@ def validate_remote_id(value):
             params={'value': value},
         )
 
+
 def validate_username(value):
     ''' make sure usernames look okay '''
     if not re.match(r'^[A-Za-z\-_\.]+$', value):
@@ -399,6 +401,16 @@ class HtmlField(ActivitypubFieldMixin, models.TextField):
         sanitizer.feed(value)
         return sanitizer.get_output()
 
+    def to_python(self, value):# pylint: disable=no-self-use
+        ''' process markdown before save '''
+        if not value:
+            return value
+        content = markdown(value)
+        # sanitize resulting html
+        sanitizer = InputHtmlParser()
+        sanitizer.feed(content)
+        return sanitizer.get_output()
+
 class ArrayField(ActivitypubFieldMixin, DjangoArrayField):
     ''' activitypub-aware array field '''
     def field_to_activity(self, value):
diff --git a/bookwyrm/outgoing.py b/bookwyrm/outgoing.py
index 209b5858a..7ac2d0d67 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/outgoing.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/outgoing.py
@@ -211,18 +211,16 @@ def handle_status(user, form):
     ''' generic handler for statuses '''
     status = form.save(commit=False)
     if not status.sensitive and status.content_warning:
-        # the cw text field remains populated hen you click "remove"
+        # the cw text field remains populated when you click "remove"
         status.content_warning = None
     status.save()
 
     # inspect the text for user tags
-    text = status.content
-    matches = re.finditer(
-        regex.username,
-        text
-    )
-    for match in matches:
+    matches = []
+    for match in re.finditer(regex.username, status.content):
         username = match.group().strip().split('@')[1:]
+        print(match.group())
+        print(len(username))
         if len(username) == 1:
             # this looks like a local user (@user), fill in the domain
             username.append(DOMAIN)
@@ -232,6 +230,7 @@ def handle_status(user, form):
         if not mention_user:
             # we can ignore users we don't know about
             continue
+        matches.append((match.group(), mention_user.remote_id))
         # add them to status mentions fk
         status.mention_users.add(mention_user)
         # create notification if the mentioned user is local
@@ -242,6 +241,20 @@ def handle_status(user, form):
                 related_user=user,
                 related_status=status
             )
+    # add links
+    content = status.content
+    content = re.sub(
+        r'([^(href=")])(https?:\/\/([A-Za-z\.\-_\/]+' \
+            r'\.[A-Za-z]{2,}[A-Za-z\.\-_\/]+))',
+        r'\g<1><a href="\g<2>">\g<3></a>',
+        content)
+    for (username, url) in matches:
+        content = re.sub(
+            r'%s([^@])' % username,
+            r'<a href="%s">%s</a>\g<1>' % (url, username),
+            content)
+
+    status.content = content
     status.save()
 
     # notify reply parent or tagged users
diff --git a/bookwyrm/sanitize_html.py b/bookwyrm/sanitize_html.py
index 933fc43c6..de13ede85 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/sanitize_html.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/sanitize_html.py
@@ -6,7 +6,11 @@ class InputHtmlParser(HTMLParser):#pylint: disable=abstract-method
 
     def __init__(self):
         HTMLParser.__init__(self)
-        self.allowed_tags = ['p', 'b', 'i', 'pre', 'a', 'span']
+        self.allowed_tags = [
+            'p', 'br',
+            'b', 'i', 'strong', 'em', 'pre',
+            'a', 'span', 'ul', 'ol', 'li'
+        ]
         self.tag_stack = []
         self.output = []
         # if the html appears invalid, we just won't allow any at all
diff --git a/bookwyrm/static/css/format.css b/bookwyrm/static/css/format.css
index dd5c45eb3..5b5ff08d4 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/static/css/format.css
+++ b/bookwyrm/static/css/format.css
@@ -137,8 +137,3 @@ input.toggle-control:checked ~ .modal.toggle-content {
     content: "\e904";
     right: 0;
 }
-
-/* --- BLOCKQUOTE --- */
-blockquote {
-    white-space: pre-line;
-}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book.html
index abed35989..506ee3db0 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book.html
@@ -103,14 +103,14 @@
             <div>
                 {% for shelf in user_shelves %}
                 <p>
-                    This edition is on your <a href="/user/{{ user.localname }}/shelves/{{ shelf.shelf.identifier }}">{{ shelf.shelf.name }}</a> shelf.
+                    This edition is on your <a href="/user/{{ user.localname }}/shelf/{{ shelf.shelf.identifier }}">{{ shelf.shelf.name }}</a> shelf.
                     {% include 'snippets/shelf_selector.html' with current=shelf.shelf %}
                 </p>
                 {% endfor %}
 
                 {% for shelf in other_edition_shelves %}
                 <p>
-                    A <a href="/book/{{ shelf.book.id }}">different edition</a> of this book is on your <a href="/user/{{ user.localname }}/shelves/{{ shelf.shelf.identifier }}">{{ shelf.shelf.name }}</a> shelf.
+                    A <a href="/book/{{ shelf.book.id }}">different edition</a> of this book is on your <a href="/user/{{ user.localname }}/shelf/{{ shelf.shelf.identifier }}">{{ shelf.shelf.name }}</a> shelf.
                     {% include 'snippets/switch_edition_button.html' with edition=book %}
                 </p>
                 {% endfor %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_content.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_content.html
index 6e4a6b983..95d6f8eec 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_content.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status_content.html
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 
         {% if status.quote %}
         <div class="quote block">
-            <blockquote>{{ status.quote }}</blockquote>
+            <blockquote>{{ status.quote | safe }}</blockquote>
 
             <p> &mdash; {% include 'snippets/book_titleby.html' with book=status.book %}</p>
         </div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/tests/test_incoming.py b/bookwyrm/tests/test_incoming.py
index 2cc4c1f44..e0c376484 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/tests/test_incoming.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/tests/test_incoming.py
@@ -262,8 +262,8 @@ class Incoming(TestCase):
         status = models.Quotation.objects.get()
         self.assertEqual(
             status.remote_id, 'https://example.com/user/mouse/quotation/13')
-        self.assertEqual(status.quote, 'quote body')
-        self.assertEqual(status.content, 'commentary')
+        self.assertEqual(status.quote, '<p>quote body</p>')
+        self.assertEqual(status.content, '<p>commentary</p>')
         self.assertEqual(status.user, self.local_user)
         self.assertEqual(models.Status.objects.count(), 2)
 
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ class Incoming(TestCase):
 
         incoming.handle_create(activity)
         status = models.Status.objects.last()
-        self.assertEqual(status.content, 'test content in note')
+        self.assertEqual(status.content, '<p>test content in note</p>')
         self.assertEqual(status.mention_users.first(), self.local_user)
         self.assertTrue(
             models.Notification.objects.filter(user=self.local_user).exists())
@@ -306,7 +306,7 @@ class Incoming(TestCase):
 
         incoming.handle_create(activity)
         status = models.Status.objects.last()
-        self.assertEqual(status.content, 'test content in note')
+        self.assertEqual(status.content, '<p>test content in note</p>')
         self.assertEqual(status.reply_parent, self.status)
         self.assertTrue(
             models.Notification.objects.filter(user=self.local_user))
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views.py b/bookwyrm/views.py
index 097c35770..c27391cc2 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views.py
@@ -615,18 +615,13 @@ def book_page(request, book_id):
             book__parent_work=book.parent_work,
         )
 
-    rating = reviews.aggregate(Avg('rating'))
-    tags = models.UserTag.objects.filter(
-        book=book,
-    )
-
     data = {
         'title': book.title,
         'book': book,
         'reviews': reviews_page,
         'ratings': reviews.filter(content__isnull=True),
-        'rating': rating['rating__avg'],
-        'tags': tags,
+        'rating': reviews.aggregate(Avg('rating'))['rating__avg'],
+        'tags':  models.UserTag.objects.filter(book=book),
         'user_tags': user_tags,
         'user_shelves': user_shelves,
         'other_edition_shelves': other_edition_shelves,
@@ -761,7 +756,7 @@ def shelf_page(request, username, shelf_identifier):
         return JsonResponse(shelf.to_activity(**request.GET))
 
     data = {
-        'title': user.name,
+        'title': '%s\'s %s shelf' % (user.display_name, shelf.name),
         'user': user,
         'is_self': is_self,
         'shelves': shelves.all(),
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 0e17fccaf..e5d7798d7 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ Django==3.0.7
 django-model-utils==4.0.0
 environs==7.2.0
 flower==0.9.4
+Markdown==3.3.3
 Pillow>=7.1.0
 psycopg2==2.8.4
 pycryptodome==3.9.4