diff --git a/bookwyrm/forms.py b/bookwyrm/forms.py
index 7ba7bd97..37cb2e87 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/forms.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/forms.py
@@ -478,3 +478,8 @@ class SortListForm(forms.Form):
             ("descending", _("Descending")),
         ),
     )
+
+class ReadThroughForm(CustomForm):
+    class Meta:
+        model = models.ReadThrough
+        fields = ["user", "book", "start_date", "finish_date"]
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/add_readthrough_modal.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/add_readthrough_modal.html
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..45cbb2aa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/add_readthrough_modal.html
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+{% extends "components/modal.html" %}
+{% load i18n %}
+{% load utilities %}
+
+{% block modal-title %}
+{% blocktrans trimmed with title=book|book_title %}
+Add read dates for "<em>{{ title }}</em>"
+{% endblocktrans %}
+{% endblock %}
+
+{% block modal-form-open %}
+<form name="add-readthrough" action="/create-readthrough" method="post">
+{% endblock %}
+
+{% block modal-body %}
+{% include 'snippets/readthrough_form.html' with readthrough=None %}
+{% endblock %}
+
+{% block modal-footer %}
+<button class="button is-primary" type="submit">{% trans "Add" %}</button>
+{% if not static %}
+<button type="button" class="button" data-modal-close>{% trans "Cancel" %}</button>
+{% endif %}
+{% endblock %}
+
+{% block modal-form-close %}
+</form>
+{% endblock %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
index 19dbccbd..38dffd20 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
@@ -237,24 +237,16 @@
                     <h2 class="title is-5">{% trans "Your reading activity" %}</h2>
                     </div>
                     <div class="column is-narrow">
-                        {% trans "Add read dates" as button_text %}
-                        {% include 'snippets/toggle/open_button.html' with text=button_text icon_with_text="plus" class="is-small" controls_text="add_readthrough" focus="add_readthrough_focus_" %}
+                        <button class="button is-small" data-modal-open="add-readthrough">
+                            <span class="icon icon-plus m-mobile-0" aria-hidden="true"></span>
+                            <span class="is-sr-only-mobile">
+                                {% trans "Add read dates" %}
+                            </span>
+                        </button>
                     </div>
                 </header>
-                <section class="is-hidden box" id="add_readthrough">
-                    <form name="add-readthrough" action="/create-readthrough" method="post">
-                        {% include 'snippets/readthrough_form.html' with readthrough=None %}
-                        <div class="field is-grouped">
-                            <div class="control">
-                                <button class="button is-primary" type="submit">{% trans "Create" %}</button>
-                            </div>
-                            <div class="control">
-                                {% trans "Cancel" as button_text %}
-                                {% include 'snippets/toggle/close_button.html' with text=button_text controls_text="add_readthrough" %}
-                            </div>
-                        </div>
-                    </form>
-                </section>
+                {% include "book/add_readthrough_modal.html" with id="add-readthrough" %}
+
                 {% if not readthroughs.exists %}
                 <p>{% trans "You don't have any reading activity for this book." %}</p>
                 {% endif %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/readthrough_form.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/readthrough_form.html
index 295ad7c6..1558dada 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/readthrough_form.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/readthrough_form.html
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 {% csrf_token %}
 <input type="hidden" name="id" value="{{ readthrough.id }}">
 <input type="hidden" name="book" value="{{ book.id }}">
+<input type="hidden" name="user" value="{{ request.user.id }}">
 <div class="field">
     <label class="label" tabindex="0" id="add_readthrough_focus_{{ readthrough.id }}" for="id_start_date_{{ readthrough.id }}">
         {% trans "Started reading" %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/urls.py b/bookwyrm/urls.py
index 33199225..f0851df2 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/urls.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/urls.py
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ urlpatterns = [
     # reading progress
     re_path(r"^edit-readthrough/?$", views.edit_readthrough, name="edit-readthrough"),
     re_path(r"^delete-readthrough/?$", views.delete_readthrough),
-    re_path(r"^create-readthrough/?$", views.create_readthrough),
+    re_path(r"^create-readthrough/?$", views.CreateReadThrough.as_view(), name="create-readthrough"),
     re_path(r"^delete-progressupdate/?$", views.delete_progressupdate),
     # shelve actions
     re_path(
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
index 35058ffa..092d27a6 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ from .list import Lists, SavedLists, List, Curate, UserLists
 from .list import save_list, unsave_list, delete_list, unsafe_embed_list
 from .notifications import Notifications
 from .outbox import Outbox
-from .reading import create_readthrough, delete_readthrough, delete_progressupdate
+from .reading import CreateReadThrough, delete_readthrough, delete_progressupdate
 from .reading import ReadingStatus
 from .rss_feed import RssFeed
 from .search import Search
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/reading.py b/bookwyrm/views/reading.py
index fd12dc0f..7c10c7fc 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/reading.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/reading.py
@@ -9,16 +9,16 @@ from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
 from django.views import View
 from django.views.decorators.http import require_POST
 
-from bookwyrm import models
+from bookwyrm import forms, models
 from bookwyrm.views.shelf.shelf_actions import unshelve
 from .status import CreateStatus
 from .helpers import get_edition, handle_reading_status, is_api_request
 from .helpers import load_date_in_user_tz_as_utc
 
 
-@method_decorator(login_required, name="dispatch")
 # pylint: disable=no-self-use
 # pylint: disable=too-many-return-statements
+@method_decorator(login_required, name="dispatch")
 class ReadingStatus(View):
     """consider reading a book"""
 
@@ -115,6 +115,35 @@ class ReadingStatus(View):
         return redirect(referer)
 
 
+@method_decorator(login_required, name="dispatch")
+class CreateReadThrough(View):
+    """Add new read dates"""
+    def get(self, request):
+        """standalone form in case of errors"""
+
+
+    def post(self, request):
+        """can't use the form normally because the dates are too finnicky"""
+        print("hi")
+        normalized_post = request.POST.copy()
+        print(normalized_post)
+
+        normalized_post["start_date"] = load_date_in_user_tz_as_utc(
+            request.POST.get("start_date"), request.user
+        )
+        normalized_post["finish_date"] = load_date_in_user_tz_as_utc(
+            request.POST.get("finish_date"), request.user
+        )
+        form = forms.ReadThroughForm(normalized_post)
+        if not form.is_valid():
+            print(form.errors)
+            # TODO error handling
+            return ""
+        form.save()
+        return redirect("book", request.POST.get("book"))
+
+
+
 @transaction.atomic
 def update_readthrough_on_shelve(
     user, annotated_book, status, start_date=None, finish_date=None
@@ -155,28 +184,6 @@ def delete_readthrough(request):
     readthrough.delete()
     return redirect(request.headers.get("Referer", "/"))
 
-
-@login_required
-@require_POST
-def create_readthrough(request):
-    """can't use the form because the dates are too finnicky"""
-    book = get_object_or_404(models.Edition, id=request.POST.get("book"))
-
-    start_date = load_date_in_user_tz_as_utc(
-        request.POST.get("start_date"), request.user
-    )
-    finish_date = load_date_in_user_tz_as_utc(
-        request.POST.get("finish_date"), request.user
-    )
-    models.ReadThrough.objects.create(
-        user=request.user,
-        book=book,
-        start_date=start_date,
-        finish_date=finish_date,
-    )
-    return redirect("book", book.id)
-
-
 @login_required
 @require_POST
 def delete_progressupdate(request):