diff --git a/src/components/Library.tsx b/src/components/Library.tsx
index ccdee2a..038c0dc 100644
--- a/src/components/Library.tsx
+++ b/src/components/Library.tsx
@@ -79,7 +79,11 @@ export function Library({ onOpen }: { onOpen: (book: Book) => void }) {
           </button>
         )}
         {books.map((b) => (
-          <div key={b.id} className="card card-book" onClick={() => loadBook(b.id).then(onOpen)}>
+          <div
+            key={b.id}
+            className="card card-book"
+            onClick={() => loadBook(b.id).then(onOpen).catch((e) => setNotice(`Could not open book: ${e}`))}
+          >
             <span className="card-title">{b.title || "Untitled"}</span>
             {b.author && <span className="card-author">{b.author}</span>}
             <RowMenu label="Book options" className="card-menu" onDelete={() => setPendingDelete(b)} />
diff --git a/src/library.ts b/src/library.ts
index e329473..7f39c92 100644
--- a/src/library.ts
+++ b/src/library.ts
@@ -15,7 +15,11 @@ export async function listBooks(): Promise<BookSummary[]> {
 
 export async function loadBook(id: string): Promise<Book> {
   const contents = await invoke<string>("load_book", { id });
-  return JSON.parse(contents) as Book;
+  try {
+    return JSON.parse(contents) as Book;
+  } catch {
+    throw new Error("the book file is corrupt or unreadable");
+  }
 }
 
 export async function saveBook(book: Book): Promise<void> {
diff --git a/src/model/book.ts b/src/model/book.ts
index 5db51dc..dc8017e 100644
--- a/src/model/book.ts
+++ b/src/model/book.ts
@@ -140,11 +140,19 @@ export function createCover(): Cover {
   return { kind: "default", image: "", bg: COVER_PALETTES[0].bg, ink: COVER_PALETTES[0].ink };
 }
 
+const DEFAULT_METADATA: BookMetadata = { title: "Untitled", subtitle: "", author: "", isbn: "", language: "en" };
+const DEFAULT_SETTINGS: BookSettings = { trim: "6x9", bleed: true };
+
 export function normalizeBook(book: Book): Book {
+  const chapters = (Array.isArray(book.chapters) ? book.chapters : []).filter(Boolean);
   return {
     ...book,
+    metadata: { ...DEFAULT_METADATA, ...book.metadata },
+    settings: { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS, ...book.settings },
     cover: book.cover ? { ...createCover(), ...book.cover } : createCover(),
-    chapters: book.chapters.map((c) => (c.updatedAt ? c : { ...c, updatedAt: Date.now() })),
+    chapters: (chapters.length ? chapters : [createChapter()]).map((c) =>
+      c.updatedAt ? c : { ...c, updatedAt: Date.now() },
+    ),
   };
 }
 
@@ -152,9 +160,9 @@ export function createBook(): Book {
   return {
     schema: "margin/1",
     id: crypto.randomUUID(),
-    metadata: { title: "Untitled", subtitle: "", author: "", isbn: "", language: "en" },
+    metadata: { ...DEFAULT_METADATA },
     theme: "quiet-press",
-    settings: { trim: "6x9", bleed: true },
+    settings: { ...DEFAULT_SETTINGS },
     cover: createCover(),
     chapters: [createChapter("Chapter One")],
   };