diff --git a/calibre-db/src/calibre.rs b/calibre-db/src/calibre.rs
index 93277fa..1eb5d2e 100644
--- a/calibre-db/src/calibre.rs
+++ b/calibre-db/src/calibre.rs
@@ -90,6 +90,11 @@ impl Calibre {
         let conn = self.pool.get()?;
         Author::has_more_authors(&conn, author_sort)
     }
+
+    pub fn scalar_author(&self, id: u64) -> Result<Author, DataStoreError> {
+        let conn = self.pool.get()?;
+        Author::scalar_author(&conn, id)
+    }
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/calibre-db/src/data/author.rs b/calibre-db/src/data/author.rs
index 7e09caa..c48af6f 100644
--- a/calibre-db/src/data/author.rs
+++ b/calibre-db/src/data/author.rs
@@ -47,6 +47,12 @@ impl Author {
         Ok(stmt.query_row(params, Self::from_row)?)
     }
 
+    pub fn scalar_author(conn: &Connection, id: u64) -> Result<Self, DataStoreError> {
+        let mut stmt = conn.prepare("SELECT id, name, sort FROM authors WHERE id = (:id)")?;
+        let params = named_params! { ":id": id };
+        Ok(stmt.query_row(params, Self::from_row)?)
+    }
+
     pub fn has_previous_authors(
         conn: &Connection,
         sort_name: &str,
diff --git a/rusty-library/src/handlers/author.rs b/rusty-library/src/handlers/author.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..225b9fb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/rusty-library/src/handlers/author.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+use std::sync::Arc;
+
+use calibre_db::data::pagination::SortOrder;
+use poem::{
+    error::InternalServerError,
+    handler,
+    web::{Data, Html, Path},
+};
+use tera::Context;
+
+use crate::{
+    app_state::AppState, data::book::Book, handlers::error::SqliteError, templates::TEMPLATES,
+};
+
+#[handler]
+pub async fn handler(
+    id: Path<u64>,
+    state: Data<&Arc<AppState>>,
+) -> Result<Html<String>, poem::Error> {
+    let author = state.calibre.scalar_author(*id).map_err(SqliteError)?;
+    let books = state
+        .calibre
+        .author_books(*id, u32::MAX.into(), None, SortOrder::ASC)
+        .map_err(SqliteError)?;
+    let books = books
+        .iter()
+        .filter_map(|x| Book::full_book(x, &state))
+        .collect::<Vec<Book>>();
+
+    let mut context = Context::new();
+    context.insert("title", &author.name);
+    context.insert("nav", &author.name);
+    context.insert("books", &books);
+
+    TEMPLATES
+        .render("books", &context)
+        .map_err(InternalServerError)
+        .map(Html)
+}
diff --git a/rusty-library/src/handlers/authors.rs b/rusty-library/src/handlers/authors.rs
index 08da35a..f85ff2b 100644
--- a/rusty-library/src/handlers/authors.rs
+++ b/rusty-library/src/handlers/authors.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 use std::sync::Arc;
 
-use calibre_db::data::pagination::SortOrder;
+use calibre_db::{calibre::Calibre, data::pagination::SortOrder};
 use poem::{
     handler,
     web::{Data, Html, Path},
@@ -10,25 +10,27 @@ use crate::{app_state::AppState, handlers::paginated};
 
 #[handler]
 pub async fn handler_init(state: Data<&Arc<AppState>>) -> Result<Html<String>, poem::Error> {
-    paginated::render(
-        "authors",
-        || state.calibre.authors(25, None, &SortOrder::ASC),
-        |author| author.sort.clone(),
-        |cursor| state.calibre.has_previous_authors(cursor),
-        |cursor| state.calibre.has_more_authors(cursor),
-    )
+    authors(&state.calibre, None, &SortOrder::ASC)
 }
 
 #[handler]
 pub async fn handler(
     Path((cursor, sort_order)): Path<(String, SortOrder)>,
     state: Data<&Arc<AppState>>,
+) -> Result<Html<String>, poem::Error> {
+    authors(&state.calibre, Some(&cursor), &sort_order)
+}
+
+fn authors(
+    calibre: &Calibre,
+    cursor: Option<&str>,
+    sort_order: &SortOrder,
 ) -> Result<Html<String>, poem::Error> {
     paginated::render(
         "authors",
-        || state.calibre.authors(25, Some(&cursor), &sort_order),
+        || calibre.authors(25, cursor, sort_order),
         |author| author.sort.clone(),
-        |cursor| state.calibre.has_previous_authors(cursor),
-        |cursor| state.calibre.has_more_authors(cursor),
+        |cursor| calibre.has_previous_authors(cursor),
+        |cursor| calibre.has_more_authors(cursor),
     )
 }
diff --git a/rusty-library/src/handlers/error.rs b/rusty-library/src/handlers/error.rs
index 7c3a1ef..cf0b966 100644
--- a/rusty-library/src/handlers/error.rs
+++ b/rusty-library/src/handlers/error.rs
@@ -17,13 +17,13 @@ impl ResponseError for SqliteError {
     fn status(&self) -> StatusCode {
         match &self.0 {
             DataStoreError::NoResults(_) => StatusCode::NOT_FOUND,
-            _ => StatusCode::BAD_GATEWAY,
+            _ => StatusCode::INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR,
         }
     }
 
     fn as_response(&self) -> Response {
         let id = Uuid::new_v4();
-        let internal_msg = self.to_string();
+        let internal_msg = format!("{:?}", self);
         let external_msg = match &self.0 {
             DataStoreError::NoResults(_) => "item not found",
             _ => "internal server error",
diff --git a/rusty-library/src/handlers/recents.rs b/rusty-library/src/handlers/recents.rs
index e3ce040..90047ef 100644
--- a/rusty-library/src/handlers/recents.rs
+++ b/rusty-library/src/handlers/recents.rs
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ pub async fn handler(state: Data<&Arc<AppState>>) -> Result<Html<String>, poem::
     context.insert("nav", "recent");
     context.insert("books", &recent_books);
     TEMPLATES
-        .render("recents", &context)
+        .render("books", &context)
         .map_err(InternalServerError)
         .map(Html)
 }
diff --git a/rusty-library/src/main.rs b/rusty-library/src/main.rs
index f31870c..b453e76 100644
--- a/rusty-library/src/main.rs
+++ b/rusty-library/src/main.rs
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ mod data {
     pub mod book;
 }
 mod handlers {
+    pub mod author;
     pub mod authors;
     pub mod books;
     pub mod cover;
@@ -50,6 +51,7 @@ async fn main() -> Result<(), std::io::Error> {
         .at("/", get(handlers::recents::handler))
         .at("/books", get(handlers::books::handler))
         .at("/authors", get(handlers::authors::handler_init))
+        .at("/authors/:id", get(handlers::author::handler))
         .at(
             "/authors/:cursor/:sort_order",
             get(handlers::authors::handler),
diff --git a/rusty-library/src/templates.rs b/rusty-library/src/templates.rs
index 371b844..800ab30 100644
--- a/rusty-library/src/templates.rs
+++ b/rusty-library/src/templates.rs
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ pub static TEMPLATES: Lazy<Tera> = Lazy::new(|| {
         ("base", include_str!("../templates/base.html")),
         ("book_card", include_str!("../templates/book_card.html")),
         ("authors", include_str!("../templates/authors.html")),
-        ("recents", include_str!("../templates/recents.html")),
+        ("books", include_str!("../templates/books.html")),
     ])
     .expect("failed to parse tera templates");
 
diff --git a/rusty-library/templates/authors.html b/rusty-library/templates/authors.html
index a9a208e..c06a92b 100644
--- a/rusty-library/templates/authors.html
+++ b/rusty-library/templates/authors.html
@@ -1,19 +1,21 @@
 {% extends "base" %}
 {% block title %}
 {% if has_previous %}
-<a href="/authors/{{ backward_cursor }}/DESC">← back</a> 
+<a class="secondary" href="/authors/{{ backward_cursor }}/DESC">← back</a> 
 {% endif %} 
 {% if has_previous and has_more %}|{% endif%}
 
 {% if has_more %}
-<a href="/authors/{{ forward_cursor }}/ASC">more →</a>
+<a class="secondary" href="/authors/{{ forward_cursor }}/ASC">more →</a>
 {% endif %}
 {% endblock title %}
 
 {% block content %}
     <div class="grid-container">
     {% for author in authors %}
-      <article>{{ author.name }}</article>
+      <a class="contrast" href="/authors/{{ author.id }}">
+        <article>{{ author.name }}</article>
+      </a>
     {% endfor %}
     </div>
 {% endblock content %}
diff --git a/rusty-library/templates/recents.html b/rusty-library/templates/books.html
similarity index 100%
rename from rusty-library/templates/recents.html
rename to rusty-library/templates/books.html