diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
index bd937a27c..d27c7ec54 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/book/book.html
@@ -215,10 +215,10 @@
                 {% endif %}
 
 
-                {% with work=book.parent_work %}
+                {% with work=book.parent_work editions_count=book.parent_work.editions.count %}
                 <p>
                     <a href="{{ work.local_path }}/editions" id="tour-other-editions-link">
-                        {% blocktrans trimmed count counter=work.editions.count with count=work.editions.count|intcomma %}
+                        {% blocktrans trimmed count counter=editions_count with count=editions_count|intcomma %}
                             {{ count }} edition
                             {% plural %}
                             {{ count }} editions
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/layout.html b/bookwyrm/templates/layout.html
index e838ead12..1227e39c4 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/layout.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/layout.html
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 {% block body %}
 <nav class="navbar" aria-label="main navigation">
     <div class="container">
+        {% with notification_count=request.user.unread_notification_count has_unread_mentions=request.user.has_unread_mentions %}
         <div class="navbar-brand">
             <a class="navbar-item" href="/">
                 <img class="image logo" src="{% if site.logo_small %}{% get_media_prefix %}{{ site.logo_small }}{% else %}{% static "images/logo-small.png" %}{% endif %}" alt="{% blocktrans with site_name=site.name %}{{ site_name }} home page{% endblocktrans %}">
@@ -67,9 +68,8 @@
             >
                 <i class="icon-dots-three-vertical" aria-hidden="true"></i>
 
-                {% with request.user.unread_notification_count as notification_count %}
                 <strong
-                    class="{% if not notification_count %}is-hidden {% elif request.user.has_unread_mentions %}is-danger {% else %}is-primary {% endif %} tag is-small px-1"
+                    class="{% if not notification_count %}is-hidden {% elif has_unread_mentions %}is-danger {% else %}is-primary {% endif %} tag is-small px-1"
                     data-poll-wrapper
                 >
                     <span class="is-sr-only">{% trans "Notifications" %}</span>
@@ -77,7 +77,6 @@
                         {{ notification_count }}
                     </strong>
                 </strong>
-                {% endwith %}
             </button>
         </div>
 
@@ -108,14 +107,12 @@
                                 <span class="is-sr-only">{% trans "Notifications" %}</span>
                             </span>
                         </span>
-                        {% with request.user.unread_notification_count as notification_count %}
                         <span
-                            class="{% if not notification_count %}is-hidden {% elif request.user.has_unread_mentions %}is-danger {% endif %}tag is-medium transition-x"
+                            class="{% if not notification_count %}is-hidden {% elif has_unread_mentions %}is-danger {% endif %}tag is-medium transition-x"
                             data-poll-wrapper
                         >
                             <span data-poll="notifications">{{ notification_count }}</span>
                         </span>
-                        {% endwith %}
                     </a>
                 </div>
                 {% else %}
@@ -154,6 +151,7 @@
                 {% endif %}
             </div>
         </div>
+        {% endwith %}
     </div>
 </nav>
 
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/settings/users/user_moderation_actions.html b/bookwyrm/templates/settings/users/user_moderation_actions.html
index 72202f379..5bd007e0d 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/settings/users/user_moderation_actions.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/settings/users/user_moderation_actions.html
@@ -15,6 +15,12 @@
             </p>
             {% endif %}
 
+            {% if not user.is_active and user.deactivation_reason == "pending" %}
+            <form name="activate" method="post" action="{% url 'settings-activate-user' user.id  %}" class="mr-1">
+                {% csrf_token %}
+                <button type="submit" class="button is-success is-light">{% trans "Activate user" %}</button>
+            </form>
+            {% endif %}
             {% if user.is_active or user.deactivation_reason == "pending" %}
             <form name="suspend" method="post" action="{% url 'settings-report-suspend' user.id  %}" class="mr-1">
                 {% csrf_token %}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status/comment.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status/comment.html
index 65b322699..1186cc71c 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status/comment.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/create_status/comment.html
@@ -19,9 +19,9 @@ uuid: a unique identifier used to make html "id" attributes unique and clarify j
     {# Supplemental fields #}
     <div>
         {% active_shelf book as active_shelf %}
-        {% if active_shelf.shelf.identifier == 'reading' and book.latest_readthrough %}
-
+        {% if active_shelf.shelf.identifier == 'reading' %}
         {% with readthrough=book.latest_readthrough %}
+        {% if readthrough %}
         <div class="field">
             <input type="hidden" name="id" value="{{ readthrough.id }}"/>
             <label class="label" for="progress_{{ uuid }}">{% trans "Progress:" %}</label>
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ uuid: a unique identifier used to make html "id" attributes unique and clarify j
             <p class="help">{% blocktrans with pages=book.pages %}of {{ pages }} pages{% endblocktrans %}</p>
             {% endif %}
         </div>
+        {% endif %}
         {% endwith %}
         {% endif %}
     </div>
diff --git a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status/headers/generatednote.html b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status/headers/generatednote.html
index 6a34dcd11..398dc09db 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status/headers/generatednote.html
+++ b/bookwyrm/templates/snippets/status/headers/generatednote.html
@@ -4,11 +4,11 @@
 {# Three day cache #}
 {% get_current_language as LANGUAGE_CODE %}
 {% cache 259200 generated_note_header LANGUAGE_CODE status.id %}
-{% if status.content == 'wants to read' %}
+{% if status.content == 'wants to read' or status.content == '<p>wants to read</p>' %}
     {% include 'snippets/status/headers/to_read.html' with book=status.mention_books.first %}
-{% elif status.content == 'finished reading' %}
+{% elif status.content == 'finished reading' or status.content == '<p>finished reading</p>' %}
     {% include 'snippets/status/headers/read.html' with book=status.mention_books.first %}
-{% elif status.content == 'started reading' %}
+{% elif status.content == 'started reading' or status.content == '<p>started reading</p>' %}
     {% include 'snippets/status/headers/reading.html' with book=status.mention_books.first %}
 {% else %}
     {{ status.content }}
diff --git a/bookwyrm/urls.py b/bookwyrm/urls.py
index 6f70280ec..5050e029a 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/urls.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/urls.py
@@ -145,6 +145,11 @@ urlpatterns = [
         views.UserAdmin.as_view(),
         name="settings-user",
     ),
+    re_path(
+        r"^settings/users/(?P<user>\d+)/activate/?$",
+        views.ActivateUserAdmin.as_view(),
+        name="settings-activate-user",
+    ),
     re_path(
         r"^settings/federation/(?P<status>(federated|blocked))?/?$",
         views.Federation.as_view(),
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
index 0a431318c..b1ab977a7 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/__init__.py
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ from .admin.reports import (
 )
 from .admin.site import Site, Registration, RegistrationLimited
 from .admin.themes import Themes, delete_theme
-from .admin.user_admin import UserAdmin, UserAdminList
+from .admin.user_admin import UserAdmin, UserAdminList, ActivateUserAdmin
 
 # user preferences
 from .preferences.change_password import ChangePassword
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/admin/user_admin.py b/bookwyrm/views/admin/user_admin.py
index 4611a388c..c793d3bff 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/admin/user_admin.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/admin/user_admin.py
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 """ manage user """
 from django.contrib.auth.decorators import login_required, permission_required
 from django.core.paginator import Paginator
-from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404
+from django.shortcuts import get_object_or_404, redirect
 from django.template.response import TemplateResponse
 from django.utils.decorators import method_decorator
 from django.views import View
@@ -95,3 +95,19 @@ class UserAdmin(View):
                 form.save(request)
         data = {"user": user, "group_form": form}
         return TemplateResponse(request, "settings/users/user.html", data)
+
+
+@method_decorator(login_required, name="dispatch")
+@method_decorator(
+    permission_required("bookwyrm.moderate_user", raise_exception=True),
+    name="dispatch",
+)
+class ActivateUserAdmin(View):
+    """activate a user manually"""
+
+    # pylint: disable=unused-argument
+    def post(self, request, user):
+        """activate user"""
+        user = get_object_or_404(models.User, id=user)
+        user.reactivate()
+        return redirect("settings-user", user.id)
diff --git a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
index 6d7aeb239..17218b93e 100644
--- a/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
+++ b/bookwyrm/views/feed.py
@@ -237,16 +237,24 @@ def feed_page_data(user):
 def get_suggested_books(user, max_books=5):
     """helper to get a user's recent books"""
     book_count = 0
-    preset_shelves = [("reading", max_books), ("read", 2), ("to-read", max_books)]
+    preset_shelves = {"reading": max_books, "read": 2, "to-read": max_books}
     suggested_books = []
-    for (preset, shelf_max) in preset_shelves:
+
+    user_shelves = {
+        shelf.identifier: shelf
+        for shelf in user.shelf_set.filter(
+            identifier__in=preset_shelves.keys()
+        ).exclude(books__isnull=True)
+    }
+
+    for preset, shelf_max in preset_shelves.items():
         limit = (
             shelf_max
             if shelf_max < (max_books - book_count)
             else max_books - book_count
         )
-        shelf = user.shelf_set.get(identifier=preset)
-        if not shelf.books.exists():
+        shelf = user_shelves.get(preset, None)
+        if not shelf:
             continue
 
         shelf_preview = {