Slow Apple Books after Monterey upgrade

Hello Exuberant_1,

Have you tried to remove these downloaded books and then try redownloading them to test if the issue continues to occur? That would help to isolate the behavior.

1. Delete book and audiobook downloads from your device - Apple Support
2. Quit the Books app
3. Relaunch the Books app
4. Redownload books and audiobooks - Apple Support

If the issue continues to occur, then it would be best to contact Apple Support

They'll need to take it from here.

Hoping this helps out, take care.

Exuberant_1,

Does the issue persist with those books if you boot your Mac in safe mode? This can help determine if you have any start-up items that could be causing this. You can learn how to do that here: How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support

Also you can try creating a new user account to see if the issue persists there. This will help determine if the issue is consistent across the entire OS. You can learn how to do that here:

1. On your Mac, choose Apple menu  > System Preferences, then click Users & Groups .

2. If the lock at the bottom left is locked , click it to unlock the preference pane.

3. Click the Add button  below the list of users.

4. Click the New Account pop-up menu, then choose a type of user.

Here's a link to the full resource: Set up users, guests, and groups on Mac - Apple Support

If things persist you can reach out for additional support here: Get Support

Take care.