diff --git a/app/UI.hs b/app/UI.hs
index 8c51fa1..358e8f3 100644
--- a/app/UI.hs
+++ b/app/UI.hs
@@ -1,11 +1,13 @@
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedLabels #-}
 {-# LANGUAGE OverloadedStrings #-}
+{-# LANGUAGE ScopedTypeVariables #-}
 
 -- | The GTK4 / WebKit front end. The book's structure loads in the background;
 -- chapters are rendered lazily (and cached) the first time they're visited,
 -- with neighbours preloaded so arrow-key paging feels instant.
 module UI (runApp) where
 
+import Data.Bifunctor (first)
 import Control.Concurrent.Async (async)
 import Control.Concurrent.STM (TVar, atomically, modifyTVar', newTVarIO, readTVarIO, writeTVar, readTVar, modifyTVar')
 import Data.List (minimumBy)
@@ -18,6 +20,8 @@ import qualified Data.Text as T
 import Data.Word (Word32)
 import Data.Bits ((.|.))
 import Control.Exception (SomeException, try)
+import Control.Monad.Except
+import Control.Monad.IO.Class (liftIO)
 import EpubParser (EpubEnv, openEpub) -- brings the `BookInfo EpubEnv` instance into scope
 import qualified GI.GLib as GLib
 import qualified GI.GLib.Constants as GLibConst
@@ -272,18 +276,30 @@ epPicker :: Maybe Gtk.ApplicationWindow -> Ctx -> IO ()
 epPicker window ctx = do
   dg <- Gtk.fileDialogNew
   Gtk.fileDialogOpen dg window (Nothing :: Maybe Gio.Cancellable) $ Just $ \_ result -> do
-    outcome <- try (Gtk.fileDialogOpenFinish dg result) :: IO (Either SomeException Gio.File)
-    case outcome of
-      Left _err -> putStrLn "picker cancelled or failed"
-      Right file -> do
-        mp <- Gio.fileGetPath file
-        case mp of
-          Nothing -> putStrLn "selected file has no local path"
-          Just path -> do
-            env <- openEpub path
-            case env of
-              Left err -> putStrLn ("open failed: " ++ err)
-              Right e -> loadBook e ctx
+    outcome <- runExceptT $ do
+      file <- pickerGetFile dg result
+      path <- getFilePath file
+
+      env <- extractEnv path
+
+      liftIO $ loadBook env ctx
+
+    either putStrLn pure outcome
+
+pickerGetFile :: Gtk.FileDialog -> Gio.AsyncResult -> ExceptT String IO Gio.File
+pickerGetFile dg result =
+  ExceptT $ first (const "picker cancelled or failed")
+    <$> (try (Gtk.fileDialogOpenFinish dg result) :: IO (Either SomeException Gio.File))
+
+getFilePath :: Gio.File -> ExceptT String IO FilePath
+getFilePath file = do
+  mp <- liftIO $ Gio.fileGetPath file
+  maybe (throwError "selected file has no local path") pure mp
+
+
+extractEnv :: FilePath -> ExceptT String IO EpubEnv
+extractEnv path =
+  ExceptT $ first ("open failed: " ++) <$> openEpub path
 
 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- Navigation + rendering