Book Story
Our roadmap

What we’re building

A running list of what’s already here, what we’re working on right now, and what’s next. It shifts around a bit as we figure things out.

The problem we’re solving

Every book starts with a discovery story

You add a book to your reading list and feel good about it. Six months later you scroll past it and think, why is this here again? Was it a YouTube video? A friend’s recommendation? Something you hoped would help with a problem you had at the time? When the reason is gone, the book usually goes with it — quietly ignored until you eventually remove it.

Other apps track what you read. We care about how the book found you. Before a book lands on your shelf, you write that story — the friend, the podcast, the rainy afternoon in a used bookshop, the itch you were trying to scratch. Months later, that story is still right there waiting for you. That's the simple core idea of Book Story.

  1. Phase 1

    Shipped

    Getting you in the door

    The basics — making an account, signing in, and having a small corner of the site that feels like yours.

    • Sign up with your email
    • Log in and log out without any fuss

  2. Phase 2

    In Progress

    Building your shelf

    Adding a book should feel quick. Search via Google Books, pick a result, and the cover and details fill themselves in — and right there, before you save it, you write the one thing that actually matters to us: your discovery story.

    • Search by title, author, or a keyword you half-remember
    • Pick a result and it lands on your shelf with the cover and details already filled in
    • Write a discovery story as you add the book — the moment, the person, the chance encounter that put it in your hands
    • Remove anything that doesn't belong there anymore

  3. Phase 3

    Planned

    Reading, tracked your way

    Small touches that help you keep up with what you're actually reading right now — and remember what you thought of it later.

    • Mark a book as currently reading — it gets pinned to the top of your list
    • Mark a book as finished when you turn the last page
    • Give it a rating from 1 to 5 stars
    • Write a proper review whenever you have something to say

  4. Phase 4

    Planned

    A journal for each book

    Your discovery story is the first entry. Everything after it — quotes, notes, photos — builds out a timeline that's part notebook, part scrapbook, all yours.

    • Log quotes you don't want to forget
    • Drop in notes, thoughts, and memories tied to the book
    • Attach photos — the cafe you read it in, a dog-eared page, whatever fits
    • Delete entries you'd rather not keep around

  5. Phase 5

    Planned

    Finding your people

    Reading on your own is great. Comparing notes with a friend is better.

    • Look up a friend by their email address or username
    • Send a friend request, and accept or turn down the ones that come your way
    • Remove a friend if you ever need to
    • Wander through a friend's collection and see what they're into
    • Make any book journal entry of a book (notes, photos, quote, ...) public, so your friends can experience it with you
    • Read the public elements of the timeline for any book on their shelf

  6. Phase 6

    Planned

    A feed worth checking

    A quiet little feed of what you and your friends have been up to — no algorithm, no noise.

    • See when someone starts a new book or finishes one
    • Catch shared quotes, reviews, and journal entries as they're posted
    • Tap a heart on the things you like