I started cooking a mini app aimed at streamlining highlights and notes experience for book worms, concerned with their privacy. I’m wondering which reader app you guys use.
Please feel free to drop any comments, ideas or issues you’re facing with organizing your highlights, notes and thoughts on what you read.
Kindle33.3%
Libby16.7%
FBReader0.0%
Kobo8.3%
Apple Books0.0%
Other (comment below)41.7%
12 votes \ poll ended
Oh, but to answer your question:
I'd love more searchability features for the notes that I make. Again, this primarily applies to when I'm trying to study a text more seriously, or preparing a review. Having searchable notes, or even an AI assistant for me to ask questions about my own notes, would be helpful! Haha
That’s the same thing I was thinking. I already implemented full text search in my prototype. Works pretty well. I’m looking into semantic search next. AI would be cool, but I’m yet to figure out how to implement that. Focusing on local storage, so API requests to AI would miss the whole point. But I guess we’re not far away (if not yet there) to be able to run a good-enough-for-that-task AI on a tablet.
Why not upload your notes on NotebookLM? Because it’s a centralised platform?
For serious study -- Kindle, because I can take notes.
For casual reading -- physical, because I enjoy the experience more; however, I don't often do this anymore for lack of time.
For casual "reading" -- audiobooks, because I have a lot of time to sit in the car. Most of my casual "reading" is now done via audiobook.
Thanks, that’s really helpful! I need to take a closer look at Kindle. In my mind it is still a physical device from 2000’s with almost no functionality. That’s obviously not the case any more.
Oh, I should clarify - I use Kindle app on my iPad which lets me take notes easily. I don't know about the actual Kindle device.
Libby. I like that it tracks the amount of a book that I have read. I also like that it provides audio versions for some books
Readwise
Use Libby constantly for audiobooks. You could not make a worse app than Libby.
why do you use it then?
free
Kindle - but the OLD style one, the 4th gen E-ink version, with buttons instead of swiping for page turns.
The one I have now, I bought it used on Ebay about 6 years ago. The battery is starting to go, it doesn't last long anymore. It used to last a seriously long time, even with a lot of reading - like a month or so.
I'm happy that it has the e-ink screen, even though I need a light to read, it's not back lit. It's a more natural form of lightning.
Real books
https://tenor.com/bpEmY.gif
Readwise Reader. Great for epubs and does TTS.
Readwise has got very nice integrations, easy sharing and tons of other cool features. But their source is closed and they are cloud based. That got me thinking if I could build something private yet interoperable and open.
I’ll keep everyone updated here if it works out.
Physical, then Kindle for ebooks (simply because I already have a kindle device, and if I must read an ebook, I want to do it in e-ink).
E-ink is cool!
I don't use one. I have a hard time reading on devices.
I feel you, but I got used to it as I never know where I’ll end up next month. Been dreaming of a library forever. Some day I hope.
I enjoy the constraint of traveling with only a few books and being forced to read those. I imagine if I travelled a lot I'd need to find local bookstores - which is nearly a benefit of sticking to physical copies.
You’re right. My situation is slightly different though. I don’t have a home to come back to, which is essential to store books. Can’t buy any, cause I realize I’ll have to leave them behind.
So digital is my best option for now.