What Reader App are You Using? \ stacker news ~BooksAndArticles

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432 sats \ 22 comments \ @Tony 24 Sep BooksAndArticles

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.

Kindle27.3%

Libby18.2%

FBReader0.0%

Kobo9.1%

Apple Books0.0%

Other (comment below)45.5%

11 votes \ poll ended

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45 sats \ 2 replies \ @SimpleStacker 24 Sep

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

30 sats \ 0 replies \ @Tony OP 24 Sep

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.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei 20h

Why not upload your notes on NotebookLM? Because it’s a centralised platform?

0 sats \ 3 replies \ @k00b 24 Sep

I don't use one. I have a hard time reading on devices.

50 sats \ 2 replies \ @Tony OP 24 Sep

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.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 24 Sep

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.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Tony OP 24 Sep

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.

21 sats \ 2 replies \ @SimpleStacker 24 Sep

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.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Tony OP 24 Sep

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.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @SimpleStacker 24 Sep

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.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @cryotosensei 20h

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

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @398ja 23h

Readwise

0 sats \ 2 replies \ @plebpoet 25 Sep

Use Libby constantly for audiobooks. You could not make a worse app than Libby.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @SimpleStacker 25 Sep

why do you use it then?

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @plebpoet 17h

free

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Signal312 25 Sep

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.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @Machiavelli23 24 Sep

Real books

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Tony OP 24 Sep

https://tenor.com/bpEmY.gif

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @_stacktoshi 24 Sep

Readwise Reader. Great for epubs and does TTS.

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Tony OP 24 Sep

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.

0 sats \ 1 reply \ @StillStackinAfterAllTheseYears 24 Sep

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).

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Tony OP 24 Sep

E-ink is cool!