BbitbbitBook — Why I Built a Reading App That Already Exists

Why Another Reading App

There are plenty of reading journal apps. The reason for building one more is simple: the app I wanted to use didn't exist.

Existing apps fell into two categories. Those that focused on book database management — searching, cataloging, rating. And those that focused on note-taking. In both cases, something was missing. Great book search but nowhere to attach context and photos. Good memo tools but no sense of reading habit and progress.

Reading is more layered than it looks. It's not just finishing books — it's where you read them, how you felt, which sentences caught you. I wanted an app that could hold all of that in one place.

The Core Concept: Record the Reading Experience

BbitbbitBook's core is recording the reading experience, not just the book.

The café where you read it, the subway commute, the Sunday afternoon on the sofa — the same book read in different contexts creates different memories. The app is designed to capture that context through photos and notes attached to each book.

Library status (Read / Reading / Want to Read) organizes the collection. Notes and photos accumulate under each title. The Reading Passbook concept adds a running record of all books completed — and a small gamification layer where reading earns Carrots and Carrots unlock collectible characters.

Technical Considerations

The most involved feature was book search. Search by title or scan the back-cover barcode. Book data is messier than expected — the same title has different records across publishers, cover images are missing in many entries, data formats vary across APIs. Getting this right took real effort.

Reading statistics were built carefully: annual volume, monthly patterns, preferred genres. Visualizing this data lets users see their own reading habits with objectivity.

Web Version

Beyond the app, bbitbbitbook.com runs alongside it — app description, support, privacy policy. Maintaining a landing page for a mobile app adds overhead, but it's worth it for the legitimacy and the extra access point.

Still Updating

BbitbbitBook continues to receive updates based on user feedback. Features planned and in progress include memo sharing and import from other reading apps.

If you like books, try it. Using it is the only way to see what's missing — and seeing it is the only way to fix it.