What you would build
The screen is a list on their own phone. Each row is a book they chose, the cover when the catalog has one, and a status they can change: want, reading, or done. If Project Gutenberg has that title, the row links out to it. The app does not store the file.
Who it is for
One person with a stack of books they keep meaning to start. A household can share the phone. The list is theirs: want, reading, or done.
Which APIs
Two APIs, both in Books. The source list does not list a price for either of them.
Open Library is “Books, book covers and related data.” No key. Search and covers come from here. The description does not mention full text, so do not promise that every saved book can be read inside the app.
Gutendex is a “Web-API for fetching data from Project Gutenberg Books Library.” No key. After a book is saved, look up the same title. If there is a record, link to it. If not, say there is no Gutenberg record. Do not copy the book onto your server.
How to build the first version
- Add a search box. Query Open Library by title or author, and show a few results with the cover when the response includes one.
- Save the book on the device: title, author, cover, and a status of want, reading, or done.
- Check that title on Gutendex and show one outbound link, or the line “no Gutenberg record.”
- Skip accounts. If they want a copy of the list, export plain text.
How it could make money
Charge once. The list still works after they pay. Do not lock “done” behind a renewal, and do not sell the saved titles as leads to a bookstore. A subscription fits a feed. This is a shelf.
What to leave out
An ebook store, a social network of readers, highlights synced to a publisher, and revenue estimates for sellers. This list is for the person who wants to read the book.