Show HN: An Open-Source E-Book Reader for Conversational Reading with an LLM

3 months ago 6

A next-generation conversational reading platform that goes beyond traditional e-book readers

BookWith is an innovative e-book reader where AI becomes your reading partner. By conversing with an AI that fully understands the book's content in real time, BookWith transforms the reading experience from merely consuming information to creating knowledge.

It is more than an e-book reader: BookWith answers your questions, deepens comprehension, and offers new perspectives—your true companion for reading.

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Pain Points of Conventional E-Book Readers

❌ When you encounter something unclear you have to look it up yourself
❌ No way to check how well you understand what you've read
❌ Hard to discover relationships with content you read in the past
❌ Notes and highlights are scattered and hard to utilize

How BookWith Solves These Problems

✅ AI answers your questions on the spot
✅ Dialogue helps verify and deepen your understanding
✅ Automatically links to your past reading content
✅ Integrates annotations and AI dialogue into solid knowledge

An AI partner that fully understands the book's content

Context Awareness: Grasps the content of the page you are on and answers in context
Instant Answers: Real-time responses to questions such as "What does this term mean?" or "Summarize the author's argument."
Deep Insight Support: Enables advanced discussions like "How can this concept be applied today?"
Full Japanese Support: Natural Japanese dialogue with rich explanations of technical terms

Example

User: "If we apply the theory explained in this chapter to a real business scene, what happens?" AI: "Applying the innovation theory from Chapter 3 to actual business would…"

Convert book content into conversational podcasts

podcast1.1.mp4

Automatic Script Generation: Extract key points and convert them into a host-guest dialogue format
- Optimized for 5-10 minute listenable length
- Explains complex topics in an easy-to-understand conversational style
High-Quality Audio Synthesis: Utilize Google Cloud Text-to-Speech's multi-speaker functionality
- Achieves natural conversation rhythm and intonation
- Supports both Japanese and English
- Supports multiple languages
Seamless Experience:
- Upload a book and automatically generate a podcast
- Generated audio is immediately playable
- Learn key points while commuting or during movement

Use Cases

When you want to understand the summary of a long novel
Check the key points of a business book while commuting
Preview the main ideas of a technical book with audio

🧠 Multi-Layer Memory System

Innovative memory management that ensures continuity in your reading

Short-Term Memory (latest 5 entries)
- Maintains the current conversation flow
- Keeps context even when you turn pages
Mid-Term Memory (summary every 20 entries)
- Condenses key discussion points
- Sustains understanding across chapters
Long-Term Memory (vector search)
- Automatically retrieves relevant information from all past dialogues
- Links with learning from other books
User Profile
- Learns your interests and preferences
- Provides a personalized reading experience

Example: Content from an economics book you read a week ago is automatically linked to the marketing book you are reading now.

Advanced highlighting that visualizes your thinking

Color Highlights (5 colors)
- 🔴 Red: Critical points
- 🟡 Yellow: Important concepts
- 🟢 Green: Ideas to practice
- 🔵 Blue: Questions / To-verify
Intelligent Notes
- Add detailed comments to highlighted text
- Supports Markdown formatting
AI Integration
- Automatically prompts AI questions about highlighted passages
- AI understands notes and provides related information
- Analyzes across multiple highlights

Use Cases

Highlight crucial quotes while reading a paper → AI suggests related studies
Mark actionable points in a business book with green → Discuss an implementation plan with AI

Revolutionary information discovery connected by meaning

Cross-Book Search
- Search across multiple books
- Past dialogue history is also indexed
- Includes annotation content for comprehensive search
Automatic Linking
- Suggests past reading content related to what you are reading now
- E.g. "This concept also appeared in the book ○○ you read three months ago…"

🎓 Researchers & Graduate Students

AI proposes related research while you read papers
Confirm complex theories on the spot
Integrated quote management and literature notes

Ask AI about character relationships in novels
Get historical background or cultural context explained
Organize discussion points for book clubs

Instant explanations for unclear textbook sections
Work through practice problems with AI
Integrate content from multiple reference books

Consult on applying business book concepts to your company
Summaries of key points and action plan creation
Consolidates knowledge from multiple business books

📱 How to Use (Detailed Steps)

Drag-and-drop or select an ePub file
It is added to your library and ready to read immediately

Select important text while reading
Choose from 5 highlight colors
Add notes if necessary
Ask AI about highlighted content

Ask questions anytime in the chat panel on the right
Select text → "Ask AI" to pose context-aware questions
Continue discussions based on past dialogue history
Conversations are automatically saved and indexed

Step 4: Leverage Your Knowledge

Review past learning with semantic search
Integrate knowledge from multiple books
Export your learning for external use

💻 Environment & Technical Specs

Supported Devices
- PC (Windows 10+, macOS 10.15+)
- Tablets (iPad, Android tablets)
- Smartphones (responsive design)
Requirements
- Internet connection (for AI features)
- JavaScript enabled
Supported Formats
- ePub 2.0
- ePub 3.0