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AI · August 6, 2025

An open-source e-book reader for conversational reading with an LLM

Hi HN! I've been working on BookWith, an open-source e-book reader that integrates AI as your reading companion. The problem: Traditional e-readers are passive. When you encounter something unclear, you have to context-switch to search for it. Your highlights and notes remain isolated, and you can't easily connect ideas across different books. My solution: BookWith embeds an AI that maintains full context of what you're reading. It features: - Context-aware AI chat: Ask questions about the current page/chapter and get instant answers - AI podcast generation: Automatically converts book…

An open-source e-book reader for conversational reading with an LLM launched on August 6, 2025 with 86 votes, #422 of 8,530 launches that month and more than 95% of that year's launches. The site was still online in September 2026, 1 year on.

Visit github.com ↗Alternativestop 5% of August 2025

In plain words

BookWith is an open-source e-book reader that integrates an AI reading companion to enable interactive learning. The software lets readers ask context-aware questions about current pages or chapters, generate AI podcasts from book content, and create smart annotations using a color-highlighting system. It maintains conversation memory across reading sessions through a multi-layer system, helping readers connect ideas across different books. BookWith is designed for people who want more engagement with their reading material beyond passive consumption.

written from the facts on this page · September 2026

From the sources

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.

BookWith – A New Reading Experience with AI. A next-generation conversational reading platform that goes beyond traditional e-book readers - shutootaki/bookwith

In the maker’s words, at launch

Hi HN! I've been working on BookWith, an open-source e-book reader that integrates AI as your reading companion. The problem: Traditional e-readers are passive. When you encounter something unclear, you have to context-switch to search for it. Your highlights and notes remain isolated, and you can't easily connect…

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