Detailed Introduction
reader3 is a minimal, self-hosted EPUB reader designed to present books one chapter at a time, making it easy to copy chapter text into large language models (LLM) for joint reading, summarization, or question-answering. The repository stores a small Python-based reader and a lightweight server to browse a local library of EPUBs. The project is published under an MIT license and is intended as an illustrative, experimental tool rather than a production-ready product.
Main Features
- Chapter-by-chapter reading: present EPUB content per chapter to facilitate model interaction.
- Lightweight self-hosted: single-file scripts and a tiny static server for easy local deployment.
- LLM-friendly workflow: designed to simplify copying chapter text into models for Q&A or annotation.
- Open source: MIT-licensed for experimentation and modification.
Use Cases
- Joint reading with LLMs: have a model summarize or annotate chapters as you progress.
- Teaching and demos: an easy example for showing how to combine reading and LLM assistance.
- Private local reader: a privacy-friendly way to manage and read EPUBs locally.
- Prototyping: a minimal base for projects that integrate reading experiences with models.
Technical Features
The project is implemented in Python and serves static chapter pages from a small local server (server.py). It relies on minimal runtime tooling (for example, uv) to run and generate a simple library directory from EPUB files. Workflow: add an EPUB → parse chapters → run the server to browse chapter pages. The repository intentionally avoids including external credentials or third-party APIs; it focuses on portability and demonstrative value.