Books I Read is a text editor for your reading log.
You type books into a plain-text file. One file per year. The app adds syntax highlighting, quick tags, and a section navigator — but the file is always yours, always readable, always portable.
THE FORMAT
Each book is a line. Add tags for context:
- Why the Jews? @done(2026-01) @tag(history) @from(Maria)
Deeply affecting.
Built-in tags:
@done(2026-01) — month you finished
@started(2026-01-15) — date you started
@tag(fiction) — any category
@from(Maria) — who recommended it
@link(url) — a reference link
WHAT YOU GET
Syntax highlighting that makes your reading log easy to scan. Section headers for months. A keyboard toolbar for inserting tags with one tap. A section navigator for jumping to any month. Auto-save. Dark mode. VoiceOver support.
YOUR FILE
The .books file lives in your Documents folder, visible in Files.app. It is UTF-8 plain text. You can open it in any text editor on any device. There is no database, no server, no account.
One file per year. Switch years from the toolbar. Every file stays on your device, in a format that will outlast this app.
WHAT THIS IS NOT
No social features. No reading goals. No streaks. No notifications. No analytics. No account.