About the Founder
Why Bookwise exists, how it started, and the philosophy behind it.
I never thought of myself as a reader
For most of my life, reading felt like something I should do, not something I actually wanted to do. That changed when I got into audiobooks. One turned into five, five turned into twenty, and suddenly stories were pulling me in. Fiction especially.
Audiobooks led to Kindle, Kindle Unlimited, and reading just becoming part of my day.
Then the friction showed up
I had no real way to track what I was reading. Kindle Unlimited books vanish when you return them. My reading history felt scattered. I tried Goodreads, but it felt dated and impersonal.
It tracked books, sure, but it didn't understand me. The recommendations were generic. Like they were built for the average reader, not for my actual taste.
So I turned to AI
I started dumping everything into AI conversations. What I liked, what I didn't, why a book lost me halfway through, why another one stayed with me for days. I used it to build reading lists, dig into themes, and talk through books the way you'd talk in a book club.
It worked for a while. Then context got lost. Lists disappeared. The AI started making things up. But something stuck with me: talking about books mattered just as much as reading them.
Personalization is the point
The real problem wasn't a lack of data. It was a lack of personalization.
Most reading apps try to solve recommendations by collecting tons of data and finding patterns across millions of users. But taste doesn't work like that. Two people can love the same book for completely different reasons. I saw it all the time in Reddit communities. Even in fanbases I was part of, the “read this next” lists almost never landed for me.
So I built Bookwise
It started as a side project for myself. Curiosity plus frustration. I've been a software engineer for over 20 years, now a Director of Engineering, and I work with AI every day. I understood the tools. More importantly, I was the user. I wasn't guessing at the problem. I was living it.
Bookwise started as a private space where I could track books, talk to AI about them, get recommendations that actually reflected my taste, and explore without pressure. When I showed it to friends, they wanted it too. Not because it was flashy, but because it felt personal.
The philosophy
People are motivated differently. Some people want goals, streaks, and badges. Some want stats and charts. Some want social book clubs. And some of us just want reading to stay personal and reflective.
Bookwise doesn't force you into one model. It adapts. The AI works like a quiet companion. A private book club you carry with you, on your own schedule, no judgment.
Built for trust
Your reading life is personal. Bookwise is independently built and operated. Your data belongs to you.
Built for nuance
Taste is specific. The goal isn't more data. It's better context, better reflection, and better personalization.
What I believe
People have time to read. What's missing isn't time. It's motivation, reflection, and a space that actually feels like it was made for them.
Bookwise exists to be that space.
Contact
If you have feedback, ideas, or you're thinking about migrating your library and want to ask a question first, email me anytime.
Email: hello@bookwiseapp.com
You can also visit our contact page or check the FAQ for common questions.
Curious to try Bookwise?
If you're looking for a reading space that feels more personal, you can start for free and explore at your own pace.