Minimal Epub Reader

Ultra-minimal browser reader. Load a local .epub, read it, close it, resume later.

The recipe is the source of truth. epub-reader.html is a rendering.

• Recipe: minEpubReader.md (sourceforge.net)
• Rendering: epub-reader.html (sourceforge.net)
• Sample book: the_ashworth_chronicle_treatise.epub (sourceforge.net)
• Project: GenRecipe

What it is

A single HTML file that:

• Opens a local DRM-free .epub (file picker or drag-and-drop)
• Shows one chapter at a time
• Offers TOC jump, next/prev, keyboard arrows
• Remembers chapter and scroll position
• Shows chapter count and percent through the book
• Lets you change theme (light / sepia / dark) and type size

No library. No sync. No store. Paperback energy.

Run it

1. Download epub-reader.html.
2. Open it in a browser. A local file works.
3. Load an .epub, or use the sample treatise in this folder.

CDN scripts: JSZip and epub.js. Needs a network connection the first time those load.

DRM-protected books will not open. That is expected.

Build from the recipe

This is a Generative Recipe, not a codebase.

1. Copy minEpubReader.md.
2. Paste it into an AI.
3. Say something like:

Build this from the recipe. Follow intent, vibe, constraints, and must-nots. Ask before you add extras. Give me a single HTML file.

1. Open what you get. Note what felt wrong in the reading, not the file tree.
2. Tighten the recipe. Build again.

epub-reader.html is one pass, not the spec.

Recipe already decided

From minEpubReader.md:

1. Intent — browser reader for local epubs; chapters, position, progress; nothing more
2. Vibe — ultra-minimal, like a paperback
3. Mechanics — load, parse, one chapter at a time, resume, TOC, next/prev, progress
4. Input — file picker, drag-and-drop, TOC clicks, arrows, progress-bar seek
5. Feedback — chapter title, progress bar, auto-save position, loaded-state indicator
6. Look — serif reading type, day/night (and sepia), adjustable size, no sound
7. Free to interpret — font, theme, column width
8. Output — one HTML file; epub.js or JSZip + XML
9. Constraints — File API only, no DRM, chapter-at-a-time, IndexedDB for position, localStorage for prefs

Iteration notes in the recipe

• Pass 1: load and display chapters, next/prev
• Pass 2: remember position, TOC, progress
• Pass 3: font size, theme, keyboard shortcuts

The published HTML is past pass 3. If a new rendering drifts (library shelves, accounts, audio, cloud), the recipe is the correction, not a patch on the HTML.

License

MIT for the recipe and project materials unless a file says otherwise.

Generated artifacts belong to the person who generated them.