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talebook

talebook/talebook

A self-hosted personal ebook library web app built on Calibre, with online reading, OPDS, Kindle push and multi-user support.

Open-source alternative to:Calibre WebGoogle Play Books

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Last commit
7 days ago

What is it?

Talebook is a self-hosted personal book library built on top of Calibre. It provides a web interface for browsing, searching and reading ebooks online, with non-EPUB files converted automatically for in-browser reading. The site supports multiple user accounts, visitor permissions, a private mode behind an access code, and login through several social platforms.

For reading and syncing, Talebook serves OPDS feeds for apps such as KyBooks and can push books to registered devices like Kindle, converting formats in batch. It can also batch-scan folders, fill in metadata from sources such as Douban, Baidu Baike and Xinhua Bookstore, and use an AI model to recognize book information. A Legado-style book source engine lets users search and save online novels as TXT or EPUB.

The project is deployed with Docker or docker-compose, storing configuration, user data and the library in a single data directory. Companion projects include Moke, a cross-platform client, an Android reader, and an audio book command-line client.

Key features

  • 01Online reading with a built-in web reader that converts non-EPUB books automatically
  • 02Multi-user support with visitor permissions, bcrypt password storage and captcha
  • 03OPDS feed for reading apps, plus importing books from other OPDS libraries
  • 04Push books to Kindle and other registered devices with batch format conversion
  • 05Batch scanning and automatic metadata lookup from multiple sources, including AI recognition
  • 06Legado-style book source engine for searching and saving online novels

Use cases

  • Hosting a personal ebook collection on a home server or NAS
  • Sharing a private library with friends or family through an access code
  • Sending ebooks to a Kindle from a self-hosted library
  • Reading library books on phones and tablets through OPDS-compatible apps

Quick start

  1. 1

    Download the docker-compose.yml file from the repository

    wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/talebook/talebook/master/docker-compose.yml
  2. 2

    Start the service with docker-compose in detached mode

    docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml up -d

Things to know

  • Deployment is Docker-oriented; manual installation requires following the separate developer guide.
  • The README warns that operating a public book website may be illegal in mainland China, so it is recommended for personal use only.

In collections

Self-hosted apps

Topics

#ebook#calibre#self-hosted#kindle#opds#docker#online-reader#library-management

FAQ

What is talebook?
A self-hosted personal ebook library web app built on Calibre, with online reading, OPDS, Kindle push and multi-user support. Talebook is a self-hosted personal book library built on top of Calibre. It provides a web interface for browsing, searching and reading ebooks online, with non-EPUB files converted automatically for in-browser reading. The site supports multiple user accounts, visitor permissions, a private mode behind an access code, and login through several social platforms.
Is talebook free to use? What license does it have?
talebook is open source under the BSD-2-Clause license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is talebook still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to talebook was on Nov 1, 2026.
What can I use talebook for?
Hosting a personal ebook collection on a home server or NAS Sharing a private library with friends or family through an access code Sending ebooks to a Kindle from a self-hosted library Reading library books on phones and tablets through OPDS-compatible apps
How do I install talebook?
Download the docker-compose.yml file from the repository: wget https://raw.githubusercontent.com/talebook/talebook/master/docker-compose.yml Start the service with docker-compose in detached mode: docker-compose -f docker-compose.yml up -d
Where can I get talebook?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/talebook/talebook

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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