What We’ve Been Quietly Building Inside Epigramm
Building a smarter EPUB reader with automatic tracking, custom metadata, and privacy-first design for data-loving book nerds
Hi friends,
Reading shapes how people think, but there’s never been a good way to organize and track that reading inside a reading app. Thats why we’re building Epigramm: to change that. This month’s Epigramm development update covers our new crash-reporting system, expanded metadata customization, and reading experience improvements for our privacy-first iPhone EPUB reader.
Most reading apps treat reading as vibes, not data. But reading is one of the most intellectually demanding things people do regularly, and it deserves the same thoughtful tracking as workouts or sleep. So we decided to build the reading data layer that respects both the complexity of reading and your privacy.
Every few weeks I like to pull back the curtain and share what’s been happening inside Epigramm. A lot of the work we’ve done on this EPUB reader and reading tracker recently won’t show up as flashy new buttons yet — but it will make your reading life feel smoother, smarter, and more reliable. This update is a look at the foundations we’ve been strengthening, the features that are taking shape, and the care going into building a reading app that actually understands real readers.
Building a Stable EPUB Reader: Crash Reporting & Error Handling
A major focus over the past few weeks has been building the kind of stability you should expect from a long-term home for your reading life.
We integrated a full crash-reporting system so issues can be spotted instantly and fixed fast, and built a new error-handling architecture under the hood. This may not sound glamorous, but it’s the difference between “something weird happened and we don’t know why” and “it happened once and now it’s fixed forever.”
This kind of infrastructure work is boring to build and beautiful to use — because it makes everything else feel seamless.
A Smarter, More Personal Library Experience
Your library should reflect you, not whatever metadata happened to come in with your EPUB.
Recently I rebuilt the entire metadata system so Epigramm can now import richer details automatically, fill in missing information, and let you edit everything, from language and series order to tropes, spice levels, and reading purpose. Because annual reading goals don't help you understand your reading, but knowing why you're reading each book and how it fits your actual patterns does.
You can also hide the fields you don’t care about and surface the ones you do. The result is a library that feels intentional instead of generic, shaped by how you actually read. Different readers need different metadata. Romance readers need tropes and spice levels. Completionists need series order. Knowledge architects need custom tags. We're building for all of them, not just one imaginary reader.
A Better, More Beautiful Reading Experience
The reading screen is where the magic happens, so it’s been getting its own round of upgrades.
Epigramm now includes more than 40 fonts, a redesigned theme system, improved dark mode that respects both system settings and personal preferences, and cleaner navigation for both EPUB and PDF reading. Everything is calmer, more cohesive, and easier on the eyes.
The quote-card creator has also leveled up with better font control, smarter sizing, and a full-height editing experience — making it easier to share the parts of your reading life you’re proud of.
Polishing the Small Details That Make Everything Feel Right
A lot of energy has gone into the invisible improvements readers rarely notice individually — but absolutely feel collectively.
Smarter chapter detection, better bookmarks and highlights, cleaner menus, more helpful empty states, background processing for heavy tasks, and dozens of small fixes that make the app feel sturdier with each update.
These are the kinds of details that I hope will make people say, “It just feels good to use.”
Building for Real Readers
Epigramm is being built for real people: the aspirational reader trying to build a habit, the privacy-conscious reader who wants a local-first tool, the romance power reader who needs trope and spice control, the genre completionist tracking multiple series, the creator who wants beautiful quote cards, and the recovering academic who needs highlights they can find, organize and use. These aren't hypothetical personas. They're the seven reader types that existing apps consistently ignore. Every feature decision starts with real reading behaviors, not imaginary use cases.
We are working so that every decision is shaped by actual use cases and real frustrations, not hypothetical “ideal users.”
What’s Next
More personalization. More intelligence. More comfort features. And the first pieces of Epigramm’s reading brain, a system designed to help you remember what you read, stay connected to your goals, and enjoy books without pressure.
Thanks for being here while this takes shape. Building in public means you’re part of the story, not just waiting on release notes. If you’re interested in being part of the story, you can join the early access and updates list here.
Until next time,
Danielle
Founder, Epigramm
Built for Real Readers
Epigramm is designed for seven distinct reader types with genuinely different needs. Which one are you?
Take the 2-minute reading personality quiz to see which features we’re building specifically for readers like you.