January 28, 2026
Shelf-care or shelf-scandal?
Show HN: Shelvy Books
New book app sparks Goodreads exodus, metadata mysteries, and a ghostly shelf popup
TLDR: Shelvy Books launches as a new way to track and organize reading, but the crowd fixates on data sources, cover images, and a must-have Goodreads import. UX hiccups add spice, while nostalgia for older library apps fuels the debate over whether this is the fresh start book lovers want.
A fresh “Show HN” drop, Shelvy Books, promises to track your reading, sort by status, and build a personal shelf. But the crowd immediately went full librarian mode. “Where does the metadata for the books come from?” pressed Meleagris, while october8140 demanded, “Where do the covers come from?”. Translation: people want receipts—data sources, image rights, and transparency—more than shiny spines. Then came a nostalgia blast: snitty’s “I miss Delicious Monster’s Library app” turned the thread into a time machine, reminding everyone of the old-school, beautifully simple book cataloging days.
Meanwhile, the Goodreads refugees gathered at the door. Fifferfaffer sighed, “I used to use goodreads…”, begging for a saner, cleaner shelf life. But it’s not all vibes—there’s a mini ghost story: “The bounding box… triggers popup from row above,” they noted, describing a spooky UI where one book makes another book’s info bubble appear. And voisin asked the make-or-break question: can you import Goodreads history? If Shelvy’s the new home, users want to bring all their reading baggage. The drama: a three-way cliffhanger—data source whodunnit, cover art provenance, and a haunted shelf—plus a migration plot where Goodreads loyalists decide if this is their chance to switch or stick.
Key Points
- •Shelvy Books is a digital bookshelf platform.
- •It helps users track their reading journey.
- •The service allows organizing books by status.
- •Users can discover new favorite books through the platform.
- •Sign-in is required to build a personal shelf, and a preview is available.