Yomishirube (読しるべ) is a play on the Japanese word michishirube — a guidepost. When reading feels hard to keep up, this app quietly shows you the way back to your book. No streaks to break, no guilt. It was born from the developer's own experience of how heavy a book can feel when life and mental health get in the way — and how much one page can still mean.
What it does
- A book stand, not a backlog — the books you're living with, laid out like a bookshop table.
- Records in three taps — snap the page number with your camera, type it, or just say "opened it today". Even opening the book counts.
- AI recap, spoiler-free — coming back after weeks away? A short recap of where you left off, built only from what you've already read.
- Characters at a glance — AI-suggested character lists so you never lose track of who's who.
- Breaks are part of reading — mark a book "On a Break" without a single reproachful word. Trophies appear for coming back, not just for finishing.
- Your data stays yours — stored on your iPhone, with optional iCloud sync on the Pro plan, and full export anytime.
Free and Pro
The core experience is free: up to 5 books on your stand, records, memos, and trophies. The Pro plan adds unlimited books, unlimited AI recaps and characters, iCloud sync, and data export. AI features come with a free trial (14 days or 20 uses) — no automatic charge when it ends.
The app is available in English and Japanese. Book search covers international titles via Google Books,
and Japanese titles via Rakuten Books and OpenBD.