BookLife MCP

Your reading life, unified. One MCP server that connects your library, reading tracker, and bookshelf into a seamless AI-powered reading assistant.

BookLife bridges Hardcover (reading tracker), Libby/OverDrive (library access), and Open Library (metadata) so you can discover books, borrow from the library, track your reading, and get personalized recommendations — all through natural conversation with Claude.

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Quick Start

1. Build

cd booklife-mcp
go build -o booklife ./cmd/booklife

2. Connect Libby

# Get your clone code from Libby app:
# Settings → Copy To Another Device → Sonos Speakers
./booklife libby-connect <8-digit-code>

3. Configure

Create booklife.kdl:

server {
    name "booklife"
    version "0.1.0"
    transport "stdio"
}

providers {
    hardcover enabled=true {
        api-key env="HARDCOVER_API_KEY"
        endpoint "https://api.hardcover.app/v1/graphql"
    }

    libby enabled=true {
        notifications {
            hold-available true
            due-soon-days 3
        }
    }

    open-library enabled=true {
        endpoint "https://openlibrary.org"
        covers-endpoint "https://covers.openlibrary.org"
    }
}

4. Add to Claude Desktop

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "booklife": {
      "command": "/path/to/booklife",
      "args": ["--config", "/path/to/booklife.kdl"],
      "env": {
        "HARDCOVER_API_KEY": "your-key-from-hardcover.app/settings/api"
      }
    }
  }
}

5. Install the Claude Code Plugin (Optional)

For enhanced Claude Code integration with skills and slash commands:

# Add the marketplace
/plugin marketplace add https://github.com/andylbrummer/andy-marketplace

# Install the plugin
/plugin install booklife@andy-marketplace

See the BookLife plugin in andy-marketplace for details.

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Features

Library Access (Libby/OverDrive)

Search your library catalog, check availability, place holds on ebooks and audiobooks, track loans and due dates — all without opening the Libby app.

Reading Tracker (Hardcover)

Manage your reading list, update progress, rate books, and maintain your reading history on Hardcover through natural language.

Unified TBR Management

A single to-be-read list that aggregates books from Hardcover (want-to-read), Libby (holds and tags), and manually added physical books. Filter by source, search, and prioritize.

Comprehensive Sync

One-command sync that chains: import Libby loans → mark returned books as "read" in Hardcover → enrich metadata → cache Libby tags. Incremental, with dry-run preview.

Content-Based Recommendations

Enriches your reading history with themes, topics, and mood data from Open Library and Google Books, then finds similar books based on what you've enjoyed.

Reading Profile & Analytics

Automatic analysis of your reading patterns: format preferences, top genres, favorite authors, reading cadence, streaks, and completion rates.

Progressive Discovery

Built-in info tool with workflow guides, category browsing, and detailed tool help. Never wonder what's available — just ask.

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Tools at a Glance

Category	Tools	Purpose
Hardcover	3	Library management, status updates, book tracking
Libby	6	Catalog search, loans, holds, tag sync
TBR	6	Unified reading list across all sources
Unified	2	Cross-provider search and access recommendations
History	4	Timeline import, local store, statistics
Enrichment	2	Background metadata jobs with progress tracking
Sync	1	Universal sync with progressive disclosure
Profile	1	Reading preferences and patterns
Recommendations	1	Content-based book similarity
Info	1	Progressive discovery and workflow guides

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Architecture

┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐
│           Claude / AI Assistant          │
└────────────────────┬─────────────────────┘
                     │ MCP (stdio)
┌────────────────────▼─────────────────────┐
│           BookLife MCP Server            │
│                                          │
│  ┌─────────┐ ┌─────────┐ ┌───────────┐  │
│  │Hardcover│ │  Libby  │ │OpenLibrary│  │
│  │ GraphQL │ │   API   │ │  REST API │  │
│  └─────────┘ └─────────┘ └───────────┘  │
│                                          │
│  ┌──────────────────────────────────┐    │
│  │        Local SQLite Store        │    │
│  │  History · TBR · Enrichment      │    │
│  └──────────────────────────────────┘    │
└──────────────────────────────────────────┘

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Documentation

Full documentation is available at andylbrummer.github.io/booklife-mcp:

• Getting Started — Installation and configuration
• Tool Reference — All 27 tools with parameters and examples
• Workflows — Step-by-step guides for common tasks
• Configuration — KDL config file reference
• Claude Code Plugin — Skills and commands via andy-marketplace

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Environment Variables

Variable	Required	Description
HARDCOVER_API_KEY	Yes	Get from Hardcover settings
BOOKLIFE_DATA_DIR	No	Data directory (default: ~/.local/share/booklife)
BOOKLIFE_LOG_LEVEL	No	debug / info / warn / error

Libby authentication is handled via the booklife libby-connect command (no environment variable needed).

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CLI Commands

booklife serve --config booklife.kdl    # Start MCP server
booklife libby-connect <code>           # Connect Libby account
booklife sync [--dry-run] [--limit N]   # Sync returned books to Hardcover
booklife import-timeline <file>         # Import Libby timeline JSON
booklife version                        # Show version

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Development

# Build
cd booklife-mcp && go build -o booklife ./cmd/booklife

# Run tests
go test ./...

# Vet
go vet ./...

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License

Personal project — adapt as needed for your own reading management.