# MenrvaBooks — Full Documentation > A free, indie-friendly Goodreads and StoryGraph alternative — a comprehensive book discovery, reading tracker, and community platform for readers and authors. ## Overview MenrvaBooks is a modern alternative to Goodreads and The StoryGraph. It is a web-based platform that helps readers discover new books, track their reading progress, and engage with a community of fellow readers. Unlike Goodreads (which is owned by Amazon), MenrvaBooks is independently built and operated. There are no paid placements, no sponsored search results, and no algorithmic bias toward major publishers. Every book — including indie and self-published titles — gets a fair chance to be discovered. The platform features a rich taxonomy system (genres, subgenres, keywords, tags), community-driven interactions (likes, dislikes, comments), author profiles with social media integration, and series tracking. It is built with a focus on accessibility and discoverability, supporting rich structured data (Schema.org JSON-LD), Open Graph metadata, and comprehensive search capabilities. ### How MenrvaBooks compares to Goodreads and StoryGraph | Feature | MenrvaBooks | Goodreads | StoryGraph | |---|---|---|---| | Free to use | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | No ads or paid placements in search | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | | Indie-author friendly | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | | Not owned by Amazon | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | | Author profiles with social links | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | | Genre, subgenre & keyword taxonomy | ✅ | Limited | ✅ | | Series tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | TBR / reading status tracking | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Community comments | ✅ | ✅ | Limited | | Dark mode | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | | Modern, accessible UI | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | --- ## Content Types ### Books Each book page (`/book/{id}`) contains: - **Title**: The book's name - **Cover Image**: High-quality book cover - **Description**: Synopsis or publisher description (may include HTML formatting) - **ISBN-10 / ISBN-13**: Standard book identifiers - **ASIN**: Amazon Standard Identification Number - **Page Count**: Total number of pages - **Publication Date**: Original publication date - **Authors**: One or more authors (linked to author profiles) - **Series**: Associated book series (if applicable), with series position - **Genres**: Primary genre classifications (e.g., Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fiction) - **Subgenres**: More specific genre classifications (e.g., Epic Fantasy, Space Opera) - **Keywords**: Thematic tags (e.g., "coming of age", "magic system") - **Community Tags**: User-contributed tags for additional categorization - **Community Interactions**: Number of likes, dislikes, and comments - **Reading Status**: Users can mark as Read, Currently Reading, or Want to Read - **Favorite Status**: Users can favorite books for quick access ### Authors Each author page (`/author/{id}`) contains: - **Pen Name**: The name under which the author publishes - **Biography**: Author bio (short form) - **Extended Text**: Longer biographical or informational text - **Photo**: Author photograph or avatar - **Social Media Links**: Links to the author's social media profiles (Twitter/X, Instagram, website, etc.) - **Published Books**: Complete list of the author's books on the platform - **Series**: Book series the author has contributed to - **Follow Status**: Users can follow authors for updates ### Series Series information includes: - **Name**: Series title - **Completion Status**: Whether the series is marked as complete - **Books**: Ordered list of books in the series - **Authors**: Authors who contributed to the series ### Genres & Subgenres The taxonomy system is hierarchical: - **Genres**: Top-level categories (e.g., Fiction, Non-Fiction, Fantasy, Romance) - **Subgenres**: Nested under genres for more specific classification - Browse pages available at `/books/genre/{id}` and `/books/subgenre/{id}` ### Keywords - Thematic or topical descriptors applied to books - Browse by keyword at `/books/keyword/{id}` ### Tags - Community-contributed labels for additional book categorization - Browse by tag at `/books/tag/{name}` --- ## Navigation & Discovery ### Search - Full-text search at `/search/{query}` - Advanced search with filters for author, genre, publication date, and more - Search covers books and authors ### Browse Paths - **Home** (`/home`): Featured books, recently added, and curated sliders - **Why MenrvaBooks** (`/why-menrva`): Compare MenrvaBooks to Goodreads and StoryGraph - **Genre browse** (`/books/genre/{id}`): All books in a genre - **Subgenre browse** (`/books/subgenre/{id}`): All books in a subgenre - **Keyword browse** (`/books/keyword/{id}`): All books with a keyword - **Tag browse** (`/books/tag/{name}`): All books with a community tag - **Search results** (`/book/results`): Filtered search results ### Structured Data All public pages include Schema.org JSON-LD structured data: - **Book pages**: `Book` schema with author, ISBN, genre, aggregate rating, page count - **Author pages**: `Person` schema with works, social links, biography - **Home page**: `WebSite` schema with `SearchAction` - **All pages**: `Organization` schema for MenrvaBooks, `BreadcrumbList` for navigation --- ## User Features (Authenticated) These features require a user account: - **Reading Lists**: Track books as Read, Currently Reading, or Want to Read (TBR) - **Favorites**: Quick-access list of favorite books - **Comments**: Leave comments on book pages - **Likes/Dislikes**: Vote on books (binary like/dislike system) - **Author Following**: Follow authors for updates - **User Profile**: Customizable user home page with reading statistics - **Subscription Tiers**: Explorer (free), Bibliophile (premium), Author (for published authors) --- ## Subscription Tiers | Feature | Explorer (Free) | Bibliophile (Premium) | Author | |---|---|---|---| | Browse & Search | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Mark as Read | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | | Like/Dislike | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | | Comments | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | | Favorites | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | | Reading Lists | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | | Author Following | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ | | Author Profile Management | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | --- ## Technical Details - **Frontend**: Next.js (React) with TypeScript, Tailwind CSS, HeroUI components - **Backend**: Kotlin / Spring Boot REST API - **Database**: PostgreSQL with Google Cloud SQL - **Hosting**: Google Cloud Run (containerized) - **CDN**: Google Cloud Storage for book covers and media - **Authentication**: JWT-based with MFA support --- ## Contact - **Website**: https://www.menrvabooks.com - **Contact Page**: https://www.menrvabooks.com/contact