Buddy reads
Read a book alongside a friend in another city, or on another schedule, and still talk about every chapter.
Buddy reading app for friends and book clubs
Read the same book.
Spoil nothing.
Bookties is a shared margin for buddy reads and small book clubs. Every note stays locked until the reader reaches that chapter, so you can talk about the book while you are both still in it.
Free, with no ads. Sign in with Google, Apple or email. iPhone app coming soon.
How a spoiler-free buddy read works
- 01
Add the book
Search by title, author or ISBN, pick your edition, and set how many chapters it has. Covers and metadata come along.
- 02
Share it with your reading buddy
Each of you reads at your own pace. Bookties tracks where everyone is, chapter by chapter.
- 03
Write in the margin
Leave a note on the chapter you just finished. It stays sealed until your friend gets there.
- 04
Notes unlock as you read
Move your progress marker and their notes open up, in the order they were meant to be read.
See it in the app
Your shelf and your friends' progress 
One book, two readers, one progress bar 
Chapter notes with replies and reactions 
A note sealed until you reach chapter 9
Who reads with Bookties
Small book clubs
Share the month's pick with the group. Fast readers can write freely and nobody arrives at the meeting spoiled.
Reading with a partner
Same book on the nightstand, different bedtimes. Leave notes for each other instead of waiting to compare.
Series and rereads
Walk a friend through a series you love, leaving notes for them to find when they get to the good part.
Built for reading together
Spoiler-safe by construction
Unlocking is enforced on the server, not hidden in the interface. A note you have not reached is not in the page you are given.
A shelf you both can see
Shared books, want-to-read lists and friend progress in one place, so you always know what to start next.
Reading heatmap
See the whole book at a glance: where you are, where your friends are, and which chapters hold unread notes.
Series that stay in order
Series data from Hardcover keeps multi-book runs sorted, with the next volume one tap away.
Replies and reactions
Notes are a conversation. Reply in the margin once you both cleared the chapter it belongs to.
Yours to take
Export or delete your account and everything in it, whenever you want. No ads, no tracking of what you read.
Reading together, explained
- How to do a buddy readA practical guide to buddy reading: pick the book, agree on a pace, and talk about each chapter without spoilers when one of you reads faster.
- Book club appRun a small book club online: share the month's book, see where each member is, and let fast readers leave chapter notes nobody sees too early.
- Spoiler-free book notesWrite notes in the margin of a book and share them with friends. Each note stays locked until the reader reaches that chapter, so nothing gets spoiled.
Questions
What is a buddy read?
A buddy read is two or more people reading the same book at the same time and talking about it as they go. The catch is pace: someone is always ahead. Bookties keeps every note behind the chapter it was written on, so whoever is ahead can write freely.
How does Bookties keep notes spoiler-free?
Each note is tied to a chapter. The server only sends you notes for chapters you have reached, so a sealed note is not on your screen at all, blurred or otherwise. Move your progress forward and the notes for that chapter unlock.
Can I use Bookties for a book club?
Yes, it works well for small groups of friends. Share the book with each member. Everyone reads at their own pace, the heatmap shows where each person is, and notes open up for each reader as they catch up.
Is Bookties free?
Yes. Bookties is free to use, has no ads, and does not track what you read.
Where can I use it?
In any browser at bookties.app and in the Android app on Google Play. An iPhone app is on its way. Your account and notes are the same everywhere.
Which books can I add?
Search by title, author or ISBN. Book data and covers come from Hardcover and Open Library, and you can set the chapter count yourself for any edition.
Can I delete my data?
Yes. You can export everything or delete your account and all of its data from the settings screen at any time.
Start with one book and one friend.
That is the whole product. Add a book, share it, and write the note you would otherwise have to keep to yourself.