Fireside
A reader that changes how the page reads, not just how it looks. A book’s markup becomes semantic content, the content is laid out on a real page, and the layout is paced.
On your home screen it is called Fireside.
Getting started
Fireside ships with no books of its own. It opens the ones you already have, and it can fetch free ones for you.
To add a book you own, tap Add Books on the library screen and pick a file, or copy files straight into Fireside’s own folder using the Files app:
Files → On My iPhone → Fireside → Books
Anything you put in that folder is added to your library the next time you open the app.
To find something new, open the Discover tab. It comes with the Standard Ebooks catalogue built in — public-domain books, properly typeset, free. Search it, tap Download, and the book lands in your library. You can add any other OPDS catalogue by address.
Formats
Fireside opens EPUB, Kindle formats (MOBI, AZW3, AZW, PRC, PDB), FictionBook (FB2, FBZ), comic archives (CBZ), Markdown, plain text and HTML.
PDF is deliberately not among them. A PDF is a fixed page description rather than reflowable text, so the typography, pacing and text-size controls that Fireside is built around have nothing to work with.
Where your books live
Imported books are copied into Fireside’s own Books folder, so moving or deleting the original file elsewhere does not affect your library. That folder is visible in the Files app, so you can always get a book back out again.
Frequently asked
Does Fireside sell books? No. Nothing in the app costs money and there is nothing to buy. The books in Discover are public-domain editions from Standard Ebooks, free to everyone, and any other book in your library is a file you added yourself.
Does it need an internet connection? Only for the Discover tab, which you open by hand. Reading, your library, the pacer, paper mode, highlights, notes and search all work with no signal at all.
A book renders oddly. What now? Send the book file, or its title and format, to the address below. Fireside is built on four open-source packages and format quirks are usually traceable to a specific one, so a real file is worth far more than a description.
How do I free up space? Settings shows how much storage your books and covers use, and offers to clear the layout cache, delete all books, or reset reading positions.
How do I get my highlights and notes out? Export them as Markdown, CSV or JSON from the book’s notes list. They are also kept on the device alongside the book.
Contact
Bug reports, questions and requests: aharonahdoot@gmail.com
Please include your iOS version, your device, and the book file if the problem is about a specific book.