Bookshelf Scanner: Spines

True Story!

In-app purchases

About this app

Your next great read is hiding on a $2 shelf somewhere. Spines helps you find it.

Point your camera at any thrift store, used-book shop, or library sale shelf. Spines reads every spine, matches each title against award databases and reader ratings, and tells you in seconds which books are worth grabbing — based on your personal taste.

No more standing in the aisle googling every title. No more leaving Pulitzer winners behind because you didn't recognize the author. Spines turns a chaotic shelf into a curated list.

HOW IT WORKS
1. Scan — Point your camera at any bookshelf and snap a photo
2. Identify — AI reads the spines and matches each book automatically
3. Discover — See ratings, awards, and personalized recommendations

WHAT SPINES SPOTS
• Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists
• National Book Award winners
• Booker Prize winners and finalists
• Women's Prize for Fiction winners
• New York Times Bestsellers (rank and weeks on list)
• 4-star reader favorites
• Books that match your personal taste — genres, authors, publishers

FEATURES
• AI-Powered Scanning — Identify books from any shelf photo in seconds
• Personalized "For You" picks tailored to your reading taste
• Goodreads & StoryGraph Import — Bring your reading history for smarter picks
• Voice Preferences — Tell the app what you like using your voice
• Book Details — Ratings, descriptions, page counts, and where to buy
• Hunt List — Track the books you want, love, or have grabbed
• Scan History — Revisit every shelf you've scanned
• Spot Books Nearby — See where interesting books were spotted on a map

PERFECT FOR
• Thrift store and Goodwill book hunting
• Library book sales, garage sales, and estate sales
• Little Free Libraries and community book exchanges
• Used and antiquarian bookshops
• A friend's shelf when you can't remember what they recommended
• Building a reading list from real-world shelves, not algorithms

FREE TO USE
Scan up to 3 shelves per month for free. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited scans, full scan history, award and bestseller signals, book wishlist, Goodreads import, and smarter "For You" recommendations — with a 14-day free trial.

Your next favorite book is already on a shelf somewhere. Spines helps you find it first.

Ratings and reviews

Will not get past the photo stage. I have tried various shelves, books and lighting always the same result of asking me to retake photo and ensure it's in focus. My hardware is up to scratch so I'm unsure what the problem is but it just doesn't work.

Brilliant App. Saved me on time and frustration, scouring the shelves for books in charity shops. (Who has the time for that?). It directed me immediately to my genre. Wish I'd known about it sooner..... 10/10

It's like you read my mind! I have been desperate for an app like this, as I find it difficult and overwhelming looking at large shelves of books. Very excited to use this.

What’s new

Home now has shortcuts to three things people tend to miss: your wishlist, the books you love (photograph your shelf at home, import from Goodreads, or add them one by one) and your favourite genres. The wishlist and imports are Premium.

Questions or ideas? [e-mail]