Kaffe · a free, private bookshelf

Share a bookshelf with your family, privately

Families read a lot of the same books, but the recommendations usually get lost in a group chat. Kaffe gives each person a simple shelf of the books and audiobooks they've finished, and lets you share it with the people you choose.

Here is how it works. Everyone makes an account with a name (anything you like) and a password. No email address, phone number or real name is needed. You create a small circle for your family and send its link to the people you want in it. There is no user search and nothing is public by default, so nobody finds your shelf unless you send them the link.

Your full shelf starts as Only me. You decide which circles can open a read-only copy of it, and unchecking a circle removes their access immediately. Family members in your reading circle do see your to-read list, your top picks and your notes, which is how Kaffe shows you the books your family loved that you haven't read yet, and they see yours.

You can rate books with stars, leave a short note (up to 280 characters) on a book for your circle to read, and see which books are on more than one family member's to-read shelf in your reading circle. Kaffe is free, has no ads, and runs in the browser on phones and computers, so there's nothing to install.

Start your own reading circle: free, with just a name and a password. No email, no ads.

Questions

Is Kaffe free for families?

Yes. Kaffe is free to use and has no ads.

Does everyone in the family need an email address?

No. Each person signs up with a name and a password only. No email, phone number or real name.

Can people outside the family see our shelves?

Not unless you invite them. Shelves are private by default, there is no user search, and you choose which circles can see your shelf.

Can my family see books I haven't shared?

Your full shelf is only visible to circles you share it with, and you can stop sharing at any time. People in your reading circle do see your to-read list, your top picks and the notes you leave.

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