Version v1.0.9

A full Public Domain browsing experience

The new Public Domain page is not just a button that throws you somewhere else. It is a full in-app experience built for discovering free books in a way that feels native to Simpleread. You can search titles more reliably, see cleaner results, and keep loading more when you want to go deeper instead of being stuck with the same few books forever. Revolutionary, I know.

Search results are also easier to understand at a glance. Matching text is highlighted, download numbers are formatted more cleanly, and empty states have been polished so the page still feels intentional even when nothing is found. That sounds like a small detail until you search for something obscure and get absolutely nothing back.

Importing books now feels far more alive

One of the biggest upgrades in v1.0.9 is the new import progress experience. When books are being added, you now get a dedicated popup that tracks what is happening in a much more human way - overall progress, per-book progress, individual statuses, covers once they are ready, and a clearer sense that the app is actually doing something useful instead of silently meditating.

The queue is also built to handle multiple books more gracefully. You can see what finished, what still needs time, and what needs your attention. Time estimates and smoother progress animations make long imports feel less like guesswork and more like a process you can trust.

Just as importantly, the progress view no longer disappears the second the app decides it is done thinking. It waits more naturally, gives clearer completion feedback, and makes the whole add-to-library flow feel much more deliberate.

Better duplicate handling, fewer annoying surprises

v1.0.9 also takes duplicates much more seriously. If a book already exists in your library, or if a batch contains repeated items, Simpleread is now better at spotting that early and showing it directly inside the queue instead of forcing everything into a separate, awkward detour.

Duplicate entries now get clearer visual treatment, warning states are more obvious, and the import flow is more careful about what should be skipped by default versus what you may still want to continue with manually. The result is less accidental clutter in your library and less “why do I have this book three times?” energy.

Stronger loading, error, and recovery behavior

This release includes a lot of behind-the-scenes hardening. Loading states across the Public Domain flow and the general import flow have been reworked to feel smoother and more informative, with weighted progress, improved error screens, and less janky transitions between states.

More importantly, failures are handled more gracefully. A single problem is less likely to derail the entire experience, and partial issues - like a missing cover or a temporary connection hiccup - are treated more intelligently. In many cases, the book can still continue through the import process instead of everything collapsing in dramatic fashion.

There is also better resilience when connectivity becomes unstable during an import. If the network decides to have a personality, Simpleread is now more likely to recover cleanly rather than leaving you with confusing half states.

A cleaner fit across layouts and screen sizes

The new Public Domain experience and the updated import flow have both been tuned for responsive layouts. Wider screens can show more books at once, tighter screens handle the layout more gracefully, and elements shift more naturally depending on available space.

Category changes have also been polished so moving around the app feels less abrupt. It is the kind of improvement you may not consciously notice after a day or two, which is usually the best sign that it is doing its job.

Simpleread v1.0.9 is a big, foundational quality-of-life release. It opens the door to free Public Domain books, gives imports a much clearer and more reliable flow, and smooths out a surprising number of rough edges along the way. A lot changed here - fortunately, most of it changed in the direction of “this should have always worked like this.”