BetterReads 📚

BetterReads is a modern web application that helps users discover, track, and share their reading experiences. It provides a personalized book recommendation system, allows users to write and read reviews, and includes features for managing book clubs.

Features 🌟

User Features

• User Authentication

  • Sign up and login functionality
  • Profile management with customizable profile pictures
  • Password recovery system

• Book Discovery

  • Personalized book recommendations based on reading preferences
  • Search functionality for books
  • Detailed book information including descriptions and availability

• Reviews & Ratings

  • Write and read book reviews
  • Star rating system
  • Profile pictures displayed with reviews

• Book Clubs

  • Create and join book clubs
  • View book club listings
  • Detailed book club information

Technical Features

• Responsive design for all devices
• Modern UI with smooth animations
• Real-time updates
• Secure file uploads for profile pictures
• Integration with external APIs

Tech Stack 💻

Frontend

• React.js
• CSS3
• Axios for API calls
• React Router for navigation
• Zustand for state management

Backend

• Node.js
• Express.js
• MongoDB
• JWT for authentication
• Cloudinary for image storage
• Express-fileupload for handling file uploads

Getting Started 🚀

Prerequisites

• Node.js (v14 or higher)
• npm or yarn
• MongoDB
• Cloudinary account (for image storage)

Installation

1. Clone the repository

git clone https://github.com/Shapriyan19/BetterReads.git
cd BetterReads

2. Install dependencies for both frontend and backend

# Install backend dependencies
cd backend
npm install

# Install frontend dependencies
cd ../frontend
npm install

3. Set up environment variables Create a .env file in the backend directory with the following variables:

PORT=5001
MONGODB_URI=your_mongodb_uri
JWT_SECRET=your_jwt_secret
NODE_ENV=development
CLOUDINARY_CLOUD_NAME=your_cloudinary_cloud_name
CLOUDINARY_API_KEY=your_cloudinary_api_key
CLOUDINARY_API_SECRET=your_cloudinary_api_secret
GEMINI_API_KEY=your_gemini_api_key
SPOTIFY_CLIENT_SECRET=your_spotify_client_secret
SPOTIFY_CLIENT_ID=your_spotify_client_id

4. Start the development servers

# Start backend server
cd backend
npm run dev

# Start frontend server
cd frontend
npm run dev

Project Structure 📁

BetterReads/
├── frontend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── components/
│   │   ├── store/
│   │   ├── assets/
│   │   └── App.jsx
│   └── package.json
├── backend/
│   ├── src/
│   │   ├── controllers/
│   │   ├── models/
│   │   ├── routes/
│   │   └── index.js
│   └── package.json
└── README.md