Getting started
Book Isle getting started: import your first EPUB and resume reading
Import a local EPUB, jump between chapters, save your position and check offline access, without mistaking a remote cover for downloaded text.
On this page
Book Isle organizes existing ebooks into a lasting private bookshelf. You do not need a NAS or the whole collection on day one. Use one small EPUB to complete import, opening, exit, and resumption, giving later settings a reliable reference.
Prepare a book that is easy to verify
In the Files app, prepare an EPUB you have permission to read, perhaps named “Reading Practice.epub.” Start with an unencrypted text-based book of three to five chapters. Inspect its extension and size. For cloud storage, wait until it downloads locally; a visible filename does not prove the content is on the device.
Keep the original file and leave it in place for now. Book Isle supports multiple documents, but the first book tests the reading workflow rather than complex layouts. TXT can serve the same exercise; PDF uses a fixed-page reader with different text-size and chapter behavior. Renaming MOBI or AZW3 to EPUB does not convert its internal structure.
Add a local file from the bookshelf
Open the bookshelf's Add entry and choose Local File Import. In the system picker, open the prepared folder and select the practice file. If Import Preview appears, inspect title, author, format, and handling before Start Import. A same-named book may trigger duplicate detection. Check the existing content rather than repeatedly confirming and creating multiple records.
Selecting one book initially connects wait time, errors, and results clearly. Keep the app foregrounded until a result appears. “Duplicate skipped” differs from “Import successful”; for a skipped item, find its earlier shelf record. On failure, retain the error text and check original-file integrity before selecting again.
Open the text and establish a reading reference
Return to the bookshelf, find the new cover, and open it. Read a short opening passage and note the chapter title and a recognizable sentence. For example, remember the start of paragraph three rather than just the displayed page number. Reflowable books repaginate with font size, orientation, and window width; chapter and text are more useful references than page count.
Tap the middle of the text to reveal reading controls and locate contents, progress, and settings. Open the contents list, check chapter names, and select chapter two. Success means the actual text changes to chapter two, not merely that a list appears. Return to the earlier location and see whether contents navigation and normal page turns recover the recorded sentence.
Resume after exiting instead of importing repeatedly
Use the reader's Back button to return to the shelf, wait briefly, and reopen the same book. Check whether chapter and text position are sensible. With unchanged typography, comparison is more direct. If font size changed, allow pagination differences and focus on content continuity.
Exit the app and reopen it, repeating the check. This distinguishes a temporarily correct screen from a saved reading record. If it returns to the start, confirm the same record rather than a similarly covered copy. Avoid immediately deleting and reinstalling: deleting a book may also remove its reading records and useful troubleshooting clues.
Use a short completion checklist
An introductory check needs only five items: the book is findable on the shelf; title and format are correct; contents navigation opens a specific chapter; returning from the shelf resumes reading; and local text opens with networking off. Note title, chapter two's heading, and test date for repeating the check on another device. Perform the offline step after local import, not on a book with only remote covers and catalog records.
For a ten-minute daily commute, finish chapter two, return to the shelf, and start chapter three next time. This also tests whether short sessions suit the chapter lengths. Book Isle has no online bookstore; import books or obtain them from authorized private libraries. Installing the app does not automatically supply readable content.
When content is blank, duplicated, or will not open
Why is the book blank after a successful import? Check DRM, damage, or complex fixed layout first. Confirm the original's completeness through its authorized reading method, then compare a simple EPUB. If that works, the issue is more likely specific to the file than the entire bookshelf. Do not overwrite or alter your only original to evade an error.
Why does the author appear as unknown? Title and author usually come from internal metadata. An EPUB lacking an author or a text-only TXT cannot be guaranteed automatic completion. Organize its details later without interrupting reading. If filename and embedded title differ, search both.
Why do remote covers appear but the book will not read offline? Covers, metadata, and text are separate. This tutorial imports a local file. Books from NAS, OPDS, or Calibre need separate downloads and opening checks; a loaded catalog is not completed offline preparation.
Choose a next route
To improve reading comfort first, continue with Adjust EPUB typography; for a text file, see TXT encoding and chapter checks. Readers with a private server can later learn about Connect a WebDAV library. Keep this practice book for testing search, excerpts, and synchronization between devices.
Sources and version
Information checked on October 23, 2026. The public release is Book Isle 1.1.3, requiring iOS / iPadOS 15.6 or later. This guide is based on public feature descriptions and their entry points. Interface labels may change with the version. See Official App Store description and Apple release information.