📘 Readook - AI-Powered Book Marketplace

Readook is a full-stack MERN marketplace that blends modern e-commerce with AI and ML based recommendation systems. It features intelligent book discovery powered by Google Gemini, personalized recommendations,role-based multi-vendor management, secure delivery verification and password change feature.

🚀 Key Features

🤖 AI-Powered Discovery & Recommendation System

Readook combines traditional ML based recommendation engine using weighted scoring technique with Generative AI to create an intelligent book discovery experience.

AI Discovery Assistant

Powered by Google Gemini 2.5 Flash

Users can search naturally using queries such as:

Books about habit building
Hindi motivational books
Books similar to Atomic Habits
Finance books for beginners

Gemini extracts:

• Author preferences
• Language preferences
• Categories
• Search keywords

The extracted data is then used to search marketplace inventory intelligently.

---

AI Description Generator

Sellers can only provide:

Book Title
Author Name

for Gemini to automatically generate:

• Professional marketplace description
• Book category

This significantly reduces listing effort and improves listing quality.

---

AI Keyword Generation

For every book, Gemini-API generates searchable metadata:

Author Keywords
Category Keywords
Search Keywords
Discovery Keywords

Example:

Atomic Habits

Keywords:
habits
discipline
productivity
self improvement
james clear
success

---

Hybrid Recommendation Engine

Readook does not directly return AI responses.

Instead:

Gemini extracts intent
↓
Keywords generated
↓
Books filtered
↓
Weighted scoring applied
↓
Best matches returned

This produces faster, explainable, and inventory-aware recommendations.

---

🎯 Personalized Recommendation Engine

Readook learns user preferences over time.

Interest Profiling

Uses Mongoose Maps to maintain user affinity vectors for:

• Categories
• Authors

Based on:

• Ratings
• Favourites
• Orders

---

Weighted Scoring

Recommendation Score:

Score = (InterestWeight × 10) + GlobalRating

Books are ranked according to both:

• User preference
• Platform-wide quality

---

Multi-Tier Learning

High Impact Actions

• Orders
• Ratings

These provide strong positive signals.

Medium Impact Actions

• Adding books to favourites

Provides intent signals without dominating recommendations.

---

Cold Start Support

Guest users receive:

Global Trending Books

Authenticated users receive:

Personalized Recommendations

using soft-auth recommendation middleware.

---

🔐 Secure Handshake Delivery System

Prevents fraudulent delivery confirmations.

Delivery Verification Code

Every order generates a unique:

6-Digit Delivery Verification Code

---

Delivery Flow

1. Order Placement

System generates:

deliveryCode

and stores it securely.

2. Customer Access

The code is visible only inside the user's order section.

3. Physical Delivery

Seller requests the code from the customer.

4. Verification

Backend validates:

req.body.deliveryCode === order.deliveryCode

before updating order status.

---

Security Benefits

• Prevents fake deliveries
• Protects buyers
• Prevents seller abuse
• Creates a verified delivery handshake

---

🔒 Authentication & Security

JWT Authentication

• Access Token Architecture
• Refresh Token Architecture
• Refresh Token Rotation
• Protected Routes

---

Password Security

• bcrypt Password Hashing
• Secure Password Storage
• Password Reset Flow

---

Email Verification

Implemented using:

Nodemailer + OTP Verification

Features:

• Mandatory email verification before registration
• Expiring OTPs
• Duplicate account prevention

Flow:

Enter Email
↓
Receive OTP
↓
Verify OTP
↓
Account Created

---

Forgot Password System

Secure OTP-based password reset.

Flow:

Forgot Password
↓
Enter Email
↓
Receive OTP
↓
Verify OTP
↓
Set New Password
↓
Redirect To Login

---

Authorization

Role-Based Access Control:

User
Seller
Admin

Backend-enforced authorization protects:

• Admin Routes
• Seller Actions
• Ownership-based operations

---

📦 Marketplace Features

User Features

• Browse books
• View book details
• Add favourites
• Place orders
• View order history
• Rate purchased books
• Manage profile

---

Seller Features

• Add books
• Edit books
• Delete books
• AI-generated descriptions
• AI-generated keywords

---

Admin Features

• Manage sellers
• Manage orders
• Handle complaints
• Blacklist malicious users
• Platform moderation

---

⭐ Interactive Rating System

Users can rate books after successful delivery.

Features:

• Dynamic star rating UI
• Real-time feedback
• Recommendation profile updates
• Global rating recalculation

---

📜 Snapshot-Based Order Storage

When an order is placed:

Book Snapshot Stored

Benefits:

• Preserves order history
• Prevents broken orders
• Supports deleted books safely

---

🛡️ Security Highlights

• JWT Authentication
• Refresh Tokens
• bcrypt Password Hashing
• OTP Email Verification
• Forgot Password OTP Flow
• Protected Backend Routes
• Ownership Verification
• Role-Based Authorization
• HTTP-Only Refresh Token Cookies
• Delivery Verification Codes
• Request Validation

---

🛠️ Tech Stack

Frontend

React.js
Redux Toolkit
React Router
Tailwind CSS
Axios

Backend

Node.js
Express.js
JWT
bcrypt
Nodemailer
Google Gemini API

Database

MongoDB
Mongoose

AI

Google Gemini 2.5 Flash

---

🏗️ Architecture Highlights

• RESTful API Architecture
• Role-Based Access Control
• Recommendation Engine
• AI-Powered Search Layer
• Snapshot Order System
• Refresh Token Authentication
• Multi-Vendor Marketplace Architecture

---

🚦 Installation

Clone Repository

git clone https://github.com/Venu4i/Readook.git

Backend Setup

cd backend

npm install

npm run dev

Frontend Setup

cd frontend

npm install

npm run dev

---

🔮 Future Enhancements

• Seller Analytics Dashboard
• Book Reviews with sentiment analysis
• Wishlist Notifications
• Payment Gateway Integration

---

👨‍💻 Author

Venu Verma

Readook demonstrates practical implementation of:

• Full Stack MERN Development
• Authentication & Security
• Recommendation Systems
• AI Integration
• REST API Design
• MongoDB Data Modeling
• Marketplace Architecture
• Role-Based Authorization