Configuration

BookLife uses KDL format for configuration. The config file is specified with --config flag.

Full Reference

// BookLife MCP Server Configuration

server {
    name "booklife"
    version "0.1.0"
    transport "stdio"
}

user {
    name "Reader"
    timezone "America/Chicago"

    preferences {
        genres "literary-fiction" "sci-fi" "fantasy" "non-fiction"
        avoid-genres "romance"
        preferred-formats "ebook" "audiobook" "physical"
        max-tbr-size 50
    }
}

providers {
    hardcover enabled=true {
        // Use env= to reference environment variables (recommended)
        api-key env="HARDCOVER_API_KEY"
        endpoint "https://api.hardcover.app/v1/graphql"

        sync {
            auto-import-libby true
            default-status "want-to-read"
        }
    }

    libby enabled=true {
        // Libraries are configured automatically via 'booklife libby-connect'
        notifications {
            hold-available true
            due-soon-days 3
        }
    }

    open-library enabled=true {
        endpoint "https://openlibrary.org"
        covers-endpoint "https://covers.openlibrary.org"
        rate-limit-ms 100
    }

    // Future providers (not yet implemented)
    wikidata enabled=false
    youtube enabled=false
    tiktok enabled=false
    local-bookstores enabled=false
}

cache {
    path "~/.booklife/cache.db"

    book-metadata true
    cover-images true
    reading-history true

    embeddings {
        enabled false
        model "all-MiniLM-L6-v2"
        index-path "~/.booklife/embeddings.idx"
    }
}

features {
    semantic-search false
    auto-hold false
    mood-tracking false
}

Environment Variables

Configuration values can reference environment variables using the env="VAR_NAME" syntax:

hardcover enabled=true {
    api-key env="HARDCOVER_API_KEY"
}

Available Variables

Variable	Required	Description
HARDCOVER_API_KEY	Yes	Hardcover GraphQL API token
BOOKLIFE_DATA_DIR	No	Override data directory (default: ~/.local/share/booklife)
BOOKLIFE_CONFIG_PATH	No	Config file path (default: ./booklife.kdl)
BOOKLIFE_LOG_LEVEL	No	Log level: debug, info, warn, error

Data Directory

BookLife stores local data (history, TBR, enrichment) in SQLite databases:

• Linux: ~/.local/share/booklife/
• macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/booklife/

Override with BOOKLIFE_DATA_DIR environment variable.

Libby TLS Note

OverDrive's API has a certificate hostname mismatch. If you encounter TLS errors, the Libby connection already handles this internally. No configuration needed beyond libby enabled=true.

Provider Initialization

Providers are conditionally initialized based on their enabled flag:

• If a provider is disabled, its tools won't be registered
• If Libby has no saved identity, a warning is printed but the server still starts
• All providers can fail independently without crashing the server