Every book deserves
a second reader
BookMates is a community-powered book borrowing platform. Discover books from readers near you, borrow with refundable points instead of money, and turn your neighborhood into a reading circle you can trust.
Be among the first readers building BookMates in Ahmedabad
Just borrowed “Atomic Habits”!
— Riya, Satellite
Discover Nearby
Find books within 3, 5, or 10km in Ahmedabad — SG Highway, Satellite, Vastrapur, and more.
Points, Not Payments
Refundable deposit points hold your spot. No cards, no wallets — just community trust.
Lend & Earn
Earn bonus points every time you lend a book — the more you share, the more you can borrow.
How it works
From listing a book to getting your points back — the whole loop
List your book
Add a book from your shelf — title, condition, a photo, and your deposit in points.
Discover & request
Browse books within 3, 5, or 10km and send a borrow request to the owner.
Agree on a meetup
Chat with the owner, pick a public, well-lit spot and time that works for both of you.
Scan to confirm pickup
Meet up, scan the handoff QR code together, and the loan officially begins.
Return & get refunded
Meet again, scan the return code, and your deposit points are refunded automatically.
List your book
Add a book from your shelf — title, condition, a photo, and your deposit in points.
Discover & request
Browse books within 3, 5, or 10km and send a borrow request to the owner.
Agree on a meetup
Chat with the owner, pick a public, well-lit spot and time that works for both of you.
Scan to confirm pickup
Meet up, scan the handoff QR code together, and the loan officially begins.
Return & get refunded
Meet again, scan the return code, and your deposit points are refunded automatically.
Frequently asked questions
BookMates is a peer-to-peer book borrowing platform. List books you own, discover books from readers near you, and borrow with refundable points instead of money.
No. Points are a refundable deposit that holds your borrowing commitment, not a currency. They have no cash value and can't be bought, sold, or exchanged for money.
Sign up and you'll get 500 points instantly. From there you can list a book from your shelf or browse books near you to borrow.
Always meet in a public, well-lit location to hand off or pick up a book. BookMates doesn't run background checks on members or supervise meetups, so use the same judgment you'd use meeting anyone new.
BookMates isn't a party to any exchange between members — we don't mediate disputes, insure books, or guarantee outcomes. Treat every borrow with the care and trust you'd want in return.
BookMates is live in Ahmedabad now, with more cities planned as the community grows.
We hash passwords, never share your email or exact address with other members, and only use your data to run the platform. See our Privacy Policy for details.
Not yet — BookMates is currently an independent, pre-launch project, not a registered company or legal entity. We'll update this as that changes.
Your next great read starts here.
Sign up and get 500 points instantly. Join readers in Ahmedabad who'd rather share a shelf than fill a landfill.
Get startedBooks are a uniquely portable magic.
Stephen King