Build a focused audio player that imports EPUB^? and PDF^? documents, connects to Audiobookshelf, generates clear spoken audio when necessary, and maintains a durable playback position. The first version should prioritize screen-reader-accessible navigation, persistent background playback, simple play and pause controls, offline downloads, and Apple CarPlay support rather than attempting to aggregate protected library catalogs.

High-quality synthetic voices make personal documents practical to consume as audio, while self-hosted media libraries are creating demand for clients that work outside the home. The signals also show that established reading products still leave fundamental continuity and accessibility problems unresolved.