| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| 📖 Multi-Format Support | Support for EPUB, PDF, TXT, DOCX, DOC, HTML, RTF, and Markdown with seamless format detection |
| 👄 Modular TTS System | Edge TTS (default) and Kokoro TTS (local/offline) with extensible architecture for new models |
| 🌍 Cross-Platform & Multilingual | Full support for macOS, Linux, Windows with 100+ languages and consistent global experience |
| 🎛️ Speed Adjustment | Adjust text-to-speech playback speed from 1x to 3x for personalized listening experience |
| 🎯 Precise Word Highlighting | Word-level highlighting synchronized with actual speech, improving focus and concentration |
| 🌌 Rich Terminal UI | Clean, responsive interface with customizable color themes and full mouse & keyboard support |
| 💾 Smart Persistence | Automatic progress saving, state restoration, and cross-session continuity for seamless reading |
| ⚡️ Fast Navigation | Intuitive shortcuts, flexible controls, and optional smooth scrolling for efficient book navigation |
Want to try Lue right away? Follow these simple steps:
# 1. Install FFmpeg (required for audio processing)
# macOS
brew install ffmpeg
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install ffmpeg
# Windows: Download from ffmpeg.org and add to PATH
# 2. Install the latest version from PyPI
pip install lue-reader
# 3. Start reading!
lue path/to/your/book.epub 📝 Note: Quick start uses Edge TTS (requires internet). For offline capabilities, see full installation.
- FFmpeg - Audio processing (required)
- espeak - Kokoro TTS support
- antiword - .doc file support
brew install ffmpeg
# Optional
brew install espeak antiwordsudo apt update && sudo apt install ffmpeg
# Optional
sudo apt install espeak antiwordDownload FFmpeg from ffmpeg.org and add to PATH.
# 1. Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/superstarryeyes/lue.git
cd lue
# 2. Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
# 3. Install Lue
pip install .For local/offline TTS capabilities:
# 1. Edit requirements.txt - uncomment Kokoro packages:
kokoro>=0.9.4
soundfile>=0.13.1
huggingface-hub>=0.34.4
# 2. Install PyTorch
# CPU version:
pip install torch torchvision torchaudio
# GPU version (CUDA):
pip install torch torchvision torchaudio --index-url https://download.pytorch.org/whl/cu121
# 3. Install updated requirements
pip install -r requirements.txt
# 4. Install Lue
pip install .# Start with default TTS
lue path/to/your/book.epub
# Launch without arguments to open the last book you were reading
lue
# Use specific TTS model (edge/kokoro/none)
lue --tts kokoro path/to/your/book.epub
# Use a specific voice (full list at VOICES.md)
lue --voice "en-US-AriaNeural" path/to/your/book.epub
# Set the speech speed (e.g., 1.5x)
lue --speed 1.5 path/to/your/book.epub
# Specify a language code if needed
lue --lang a path/to/your/book.epub
# Seconds of overlap between sentences
lue --over 0.2 path/to/your/book.epub
# Enable PDF cleaning filter (removes page numbers, headers and footnotes)
lue --filter path/to/your/book.pdf
# View available options
lue --help| Key Binding | Action Description |
|---|---|
q |
Quit the application and save current reading progress automatically |
p |
Pause or resume the text-to-speech audio playback |
a |
Toggle auto-scroll mode to automatically advance during TTS playback |
t |
Select and highlight the top sentence of the current visible page |
h / l |
Move the reading line to the previous or next paragraph in the document |
j / k |
Move the reading line to the previous or next sentence in the document |
i / m |
Jump up or down by full pages for rapid navigation through longer documents |
u / n |
Scroll up or down by smaller increments for fine-grained position control |
y / b |
Jump directly to the beginning or end of the document for quick navigation |
, / . |
Decrease or increase text-to-speech playback speed (1x to 3x) |
s / w |
Toggle sentence highlighting or word highlighting on/off |
- 🖱️ Click - Jump to sentence
- 🔄 Scroll - Navigate content
- 📍 Progress bar click - Jump to position
Interested in extending Lue?
Check out the Developer Guide for instructions on adding new TTS models and contributing to the project.
Reading Progress:
- macOS:
~/Library/Application Support/lue/ - Linux:
~/.local/share/lue/ - Windows:
C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Local\lue\
Error Logs:
- macOS:
~/Library/Logs/lue/error.log - Linux:
~/.cache/lue/log/error.log - Windows:
C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Local\lue\Logs\error.log
This project is licensed under the GPL-3.0 License - see the LICENSE file for details.
Contributions are welcome! Please feel free to submit a Pull Request.