From Concept to Code: Building the Foundation

Part 2 of "The Making of Enchanted Reads"

With our vision clear, it was time to build. But where do you start when creating something that doesn't exist yet?

Choosing Our Tools

Every application needs a foundation. We made decisions that would shape everything to come:

For the Backend: We chose Python with FastAPI—fast, modern, and a joy to work with. It would power everything from user authentication to book recommendations.

For the Frontend: React was our choice, paired with Material-UI for components. But we knew we'd heavily customize everything to achieve our fantasy aesthetic.

For the Database: PostgreSQL for reliability and power. Our readers would trust us with their precious reading histories—we needed rock-solid data storage.

The First Lines of Code

There's something profound about writing the first lines of code for a new project. It's equal parts excitement and terror. Will this idea work? Are we capable of building what we envision?

We started with the basics:

• User registration and authentication
• A simple book model
• Basic CRUD operations

Nothing magical yet—just the bones that would support the wonder to come.

The Architecture Philosophy

Early on, we established principles that guide us still:

1. Books Are Sacred Every feature decision asks: "Does this serve the reading experience?" If not, we don't build it.

2. Performance Is Non-Negotiable A slow app breaks the spell. We optimize relentlessly.

3. Data Belongs to Users Reading histories are personal. We treat them with respect.

4. Magic in the Details The difference between good and great lives in small touches.

Building Block by Block

The first working version was humble:

• You could create an account
• You could add a book
• You could mark it as read

That was it. But it worked. And from that foundation, we could build.

Each week brought new features:

• Star ratings
• Reading status
• Basic organization

The code grew. The app took shape. And slowly, it started to feel like something special.

The Inevitable Challenges

Nothing worth building comes easily. We faced:

• Scaling issues when testing with large libraries
• Complex state management as features multiplied
• The eternal question: "Is this feature scope creep, or is it essential?"

Each challenge taught us something. Each solution made the app stronger.

The First Milestone

After months of work, we had something we could show people. It wasn't Enchanted Reads yet—not fully—but you could see what it wanted to become.

The feedback from early testers was encouraging: "This feels different. This feels like it was made by readers."

That was exactly what we were going for.

---

In Part 3, we'll explore how we created the visual magic—the fantasy theme that makes Enchanted Reads feel like stepping into another world.

This is Part 2 of "The Making of Enchanted Reads," a 7-part series exploring how we built a reading app for book lovers.