IV · About
our story
It started with a book Faizan couldn't finish.
Ali reads hard books for fun. His friend Faizan wanted to read them too, but kept losing his place and giving up. So the two of them built Roman Reads, where you can listen to a book while you read it.
the one who reads it all
the one we built it for
Chapter I · How it started
A friend who always has a book for you
Ali kept handing over books. Faizan kept losing his place.
Ali has always been the friend who reads the hard books first, Dostoevsky most of all. The first one he gave Faizan was Crime and Punishment, and he told him he had to read it.
Faizan wanted to. But the pages were long, his mind wandered, and every time he came back he had lost his place and the thread of the story. With The Brothers Karamazov, he got as far as page 127.
he really did want to read them.
Chapter II · The founders
The founders
Ali & Faizan
two friends, two very different readers. spread 02 / 02
Roman Reads
Est. 2026
Two friends,
one bookshop.
Est. 2026
Two friends,one bookshop.
The one with the reading list
Ali
Co-founder and CEO. Runs the shop, built this website, and always has a book picked out for you.
“Here, read this.”Crime and Punishment · Karamazov · Berserk
The one we built it for
Faizan
Co-founder and CTO. Built the Roman Reads app, and is still on page 127 of Karamazov.
“Still reading it.”The Brothers Karamazov · p. 127
Founder I
RR
Ali
the friend with a reading list, who started all this.
Reading logNo. 001
Alico-founder & CEO, built this website.
Also answers to“here, read this.”
TitleStatus
Crime and PunishmentagainFinished
One Hundred Years of SolitudeFinished
Berserk, Vol. 1–41yes, all of themFinished
One Piece, Vol. 1–108Finished
The Brothers KaramazovobviouslyRe-read ×3
…continued on log No. 004
LinkedIn, Ali
Founder II
RR
Faizan
the friend who kept getting stuck, and the reason we built it.
Reading logNo. 002
Faizanco-founder & CTO, built the Roman Reads app.
Also answers to“still reading it.”(his answer, for months)
TitleStatus
The Brothers Karamazovbookmark: p. 127Unfinished
a lot of time passed here.
Crime and Punishment · Roman Reads ed.cover to coverFinished
The Brothers Karamazov, new edition in progress
LinkedIn, Faizan
AliReader I
Read it in a week
the one who reads it all
the one who reads it all
Reading logno. 001
AliCo-founder & CEO
“Here, read this.”
He always has a book for you, and a reason you have to read it. Ali runs the shop and built this website.
Crime & Punishmentre-read
The Brothers Karamazov×3
Berserkcomplete
FaizanReader II
Stopped on page 127
the one we built it for
the one we built it for
Reading logno. 002
FaizanCo-founder & CTO
“Still reading it.”
He wanted to read the books Ali loved, and kept getting stuck. Faizan built the Roman Reads app. Before we add anything, we ask: would this have got him past page 127?
Karamazovp. 127
Crime & Punishmentfinished
Roman Readsin progress
Same book. One of us finished it in a week. One of us needed to build a company first.
Chapter III · Why we built it
Listening while you read still counts as reading
Then Faizan found out he has ADHD.
It explained a lot. He had always wanted to read, but long pages of print made it hard for him to stay with a story. From the outside, it looked like giving up.
We have since talked to more than 50 readers who said the same thing. So we built Roman Reads for anyone who finds long books hard: people with ADHD or dyslexia, people who struggle with their eyesight, and anyone who follows a story better by hearing it. You get the same books, read out loud, with every word highlighted on screen.
The books stay the same. We just make them easier to get through.
Now listeningCrime and Punishment
Part One01Pause and replay any line.your pace
02The whole story, read out loud.same book
03It remembers where you stopped.come back any time
readers