I see BookBlend as a space for both underrepresented authors and readers; a community where readers can connect, find like minded people, and build real relationships; a space where readers can relax and enjoy the experience.
Want to become a better book reader?
Want to discuss your favorite reads with others?
Want to give feedback directly to an author?
Milwaukee Area Technical College student Miracle Martin has an app for that.
Martin, who will earn a technical diploma in Entrepreneurship in May, has created BookBlend, a unique book community that combines hard copy reading and journaling with digital discussions, author interaction and data collection. BookBlend also emphasizes works by diverse content creators and underrepresented authors.
“It’s like Spotify Blend, but for books,” said Martin, describing a feature of Spotify, the world's largest audio streaming service, that creates shared, automatically updated playlists for users and up to 10 friends.
“It blends the reading experience of Kindle with the social connection of Instagram and the discovery style of Tinder,” she added. “I see BookBlend as a space for both underrepresented authors and readers; a community where readers can connect, find like minded people, and build real relationships; a space where readers can relax and enjoy the experience.”
Here’s how BookBlend works:
Readers get a clear plastic tote bag that typically includes one of 20 books in a number of genres that they can choose; a spiral-bound journal and a handful of stickers and bookmarks. Nearly all the books are written by Black Americans and other people of color — books that get lost in the shuffle or overlooked, she said.
“I want to help readers expand their knowledge and read books of different styles,” she said. “There’s a lot of great books by Black authors. Black literature is more than gangs, cops and dying.”
In the journals, readers can jot down their progress, review each chapter of the book and add drawings or stickers. Then readers can use the accompanying app to track their progress, see new book suggestions and swipe to like them, engage with other readers, and someday link with the authors, Martin said.
Eventually, readers could create their own digital discussions groups around the country that lead to in-person events, Martin said. The app also can be used to collect data from readers so authors know where their books are having a real impact, she said.
Martin, who grew up on Milwaukee’s North Side and graduated from Carmen High School in 2018, developed the concept after other digital book clubs left her unmoved.
“I had a lot of reading apps like Kindle and Goodreads, and I joined a lot of book clubs, but I found them kind of boring,” Martin said. “I wasn’t able to relate to the characters in a lot of the books I was reading. And if you can’t relate, you won’t read.”
Her idea to connect business and books got stronger as she watched her mother run her own business and her aunt write books.
The concept was at the top of her mind when she started at MATC. She had attended the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater after high school, but she didn’t like the vibe. She returned to Milwaukee and worked as a sales associate at a clothing store, as a package handler at FedEx and as a debt collector at a law firm before going to MATC.
In January 2024, she enrolled in the college’s Audio Engineer program. She changed her focus after attending an informational session at the West Allis Campus about the Business and Management Academic and Career Pathway. There she met Armen Hadjinian, lead faculty of the Entrepreneurship program. She told him about her concept, and Hadjinian convinced her to switch the Entrepreneurship program.
“I had the idea in my head of what I wanted to do, but had no idea where to begin,” Martin said. “That’s why I went to the informational session — to get the help I needed.”
In November 2024, she pitched her idea at a student entrepreneur competition at Marquette University. BookBlend won second place, and she earned $5,000 toward the project.
Using what she learned in class, she shaped and refined the concept, designed and developed the app, and built a website. While working on her project, Martin made the honor roll in the spring of 2025 and the fall of 2025.
“Miracle is very persistent, she’s a self-learner and she’s not afraid to try new things,” Hadjinian said. “She used AI (artificial intelligence) to build an app and a website. This is something that would have cost $50,000 or $60,000 10 years ago. Now you can do it for almost nothing.”
The BookBlend app is nearly ready, Martin said. She’s performing some last-minute testing to ensure there are no bumps. After graduating in May, she plans to sell her BookBlend packages at city parks, then use social media to market her products.
“I want to keep moving forward,” she said. “I don’t want to wait or stop. I feel like I have some great momentum.”
Learn more about MATC’s Entrepreneurship program
About MATC: As Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 35,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 45 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
