diff --git a/Cargo.toml b/Cargo.toml
index 1ffb3e2..685d833 100644
--- a/Cargo.toml
+++ b/Cargo.toml
@@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ edition = "2021"
 
 [dependencies]
 clap = { version = "4.3.3", features = ["derive"] }
-iced = "0.9.0"
+color-print = "0.3.5"
+iced = {version="0.10.0", features=["image", "debug", "tokio"]}
 regex = "1.8.4"
 reqwest = {version="0.11.18",features=["blocking"]}
 scraper = "0.16.0"
diff --git a/src/cache.rs b/src/cache.rs
index 0789d77..baadc56 100644
--- a/src/cache.rs
+++ b/src/cache.rs
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
 use std::{fs, path::Path, process};
-
+use color_print::cprintln;
 use crate::Page;
 
 pub async fn download_page_image(cache_path: &str, page: &Page) {
     let replaced = cache_path.replace('~', &crate::get_home()[..]); // replace ~ with $HOME
     crate::ensure_exists(&replaced);
 
-    if Path::new(&format!("{cache_path}/{}.json", page.date)).exists() {
-        return;
+    if Path::new(&format!("{replaced}/{}.json", page.date)).exists() {
+        return
     }
 
+    cprintln!("<italics>downloading page image<italics>");
     let image = match reqwest::get(&page.image).await {
         Ok(image) => match image.bytes().await {
             Ok(bytes) => bytes,
diff --git a/src/lib.rs b/src/lib.rs
index 4218ff7..59dc44a 100755
--- a/src/lib.rs
+++ b/src/lib.rs
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ pub struct Config {
     pub cache_folder: String,
 }
 
-#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize)]
+#[derive(Debug, Serialize, Deserialize, Clone)]
 pub struct Page {
     pub date: String,
     pub next_page: Option<String>,
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ pub async fn get_page(date: &str, config: &Config) -> Page {
     ))
     .exists()
     {
-        match serde_json::from_str(
+        match serde_json::from_str::<Page>(
             &match fs::read_to_string(
                 &format!(
                     "{}/{date}.json",
@@ -163,18 +163,20 @@ pub async fn get_page(date: &str, config: &Config) -> Page {
             ) {
                 Ok(var) => var,
                 Err(why) => {
-                    eprintln!("lib::get_page: Couldn't read cache data: {why:?}");
+                    eprintln!("lib::get_page: Couldn't read cache data for page {date}: {why:?}");
                     process::exit(1)
                 }
             }[..],
         ) {
             Ok(var) => var,
             Err(why) => {
-                eprintln!("lib::get_page: Couldn't serialize read cache data: {why:?}");
+                eprintln!(
+                    "lib::get_page: Couldn't serialize read cache data for page {date}: {why:?}"
+                );
                 process::exit(1);
             }
-        }
-    }
+        };
+    };
 
     let page_html = &match match reqwest::get(format!(
         "https://girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date={date}"
@@ -210,13 +212,33 @@ pub async fn get_page(date: &str, config: &Config) -> Page {
     let next = Selector::parse("#topnext").unwrap();
     let mut next_page = None;
     for element in parsed.select(&next) {
-        next_page = Some(element.value().attr("href").unwrap().to_string());
+        next_page = element
+            .value()
+            .attr("href")
+            .map(|p| {
+                if p.is_empty() {
+                    None
+                } else {
+                    Some(link_to_datestring(p.to_string()).to_string())
+                }
+            })
+            .expect("??????????"); // i dont understand rust sometimes
     }
 
     let prev = Selector::parse("#topprev").unwrap();
     let mut prev_page = None;
     for element in parsed.select(&prev) {
-        prev_page = Some(element.value().attr("href").unwrap().to_string());
+        prev_page = element
+            .value()
+            .attr("href")
+            .map(|p| {
+                if p.is_empty() {
+                    None
+                } else {
+                    Some(link_to_datestring(p.to_string()).to_string())
+                }
+            })
+            .expect("??????????"); // if you do please yell at me as to why that expect is required
     }
 
     // check if cache/date.json exists
@@ -228,7 +250,7 @@ pub async fn get_page(date: &str, config: &Config) -> Page {
     }
 
     Page {
-        date: date.to_string(),
+        date: link_to_datestring(date.to_string()).to_string(),
         next_page,
         prev_page,
         image,
@@ -245,3 +267,47 @@ pub async fn current_page(config: &Config) -> Page {
         page
     }
 }
+
+pub async fn next_page(config: &Config) -> Option<Page> {
+    let current_page = get_page(&config.latest_date[..], config).await;
+    if current_page.next_page.is_some() {
+        let page = get_page(
+            &current_page
+                .next_page
+                .expect("i shall *expect* (see what i did there) war crimes if this error pops up")
+                [..],
+            config,
+        )
+        .await;
+        if page.cached {
+            Some(page)
+        } else {
+            cache::download_page_image(&config.cache_folder[..], &page).await;
+            Some(page)
+        }
+    } else {
+        None
+    }
+}
+
+pub async fn prev_page(config: &Config) -> Option<Page> {
+    let current_page = get_page(&config.latest_date[..], config).await;
+    if current_page.prev_page.is_some() {
+        let page = get_page(
+            &current_page
+                .prev_page
+                .expect("i shall *expect* (see what i did there) war crimes if this error pops up")
+                [..],
+            config,
+        )
+        .await;
+        if page.cached {
+            Some(page)
+        } else {
+            cache::download_page_image(&config.cache_folder[..], &page).await;
+            Some(page)
+        }
+    } else {
+        None
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/main.rs b/src/main.rs
index 0b9966d..be7f786 100755
--- a/src/main.rs
+++ b/src/main.rs
@@ -1,5 +1,9 @@
 use clap::Parser;
-use ggg::cache;
+
+use ggg::{current_page, get_home, read_config};
+
+use iced::widget::{button, column, container, image, row, text};
+use iced::{Application, Command, Element, Length, Theme, Settings};
 
 #[derive(Parser, Debug)]
 #[command(author, version, about, long_about = None)]
@@ -9,7 +13,7 @@ struct Args {
 }
 
 #[tokio::main]
-async fn main() {
+async fn main() -> iced::Result {
     let args = Args::parse();
 
     let config_file = args.config_file;
@@ -20,8 +24,153 @@ async fn main() {
     ggg::ensure_exists(&config.cache_folder);
     ggg::ensure_exists(&format!("{}/images", &config.cache_folder)[..]);
 
-    let current_page = ggg::get_page(&config.latest_date, &config).await;
-
-    println!("image url: {}\ncache folder: {}", &current_page.image, &config.cache_folder);
-    cache::download_page_image(&config.cache_folder.replace('~', &ggg::get_home()[..]), &current_page).await;
+    Reader::run(Settings::default())
+}
+
+enum Reader {
+    Loading,
+    Loaded { page: Book },
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+enum Message {
+    PageFound(Book),
+    NextPage,
+    PreviousPage,
+}
+
+impl Application for Reader {
+    type Message = Message;
+    type Theme = Theme;
+    type Executor = iced::executor::Default;
+    type Flags = ();
+
+    fn new(_flags: ()) -> (Reader, Command<Message>) {
+        (
+            Reader::Loading,
+            Command::perform(Book::current(), Message::PageFound),
+        )
+    }
+
+    fn title(&self) -> String {
+        format!("ggg") // i didn't feel like typing out .to_string(), plus this is easier to go
+                       // back and change
+    }
+
+    fn update(&mut self, message: Message) -> Command<Message> {
+        match message {
+            Message::NextPage => match self {
+                Reader::Loading => Command::none(),
+                _ => {
+                    *self = Reader::Loading;
+                    Command::perform(Book::next_page(), Message::PageFound)
+                }
+            },
+            Message::PreviousPage => match self {
+                Reader::Loading => Command::none(),
+                _ => {
+                    *self = Reader::Loading;
+                    Command::perform(Book::prev_page(), Message::PageFound)
+                }
+            },
+            Message::PageFound(page) => {
+                *self = Reader::Loaded { page };
+                Command::none()
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn view(&self) -> Element<Message> {
+        let content = match self {
+            Reader::Loading => column![text("Loading...").size(40),].width(Length::Shrink),
+            Reader::Loaded { page } => column![
+                page.view(),
+                row![
+                    // TODO: make these disable/enable if page.next and page.prev are false
+                    button("Next").on_press(Message::NextPage),
+                    button("Prev").on_press(Message::PreviousPage),
+                ]
+                .spacing(20)
+                .align_items(iced::Alignment::Center)
+            ]
+            .spacing(20)
+            .align_items(iced::Alignment::Center),
+        };
+
+        container(content)
+            .width(Length::Fill)
+            .height(Length::Fill)
+            .center_x()
+            .center_y()
+            .into()
+    }
+}
+
+#[derive(Debug, Clone)]
+struct Book {
+    image: image::Handle,
+    // see above todo
+    next: bool,
+    prev: bool,
+}
+
+impl Book {
+    fn view(&self) -> Element<Message> {
+        row![image::viewer(self.image.clone())]
+            .spacing(20)
+            .align_items(iced::Alignment::Center)
+            .into()
+    }
+    async fn current() -> Book {
+        let args = Args::parse();
+        let config = read_config(&args.config_file[..]);
+        let page = current_page(&config).await;
+
+        let image = image::Handle::from_path(format!(
+            "{}/images/{}.jpg",
+            config.cache_folder.replace('~', &get_home()),
+            ggg::link_to_datestring(page.date)
+        ));
+
+        Book {
+            image,
+            next: page.next_page.is_some(),
+            prev: page.prev_page.is_some(),
+        }
+    }
+    async fn next_page() -> Book {
+        let args = Args::parse();
+        let config = read_config(&args.config_file[..]);
+        let page = ggg::next_page(&config).await.unwrap();
+
+        let image = image::Handle::from_path(format!(
+            "{}/images/{}.jpg",
+            config.cache_folder.replace('~', &get_home()),
+            ggg::link_to_datestring(page.date)
+        ));
+
+        Book {
+            image,
+            next: page.next_page.is_some(),
+            prev: page.prev_page.is_some(),
+        }
+    }
+
+    async fn prev_page() -> Book {
+        let args = Args::parse();
+        let config = read_config(&args.config_file[..]);
+        let page = ggg::prev_page(&config).await.unwrap();
+
+        let image = image::Handle::from_path(format!(
+            "{}/images/{}.jpg",
+            config.cache_folder.replace('~', &get_home()),
+            ggg::link_to_datestring(page.date)
+        ));
+
+        Book {
+            image,
+            next: page.next_page.is_some(),
+            prev: page.prev_page.is_some(),
+        }
+    }
 }