diff --git a/src/App.css b/src/App.css
index 3f347db..7188ed3 100644
--- a/src/App.css
+++ b/src/App.css
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@
   padding: 1.5rem;
 }
 
+.book-viewer {
+  max-width: 32rem;
+  margin: 0 auto;
+}
+
 .app-footer {
   padding: 0.75rem;
   text-align: center;
diff --git a/src/App.test.tsx b/src/App.test.tsx
index 90ee37b..b161d68 100644
--- a/src/App.test.tsx
+++ b/src/App.test.tsx
@@ -1,22 +1,45 @@
-import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
-import { render, screen } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { http, HttpResponse, delay } from "msw";
+import { screen } from "@testing-library/react";
 import App from "./App";
+import { withProviders } from "./test/utils";
+import { server } from "./test/server";
+import { emptySearchHandler, failingSearchHandler } from "./test/handlers";
 
 describe("App", () => {
-  it("renders the main heading", () => {
-    render(<App />);
-    const heading = screen.getByRole("heading", { level: 1 });
-    expect(heading).toHaveTextContent("Digital Library");
+  it("shows a loading indicator while the request is in flight", async () => {
+    server.use(
+      http.get("https://openlibrary.org/search.json", async () => {
+        await delay(200);
+        return HttpResponse.json({ docs: [] });
+      }),
+    );
+    withProviders(<App />);
+    expect(screen.getByRole("status")).toHaveTextContent("Loading books");
   });
 
-  it("renders a banner and main content region", () => {
-    render(<App />);
-    expect(screen.getByRole("banner")).toBeInTheDocument();
-    expect(screen.getByRole("main")).toBeInTheDocument();
+  it("renders the first book once loaded", async () => {
+    withProviders(<App />);
+    const heading = await screen.findByRole("heading", { name: "The Hobbit" });
+    expect(heading).toBeInTheDocument();
+    expect(screen.getByRole("region", { name: "Book viewer" })).toBeInTheDocument();
   });
 
-  it("matches the snapshot", () => {
-    const { container } = render(<App />);
+  it("shows an error message when the request fails", async () => {
+    server.use(failingSearchHandler);
+    withProviders(<App />);
+    expect(await screen.findByRole("alert")).toHaveTextContent("Could not load books");
+  });
+
+  it("shows an empty message when no books match the subject", async () => {
+    server.use(emptySearchHandler);
+    withProviders(<App />);
+    expect(await screen.findByText(/No books found/)).toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
+  it("matches the snapshot", async () => {
+    const { container } = withProviders(<App />);
+    await screen.findByRole("heading", { level: 2 });
     expect(container).toMatchSnapshot();
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/App.tsx b/src/App.tsx
index d5d163d..e8394b0 100644
--- a/src/App.tsx
+++ b/src/App.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,13 @@
+import { BookCard } from "./components/BookCard";
+import { useBooks } from "./hooks/useBooks";
 import "./App.css";
 
+const SUBJECT = "fantasy";
+
 function App() {
+  const { books, isLoading, isError } = useBooks(SUBJECT);
+  const current = books[0];
+
   return (
     <div className="app">
       <header className="app-header">
@@ -8,7 +15,16 @@ function App() {
         <p>Browse reading material from OpenLibrary, one book at a time.</p>
       </header>
       <main className="app-main">
-        <p>Book browsing is coming soon.</p>
+        {isLoading && <p role="status">Loading books…</p>}
+        {isError && <p role="alert">Could not load books. Please try refreshing the page.</p>}
+        {!isLoading && !isError && books.length === 0 && (
+          <p>No books found for the subject “{SUBJECT}”.</p>
+        )}
+        {current && (
+          <section className="book-viewer" aria-label="Book viewer">
+            <BookCard book={current} />
+          </section>
+        )}
       </main>
       <footer className="app-footer">
         <p>Data from the OpenLibrary API.</p>
diff --git a/src/__snapshots__/App.test.tsx.snap b/src/__snapshots__/App.test.tsx.snap
index b07b001..169f307 100644
--- a/src/__snapshots__/App.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/src/__snapshots__/App.test.tsx.snap
@@ -18,9 +18,50 @@ exports[`App > matches the snapshot 1`] = `
     <main
       class="app-main"
     >
-      <p>
-        Book browsing is coming soon.
-      </p>
+      <section
+        aria-label="Book viewer"
+        class="book-viewer"
+      >
+        <article
+          class="book-card"
+        >
+          <div
+            class="book-card-cover"
+          >
+            <img
+              alt="Cover of The Hobbit"
+              src="https://covers.openlibrary.org/b/id/123-L.jpg"
+            />
+          </div>
+          <div
+            class="book-card-content"
+          >
+            <h2>
+              The Hobbit
+            </h2>
+            <p
+              class="book-card-authors"
+            >
+              J. R. R. Tolkien
+            </p>
+            <p>
+              First published: 
+              1937
+            </p>
+            <ul
+              aria-label="Subjects"
+              class="book-card-subjects"
+            >
+              <li>
+                fantasy
+              </li>
+              <li>
+                dragons
+              </li>
+            </ul>
+          </div>
+        </article>
+      </section>
     </main>
     <footer
       class="app-footer"
diff --git a/src/hooks/useBooks.test.ts b/src/hooks/useBooks.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ce06a86
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useBooks.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it } from "vitest";
+import { waitFor } from "@testing-library/react";
+import { useBooks } from "./useBooks";
+import { renderHookWithProviders } from "../test/utils";
+import { fixtureDocs, getSearchRequestCount, resetSearchRequestCount } from "../test/handlers";
+
+describe("useBooks", () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    resetSearchRequestCount();
+  });
+
+  it("returns books from the OpenLibrary search endpoint", async () => {
+    const { result } = renderHookWithProviders(() => useBooks("fantasy"));
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.books).toHaveLength(fixtureDocs.length));
+    expect(result.current.books[0]?.title).toBe(fixtureDocs[0]?.title);
+    expect(result.current.isError).toBe(false);
+  });
+
+  it("keeps the cache warm per subject instead of refetching", async () => {
+    const { result, rerender } = renderHookWithProviders(
+      ({ subject }: { subject: string }) => useBooks(subject),
+      { initialProps: { subject: "fantasy" } },
+    );
+    await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.books).not.toHaveLength(0));
+
+    rerender({ subject: "fantasy" });
+    expect(getSearchRequestCount()).toBe(1);
+
+    rerender({ subject: "mystery" });
+    await waitFor(() => expect(getSearchRequestCount()).toBe(2));
+  });
+});
diff --git a/src/hooks/useBooks.ts b/src/hooks/useBooks.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..82ad015
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/hooks/useBooks.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+import { useQuery } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { searchBooksBySubject } from "../api/openLibrary";
+import type { Book } from "../types";
+
+interface UseBooksResult {
+  books: Book[];
+  isLoading: boolean;
+  isError: boolean;
+}
+
+export function useBooks(subject: string): UseBooksResult {
+  const query = useQuery({
+    queryKey: ["books", subject],
+    queryFn: () => searchBooksBySubject(subject),
+  });
+
+  return {
+    books: query.data ?? [],
+    isLoading: query.isLoading,
+    isError: query.isError,
+  };
+}
diff --git a/src/test/handlers.ts b/src/test/handlers.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..865437c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/handlers.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import { http, HttpResponse } from "msw";
+import type { OpenLibrarySearchDoc } from "../types";
+
+export const fixtureDocs: OpenLibrarySearchDoc[] = [
+  {
+    key: "/works/OL1",
+    title: "The Hobbit",
+    author_name: ["J. R. R. Tolkien"],
+    first_publish_year: 1937,
+    cover_i: 123,
+    subject: ["fantasy", "dragons"],
+  },
+  {
+    key: "/works/OL2",
+    title: "A Wizard of Earthsea",
+    author_name: ["Ursula K. Le Guin"],
+    first_publish_year: 1968,
+    subject: ["fantasy", "magic"],
+  },
+  {
+    key: "/works/OL3",
+    title: "The Left Hand of Darkness",
+    author_name: ["Ursula K. Le Guin"],
+    first_publish_year: 1969,
+  },
+];
+
+let searchRequestCount = 0;
+
+export function getSearchRequestCount() {
+  return searchRequestCount;
+}
+
+export function resetSearchRequestCount() {
+  searchRequestCount = 0;
+}
+
+export const searchHandler = http.get("https://openlibrary.org/search.json", () => {
+  searchRequestCount += 1;
+  return HttpResponse.json({ numFound: fixtureDocs.length, start: 0, docs: fixtureDocs });
+});
+
+export const emptySearchHandler = http.get("https://openlibrary.org/search.json", () => {
+  searchRequestCount += 1;
+  return HttpResponse.json({ numFound: 0, start: 0, docs: [] });
+});
+
+export const failingSearchHandler = http.get(
+  "https://openlibrary.org/search.json",
+  () => new HttpResponse(JSON.stringify({ error: "boom" }), { status: 500 }),
+);
+
+export const handlers = [searchHandler];
diff --git a/src/test/server.ts b/src/test/server.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7b37f2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/server.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+import { setupServer } from "msw/node";
+import { handlers } from "./handlers";
+
+export const server = setupServer(...handlers);
diff --git a/src/test/setup.ts b/src/test/setup.ts
index e262193..6c25a9b 100644
--- a/src/test/setup.ts
+++ b/src/test/setup.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,13 @@
 import "@testing-library/jest-dom/vitest";
 import { cleanup } from "@testing-library/react";
-import { afterEach } from "vitest";
+import { afterAll, afterEach, beforeAll } from "vitest";
+import { server } from "./server";
+
+beforeAll(() => server.listen({ onUnhandledRequest: "error" }));
 
 afterEach(() => {
   cleanup();
+  server.resetHandlers();
 });
+
+afterAll(() => server.close());
diff --git a/src/test/utils.tsx b/src/test/utils.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4c6a0ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/utils.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,32 @@
+import type { ReactElement, ReactNode } from "react";
+import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from "@tanstack/react-query";
+import { render, renderHook } from "@testing-library/react";
+
+export function createTestQueryClient() {
+  return new QueryClient({
+    defaultOptions: {
+      queries: { retry: false, staleTime: 0 },
+    },
+  });
+}
+
+function makeWrapper(client: QueryClient) {
+  return function Wrapper({ children }: { children: ReactNode }): ReactElement {
+    return <QueryClientProvider client={client}>{children}</QueryClientProvider>;
+  };
+}
+
+export function withProviders(ui: ReactElement, client: QueryClient = createTestQueryClient()) {
+  return { ...render(ui, { wrapper: makeWrapper(client) }), client };
+}
+
+export function renderHookWithProviders<TResult, TProps = undefined>(
+  callback: (props: TProps) => TResult,
+  { initialProps, client }: { initialProps?: TProps; client?: QueryClient } = {},
+) {
+  const queryClient = client ?? createTestQueryClient();
+  return {
+    ...renderHook(callback, { wrapper: makeWrapper(queryClient), initialProps }),
+    client: queryClient,
+  };
+}