Double Digit Victory!

~ Bookstooge

Ever since Leafmarks folded in 2016, I have been working on my own personal, offline library of reviews using a free program called Calibre.  I started with roughly 2400 entries and by May of this year had whittled that down to Triple Digits. Victory was within my Grasp!

Today, I am proud to announce that I have succeeded into whittling that number down into the double digits!!!! I’ve been lazy but the last couple of weeks Booklikes, where I have all my reviews as separate entries, has been giving me a lot of 502’s. I’m really hoping to get this job done by years end. It’s my unofficial book project.

99problems

 

I’ve included a couple more screen captures from Calibre in hopes of enticing at least one of you to start using it for your offline data keeping. Well, ok, it’s more about me showing off my numbers. I admit, I’m vain about it.

 

calibre1
Combined with the last 99 entries, that means I have read 3180 books since April 2000.

 

 

calibre2
Info, info everywhere! Sortable, exportable, backupable.

 

calibre3
Having the option for half stars within Calibre is great.

 

I realize that most of you won’t care or need this level of personal data entry.  But since I use Calibre already to manage my ebooks, and it has all these great capabilities, why not make the most of it? It’s free, constantly being updated and has a whole forum of people who want to help others use it.  It fits my needs.

Of course, once this project is done, I have to pick another. I have NO idea what I’ll do for that. Maybe undertake the gargantuan task of putting all my reviews into separate entries here at wordpress? I don’t know if I can do that, as I did that at Booklikes, then Leafmarks and now in Calibre.  It would be nice to have a fully functioning, fully searchable and fully linkable site, but honestly, I’ve got a small enough audience (no offense to any of you!) and no plans to “go big”, so why bother? We’ll see though. I might do it just for something book related to do!

legoscribes

 

As an aside, I’m going to be working in a remote location monday, with no wifi. Going to be on small island quite a ways away from the office, so my coworker and I will be spending the night there. So after Sunday night, I’ll be gone until Tuesday night. See you all then.

 

41 thoughts on “Double Digit Victory!”

  1. That’s i!. I just have another New Year’s Resolution for 2018. Configure Calibre properly.

    I just installed a few plugins, but I can’t seem to find the “book review” plugin I see on your pictures. I perused the list of available plugins on MobileRead, but to no avail. Have you got a link to install this plugin? Tnks.

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    1. I just put my review into the “Comments” section of the metadata. No plugin needed.
      I’m assuming that is what you are talking about anyway.

      Let me know what picture and what part of the picture and we can discuss more if you need to.

      Liked by 1 person

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        1. Ahhh, I understand now. Some confusion has crept in.

          That “Book Review” you see is the current library I am in. If you click on the first picture, you will that under the little icon are the words “Working Library” instead of “Book Reviews”. You can have multiple libraries at different locations and calibre keeps track of them if you set things up right. I have a “working library” that has all the books I need to work on. That way they’re not mixed in with all my updated entries. Once I update them, then I move them from “working library” to “book reviews”.

          Hope that helps!

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  2. Interesting! I really like Calibre and I sort of feel that software doesn’t get enough love. It’s visually appealing in a way that a lot of independently programmed software isn’t. I had my ebooks managed on there before I switched over to Mac, but it’s just me, Kindle, Goodreads, and WordPress these days…. Not sure I’m ready to jump into another metadata nightmare… my music library is still a cringeworthy mess!

    Still, I’m going to jump on your bandwagon and just say this is a fabulous little piece of software. 10/10 recommended for anyone looking for ebook or offline review management.

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    1. Thanks for chiming in Amber.

      Doesn’t calibre have a mac version? I thought it did. But I certainly understand not wanting to put another brick on workload 🙂 I’ve pretty much given up on my music and just listen to pandora. Or the actual cd’s when I want a specific cd.

      Now, you can export a csv file from goodreads and using the plugin I mentioned to Antao, import that data into calibre. If you’re not into halfstars, that would give you almost everything except covers.

      I didn’t really know what I was doing when I started, so I just imported the barest amount of data. If I had to do it over again, I’d be importing a lot more of the data.

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    2. There is definitely a Mac version of Calibre. I used to use Calibre and stopped. Then I restarted a year or two back because my Kindle was hating having so many books on it, and I wanted something that could convert the various formats to something usable on my devices (iPad, Kindle, Phone).

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        1. So, a question. How do you handle an author who’s style you just can’t stand? Just hope you remember?
          Because at 50 books a year, after 10 years you’ve wracked up an impressive 500 books. I just wonder how you’ll keep it all straight.

          Or, does it not matter to you? 🙂 It really might not to you.

          I guess I’d just like to get in your head and see your thought process for it all. Not trying to be a dick, just really curious.

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          1. I think it’s fairly easy to remember authors and books. It might not be on the surface of my mind, but if I went to a bookstore, or was browsing online, or whatever, something would trigger a memory.

            I admit I like Goodreads, as I can see a list of all my ratings and reviews. But sorting all those books onto shelves? Nah.

            Your questions are valid. I should be more data-embracing, especially since STEM is all anyone talks about, but it just ain’t my style.

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  4. I love Calibre! I mostly use it to organize my books in my e-reader. I go nuts whenever I see something as trivial as some of my books being listed “author’s first name, last name” while others are the other way around. My OCD strikes again!

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  6. WOW- that’s a lot of books! I’d be vain about that too! I feel like this is a great thing to do (I actually really like doing things like this to relax, because I’m super cool 😉 ) I’d quite like to have somewhere to backup everything and it seems like it’s useful to store ebooks (which would help me *finally* collate a working tbr) only trouble is I like to do one organisational project at a time (right now I’m backing up 10 years of notebooks) so this will have to wait, but this post was actually really helpful in giving me ideas!

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  8. All… those… books… It’ll always end up impressing me, that’s for sure! Maybe 2018 will also be the year where I’ll test out Calibre and make it work for me. It might even push me to start reading ebooks and having my own ebook library… 😮

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    1. The thing is, you have find a system that works for you.
      Like Matt Cowper there, he doesn’t like data at all, so why keep track? He’s found a system that works for him [read it and leave it I assume]. My system is anathema to him and his system is anathema to me. BUT, they each work for their respective user.

      I’m just showcasing one way. Some people might do paper journals filled with reviews. Or, heaven forbid, only use Goodreads. I badmouth GR a lot, and rightly so, but that doesn’t change the fact that if what they offer works for someone, that person needs to use it.

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  9. Pingback: November ’17 Roundup & Ramblings | Bookstooge's Reviews on the Road

    1. Actually, Goodreads and Free Speech don’t get along. I just made my choice.

      Calibre will never delete my account, hide my reviews or allow me to be threatened by authors and their rabid fans.

      You can see where I’m going 😀

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  11. I use Calibre for everything as well, although I have never, yet, had any problems with Goodreads. Just like you I like to have my stuff in a place which I control.

    I also like that Calibre can convert between various different book formats. With the right plugins you are not bound to the rather abysmal (at least on W10) reader app that certain companies expect you to use for their books. As you said, it is all about control.

    I only have 856 books in Caliber today but in my defense I only started to read actively in 2012.

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    1. Most people won’t have an issue at GR. 9 times out of 10, I wouldn’t have a problem either. But when I want to speak out, I can’t at GR.

      As for numbers, my ebook library is pretty steady around 700-800 books. I borrow a LOT 🙂

      I’m finding that it works exactly how I want it to for a review library. I have all the info I want, in such a sortable way, that I can find a book easily even from 2000.

      For me, it really is more a matter of control. Having GR hide my reviews from the general user was a real eye opener to me…

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