Finding Book Series with only 1 book

[avggeek]

Hi folks,

I often pick up the first book in a series to give it a shot, and because I got distracted (or I did not like the book), I don't read anymore in the series.

I'd like to search for books that are part of a series and have only 1 book in that series in my calibre library, as a way to keep track of these (and maybe even clean up ones I never intend to pick up again).

I can see that there is a series total count in the Series Tag Browser "Manage" screen but I'm not sure how I can find this information through a search query - if that's even possible.

Any ideas on how to accomplish this would be most welcome!

Version info: Calibre 5.44

[kovidgoyal]

sort the tag browser by number fo books (click the configure button at the bottom of the tag browser). Then you can esily see all series that have only one book by expanding the series entry in the tag browser.

[avggeek]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

sort the tag browser by number fo books (click the configure button at the bottom of the tag browser). Then you can esily see all series that have only one book by expanding the series entry in the tag browser.

Thanks for the suggestion! What I was looking for something closer to this view:



However in this view I can't actually manage the books or see details of the books. I wanted to create a search that was based on the data as shown in the screenshot but could be managed as a saved search.

[BetterRed]

Try series:true and series_index:=1

BR

[avggeek]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

Try series:true and series_index:=1

BR

Ooh almost what I'm looking for. This query seems to return the 1st book from a series, but it also includes series that have more than 1 book from the series in my library. I'm looking for series that one and only one book in the library.

I tried to write a query like so: series:true and series_index:!>1 but it seems like Python only supports "!=" as an operator.

[chaley]

You can do this with the Action Chains plugin. Attached is a chain that generates and executes a search for series with only 1 book. Add a keyboard shortcut and it is easy to execute.

Another way to do it would be to use an action chain that:

• finds the number of books in any series
• writes the series book count to a custom column in each book
• does a search for the custom column == 1

Something like this might be needed if the search string generated by the attached action is so long that calibre chokes on it. I don't know what that length would be. I suspect it is very large.

[avggeek]

Originally Posted by chaley

You can do this with the Action Chains plugin. Attached is a chain that generates and executes a search for series with only 1 book. Add a keyboard shortcut and it is easy to execute.

Sorry for the delay in replying. It definitely took me a while to figure out how to import the chain but once I figured that out, it works great. 1-2 false positives but apart from that it's pretty fantastic.

Thanks a lot!

[chaley]

Originally Posted by avggeek

Sorry for the delay in replying. It definitely took me a while to figure out how to import the chain but once I figured that out, it works great. 1-2 false positives but apart from that it's pretty fantastic.

Thanks a lot!

You are welcome. I do wonder about the "false positives". What is it finding that it shouldn't?

FWIW: in the current calibre beta (5.99.12) and in the next release of calibre you can do this using a template search. See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...35#post4235735

[avggeek]

Originally Posted by chaley

You are welcome. I do wonder about the "false positives". What is it finding that it shouldn't?

If you look at the screenshot below, you will see it is listing "A Rare Book of Cunning Device" [Rivers of London 6.5] as the only book in the series in the library:



However, if I clear the search results, you can see there are actually several books in the series in the Library:



That's the one I've spotted so far (though I haven't been validating each result).

Originally Posted by chaley

FWIW: in the current calibre beta (5.99.12) and in the next release of calibre you can do this using a template search. See https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...35#post4235735

This is very exciting! And very convenient for me that the example you've provided is to find series with only 1 book :-)

[chaley]

Originally Posted by avggeek

If you look at the screenshot below, you will see it is listing "A Rare Book of Cunning Device" [Rivers of London 6.5] as the only book in the series in the library:

Attachment 194808

However, if I clear the search results, you can see there are actually several books in the series in the Library:

Attachment 194809

That's the one I've spotted so far (though I haven't been validating each result).

Looking at your images, most of the books are in the "Peter Grant" series. #6.5 is in the only book in the "Rivers of London" series. Should the series name for #6.5 be changed to "Peter Grant"?

This is very exciting! And very convenient for me that the example you've provided is to find series with only 1 book :-)

There have been requests over the years to be able to find books using criteria that span the library, e.g., authors contributing to more than one series; series with more than one author, authors that appear only as co-authors; singleton series, tags, publishers, etc. 'Series with one book' was the easiest example to make because I had just done something similar in Action Chains.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by chaley

Looking at your images, most of the books are in the "Peter Grant" series. #6.5 is in the only book in the "Rivers of London" series. Should the series name for #6.5 be changed to "Peter Grant"?
There have been requests over the years to be able to find books using criteria that span the library, e.g., authors contributing to more than one series; series with more than one author, authors that appear only as co-authors; singleton series, tags, publishers, etc. 'Series with one book' was the easiest example to make because I had just done something similar in Action Chains.

The series is actually called Rivers of London. All the other listed as Peter Grant are incorrect.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The series is actually called Rivers of London. All the other listed as Peter Grant are incorrect.

I simply have a Custom Series column, that I can put the alternate name in.

FWIW A number of series have changed their name (officially) over the years.

Note I did make a Grouped search (preferences: Searching) that links the columns

[avggeek]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The series is actually called Rivers of London. All the other listed as Peter Grant are incorrect.

I think at some point this will called the Peter Grant series(?). I typically take Series names via the Download Metadata plugin or by searching Goodreads. So it's not typically my own invention when it comes to Series names.

Either way my thanks to you & chaley for spotting the problem with the mismatched series names, I've corrected the other books in the series to follow the right name and that's fixed the issue with the Action Chains search.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by avggeek

I think at some point this will called the Peter Grant series(?). I typically take Series names via the Download Metadata plugin or by searching Goodreads. So it's not typically my own invention when it comes to Series names.

Either way my thanks to you & chaley for spotting the problem with the mismatched series names, I've corrected the other books in the series to follow the right name and that's fixed the issue with the Action Chains search.

Goodreads has a lot of mistakes in their listings. This is just another one of them.