Kindle Paperwhite 3, Calibre & Converting Project Gutenberg Books

[kalwisti]

(I'm not sure whether this question belongs in the Kindle subforum or the Calibre subforum, so I guessed. If it's in the wrong place, I trust that one of the moderators will move it).

I've already searched MobileRead and although this is probably a basic question, I couldn't find that it has been answered.

I'm considering the purchase of a Kindle Paperwhite 3 for my wife. I use Calibre, with Apprentice Alf's plugin for the few "commercial" eBooks I purchase. However, as a longtime Nook and Project Gutenberg (PG) user, almost all of my library consists of PG .epubs: ca. 300 titles.

Here's my question: What would be the best strategy for sideloading PG titles to the Paperwhite 3? Based on my initial research, I plan to sideload (via USB) from Calibre to the Paperwhite -- the "Send to Kindle" feature doesn't appeal to me at this time.

Since the PG titles are all available in .mobi format, how about importing them into Calibre and then sideloading them as .mobi files? Or would this be wasteful of space because the .epubs already exist in Calibre's library (and it can convert the files)? Would Calibre complain about "duplicate" titles?

Would it be better to allow Calibre to do an "on-the-fly" conversion to AZW3 and then sideload to the Paperwhite?

Just two other tidbits:

• I don't plan on converting all of the PG titles because my wife's reading tastes are different than mine. I'll only sideload a limited subset of works she's interested in.

• I don't plan on asking Calibre to do a batch / mass conversion. I would take the time to convert the selected titles individually.

I'd appreciate hearing your opinions and any advice you might offer. Thanks in advance for your time and expertise.

[soulfuldog]

There will be people far better placed to answer than me, but purely based on converting epubs to AZW being the best way of preserving format, and the fact you already have the epub books in Calibre, I'd just convert them to AZW (not mobi) via Calibre and then add them to the Kindle. I don't think it makes any difference whether you convert them on the fly or batch conversion.

[pepe_alter_ego]

Kindle Editions for all of these books are free of charge on Amazon.
So, you might consider "buying" them for $0.00 (and having them delivered via free WiFi) especially because many of them are "X-Ray" and/or "Word Wise" (and/or "Text-to-Speech") enabled.
You won't get these additional features if you simply side-load ".mobi" files (well, I've found "X-Ray" really helpful).
Note also that, for many "free" books, there exist several "free of charge" versions on Amazon, so you can choose whichever version seems better (you can compare different "publishers").

[kalwisti]

soulfuldog and pepe_alter_ego,

Thank you both very much! I appreciate your suggestions.

@soulfuldog,
I have read through several discussion threads here about AZW vs. .mobi, and it appears that the general consensus is AZW is the preferred conversion format in this case. So you've confirmed that I haven't completely misunderstood the situation.

@pepe_alter_ego,
Until you mentioned the possibility, I wasn't even aware that I could "buy" PG eBooks for free from the Kindle Store. I think my wife might like having access to some of those extra features like X-Ray and such. It's definitely worth investigating.

(I am making progress convincing her that a front-lit e-reader would be enjoyable / useful. However, she's a die-hard fan of paper books, so I'm not done yet ... I think my next tactic might be to remind her that our eyes are aging and needing larger fonts).

[pepe_alter_ego]

I use my PW at night in complete darkness with a very low light setting (3 or 4 out of 24 full scale, in daylight it's completely invisible and I never needed to change it, even in brightly lit rooms).
Since the day I got my PW, I stopped using my another reader which doesn't have built-in light.

[susan_cassidy]

To sideload in mobi or azw format, you'd have to convert them, anyway, so I don't understand your comment about trying to save disk space. To convert means making another copy. I don't think you can just do it on the fly without creating a copy on the PC.

[kalwisti]

@pepe_alter_ego,

Thank you for your vote of confidence in the Paperwhite's frontlight. From what I've read here on MobileRead, as well as watching some YouTube reviews, it seems that it's a good light with fairly even distribution / illumination.

I've had a similar experience with my Nooks; since I purchased my Nook GlowLight (around Oct. 2014), I have barely used my Nook Simple Touch. I still have a sentimental attachment to the ST (which was my first e-reader ever), but the GlowLight's built-in light and sharper screen are decisive features for me.

(I'm aware that there are MobileRead members who believe the GlowLight to be inferior to the ST but that hasn't been true for me. I don't regret deciding to upgrade my hardware. I do regret the boneheaded decisions Barnes & Noble has made with its eBook ecosystem, and their downward spiral.)

[kalwisti]

Originally Posted by susan_cassidy

To sideload in mobi or azw format, you'd have to convert them, anyway, so I don't understand your comment about trying to save disk space. To convert means making another copy. I don't think you can just do it on the fly without creating a copy on the PC.

I apologize for not formulating the question clearly. My concern was not so much about saving disk space, because I understand that the conversion process means creating another copy (which will have to be stored on the PC's hard drive).

Since I'm a relatively new Calibre user, my main concern is whether the program will freeze / become corrupted because there are "duplicate" copies of the same book in Calibre's database. In other words, will I somehow create problems for myself by having both an .epub and an AZW version of the same title within Calibre? Or does the program cope just fine with this situation?

Thank you for taking the time to reply.

[susan_cassidy]

No, Calibre takes care of duplicates flawlessly. It is extremely common for people using Calibre to have multiple formats.

[kalwisti]

Hi, susan_cassidy,

Many thanks for the clarification; that's reassuring to know.

(I think this just shows that (a). I've been isolated in the .epub and Nook ecosystem too long, and (b). I still have lots to learn about Calibre.)

[badgoodDeb]

Depending on the book, many of the Gutenberg titles are also available for free here at MobileRead. They have been lovingly converted and mostly HAND EDITED by readers here, so many errors in them have been caught and fixed. That is sometimes worth a lot!

[kalwisti]

@badgoodDeb,

Thank you for your suggestion also. When I first joined MobileRead, I overlooked the Patricia Clark Memorial Library section (maybe because it's toward the bottom of the main page). But after having made it a point to browse there, I've discovered some real gems.

I'm grateful to the dedicated folks who volunteer their time -- and expertise -- to produce such nice eBooks.

[Cinisajoy]

Where do I find these books on Mobilereads?

[badgoodDeb]

They are actually (also) listed at the TOP of the page. I overlooked them for a long while because they are in the blue bar that I kept passing my eyes over. Big fat blue bar, about an inch down from the top of the page. 2nd thing on it is "E-Books". Enjoy!!

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Where do I find these books on Mobilereads?

s Deb says there's a link on the blue menu bar. Otherwise you can go here...
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/ebooks.php?forumid=128