For those who track more than Read:Yes/No

[BookJunkieLI]

For reasons that I won't bore you all with, I've decided that I want to keep track of more than just Read:Yes/No on my books. I just can't decide exactly what though. I know I don't want to get too minute with the details such as exact date/time but probably at least Month/Year of Last Read. I'm also debating a Read/ReRead/To Be Read/Abandoned(maybe) column.

So, what do you keep track of and how?

[theducks]

Originally Posted by BookJunkieLI

For reasons that I won't bore you all with, I've decided that I want to keep track of more than just Read:Yes/No on my books. I just can't decide exactly what though. I know I don't want to get too minute with the details such as exact date/time but probably at least Month/Year of Last Read. I'm also debating a Read/ReRead/To Be Read/Abandoned(maybe) column.

So, what do you keep track of and how?

I just use a Timestamp field (date:time) with the format (tweak) to just show the HOUR (24h format)
If you use F2 to edit the field from the table, it assume NOW, which is usuall closse enough for me, BUT you can set it down to the minute if you need to

[davidfor]

I use:
- Percent read to track as I read the book. 100% means the book is finished.
- Last Read timestamp
- The rating
- Lists for read, reading and to read created by the Reading List plugin

The first two are updated automatically when I connect my Kobo device. The last two are done manually. The rating can come from the device, but only for books bought from Kobo.

I also use Goodreads Sync to update Goodreads with the status.

[PeterT]

Like David I use Kobo Utilities to transfer the last read status from my Kobo. I then have other custom columns that computer a month-year finished tag for each book.

[Joanna]

I log the date when I completed reading a book (a 'date' type column, in the 29 Dec 2015 format. Some dates are only approximate if I've forgotten to enter the date immediately).

I use the "Rating" column to enter ratings only for books I've read, and based on this column I have icons/emblems displayed for my favorite books (those with 4 or 5 points), and custom colored rows to mark anything I've read.

I also have a "Review" custom colum (long text like comments) where I occasionally enter a couple of sentences about my impressions.

For the books I have on my Kindle and those I would like to read in the future, I use reading lists made with the Reading List plugin. I have three lists for books I'd like to read sometime (List 1, List 2, List 3... very original names ), those on List 3 probably won't be read anytime soon , but I don't want to lose track of them.

Recently I've added an "In progress" yes/no column to keep track of the books I've started reading (I tend to have a couple of books that I read more or less intensively at the same time (alternating), plus a dozen or more that I've started and put on hold, usually after 10-20-30 pages. Those "interrupted but not abandoned" are the most difficult ones to keep track of.

I like your idea of marking 'abandoned' books. Maybe I could use the "In progress" column for that (e.g. with the value "No"), or enter some random/old "read" date. I have to think about it.

I read most books only once. If I felt like I should note rereading in some way, I would probably put that information (maybe including the date of rereading) in my Review column.

I would love to store the percentage read and the last date read but I have a Kindle so it's probably not an option.

[BookJunkieLI]

Thanks for all the great ideas.

@davidfor/PeterT - this is one of those times when, as much as I love my NookST, I wish I had the Kobo for the statistics.

@theducks - does it just show the Hour or it shows Date and Hour? and is it blank until you edit it?

@Joanna - approximate date works for me too. I'm just looking for a rough idea as to when I last read a book so I don't need a high degree of accuracy.
Abandoned books - I'm thinking I might go with a combination of tag and note in the description for this. I'd mark it Read so it didn't keep popping up in the To Read pile but tag it Abandoned and then make a note of why at the top of the description. I don't like having separate note columns simply because I tend to forget they exist.
ReReading - I've always had favorites that I would reread periodically but it's been years since I've read much more than fanfiction so I decided it was time to get back into reading actual books. Since I made that decision I've found myself going through all my books going "oh, I should read this again, and this one and this one and this one..." LOL Plus there were series I stopped in the middle of because I didn't have the next book and never got back to it so now I feel the need to reread the first books before I pick up the new ones.

Reading Lists - I cannot believe I forgot about this plugin. I've used it before and planned on using it to export books to my Nook, it never occurred to me to use it for organizing in Calibre.

[theducks]

I have my Logic setting at 3 state, but that should not really affect timestamps

It is blank till set
You set the template in the create custom column section (to change, select the existing column on the list and use the blue I icon)

for standard (field) dates
Preferences:tweaks: <ID: gui_pubdate_display_format>

[Joanna]

@davidfor/PeterT - this is one of those times when, as much as I love my NookST, I wish I had the Kobo for the statistics.

I envy them sooo much

I don't like having separate note columns simply because I tend to forget they exist.

There is one great thing about using a separate note column for that: I can easily find all the books for which I entered reviews (or 'abandoned' notes, if I choose to use my review column for that, too). I can also easily find all the books I've read but haven't 'reviewed'.
I wouldn't use more than one custom note column but the one I have is quite handy. You can put it in the details right before Comments, so it's more difficult to overlook. I also always use cursive for that.

Reading Lists - I cannot believe I forgot about this plugin. I've used it before and planned on using it to export books to my Nook, it never occurred to me to use it for organizing in Calibre.

Have a lot of fun with this one I also have a separate reading list called Author/Series - if I'd like to read the book but I want to look for another book from the same series/written by the same author first.

Plus, I have a reading list called Reference - with a dozen of books I use on my computer and often go back to (mostly non-fiction/academic, in PDF), a similar list with several language learning materials 'to be done' in the nearest future, and yet another one for reference books useful in my job.

It's an amazing plugin, and for me, much more convenient than just using tags.

[Sami]

I use a tag-like custom column called reading level to keep track, tags included read, to-read, currently-reading, dnf-book, dnf-series (for those that start off well then fall off a cliff) and the names of the family who share my library (so they don't repeat books).
I may add a re-read tag since the number of series I like to read start to finish when a new book comes out is growing, I could see using a simple numerical tag (01/16) to mark when read but I use the goodreads plugin to track the when and upcoming releases.

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by Joanna

I envy them sooo much

Envy, exactly what I was after when I wrote the plugin

Well, I actually wrote it to backup and restore the status in case of problems. But, I was halfway through it when I realised that just a couple of extra things would make it much more useful.

This sort of thing should be doable for other devices if the reading status of the books is held somewhere accessible when the device is connected. Someone was looking at it for the Sony's, but he seems to have stopped.

[BookJunkieLI]

Originally Posted by Joanna

I wouldn't use more than one custom note column but the one I have is quite handy. You can put it in the details right before Comments, so it's more difficult to overlook. I also always use cursive for that.

That's an idea, using a specific font for reviews to differentiate it from the summary.

Originally Posted by Joanna

Have a lot of fun with this one I also have a separate reading list called Author/Series - if I'd like to read the book but I want to look for another book from the same series/written by the same author first.

Plus, I have a reading list called Reference - with a dozen of books I use on my computer and often go back to (mostly non-fiction/academic, in PDF), a similar list with several language learning materials 'to be done' in the nearest future, and yet another one for reference books useful in my job.

It's an amazing plugin, and for me, much more convenient than just using tags.

I use tags and/or specific custom columns combined with Virtual Libraries to sort things typically but I'm definitely going to spend more time poking at the Reading List plugin.

[BookJunkieLI]

Originally Posted by Sami

I use a tag-like custom column called reading level to keep track, tags included read, to-read, currently-reading, dnf-book, dnf-series (for those that start off well then fall off a cliff).

I've read a few series like that. They're trucking along so well and then the author makes that left turn at Albuquerque and you're left going "WTF?"
That's definitely an idea though, a fixed value column like that.

Originally Posted by Sami

I may add a re-read tag since the number of series I like to read start to finish when a new book comes out is growing, I could see using a simple numerical tag (01/16) to mark when read but I use the goodreads plugin to track the when and upcoming releases.

If I've read a series recently I don't feel the need to completely reread it for a new book. It's just that in the last 5 years the only published books I've read have been the Hunger Games Trilogy, Divergent Trilogy, Maze Runner series, and The Martian. Yeah, bit of a trend there. And in the 5 years prior to that I can only remember reading the Harry Potter books and a couple of non-fiction books picked up in the airport. Everything else has been fanfiction. Hence the push to get my "real" books organized so I can start reading again.

Thanks to all the recommendations I've started poking at the Goodreads Sync plugin. I found a great tutorial here on how to set it up. So I'm getting there.

[BookJunkieLI]

Originally Posted by davidfor

Envy, exactly what I was after when I wrote the plugin

Well, I actually wrote it to backup and restore the status in case of problems. But, I was halfway through it when I realised that just a couple of extra things would make it much more useful.

This sort of thing should be doable for other devices if the reading status of the books is held somewhere accessible when the device is connected. Someone was looking at it for the Sony's, but he seems to have stopped.

It really is a useful plugin from what I've read. Unfortunately the Nook doesn't seem to keep track of reading statistics like Kobo does, or at least doesn't make them available in any kind of useful way.