opening multiple books on tablet?

[trianglekitty]

There is probably a very simple answer to this question...

I use calibre companion on my tablet and have a dreadfully short attention span. Right now I read the books in FBreader, which seems to only allow me to open one book at a time. My short attention span combined with thousands of documents makes this a real pain in the rear. Going back and forth between books means I need to search every time...reading more then two just becomes an exercise in frustration.

So...is there a different reading program that would let me open multiple books at a time? Or am I doing something wrong with calibre companion itself?

[chaley]

Originally Posted by trianglekitty

There is probably a very simple answer to this question...

I use calibre companion on my tablet and have a dreadfully short attention span. Right now I read the books in FBreader, which seems to only allow me to open one book at a time. My short attention span combined with thousands of documents makes this a real pain in the rear. Going back and forth between books means I need to search every time...reading more then two just becomes an exercise in frustration.

So...is there a different reading program that would let me open multiple books at a time? Or am I doing something wrong with calibre companion itself?

I don't know of any reader app that keeps multiple books open. They all make you go to their "last read" page, if they even have one.

There are three ways to solve this problem with CC.

1. The easiest to use (in my opinion) is a CC desktop widget. These widgets show the last N books you have read. Tapping on a bookin the widget takes you to the reader app, which should open the book where you left off. There are 4 different widget types. See our FAQ What do the home screen widgets and shortcuts do? for more information.
2. Create "Home screen shortcuts". These are icons on your desktop that open a book. Once put on your desktop they stay there until you delete them.
3. Open CC and sort the book list by date read. This works if you haven't unchecked the CC option "Update Date Read when read" in Settings / Marking Books Read.

[ekbell]

Originally Posted by chaley

I don't know of any reader app that keeps multiple books open. They all make you go to their "last read" page, if they even have one.

There are three ways to solve this problem with CC.

1. The easiest to use (in my opinion) is a CC desktop widget. These widgets show the last N books you have read. Tapping on a bookin the widget takes you to the reader app, which should open the book where you left off. There are 4 different widget types. See our FAQ What do the home screen widgets and shortcuts do? for more information.
2. Create "Home screen shortcuts". These are icons on your desktop that open a book. Once put on your desktop they stay there until you delete them.
3. Open CC and sort the book list by date read. This works if you haven't unchecked the CC option "Update Date Read when read" in Settings / Marking Books Read.

The widgets work!

I use the cover list widget to keep track of the most recently opened books plus the home screen shortcuts for the books I've decided to actually read.

It works well for me.

[chaley]

Originally Posted by ekbell

The widgets work!

I use the cover list widget to keep track of the most recently opened books plus the home screen shortcuts for the books I've decided to actually read.

It works well for me.

Thanks for the feedback. I have often wondered if anyone uses the shortcuts.

Another arrow in this quiver could be CC's "date accessed" sort, which orders the book list by when you looked at book details. That order might help find the books that you were looking at when you were looking for candidates (the ones in the widget).

[K8HW]

Originally Posted by chaley

Thanks for the feedback. I have often wondered if anyone uses the shortcuts.

Thought I would chime in. I've been using the widget since it was born!

[jackie_w]

Me too. CC's widgets are streets ahead of anything the reading apps offer.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by K8HW

Thought I would chime in. I've been using the widget since it was born!

I use the widgets all of the time too but, he wondered if anyone uses the home screen shortcuts, do you?

Personally I have never used a shortcut. In case you are wondering this portion of the FAQ describes the shortcuts,

"Home screen shortcuts, created in Book Details, will launch a reader on the book that the shortcut represents. There is no notion of "last read"; a shortcut can be created for a book that has never been read. One could use this feature to make shortcuts for reference books, books you intend to read, or books you are currently reading. Once created, a shortcut will remain on the home screen until you delete it."

[chaley]

DoctorOhh is correct, I was musing about shortcuts, not widgets.

That said, the positive feedback for widgets is very welcome. Having users say good things when things are good while offering constructive criticism when things aren't as good is to be treasured.

[DoctorOhh]

Originally Posted by chaley

That said, the positive feedback for widgets is very welcome.

Absolutely love CC widgets.

[trianglekitty]

Great, thank you so much! The widgets sound like they'll help a great deal. I admit I'm surprised that reading programs lack the ability to have multiple books open on their own. It seems like an obvious function, you know?

We're...one last question. Just how do I find or activate the widgets

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by trianglekitty

Just how do I find or activate the widgets

The same way you find any widgets on Android. The precise details vary slightly depending which Android version you're using, but something like:

Long press on Android Home screen
Select Widgets from menu
Scroll through alphabetic list until you reach Calibre Companion
Choose one of the 4 styles offered (better still - try them all to see which you like best)
Long-press and drag widget to Home screen

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by trianglekitty

Great, thank you so much! The widgets sound like they'll help a great deal. I admit I'm surprised that reading programs lack the ability to have multiple books open on their own. It seems like an obvious function, you know?

It's perhaps worth noting that there are reading apps which allow you to have multiple books open. "GoodReader" on iOS is one such app; it has a tabbed interface which allows you to have multiple books open, and even different parts of the same book, which is great for academic research where you need to be looking at several different books at the same time.

[BetterRed]

@HarryT - do you know of a similar Android app. A tabbed interface as you describe is exactly what I want. I could even be tempted into an iPad for that.

BR

[jackie_w]

Originally Posted by BetterRed

do you know of a similar Android app

The Android Xodo PDF app (free) will let you have multiple pdfs open in tabs.

[BetterRed]

Originally Posted by jackie_w

The Android Xodo PDF app (free) will let you have multiple pdfs open in tabs.

Thanks jackie, I'd like something that does pdf and epub at least. A Windows tablet and what I have on my desktop is another, and for me maybe a better, alternative. Maybe Kovid's new viewer has a multi-document tabbed UI.

BR