Consolidating ebooks

varaonaid · 04-01-2016, 05:10 AM

Hello,

I'm finally getting around to aggregating me ebooks and I'm trying to get my head around the best way of doing this. My brain is spinning trying to figure this out. My ultimate goal is to have a single catalog to search through and get my books from, available via internet, shareable with my spouse. Syncing read location across devices would be fantastic and a high priority. Main platforms are Windows and Android... no iOS.

I'm a long time Calibre user for my basic, non Kindle ebooks, though I'm no power user. These ebooks are a mix of the big three formats (epub, mobile/azw, PDF) and are non DRM. I've been thinking for awhile I'd work towards folding my Kindle ebooks into this (though there are way more than I realized from the free classics and other free or cheap deals over the years) via the magic of the Calibre plugins and running a Calibre server either directly or using a cloud service such as box.com. However, I'm beginning to wonder if this is in fact the best plan. I just learned that Amazon is allowing the syncing of user added titles across devices, so maybe that would be better. (Google Play Books would work great if they were to increase the library size but the 1000 book limit rules it out at this point.) I have a free books beyond the 50mb limit but not that many.

Are there any privacy issues to be concerned with uploading one's own ebooks? I'm certainly not attached to any of these ideas and would love to hear alternatives I may not be aware of our have considered. At the moment, I don't have an e ink trader but I'm considering getting one at some point so if like to keep this in mind add I plan out the library consolidation. One further consideration is ongoing management. I know whichever way I go, I'll have to continue to fold in future titles one way or the other so coming up with a streamlined process once the actual aggregation had happened would be attractive.

Any ideas, advice, or guidance would be extremely helpful. I'm just having trouble thinking through all the aspects of each option and the compatibility, syncing, bookmarks, and such. Trying to ensure everything works together now and in the future so I don't find myself having to make a major shift down the road is a challenge.

Thanks so much!

theducks · 04-01-2016, 09:10 AM

Call me Paranoid, but as soon as your stuff leaves your absolute control, you are at the whim of the carelesstaker.

Time and again, big companies just roll over to government demands and hand out your data. (

Apple for saying NO!)

What is the big deal?
PROFILING, among others. What do they read. When. Where (IP logging).

[edited by author ]

HarryT · 04-01-2016, 09:42 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by theducks

Call me Paranoid, but as soon as your stuff leaves your absolute control, you are at the whim of the carelesstaker.

Time and again, big companies just roll over to government demands and hand out your data. (

Apple for saying NO!)

Depends what your reading preferences are. Anyone who wants to know what I read has only to look at the "What am I reading?" thread in the Reading Recs forum. If your tastes run more to the esoteric, you may have reason not to wish to others to know what you're reading. Your personal choice.

Getting back to the original subject matter, Calibre and the Calibre server would certainly be a reasonable solution.

theducks · 04-01-2016, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Depends what your reading preferences are. Anyone who wants to know what I read has only to look at the "What am I reading?" thread in the Reading Recs forum. If your tastes run more to the esoteric, you may have reason not to wish to others to know what you're reading. Your personal choice.

Getting back to the original subject matter, Calibre and the Calibre server would certainly be a reasonable solution.

That was the point I was trying to back into.
Calibre server is under your control

Cinisajoy · 04-01-2016, 11:58 AM

Well now first thing I would do is go through all the Amazon freebies and make sure they are worth reading.
My own success rate with Amazon freebies is only about 50% at the most.
Note: that goes back to 2011.

varaonaid · 04-01-2016, 01:30 PM

So, if you don't upload to Amazon or use Kindle, what do you use for syncing reading location? What do you use for an e ink type reader?

Obviously, privacy is still an issue with this concept but does anyone send everything up into their Amazon cloud as well as downloading and using Calibre/epubor to make their Kindle books usable on multiple devices, basically keeping two versions of their library so that they retain control of everything? It's a lot of extra work but one wouldn't find themselves locked out of anything. And although giving up some privacy, retaining the reader of use across platforms and devices.

It's just that the Kindle setup makes everything so darn simple and it works as I want it to. Doesn't mean I'm ready to go that way or give in to the hidden costs involved. But I need to figure out how to sort out the logistics of the basics if I'm going to forego those features via Kindle. I hope that makes sense.

I really appreciate your knowledge, it's exactly why I asked the questions. Is wanted to be challenged to think differently, seeing perspectives and potential privacy issues that stretch me beyond my typical thinking patterns. As much as I wish these privacy concerns didn't exist, I need to understand them fully, especially if I'm considering overlooking then and living with them. At the moment, I'm a bit too concerned to do so comfortably. And I'm grateful to you for giving me the knowledge to make me rethink this with more privacy and security issues at there forefront...even though part off me wishes it were not a concern for the ease of the ecosystem.

Cinisajoy · 04-01-2016, 01:33 PM

Personally I just have books scattered everywhere.
Yes, that is both physical and ebooks.
Now my Fire has nothing but cookbooks.

HarryT · 04-01-2016, 01:38 PM

Honestly only you can decide whether "privacy" is a factor for you. To the very best of my knowledge, Amazon's Cloud is secure, and I've never heard of anyone having data issues with it. If you're just uploading books you've bought elsewhere, personally I don't see the problem. If you have extremely sensitive or confidential material on your reading devices, you should obviously think twice about loading them onto any third-party server.

Amazon's infrastructure works extremely well. Many people manage their books with Calibre and send them from Calibre to the Amazon Cloud.

eschwartz · 04-01-2016, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varaonaid

[...] and using Calibre/epubor to make their Kindle books usable on multiple devices [...]

Surely you mean Apprentice Alf.

Epubor are the sneaks who rebundle an ancient, outated and buggy version of the tools without accreditation, then try to sell you software which illegally uses (an ancient, outated and buggy version of) calibre's codebase in violation of the GPL license.

Alpha o · 04-01-2016, 05:56 PM

Have to do mine, I get stuff from all over. Includes books that are apps, PDFs, Copies I've made for my reference, web pages. I got into the same clutter, so I can sympathize.

I have a royal mess and have got some good advice here. Will start this weekend.

I just don't want to participate in anyone's cloud if they are also selling books. I'll keep my own storage.

It's none of Amazon's or Kobo's business of what I've bought from Baen or O'Reilly.
In fact, what I've bought from either one is no business of the other.

jackie_w · 04-01-2016, 06:15 PM

If you want a simple method of synching reading progress on devices which include an eink device I think Amazon offer the simplest solution as they allow you to sync Amazon-bought plus your own sideloaded mobi/azw3 books. With Kobo eink devices you can only sync your Kobo-bought books.

If you only own Android devices then there are several reading apps which will allow you to sync your epub reading position via your cloud account (e.g. Dropbox).

varaonaid · 04-01-2016, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Surely you mean Apprentice Alf.

Epubor are the sneaks who rebundle an ancient, outated and buggy version of the tools without accreditation, then try to sell you software which illegally uses (an ancient, outated and buggy version of) calibre's codebase in violation of the GPL license.

Yes that's exactly what I mean. I've never used ebubor just say it mentioned in an article or forum. I personally wouldn't use it. Calibre & Apprentice Alf. I had spaced out and forgotten the name. Thanks for reminding me.

varaonaid · 04-01-2016, 06:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jackie_w

If you want a simple method of synching reading progress on devices which include an eink device I think Amazon offer the simplest solution as they allow you to sync Amazon-bought plus your own sideloaded mobi/azw3 books. With Kobo eink devices you can only sync your Kobo-bought books.

If you only own Android devices then there are several reading apps which will allow you to sync your epub reading position via your cloud account (e.g. Dropbox).

Yes! My primary devices are a Windows laptop and Android smartphone and tablets. I just now playing with this idea of an e ink tablet but if want it to be usable with whatever eco system I end up using. Could you please expound upon which apps on Android can sync reading location? Are any other than Amazon cross platform?

I'm giving some thought to looking at one of the Android based e ink readers and then using with an Android app or even possibly the Kindle app for reading and syncing. At least I'd have full control of my context and device. I think I can even use Kindle as normal but without being locked into its eco system and dealing with jailbreaking. The truth is, I want something fairly simple and usable. I hate having to make it so darn complex. It's why I eventually gave in and went Google (even before Android) back in the day. It just worked (email, contacts, etc). Heck, I'd go with that for books in a flash in it didn't have the 1000 book limit. I'm definitely concerned about privacy but I'm not crazy about it. I realize some tradeoffs have to be made for usability. If I'm straight up about it, my concern is if anyone has had trouble loading non DRM books into their Amazon account that they (Amazon) sells DRM'd. It's obviously the only way to get everything into one location (or reversing it and using the Apprentice Alf on Kindle books to put elsewhere). It's crap that the sellers have put us in this situation. Bitty I want to figure out a workable solution and overcome it.

varaonaid · 04-01-2016, 06:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alpha o

Have to do mine, I get stuff from all over. Includes books that are apps, PDFs, Copies I've made for my reference, web pages. I got into the same clutter, so I can sympathize.

I have a royal mess and have got some good advice here. Will start this weekend.

I just don't want to participate in anyone's cloud if they are also selling books. I'll keep my own storage.

It's none of Amazon's or Kobo's business of what I've bought from Baen or O'Reilly.
In fact, what I've bought from either one is no business of the other.

This is pretty much exactly where I am! You said it perfectly.

Which direction are you found to go with your organization? If live to great what you've decided from this wonderful info people have shared.

Cinisajoy · 04-01-2016, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by varaonaid

Yes! My primary devices are a Windows laptop and Android smartphone and tablets. I just now playing with this idea of an e ink tablet but if want it to be usable with whatever eco system I end up using. Could you please expound upon which apps on Android can sync reading location? Are any other than Amazon cross platform?

I'm giving some thought to looking at one of the Android based e ink readers and then using with an Android app or even possibly the Kindle app for reading and syncing. At least I'd have full control of my context and device. I think I can even use Kindle as normal but without being locked into its eco system and dealing with jailbreaking. The truth is, I want something fairly simple and usable. I hate having to make it so darn complex. It's why I eventually gave in and went Google (even before Android) back in the day. It just worked (email, contacts, etc). Heck, I'd go with that for books in a flash in it didn't have the 1000 book limit. I'm definitely concerned about privacy but I'm not crazy about it. I realize some tradeoffs have to be made for usability. If I'm straight up about it, my concern is if anyone has had trouble loading non DRM books into their Amazon account that they (Amazon) sells DRM'd. It's obviously the only way to get everything into one location (or reversing it and using the Apprentice Alf on Kindle books to put elsewhere). It's crap that the sellers have put us in this situation. Bitty I want to figure out a workable solution and overcome it.

Not all books Amazon sells have DRM. It is the publisher that decides.
Now in answer to your other question. You can either sideload or use the send to kindle feature for non-Amazon books. You can also upload non-Amazon books to Amazon's cloud.
You are NOT locked in to an ecosystem. If you have read somewhere that either a Kindle or Kobo cannot read anything other than what they sell, that is BS and is nearly always said by someone that hates either Amazon or Kobo.
I have personally on both ereaders: bought from the store and sideloaded. On the kindle, I have also used send to kindle, emailed to my kindle and just stored in the cloud.

If you don't want Amazon to know what you have then don't use the cloud feature.
But then you can't sync across devices.
Note: I have 2 e-ink kindles (used to be 3), a kindle fire, a tablet with the kindle app on it, a kobo (2nd generation), and a laptop with the kindle for PC app.

04-01-2016, 05:10 AM	#1
varaonaid Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 97490 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Win 10 PC, Android Smartphone & Tablet, Considering my first e-ink	Consolidating ebooks Hello, I'm finally getting around to aggregating me ebooks and I'm trying to get my head around the best way of doing this. My brain is spinning trying to figure this out. My ultimate goal is to have a single catalog to search through and get my books from, available via internet, shareable with my spouse. Syncing read location across devices would be fantastic and a high priority. Main platforms are Windows and Android... no iOS. I'm a long time Calibre user for my basic, non Kindle ebooks, though I'm no power user. These ebooks are a mix of the big three formats (epub, mobile/azw, PDF) and are non DRM. I've been thinking for awhile I'd work towards folding my Kindle ebooks into this (though there are way more than I realized from the free classics and other free or cheap deals over the years) via the magic of the Calibre plugins and running a Calibre server either directly or using a cloud service such as box.com. However, I'm beginning to wonder if this is in fact the best plan. I just learned that Amazon is allowing the syncing of user added titles across devices, so maybe that would be better. (Google Play Books would work great if they were to increase the library size but the 1000 book limit rules it out at this point.) I have a free books beyond the 50mb limit but not that many. Are there any privacy issues to be concerned with uploading one's own ebooks? I'm certainly not attached to any of these ideas and would love to hear alternatives I may not be aware of our have considered. At the moment, I don't have an e ink trader but I'm considering getting one at some point so if like to keep this in mind add I plan out the library consolidation. One further consideration is ongoing management. I know whichever way I go, I'll have to continue to fold in future titles one way or the other so coming up with a streamlined process once the actual aggregation had happened would be attractive. Any ideas, advice, or guidance would be extremely helpful. I'm just having trouble thinking through all the aspects of each option and the compatibility, syncing, bookmarks, and such. Trying to ensure everything works together now and in the future so I don't find myself having to make a major shift down the road is a challenge. Thanks so much!

04-01-2016, 09:10 AM	#2
theducks Well trained by Cats Posts: 30,891 Karma: 60358908 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: The Central Coast of California Device: Kobo Libra2,Kobo Aura2v1, K4NT(Fixed: New Bat.), Galaxy Tab A	Call me Paranoid, but as soon as your stuff leaves your absolute control, you are at the whim of the carelesstaker. Time and again, big companies just roll over to government demands and hand out your data. ( Apple for saying NO!) What is the big deal? PROFILING, among others. What do they read. When. Where (IP logging). [edited by author ] Last edited by theducks; 04-01-2016 at 10:33 AM.

04-01-2016, 01:30 PM	#6
varaonaid Enthusiast Posts: 45 Karma: 97490 Join Date: May 2010 Device: Win 10 PC, Android Smartphone & Tablet, Considering my first e-ink	So, if you don't upload to Amazon or use Kindle, what do you use for syncing reading location? What do you use for an e ink type reader? Obviously, privacy is still an issue with this concept but does anyone send everything up into their Amazon cloud as well as downloading and using Calibre/epubor to make their Kindle books usable on multiple devices, basically keeping two versions of their library so that they retain control of everything? It's a lot of extra work but one wouldn't find themselves locked out of anything. And although giving up some privacy, retaining the reader of use across platforms and devices. It's just that the Kindle setup makes everything so darn simple and it works as I want it to. Doesn't mean I'm ready to go that way or give in to the hidden costs involved. But I need to figure out how to sort out the logistics of the basics if I'm going to forego those features via Kindle. I hope that makes sense. I really appreciate your knowledge, it's exactly why I asked the questions. Is wanted to be challenged to think differently, seeing perspectives and potential privacy issues that stretch me beyond my typical thinking patterns. As much as I wish these privacy concerns didn't exist, I need to understand them fully, especially if I'm considering overlooking then and living with them. At the moment, I'm a bit too concerned to do so comfortably. And I'm grateful to you for giving me the knowledge to make me rethink this with more privacy and security issues at there forefront...even though part off me wishes it were not a concern for the ease of the ecosystem. Last edited by varaonaid; 04-09-2016 at 06:21 PM.

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04-01-2016, 11:58 AM	#5
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Well now first thing I would do is go through all the Amazon freebies and make sure they are worth reading. My own success rate with Amazon freebies is only about 50% at the most. Note: that goes back to 2011.

04-01-2016, 01:33 PM	#7
Cinisajoy Just a Yellow Smiley. Posts: 19,161 Karma: 83862859 Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Texas Device: K4, K5, fire, kobo, galaxy	Personally I just have books scattered everywhere. Yes, that is both physical and ebooks. Now my Fire has nothing but cookbooks.

04-01-2016, 01:38 PM	#8
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383099 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Honestly only you can decide whether "privacy" is a factor for you. To the very best of my knowledge, Amazon's Cloud is secure, and I've never heard of anyone having data issues with it. If you're just uploading books you've bought elsewhere, personally I don't see the problem. If you have extremely sensitive or confidential material on your reading devices, you should obviously think twice about loading them onto any third-party server. Amazon's infrastructure works extremely well. Many people manage their books with Calibre and send them from Calibre to the Amazon Cloud.

04-01-2016, 05:56 PM	#10
Alpha o Addict Posts: 282 Karma: 2603524 Join Date: Jan 2015 Device: Onyx Boox Darwin, inkBOOK Obsidian	Have to do mine, I get stuff from all over. Includes books that are apps, PDFs, Copies I've made for my reference, web pages. I got into the same clutter, so I can sympathize. I have a royal mess and have got some good advice here. Will start this weekend. I just don't want to participate in anyone's cloud if they are also selling books. I'll keep my own storage. It's none of Amazon's or Kobo's business of what I've bought from Baen or O'Reilly. In fact, what I've bought from either one is no business of the other.

04-01-2016, 06:15 PM	#11
jackie_w Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,247 Karma: 16539642 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: UK Device: ClaraHD, Forma, Libra2, Clara2E, LibraCol, PBTouchHD3	If you want a simple method of synching reading progress on devices which include an eink device I think Amazon offer the simplest solution as they allow you to sync Amazon-bought plus your own sideloaded mobi/azw3 books. With Kobo eink devices you can only sync your Kobo-bought books. If you only own Android devices then there are several reading apps which will allow you to sync your epub reading position via your cloud account (e.g. Dropbox).