[GUI Plugin] Goodreads Sync

[Ellsinore]

I'm feeling like an idiot, but I cannot get this to work as I thought it would. I've spent a couple of years documenting my library on Goodreads, so I thought I could just import that data into Calibre with this plugin by syncing with my Goodreads account. It finds the Goodreads shelves and the books, but seems to expect the books to already exist in Calibre, which they don't.

Have I misunderstood how this plugin works? Thanks!

[dunhill]

Originally Posted by Ellsinore

I'm feeling like an idiot, but I cannot get this to work as I thought it would. I've spent a couple of years documenting my library on Goodreads, so I thought I could just import that data into Calibre with this plugin by syncing with my Goodreads account. It finds the Goodreads shelves and the books, but seems to expect the books to already exist in Calibre, which they don't.

Have I misunderstood how this plugin works? Thanks!

It would be good if the metadata was downloaded with the goodreads plugin so that they are somehow linked between calibre and goodreads after synchronization is easier.

Check this post
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sh...postcount=1290

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Ellsinore

I'm feeling like an idiot, but I cannot get this to work as I thought it would. I've spent a couple of years documenting my library on Goodreads, so I thought I could just import that data into Calibre with this plugin by syncing with my Goodreads account. It finds the Goodreads shelves and the books, but seems to expect the books to already exist in Calibre, which they don't.

Have I misunderstood how this plugin works? Thanks!

To me SYNC means match UP with Calibre, not create NEW entries.
Same for the Goodreads Metadata

Consider Using Import List CSV after you fetch your book List from GR
(disclaimer: Not a GR member)

[Ellsinore]

Originally Posted by theducks

To me SYNC means match UP with Calibre, not create NEW entries.
Same for the Goodreads Metadata

I didn't think of "sync" as a one way street.

Consider Using Import List CSV after you fetch your book List from GR
(disclaimer: Not a GR member)

That's a great suggestion, and I did try it. But even after using Import List, using the Goodreads plugin requires that I search for and link each book, though that is much easier/faster than entering them all from scratch. :-)

[theducks]

Originally Posted by Ellsinore

I didn't think of "sync" as a one way street.

It is not a one-way street.
It can't work with a Blind Alley

eg If I sync a reading position, it assumes the book is already there. No Book, No need (or place) to sync with.
In the case of Import List (predefined), The Right side has an optional 'Match to Empty Book'. That is a deliberate step to force a DB entry into Calibre where none existed (brilliant on the Dudes part, as not everyone wants this sort of thing)

[davidfor]

Firstly the option in question is "Sync from shelves". That is only one way, it's in the name, "from". If it was "with", it would probably be two-way. There are separate options for going the other direction.

Most of the sync shelves is about matching with existing books. It matches using the Goodreads ID. It doesn't attempt to match on anything else as there is no guarantee it will work. But, in the result window if you right click on a book that has the status "No calibre book linked!", there are options to search calibre for a book or to add an empty book. If you use the add empty book option, all the books will be created with the title and author and GR id. If you want more metadata or covers, then you need to run a metadata download for the books.

If you used the Import List plugin to add the books from a list exported from GR, you should have been able to include the GR id. That should have let the sync match the books.

[wff]

Hi everyone,
I have a question about the book context menu and Goodreads Sync: is it normal that it is empty (see picture)? If not, what can I do to have it working properly?
Thanks!

[davidfor]

Originally Posted by wff

Hi everyone,
I have a question about the book context menu and Goodreads Sync: is it normal that it is empty (see picture)? If not, what can I do to have it working properly?

It isn't empty here on my Win10 machine. It might work differently on a MAC. Are the other submenus opening? Do you have to click on them, or just move the cursor over the parent menu item?

[dewd]

Originally Posted by wff

Hi everyone,
I have a question about the book context menu and Goodreads Sync: is it normal that it is empty (see picture)? If not, what can I do to have it working properly?
Thanks!

Not empty here either, on my Mac.

Have you set up the plugin - i.e. linked it to your Goodreads account and set up some rules for adding/syncing books?

[wff]

Thanks for your answers.

Originally Posted by davidfor

It isn't empty here on my Win10 machine. It might work differently on a MAC. Are the other submenus opening? Do you have to click on them, or just move the cursor over the parent menu item?

Yes, the other submenus are opening well, I don't have to click, just moving the cursor is OK (but GR submenu doesn't work even if I click on it).

Originally Posted by dewd

Not empty here either, on my Mac.

Have you set up the plugin - i.e. linked it to your Goodreads account and set up some rules for adding/syncing books?

Yes, the plugin is linked to my GR account, adding to and sync from work properly. I have set up some rules, but I need to click on the GR plugin icon in the icon bar to make it appear.
Here is a screenshot of the plugin settings.

[wff]

Following your suggestions, I unlinked my GR account and uninstalled the GR sync plugin, then reinstalled and linked again, and it is now working as expected.

Sorry for disturbing and thanks again!

[yota71]

A lot of time when i mass upload books/manga Via goodreads plugin i encounter this error:
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
calibre, version 5.34.0
ERRORE: Eccezione non gestita: <b>ValueError</b>:invalid literal for int() with base 10: ''
calibre 5.34 embedded-python: True is64bit: False
Windows-10-10.0.19041 Windows ('32bit', 'WindowsPE')
32bit process running on 64bit windows
('Windows', '10', '10.0.19041')
Python 3.8.5
Windows: ('10', '10.0.19041', '', 'Multiprocessor Free')
Interface language: it
Successfully initialized third party plugins: Barnes & Noble (1, 2, 16) && Embed Comic Metadata (1, 6, 1) && Goodreads (1, 5, 1) && Goodreads Sync (1, 15, 1) && Kobo Books (1, 8, 3) && Kobo Utilities (2, 14, 1)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "calibre_plugins.goodreads_sync.dialogs", line 1758, in action_button_clicked
File "calibre_plugins.goodreads_sync.core", line 327, in add_remove_book_to_shelf
ValueError: invalid literal for int() with base 10: ''
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Anyone know the solution to this problem?

[Joliet Jake]

Are you uploading books, or just metadata? (I'm not familiar with this plugin.)

[yota71]

Originally Posted by Joliet Jake

Are you uploading books, or just metadata? (I'm not familiar with this plugin.)

Only metadata i use Goodreads as a database

[BetterRed]

@Yota71 - if you post a message telling us which Goodreads plugin are you referring to (there are at least four) I will merge your thread into that plugin's thread where you're more likely to get a broader response.

BR