Kobobooks: Selecting which books are synced?

[Mivo]

I googled a bit, but I have trouble to believe the results.

Is it correct that if I sync my device (mostly to transfer the Reading Life stats), the only way to actually control which Kobobooks' bought e-books are synced with my e-reader is to delete the ones that I don't want to get transferred?

I understand that I can restore them from the trashcan, but this seems a little odd. I use Calibre to manage my books, so essentially I'd have to move my entire, paid-for library at Kobobooks to the trash.

edit: The library has a "purchased" tab, however, books are either in both "I'm reading" and "Purchased", or in neither category. If I delete a book from "I'm reading", it is also deleted from "Purchased".

[GeoffR]

No you don't have to delete the books, you can archive them (select Archive from the menu that pops up when you long-press on the book in the library listing), which keeps the book record on the reader but deletes the book itself to save space.

You can also choose whether you want to show your archived books in the library listings or not, from the menu at the top left in the library view (Select Show All to show archived books too).

Edit: (Archived books display a download button in the library listing, which you use to de-archive individual books, or you can download all archived books as a batch).

[Mivo]

To achieve this, I would have to download them all to the reader, then archive them on the reader, and then delete them from the reader, which would get them off the "I'm reading list"?

Hmm, I wonder if I can get the same effect with the Kobo Desktop software. (I have side-loaded about half of them to the reader, so I'm reluctant to sync them all to it.)

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Mivo

To achieve this, I would have to download them all to the reader, then archive them on the reader, and then delete them from the reader, which would get them off the "I'm reading list"?

Hmm, I wonder if I can get the same effect with the Kobo Desktop software. (I have side-loaded about half of them to the reader, so I'm reluctant to sync them all to it.)

I'm not sure what you are trying to achieve. It doesn't make sense to archive a book then delete it though. If you want to be able to access it from the reader but not have it take up space (or see it in the library listings, at your option) then just archive it. If you don't ever want to access the book again then delete it.

[Mivo]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I'm not sure what you are trying to achieve. It doesn't make sense to archive a book then delete it though. If you want to be able to access it from the reader but not have it take up space (or see it in the library listings, at your option) then just archive it. If you don't ever want to access the book again then delete it.

When I buy a book at Kobobooks, I download the Adobe epub and then import it into Calibre so that all my devices have access to it. I side-load it to the Glo via Calibre, as well.

What I hope to achieve is to have my purchased books in the "purchase" tab (at kobobooks.com), but not in the "I'm reading" tab, so that the site does not transfer them to the Glo when I sync.

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by Mivo

When I buy a book at Kobobooks, I download the Adobe epub and then import it into Calibre so that all my devices have access to it. I side-load it to the Glo via Calibre, as well.

What I hope to achieve is to have my purchased books in the "purchase" tab (at kobobooks.com), but not in the "I'm reading" tab, so that the site does not transfer them to the Glo when I sync.

OK, I do something similar.

I always download the kepub version to my Glo when I buy it (I usually buy from the Glo's shop rather than the Kobo website, so my local bookshop gets their commission), but I also (perhaps later, when it is convenient) download the epub version to put in Calibre.

If the kepub version is OK I usually just read that, but if it is badly formatted or needs other fixing then I archive the original kpub and sideload the (edited) epub version. That way I have both versions on the Glo, I can get to the original kepub if I want to, but only the epub version normally shows in the library listings.

The only issue might be if I ever do a factory reset, then all my archived books would sync and I would have to re-archive them. If you want to avoid that then just delete them.

Edit: I just checked, my archived books do remain in the "IM READING" list on the Kobo website, so they will sync if I ever do a factory reset, but they shouldn't sync otherwise unless I de-archive them.

Edit2: I just thought: If I had more than one device then deleting the book from "IM READING" would stop it syncing to any device, but if I archived a book on one device I could still have it sync to other devices.

[Mivo]

I found a way that worked! I installed the Kobo Desktop program on my computer and synced it with my library. When all books were downloaded to the Kobo Desktop, I deleted them from the library (in the program). The effect was that they were removed from the "I'm reading" list on the site (and thus won't get synced to the Glo), but remained still in the "Purchased" category.

Thanks for your help! This gave me the right idea.

[samhy]

Originally Posted by Mivo

I found a way that worked! I installed the Kobo Desktop program on my computer and synced it with my library. When all books were downloaded to the Kobo Desktop, I deleted them from the library (in the program). The effect was that they were removed from the "I'm reading" list on the site (and thus won't get synced to the Glo), but remained still in the "Purchased" category.

Thanks for your help! This gave me the right idea.

That's a good way to do that I wish it could be done from the website or the device too (I'm not using the desktop software).

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by samhy

That's a good way to do that I wish it could be done from the website or the device too (I'm not using the desktop software).

I have never used the desktop app, but when I delete a book from my Glo it is removed from "IM READING" on the website, and I can get it back by going to the "PURCHASED" list and bookmarking it. i.e. a deleted book never gets sync'd unless I go to the website and bookmark it again. (The exception is free books, which go in the "TRASH" list instead). Does it do something different for you?

[samhy]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I have never used the desktop app, but when I delete a book from my Glo it is removed from "IM READING" on the website, and I can get it back by going to the "PURCHASED" list and bookmarking it. i.e. a deleted book never gets sync'd unless I go to the website and bookmark it again. (The exception is free books, which go in the "TRASH" list instead). Does it do something different for you?

I should check before writing something. I tend to archive books more than I delete them, but I've just checked and you're right
There is also a "favorite" option in the "purchased" section. Is it to improve the suggestions?

[GeoffR]

Originally Posted by samhy

There is also a "favorite" option in the "purchased" section. Is it to improve the suggestions?

I can't see anthing like that, is it a new thing in the new website? (I'm still getting the old website at the moment).

[samhy]

Originally Posted by GeoffR

I can't see anthing like that, is it a new thing in the new website? (I'm still getting the old website at the moment).

Sorry, wrong translation. If I set the website to English, the button is called "bookmark".