Listing owned Kindle/Kobo titles as metadata only

[daldred]

Is there a way to get the books I have in my Kindle/Kobo libraries listed in my Calibre library, but only as metadata?

Ideally updating itself automatically when I buy something new, and handled smoothly by the Calibre Companion android app? (I'm not sure this is the place to ask about the app, but someone might know - and the main question isn't about the app).

Why? So that I have one place where all my ebooks are listed, and where I can search by series, categories, authors etc.

Or is there a better way of doing this, and I've not thought it through properly?

[theducks]

Not Automagically, but
Add: Empty books (or removing all formats from a previous title entry) documents your Library (This was one of the first things I did with Calibre: Document my PHYSICAL book shelves)

I keep wondering Why! folk do this. It is not that disk space is expensive

[daldred]

Originally Posted by theducks

Not Automagically, but
Add: Empty books (or removing all formats from a previous title entry) documents your Library (This was one of the first things I did with Calibre: Document my PHYSICAL book shelves)

I keep wondering Why! folk do this. It is not that disk space is expensive

Thanks for tthe reply!

In my case, it's because I'm switching from a Kobo e-reader to an Android e-ink device. My ideal would be to have my whole library - regardless of source - in one place, with a flag to identify the source; if the source is Kindle or Kobo, then I know to go to that app to read it, if not then I use a standard ereader app.

I appreciate that disk space isn't costly, but putting all the Kobo/Kindle nooks onto the reader twice (once just to support the record, the other in the relevant app) just seems a bit silly!

However, if it's a manual entry job to add titles after buying, perhaps this isn't the route to look at.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by daldred

I appreciate that disk space isn't costly, but putting all the Kobo/Kindle nooks onto the reader twice (once just to support the record, the other in the relevant app) just seems a bit silly!

I believe theducks meant why not put all your books in Calibre, instead of creating empty books. That way you would have a backup as well.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by daldred

Thanks for tthe reply!

In my case, it's because I'm switching from a Kobo e-reader to an Android e-ink device. My ideal would be to have my whole library - regardless of source - in one place, with a flag to identify the source; if the source is Kindle or Kobo, then I know to go to that app to read it, if not then I use a standard ereader app.

I appreciate that disk space isn't costly, but putting all the Kobo/Kindle nooks onto the reader twice (once just to support the record, the other in the relevant app) just seems a bit silly!

However, if it's a manual entry job to add titles after buying, perhaps this isn't the route to look at.

?? Most devices don't run Calibre so I don't understand the TWICE.
I avoid direct to device as those end up in 'protected' storage and are not recoverable by Calibre (or the magic tools).
Also, It is the device (viewer app) that blocks side loading (any source).
IMHO Shun walled gardens. Buy from who you want, NOT because they locked you in.

[daldred]

Originally Posted by theducks

?? Most devices don't run Calibre so I don't understand the TWICE.

Ultimately I want the list on the device, where I'm hoping to find a way - with a bit of coding if necessary - to arrange for the appropriate app to open for any title, identifying which app by the flag I referred to. So I'll need to copy the books onto the device. But if I'm looking at a Kindle title, the kindle app will download that title to read it. So if my Calibre sync has copied the book onto the device, and the Kindle app also downloads it, I have two copies, don't I? Or am I missing something?

IMHO Shun walled gardens. Buy from who you want, NOT because they locked you in.

That's basically what I'm trying to do - be free to buy from any supplier, based on availability, price etc, and read in the related app which is optimised for that title. And have all the apps on one e-ink device, with a single integrated library - so all my titles by any one author, or in any one series, are together, regardless of where I bought them or the app in which I read them.

[theducks]

right click on the Conversion Icon: catalog
It respects the current restricted view (selections, VL)

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by daldred

That's basically what I'm trying to do - be free to buy from any supplier, based on availability, price etc, and read in the related app which is optimised for that title. And have all the apps on one e-ink device, with a single integrated library - so all my titles by any one author, or in any one series, are together, regardless of where I bought them or the app in which I read them.

IMHO you're making the simple process of creating an unified library too convoluted. Why not just remove the DRM and keep all the books in Calibre? You can still read them in whatever app you want, even in the Kindle app, by putting them in the corresponding folder after downloading. I used to read my sideloaded books in the Kindle app occasionally, when I happened to read on my Android phone.

[daldred]

Originally Posted by Sirtel

Why not just remove the DRM and keep all the books in Calibre? You can still read them in whatever app you want, even in the Kindle app, by putting them in the corresponding folder after downloading.

Basically, hassle. If there was an automated way of pulling in my (say) Kindle titles to Calibre, removing DRM on the way, that would be ideal.

But as far as I know there isn't; it's a matter of setting up the de-DRM plugin, opening each new title in Kindle for PC, having taken steps to avoid the software updating, and manually importing each one, finding the right file to import (given that they are named in random characters), etc. Rinse and repeat for Kobo, and any other source. Yes, the result is worth having, but it's not a simple, user-friendly process; and some sort of simple index of 'all my e-books' seemed far more friendly.

[Sirtel]

Originally Posted by daldred

Basically, hassle. If there was an automated way of pulling in my (say) Kindle titles to Calibre, removing DRM on the way, that would be ideal.

But as far as I know there isn't; it's a matter of setting up the de-DRM plugin, opening each new title in Kindle for PC, having taken steps to avoid the software updating, and manually importing each one, finding the right file to import (given that they are named in random characters), etc. Rinse and repeat for Kobo, and any other source. Yes, the result is worth having, but it's not a simple, user-friendly process; and some sort of simple index of 'all my e-books' seemed far more friendly.

As to finding the right file to import, there's the wonderful Alissa's MobiHandler, which still works with Windows 10. It displays the titles for the Kindle books in the Kindle for PC folder. I've found it to be indispensable, even though I mostly use the transfer via computer method, having several eink Kindles.

[ownedbycats]

Metadata-only entries are possible; I use them for both physical books and books borrowed from Overdrive (albeit with 0-byte dummy .paperbook and .overdrive formats for easier searching).

The closest you'll get to automatically adding them in standard Calibre is grabbing a list of ISBNs and using the "Add from ISBN" option and hoping the metadata download gets the right editions.

Import List plugin might be another option; I believe Goodreads has an option to export your books to CSV if you have an account with them.