DIGITAL READER HOUSEKEEPING #3:ORGANIZING MY BOOKS AND TRACKING MY READING; CALIBRE & BOOKSHELF
Where I store my books (Calibre) and how I track my reading progress (Bookshelf) As an FYI, I am not paid or sponsored by either of the apps I am talking about in this video, they are just ones I love and use all the time. For storing my ebooks I use Calibre: https://calibre-ebook.com/ . I have been using Calibre to handle my book organization, reading, progress, sorting, conversion and metadata tagging since 2010. Before I used Calibre I used Microsoft Excel to track my books and progress. What does Calibre do? Almost everything! It is open source and over years of plugins and updates it is a jack-of-all-trades for books. There is a tutorial on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Wosani93FQQ?si=bZTxvixTEKu6GEWf . Although Calibre is free, it has given me so much utility over the years I have donated around $100.00 to the creator. In late November of 2023, I started using a new app to track my reading progress specifically called bookshelf by Alex Gerrese: https://www.getbookshelf.com/ . Sadly, it is only on IOS, but it has an iPad app that can be used on Mac, and syncs across all your IOS Devices using iCloud sync So, what does it do? -- AI recommendations -- Save highlights and quotes -- Quick Add - Build your library by searching through millions of books, scanning any book's barcode, or adding your own. -- Reading Sessions - Simply pick up a book and start a session—we’ll track everything so you can focus on actually reading. -- Book Chat - Chat with the AI librarian to generate summaries and flash cards, discuss key ideas, and much more! -- Reading Stats - Visualize your reading habits over time with charts and reading stats. -- Reading Goals - Create a reading goal for the year to motivate yourself. -- Estimated Completion Time - See how long it will take to finish any book with your average reading speed. -- Reading Streaks - Stay motivated by keeping up your streak! -- Smart Notes - Use cards to jot down notes or vocab, write a summary, or prepare study questions. Scan text directly from books to add them to your cards or add your own rich text -- Daily Reviews - Spaced repetition reviews for your notes that will significantly increase your retention, guaranteed. -- Reading Reminders - Never forget to read or test your knowledge with timely notifications. -- Cost o Gold Monthly: $5.99 o Gold Yearly: $29.99 o Gold Lifetime: $69.99 I used the free trail for 3 days before I paid for the gold lifetime app, it is that good! 00:00 - Intro 00:24 - Calibre 07:43 - Bookshelf 17:52 - Adobe Digital Editions
Where I store my books (Calibre) and how I track my reading progress (Bookshelf) As an FYI, I am not paid or sponsored by either of the apps I am talking about in this video, they are just ones I love and use all the time. For storing my ebooks I use Calibre: https://calibre-ebook.com/ . I have been using Calibre to handle my book organization, reading, progress, sorting, conversion and metadata tagging since 2010. Before I used Calibre I used Microsoft Excel to track my books and progress. What does Calibre do? Almost everything! It is open source and over years of plugins and updates it is a jack-of-all-trades for books. There is a tutorial on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Wosani93FQQ?si=bZTxvixTEKu6GEWf . Although Calibre is free, it has given me so much utility over the years I have donated around $100.00 to the creator. In late November of 2023, I started using a new app to track my reading progress specifically called bookshelf by Alex Gerrese: https://www.getbookshelf.com/ . Sadly, it is only on IOS, but it has an iPad app that can be used on Mac, and syncs across all your IOS Devices using iCloud sync So, what does it do? -- AI recommendations -- Save highlights and quotes -- Quick Add - Build your library by searching through millions of books, scanning any book's barcode, or adding your own. -- Reading Sessions - Simply pick up a book and start a session—we’ll track everything so you can focus on actually reading. -- Book Chat - Chat with the AI librarian to generate summaries and flash cards, discuss key ideas, and much more! -- Reading Stats - Visualize your reading habits over time with charts and reading stats. -- Reading Goals - Create a reading goal for the year to motivate yourself. -- Estimated Completion Time - See how long it will take to finish any book with your average reading speed. -- Reading Streaks - Stay motivated by keeping up your streak! -- Smart Notes - Use cards to jot down notes or vocab, write a summary, or prepare study questions. Scan text directly from books to add them to your cards or add your own rich text -- Daily Reviews - Spaced repetition reviews for your notes that will significantly increase your retention, guaranteed. -- Reading Reminders - Never forget to read or test your knowledge with timely notifications. -- Cost o Gold Monthly: $5.99 o Gold Yearly: $29.99 o Gold Lifetime: $69.99 I used the free trail for 3 days before I paid for the gold lifetime app, it is that good! 00:00 - Intro 00:24 - Calibre 07:43 - Bookshelf 17:52 - Adobe Digital Editions