# Spreadsheet to keep track of Books Read



## rlkubi (Dec 7, 2009)

What is the easiest way to keep track of books read on the Fire?


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## jemima_pett (Feb 13, 2012)

I don't know about the Fire, but I once wondered about keeping a spreadsheet of books read - it didnt last long.  Then I found Goodreads.  I'm really pleased I found it - you can see what other people like as well.  www.goodreads.com


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## funnycat (Dec 30, 2010)

I recommend Goodreads.com as well.  Now I can keep track of everthing I've read, put it into a 'collection' (shelf) for organizing and keep track of book I wish to read in the future as well.


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## rlkubi (Dec 7, 2009)

Thanks!  But you can't get into Goodreads unless you have wifi correct?


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## jemima_pett (Feb 13, 2012)

It's just a website.  I dont have wifi.  But then my broadband is pretty slow too.


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## Annalog (Dec 28, 2008)

Gooreads has CSV file import and export of book lists so that it is possible to make a copy of your book information to access offline usinf a spreadsheet that can read CSV.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

If you're interested, though, in just a basic Excel spreadsheet, I can send you a sample of what I use.  Just shoot me your email in a PM.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

I had a spreadsheet - lost it in a tragic computer meltdown.   Luckily I had a "back-up" - I'd already entered that same list on Goodreads.  I still enter the books I read in Goodreads, but now I also have a good old-fashioned journal that I also use, I just write the name of each book as I finish it, and the date I finish.  The journal is a specialized "travel journal" I'd picked up to use on our RV travels.  Sadly we don't have an RV anymore, but I figured it was appropriate for recording the "travels" I take via books.  Plus it has some pockets that I use to keep things like my Overdrive IDs & passwords & other stuff like that.  

And Goodreads I mostly use for tracking the books I've read.  This year I started a "2012" shelf, to help me track how many books I read this year.


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## Dragle (Dec 10, 2011)

I created a spreadsheet for 2012 to keep track of books I have downloaded, when I read them, and a rating.  I also added the regular library books I have checked out. Turns out I read more books than I realized.


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## luvmykindle3 (Dec 5, 2010)

Meemo said:


> I had a spreadsheet - lost it in a tragic computer meltdown.  Luckily I had a "back-up" - I'd already entered that same list on Goodreads. I still enter the books I read in Goodreads, but now I also have a good old-fashioned journal that I also use, I just write the name of each book as I finish it, and the date I finish. The journal is a specialized "travel journal" I'd picked up to use on our RV travels. Sadly we don't have an RV anymore, but I figured it was appropriate for recording the "travels" I take via books. Plus it has some pockets that I use to keep things like my Overdrive IDs & passwords & other stuff like that.
> 
> And Goodreads I mostly use for tracking the books I've read. This year I started a "2012" shelf, to help me track how many books I read this year.


I tried the spreadsheet too, that didn't work, next I went to a journal too. Not doing a great job at that either...LOL, but I'm getting better.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I started using Goodreads for books read.  I joined the challenge for how many books I'll read this year, and books I add get added to that challenge record automatically and stay available in the future--I can check the books that were added to the challenge last year (not very many. )

Betsy


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## BMathison (Feb 4, 2011)

jemima_pett said:


> I don't know about the Fire, but I once wondered about keeping a spreadsheet of books read - it didnt last long. Then I found Goodreads. I'm really pleased I found it - you can see what other people like as well. www.goodreads.com


Ditto -- love Goodreads! You can also see what other people are reading, and get recommendations.


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## dori chatelain (Dec 31, 2011)

I use colornote on my fire to keep track of my books read. I have a list of books read and a list of series so that as I read the series I can mark them as read as I go. I also have a spread sheet on my computer for the Christmas books I read last year when I challenged myself to see how many Christmas books I could read from Thanksgiving to Christmas. 

The only thing I need to do is to remember to add my books to the lists. I wish I would have started a list from the beginning of my reading. I know I have read many books I can't remember the titles to and didn't put on the list.


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## Geoffrey (Jun 20, 2009)

I've been keeping a spreadsheet for a long time now.  I started with just a list of purchases and then added books read in Oct 2009.  Now it contains all sorts of extra information from publishers to location counts to average amount spent per month to % of indie and small press books purchased.  I'm a spreadsheet geek  anyways so it just sort of expanded as time went on ....


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## Todd Young (May 2, 2011)

I use Goodreads, but still forget to add books sometimes. My aim this year is to read only gay-themed novels. I want to know what it's like to be able to relate to everything I read. (I'm just so tired of reading about straight relationships).


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## chilady1 (Jun 9, 2009)

I use Calibre to keep track of all of my books.  I import them into Calibre and once I have read the book, I have created custom columns that allow me to input the date I completed the book, and then it turns the title to the color RED which indicates book has been Read.  

Calibre is not for everyone, but it beats the hell out of a spreadsheet.  Just my opinion.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

chilady1 said:


> I use Calibre to keep track of all of my books. I import them into Calibre and once I have read the book, I have created custom columns that allow me to input the date I completed the book, and then it turns the title to the color RED which indicates book has been Read.
> 
> Calibre is not for everyone, but it beats the hell out of a spreadsheet. Just my opinion.


Ooh, I need to figure out how to make that happen! (Changing the color to red.) I try to remember to give it a star once I've read a book (rather than using the stars to rate the book) but I like your idea!


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## sadievan (Dec 21, 2010)

chilady1 said:


> I use Calibre to keep track of all of my books. I import them into Calibre and once I have read the book, I have created custom columns that allow me to input the date I completed the book, and then it turns the title to the color RED which indicates book has been Read.
> 
> Calibre is not for everyone, but it beats the hell out of a spreadsheet. Just my opinion.


Hi Chilady. I do the same thing with the columns. I have two of them and put the year and month I read the book. Didn't do the color thing, but after reading your post I just did it. Thanks for the tip.

Carol


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

I use an iPad app, MyStuff2, to keep track of my books owned/read (as well as other "stuff," too).  

It's a database, and you have to set it up, but they have a lot of stuff built in, including the ability to import data from Amazon.

I like that I can put in a search term, such as the ASIN, and it will download all of the pertinent information, including the book description.  When I get the email from Amazon about my purchase, I copy the link to the book on Amazon, which includes the ASIN, and then paste in just the ASIN (edit the pasted info) into the search field.  Then everything gets entered into the database.  Then, I delete the email from Amazon.  I can output to a spreadsheet if I want to.

It's a little geeky,  but they have an excellent support forum, and the app creator is very prompt to respond to questions.  And then, Calibre is pretty geeky, too.

I use Calibre for things on my netbook, but really, I'm on my iPad far more than my netbook, so it's much handier for me to be able to maintain and to look this stuff up on my iPad.


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

I was looking at an app called "Book Manager" last night - it's free - but realized I've already got Calibre & Goodreads for that.  Sometimes I wish Calibre could go on the iPad, though, it would come in handy at times.  But since I can access Calibre from my iPad (and Kindle and Fire) to download books wirelessly, at least when I'm home, I guess it's not really necessary.


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## Steph H (Oct 28, 2008)

That iPad app sounds great, Betsy.  Too bad I don't have an iPad. 

Where were you seeing Book Manager, Meemo?  Is that for iPad also? 

I'm pretty happy with my Excel spreadsheet, and with 4900+ entries on it, I'm not likely to change now. I can see all the info on all the books easily without having to manipulate the data with an app, and I only use Calibre for adding non-Amazon books, or converting. But I'm still geeky enough to look at new options.


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## sadievan (Dec 21, 2010)

Meemo said:


> ....... Sometimes I wish Calibre could go on the iPad, though, it would come in handy at times. But since I can access Calibre from my iPad (and Kindle and Fire) to download books wirelessly, at least when I'm home, I guess it's not really necessary.


Do you use Dropbox to access Calibre from your iPad, etc.

Carol


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Meemo said:


> I was looking at an app called "Book Manager" last night - it's free - but realized I've already got Calibre & Goodreads for that. Sometimes I wish Calibre could go on the iPad, though, it would come in handy at times. But since I can access Calibre from my iPad (and Kindle and Fire) to download books wirelessly, at least when I'm home, I guess it's not really necessary.


Is there an iPad app for Calibre? Are you accessing all the data from Calibre with your iPad?

My interest is something to use when I'm not home....and don't have a wireless connection (I also have my stuff on Goodreads) but want to know something about the books I have available.

Betsy


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Steph H said:


> That iPad app sounds great, Betsy. Too bad I don't have an iPad.
> 
> Where were you seeing Book Manager, Meemo? Is that for iPad also?
> 
> I'm pretty happy with my Excel spreadsheet, and with 4900+ entries on it, I'm not likely to change now. I can see all the info on all the books easily without having to manipulate the data with an app, and I only use Calibre for adding non-Amazon books, or converting. But I'm still geeky enough to look at new options.


I stumbled over Book Manager while poking around in the App Tracker app looking for free apps. It isn't listed as an iPad app, though - I suppose it would work, but it's apparently built for the iPhone.

Betsy & Carol, I access Calibre via wifi from my readers & iPad & iPhone at home - I've posted directions a while back here:

http://www.kboards.com/index.php/topic,88332.0

Morf points out in that thread that it's not so simple to access it when you aren't at home - it can theoretically be done but it's much more complicated. I mostly use it just for downloading books wirelessly to my devices.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

FWIW, in the Amazon Appstore, there is something called "MyBookDroid" which is meant to be a book manager. It looks like it can sort books into shelves and you can enter title, author, etc, or enter the ISBN or scan the ISBN to enter it. Here's a link:



It is NOT coded for the Fire -- probably because there's no camera so the ISBN scanning thing won't work.

It's free. . . . .maybe worth a try. . . should work on a larger tablet -- shows that my Xoom is a compatible device.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Ann in Arlington said:


> FWIW, in the Amazon Appstore, there is something called "MyBookDroid" which is meant to be a book manager. It looks like it can sort books into shelves and you can enter title, author, etc, or enter the ISBN or scan the ISBN to enter it. Here's a link:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Thanks, Ann, interesting!

Here's the link to MyBookDroid on 1mobile.com
http://www.1mobile.com/mybookdroid---books-library-72785.html

and the description. It will import from your GoodReads account...



> *THIS ISN'T A BOOK READER*
> 
> MyBookDroid helps you to find and keep track of
> -books you have read
> ...


The icon is different so I'm not sure if it's the same app or not? It is a newer version....

Off to play with it...

Betsy


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

OK, for GoodReads users, it's very easy to import books into MyBookDroid.  Once the app is installed, tap on the menu bar and select "Sync Settings."  You will have the option to choose Goodreads or Twitter.  Once you select Goodreads, it's pretty self explanatory.  It took a couple minutes to import my 300 books on Goodreads.  If you do subsequent syncs, only books not in the database will be downloaded.

One negative, as (I think) a space saving measure, book covers are not automatically downloaded, and I haven't found a way to do so.  One can add a picture, but that option goes to the picture gallery on the Fire.

My bookshelves were downloaded intact with my rankings and a brief synopsis of the book.  You can tap on the synopsis to see more text if it's available.

You can add books by ISBN or by searching for a book.  Easy peasy.  And to add the book to your Goodreads shelf, just go to the book's MyBookDroid page, select Menu > Add to Goodreads.com

You can't seem to modify existing Goodreads listings on Goodreads by updating them in the app.

Pretty cool tool, overall, if you want your Goodreads info accessible offline..

Betsy


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## cc1013 (Jul 31, 2009)

I just signed up for Goodreads last night based on everyone's input here.  So great!  I love how it automatically linked to my Facebook friends so that I could get their ratings/reviews.  Very cool!  Thanks!


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## Vicki G. (Feb 18, 2010)

I also love Goodreads.  And I also joined the challenge so that keeps track of how many and what.  And then there's FictFact for all us lovers of series.  The one thing I do that I rely on the most is Collections on my KT.  I have one called Nightstand, which contains what I'm currently reading and the next one or two in line.  I also have a Collection called Books Read in 2012.  When I finish a book, it comes out of the Nightstand collection and into the Books Read in 2012 Collection.  If the book is a library loan, I download a sample of the book and place it in the Books Read in 2012 Collection so that stays true.  Guess it's my back up for Goodreads.  Or vice versa


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## Meemo (Oct 27, 2008)

Vicki G. said:


> I also love Goodreads. And I also joined the challenge so that keeps track of how many and what. And then there's FictFact for all us lovers of series. The one thing I do that I rely on the most is Collections on my KT. I have one called Nightstand, which contains what I'm currently reading and the next one or two in line. I also have a Collection called Books Read in 2012. When I finish a book, it comes out of the Nightstand collection and into the Books Read in 2012 Collection. If the book is a library loan, I download a sample of the book and place it in the Books Read in 2012 Collection so that stays true. Guess it's my back up for Goodreads. Or vice versa


I did the challenge last year, and found towards the end of the year I was starting to choose my books based on the challenge - looking for the shorter ones so I could make sure I got to my goal. Didn't like that, so this year I added a shelf just called 2012 - that way I can track the books I read this year without feeling like I'm competing with myself. And I've got an old-school paper journal that I use now to write down books as I finish them.

I added another shelf to Goodreads last month - there's their To-Read shelf, I added a To-Finish shelf for books I've started but didn't finish because I just wasn't in the mood for them at the time. There are 3 books there right now.


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## Betsy the Quilter (Oct 27, 2008)

Meemo said:


> I added another shelf to Goodreads last month - there's their To-Read shelf, I added a To-Finish shelf for books I've started but didn't finish because I just wasn't in the mood for them at the time. There are 3 books there right now.


I have an "in hiatus" shelf for this. 

Betsy


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