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Outside of experimenting with tech and playing games, sitting down with a book and losing myself in a fantasy world has to be one of my favorite hobbies. To be honest, one of my favorite technological advances has nothing to do with better graphics in games or faster PC performance, but rather the invention of the eBook reader. Having a way to bring my library of literature with me wherever I go feels like the future, and it’s something I greatly adore.
But unlike physical books, organizing my collection of eBooks can be difficult. There are many that I’ve purchased through the Kindle shop, but just as many that I’ve downloaded from other stores, or converted my own copies to this digital format. That’s where Calibre comes into play, and it has quickly become a necessary piece of software on any PC I own.
Conversion software is a must-have
Especially to convert your already-owned books
Credit: Saikat Basu/MakeUseOf
During my younger years, I spent a lot of time visiting libraries. Growing up in a town that had fewer than 200 people in it, there weren’t many kids my age, so I spent the majority of my time getting engrossed in books, and I’ve grown to love and appreciate the craft more as I’ve gotten older. That’s why I wanted to find a way to not only keep that passion alive and well, but also find a way to expand upon it via my love of technology. Calibre gives me the chance to do just that.
Not only is Calibre a fantastic way to keep my library of books organized, but I can also convert any other eBook format to my desired type and sync it directly with my Kindle in the application. Regardless, if I buy a book from somewhere like Kobo or eBooks.com, I can convert it to my desired format and put all my books on one device.
calibre
OS Windows, MacOS, Linux, Portable, Android, iOS Price model Free Version 8 Services eBook Management
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The UI is incredibly easy to navigate
Plus, metadata editing keeps everything looking legit
I’ve been using Calibre for quite some time, and the user experience has only gotten better over the years. As with many open-source programs, it has just gotten better with time, and some are even better than what Microsoft includes with its Windows software. Calibre is no different, offering a ton of customization features, tweaks, and editing options to ensure everybody has the library of their dreams. The ability to swap covers, add as much or as little metadata as you’d like, and more makes using Calibre a dream for anyone.
Plus, if you find yourself lost in what the program has to offer, the official Calibre website offers an extensive Help Center to guide you along your way. It’s an incredibly powerful piece of software, so taking some time to familiarize yourself with everything is highly recommended. Or, if you’re anything like me, clicking on things until they work is also a completely valid option. For a program as advanced as this one, it’s incredibly easy to navigate and understand.
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It works great with Manga, too
I caught up with JJK the easy way on my Kindle
Credit: Marissa Zupancic/MUO
The manga boom is something that needs to be studied, but it’s also something that I’m incredibly glad I get to witness firsthand. With color e-readers becoming more and more popular, getting to read your favorite collection of manga on one device sounds like a dream come true. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading on a Kindle Fire or on an e-ink tablet; having a big-screen device for this purpose is great.
By transforming your manga into ePub, you can quickly import it to your Kindle or other device. Imagine that you can carry the entirety of Berserk with you on a tiny e-ink display, rather than needing to lug two books that are roughly the size of a dictionary along with you.
You'll need a separate eBook software on a PC
It's not just for those with a dedicated machine
With everything that Calibre can do, you’d think that you’d be able to read your eBooks inside the program, right? Well, unfortunately, if you’re hoping to use your PC or a second, vertical monitor as a dedicated reader, you’ll need some additional software to make that happen. Not the end of the world, but since Calibre is open source, someone could develop a way to read right inside Calibre.
Seeing as I much prefer reading on my Kindle, there are plenty of excellent ePub readers available on Windows, as evidenced in this Reddit thread. Many folks recommend Koodo Reader, another excellent open-source project with a ton of functionality. Plus, it looks great, to boot. Maybe with some fine-tuning, this could be what I need to start experiencing my books on the big screen.
Don't forget about your local library
Many libraries have an expansive selection of eBooks
I know it may sound counterintuitive to talk about your local library in an article all about organizing your current collection of books, but if you’re interested in checking something out before jumping into the purchase, this could be a fantastic way to make it happen. Even in my tiny town, my library has an incredible selection of physical books, as well as audiobooks and eBooks available to borrow at any time.
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If I like the book enough, I’m eager to add it to my collection, and Calibre keeps everything looking and feeling fantastic when it’s time to sync up with my Kindle once again. Sure, you can’t beat the smell of cracking open a book, either old or new, but being able to take a massive collection with me wherever I go? I can make a little sacrifice on that front.
