The Frustrations of Marking an Ebook as Read: A Calibre Ebook Mark as Read Conundrum

As an avid ebook reader, I've found myself pondering the age-old question: what do you do with your ebooks once you finish reading them? For me, the answer is simple - I ignore them. Yes, you read that right! Once I've finished reading a book, it's no longer on my radar. I don't worry about marking it as 'read' in Calibre or any other ebook management software.

I've started taking a different approach to my ebook collection recently. Instead of searching for small press and self-published works, I'm focusing on books from known publishers like Scribners and Tor. While I agree with those who find that most recent science fiction is lacking, I do keep track of authors whose work I've enjoyed. This way, I can easily pick up their sequels or re-read old favorites in the future.

My ebook management strategy revolves around Calibre's Collections app on my Fire device. I have two files - Archives and Current - where I store my ebooks. The Archives file contains books I've already read, while the Current file holds my unread titles. It's a simple yet effective system that allows me to easily keep track of my library.

Some ebook enthusiasts may find this approach too lax. They might prefer to have their entire library downloaded to their device, including finished reads. However, I couldn't care less about the location of my ebooks. If a major ebook store were to close down, I'm confident that they would allow customers to download their books before shutting their doors.

In fact, many ebook stores already offer backup copies of users' libraries. This is likely due to concerns over the long-term availability of ebooks in the future. While some may be paranoid about this issue, I believe it's unlikely that any major ebook store would suddenly disappear without warning its customers.

Ultimately, my approach to marking an ebook as read is simple: I don't. Once a book has served its purpose, it's no longer a concern for me. Whether you're a fellow ebook enthusiast or simply looking to streamline your digital library management, Calibre and similar software offer powerful tools to help you keep track of your collection.

Calibre ebook mark as read