Database Develop

Sideloading books into Google Books

I created a book from a PDF using Calibre. The book works fine in that program, but I can't seem to figure out how to get Google Books on my XOOM to find it. For that matter, I can't even find the books that are already loaded when I browse the folders on my computer. I created a folder called Books and dropped it in there, but there isn't a way to browse the XOOM file folders from Google Books to find it.
How would I go about making this work?
Thanks!

Why not use Aldiko?

Lars1967 said:
Why not use Aldiko?
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Aldiko seems to have problems with the margins since it's unable to get rid of the notification bar. Fbreader works okay, but it doesn't work with font formatting.

use the nook app, it works perfect

You can fix the margin issue in Aldiko and it works great after that. I would still like to find where the Google Book app stores books just like so many other people here but until then Aldiko works just fine.

msalem said:
You can fix the margin issue in Aldiko and it works great after that. I would still like to find where the Google Book app stores books just like so many other people here but until then Aldiko works just fine.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It stores the books here Data/Data/com.google.android.apps.books/
But I dont know what format its in, or how to convert an ebook into that format.

Nook app works great, except for a few things.
It force closes randomly when switching screens, but never really closes. lol
It keeps forcing portrait mode for some screens, which is frustrating.
It's just not as pretty as the Google Books app!
But it did the trick, I suppose.

I can see the /data (I'm using Astro file manager to browse) folder but mine is empty eventhough I have pinned one of the books already and chose to make it available offline so I can find it. Is there anything else I need to do to see /data/data? What format are the books in?

msalem said:
You can fix the margin issue in Aldiko and it works great after that.
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Click to collapse
How? If I put the margins under 50, the top line gets cut off at the top. I'd rather put it edge to edge.

I use 70 for margin and 16 font size

Coolreader
I'd strongly recommend Coolreader (https://market.android.com/details?id=org.coolreader). it gives you lot more options to customize the reading experience

Can not load your own books with Google Books
Just an FYI. Google books does not offer the feature to add your own books. You have to use another e-reader app. I like Aldiko, because you and can add your Adobe digital editions to it.

I've been using Aldiko for a few years now and love it. I've never had a problem with it using my own Calibre and eCub books on several different devices.
However, I've been looking for another app that will sync my bookmark so that I can continue to read on another device from where I left off on my previous device. I have a CM7 Nook that I read in bed, but would like to read the same book during the day from my G2 and then carry on that night on the Nook again.
I've heard Aldiko is looking into this, while Kindle and Nook 'already' have this. My problem is that I've never been able to sideload using either app. I suspect this was a 'feature' in earlier versions but I haven't been able to do it using the latest versions.
I'd love to see Google Books allow sideloading and will standby for that (or Aldiko), whichever comes first and really does work!

Yaotl said:
How? If I put the margins under 50, the top line gets cut off at the top. I'd rather put it edge to edge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The top line cuts off in Aldiko for me too. This was very disappointing, as I really enjoyed the app on my phones.
Moon+ Reader seems to show epubs properly and it has a good night mode, so that's my reader for now. Hopefully Aldiko optimizes for Honeycomb soon.

I use Aldiko and kindle on my phone. But on the Xoom I have been using kindle and Nook. I had no problem sideloading all of my epubs into Nook. Nook does a much nicer job than Aldiko on the Xoom, especially in landscape.

msalem said:
I use 70 for margin and 16 font size
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Click to collapse
This should be stickied somewhere. You just made my ereader app of choice usable again. TY!!

anyone know why I can't change the margins on a pdf I loaded? One of the samples that came with the app allows for adjusting the margins, but not the PDF I loaded. The only thing that appears in Settings is Brightness and Orientation. Please help, thanks!

That's just the nature of a PDF - it's static. Zooming is all you can do.

msalem said:
I can see the /data (I'm using Astro file manager to browse) folder but mine is empty eventhough I have pinned one of the books already and chose to make it available offline so I can find it. Is there anything else I need to do to see /data/data? What format are the books in?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you're not rooted, you won't be able to see the contents of the data folder.

Nook
I'm using Nook for this. All you need to do is drop the epub file in the My Documents folder under the Nook directory.

[Q] .mobi

Does anyone know any apps that can open .mobi files? I have a bunch of ebooks but I'm not sure what app can open it
Thanks

utsmaster18 said:
Does anyone know any apps that can open .mobi files? I have a bunch of ebooks but I'm not sure what app can open it
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
MobiPocket Reader. Looks like it is right protected format so there is probably nothing that can read it.
See here: http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/MOBI

Amazon Kindle app will read MOBI files.
After you install Kindle app, just drop ebboks into the kindle folder that is created on your SDCARD. You may need to close and reopen Kindle to see the ebooks.
Cheers
Stu

Perfect thanks

Calibre, a free program on the PC, can also convert a mobi file into just about anything you want, such as epub. Then you can read them in your ebook reader of choice.
To make it easy to then move them onto your Android phone, many popular reader apps (like my fave, Moon+ Reader) access your Calibre library directly if you are on the same wifi network, and Calibre has their own app for accessing your library from an Android device.

[Q] magazines and pdf

Folks- I'm interested if anyone reads magazines on their nook HD+.
I downloaded some PDF magazines and I'm trying to find a good way to read them. The text is very small and zooming is a pain.
I downloaded a sample magazine from nook store, and it worked great it even had an article view.
I downloaded a free magazine from Google play magazines and again the text was really small and hard to read.
Any tips - am I missing something? Do you just have to zoom in?

I use the google magazines app for Motorcycle Cruiser. I set it to text only and it is perfect for reading the articles.
1. Open mag
2. Single click in the middle of screen
3. Top menu should appear
4. Choose option "view text"
To revert follow same steps and choose "exit text"
Hope this helps

Thanks for your reply - I missed that option in Google magazines.
It doesn't allow you to side load your own magazines unfortunately, so I'm still trying to find a good way to view pdf magazines.

I use adobe reader for side loads. You do have to zoom but it refreshes pretty quick.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda app-developers app

I wish someone would figure out how to get the Stock ROM NOOK app working in CM. I have a couple mag subscriptions and the difference in the magazine reader is HUGE. That is the only thing I use the Nook reader for. Does anyone know of a way to open B+N purchased magazines with another app?

Aaron Camp said:
I wish someone would figure out how to get the Stock ROM NOOK app working in CM. I have a couple mag subscriptions and the difference in the magazine reader is HUGE. That is the only thing I use the Nook reader for. Does anyone know of a way to open B+N purchased magazines with another app?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
First, the nook reader itself is what makes the magazines so awesome. I'm not sure that, even if you were successful in opening the magazines in another app, that they would be the same.
Second, the magazines are stored in a root only access area so you need to be rooted to get at them (/data/nookmedia).
Third, even if you got to the files, they are probably DRM protected so other apps could not use them. You should be able to use DRM removal software to free them up though.
Sent from my Nook HD+ running CM10.1 on emmc.

leapinlar said:
First, the nook reader itself is what makes the magazines so awesome. I'm not sure that, even if you were successful in opening the magazines in another app, that they would be the same.
Second, the magazines are stored in a root only access area so you need to be rooted to get at them (/data/nookmedia).
Third, even if you got to the files, they are probably DRM protected so other apps could not use them. You should be able to use DRM removal software to free them up though.
Sent from my Nook HD+ running CM10.1 on emmc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are books stored in /data/nookmedia also?
The reason I ask is because I transferred a lot of epubs (drm free) and they appear in the library as files, they do not appear on the Book shelf. I would like them to appear as books (which they are).
Solution: root and copy them to the /data/nookmedia folder?

sterankin said:
Are books stored in /data/nookmedia also?
The reason I ask is because I transferred a lot of epubs (drm free) and they appear in the library as files, they do not appear on the Book shelf. I would like them to appear as books (which they are).
Solution: root and copy them to the /data/nookmedia folder?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes books are stored there too. But I don't know if your proposed solution will make them appear in the library. I guess you could try.
Sent from my Nook HD+ running CM10.1 on emmc.

Adding books to Library

I like the default 'Reader' on my stock Nook HD+ (running Nova launcher). But any books I have copied across to the internal memory do not show up in the Library app.
I have a lot of epubs on my home media server.
I installed ES File explorer on my Nook. I then copy across a few books from my media server. I paste them onto my nooks internal memory - I put them in the "Books" folder.
They do not appear in my Library as books (they do appear as Files though). It would be nice to get them to show in the Books section and not in the files section.
They open fine in the Reader app, and they are definitely epubs.
Any ideas how to get them to show in the books part?
Edit: from reading around, I'm getting conflicting information about what should appear in "Library". Does content only purchased from B&N only appear in the "Books" shelf, and everything else appears in "My Files"? Surely any epubs on the device will appear on the "Books" shelf in Library?

sterankin said:
I like the default 'Reader' on my stock Nook HD+ (running Nova launcher). But any books I have copied across to the internal memory do not show up in the Library app.
I have a lot of epubs on my home media server.
I installed ES File explorer on my Nook. I then copy across a few books from my media server. I paste them onto my nooks internal memory - I put them in the "Books" folder.
They do not appear in my Library as books (they do appear as Files though). It would be nice to get them to show in the Books section and not in the files section.
They open fine in the Reader app, and they are definitely epubs.
Any ideas how to get them to show in the books part?
Edit: from reading around, I'm getting conflicting information about what should appear in "Library". Does content only purchased from B&N only appear in the "Books" shelf, and everything else appears in "My Files"? Surely any epubs on the device will appear on the "Books" shelf in Library?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No idea on the actual Nook reader, but might I suggest Aldiko as an alternative. It will read epubs and will work on ANY android device. Couple Aldiko with the Aldiko Sync application and dropbox and you will be in book reading heaven!!!
I started using ebooks back over a decade ago, and have gone through a number or readers and formats. I initially started with mobipocket and PRC files on PALM, then moved over to Kindle reader and the PRC/Mobi format. Had a similar issue with books not showing up nicely on the bookshelf in the Kindle reader app back in the day. Finally moved over to Aldiko and EPUB format a few years ago. The biggest advantage is the afore mentioned Aldiko Sync. It keeps my library synced between my multiple android devices. This includes the books and the LOCATION in the books. I now have over 1000 ebooks amassed and use Calibre on the PC to make sure I have all of them in EPUB format.
If you are heavily invested in the NOOK ecosystem (and DRM) then ALDIKO will not work, but since your main concern is side loaded books, I am guessing they are DRM free. Also, since I use Calibre for conversion of non EPUB format, I have chosen AMAZON as my main purchase point since there are easy ways to remove DRM, and then I can convert the book over to EPUB and load into Aldiko.
If interested, I can provide more detail on how to use Aldiko, Calibre etc, just let me know.

Thanks I have been using Alkido too, I was using it on my Android phone - I downloaded it on my Nook also.
But when I tested a book in Alkido the formatting was different to the Nook default reader. For some reason on Alkido - the text was not justified properly. It was also slower to turn the pages. The book I tested also had lots of hyperlinks to the appendix at the back of the book, and Alkido was *much* slower when clicking these appendix links. It took several seconds to work, whereas the default reader was very quick.
I haven't spend much time tweaking Alkido settings but maybe I will try that if I am unable to get the books into the Book shelf in Library.
Since there is no Nook Reader App that you can click on to load your last book, you seem to have to go to the Library and scroll across "My Files" to find the book. Which can take some time if you have a lot of files.
Hope this makes sense.

Hmmm
I never use hyperlinks in books. 90% of the books in my library are ones I compiled myself from HTML or Rich txt documents. I tend to go in and remove unwanted items like Table of Contents (lots of links there) as well as junk like page after page of copyright, samples of other books, etc.
I used to have VERY strict guidelines for any book that ended up in my library. I would recompile with the book cover as the first page, a smaller book cover as the actual cover (shows up on the bookshelf) and following the std format where the file name is AUthor last , author first - series number - title (example: Rowling, JK - Harry Potter 01 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone)
Up until about 5 months ago, MOST books started out as HTML and then converted to a MS WORD doc( this lets me get the format just right), then converted to a MOBI via Mobipocket creator (so I could add the author and book cover correctly via meta data) then converted into an epub via Calibre. Recently I got a little lazy, and just get the epub directly and use Calibre to modify the metadata if need be. This does give me some small formatting errors, but its livable.
In your case, Aldiko does have Margin settings. You can adjust the size of the margin, as well as set it to justify LEFT, RIGHT, or CENTER.
Not sure what can be done about the hyperlink issues.
Aldiko also offers you the ability to set up a "shortcut" via widgets directly to a specific book on the homescreen.

Does fire support EPUB or other book extension?

I am planning on buying this (FIRE) tablet for reading books . But recently I came to know that kindle doesn't support epub format. As you know epub is probably the best extension for books. :laugh::laugh: I am now in a fix that if I can use moon+reader pro to read such formatted books or not.
can anyone assure me? :angel::angel:
Thanks in Advance.

If you are on 5.01 you can install the Google Play store and then will have access to install Fbreader which does work on the tablet for epub format books. I can't confirm about moon reader as I've never used it but fbreader does work. Amazon app store will say fbreader isn't compatible but it does work.

There is also Aldiko, which is the best book reader app for Android IMHO.

Along the same lines, has anybody had this problem?
I have Nova Launcher installed as my default launcher (not sure if this is part of the issue or not) and the book reader app (whatever variation of the Kindle App is installed) is unable to see any .mobi files that I have sideloaded into the kindle folder.

D97 said:
Along the same lines, has anybody had this problem?
I have Nova Launcher installed as my default launcher (not sure if this is part of the issue or not) and the book reader app (whatever variation of the Kindle App is installed) is unable to see any .mobi files that I have sideloaded into the kindle folder.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It can if you put them in the kindle folder in the system memory, not on a card. All my books I can read.

Thanks for the reply - I have actually put them in the kindle folder ... they are just not being seen by the kindle app. I think that I am just going to have to restore / re-setup the tablet and see if it still happens. I might have tweaked something somewhere and can't remember what it is / was.
d

D97 said:
Thanks for the reply - I have actually put them in the kindle folder ... they are just not being seen by the kindle app. I think that I am just going to have to restore / re-setup the tablet and see if it still happens. I might have tweaked something somewhere and can't remember what it is / was.
d
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Click to collapse
I'm having the same problem. I have a bunch of mobi files and it's only showing 2 in the library.
If I open any of the other mobi files from a file viewer it opens the files just fine in the Kindle app. However it won't save reading position etc because the book is not in the library. Highly annoying!
The Kindle app in the Play store does not have this issue. I tried replacing the built in Kindle app with the one from the Play store but didn't manage to do it. Even when I delete the original Kindle app and sideload the APK it crashes and launch.

I use Calibre to convert them to mobi. So far, so good.

Moonreader
Moonreader supports all ebook formats. Is easy to use and has night mode.

I have moved on to the Cyanogenmod 5.1 and am using the official Kindle App now so I haven't had any problems recently - having said this, it started working at some point (registering my .mobi files in the app) but I can't explain why it happened.

+1 for Calibre (run on computer) to convert ebooks to/from different formats.