Goodreads Sync - Feature Request: Create books in Calibre with series info

[rkaramc]

Request for one of the plugins: "Goodreads Sync" or "Manage Series" whichever is appropriate...

Add an action in context menu/toolbar/etc. to do the following:

1. download series info (list of books) from Goodreads (or other source?)
   -- series name/info for search could be from currently selected book
2. create an empty book (if ISBN/goodreads id doesn't already exist in calibre) for each item in the series info list of books

[kiwidude68]

Hi, apologies for the delay in replying.

That is an interesting suggestion that I haven't seen made before.

Goodreads do have an API which could possibly be used for this (making it a Goodreads Sync plugin feature request):
https://www.goodreads.com/api/index#series.show

A problem is you need a series identifier first. So you need a book in the series that you do have linked to goodreads, do an API lookup for that book to get the series information, then do another API lookup to get the list of books in the series, and then do some calibre searches to find out what books are missing, and finally creating the empty books.

I must admit it isn't a feature I would personally use (nowadays I focus on the books I do have rather than the books I don't) but I can understand the request. I'm going to leave the issue open here to see if others pipe up in support of it - if there is enough demand then I would consider it. Right now it looks like an awful lot of work and I can't spare the time to do all of that for just one person :)

[Dnkhatri]

Wow f this could be implemented it would be great I really miss the fictfact website which used to tell me out of which dozens of series I am following when new books are coming out. Personally I prefer fantastic fiction series list and don't use goodread for much but I would start using it if it was implemented, At the moment I am manually adding all next book mentioned in my fantastic fiction account with the release dates so that I can check if a book is out. Wait a minute forget goodreads just make a plugin that creates empty books from your fantastic fiction next book list https://www.fantasticfiction.com/users/nextbooks/

[rkaramc]

Hi kiwidude68! Thanks for your response!

... need a book in the series that you do have linked to goodreads,

Agreed - this would be a prereq. The selected book in calibre would have to be linked to goodreads already.

do an API lookup for that book to get the series information,
then do another API lookup to get the list of books in the series,
and then do some calibre searches to find out what books are missing, and finally creating the empty books.

If the series list could be handled as a "bookshelf", you could reuse the "sync bookshelf" dialog. Is that possible??
If yes, the user is then responsible for either linking a book in the series to an existing calibre book, or requesting an empty book.

Thanks

[n614cd]

Depending on how implemented I would be interested.
I am not positive I want "empty books" in my Library. I think I would prefer a report which would facilitate going to purchase the books whereever I by them from.

Tim