Cozy Mysteries discussion
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HELP! I need series list organization
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by
Laura
(new)
Jan 15, 2010 08:55PM
Does anyone have a good way of organizing lists of series books, esp. on a computer, preferably through yahoo or google? I have a binder notebook, with handwritten lists of all the cozy mystery series, so I can keep track of the order and which ones I read. I am trying to find a way of doing this on the computer. I like the way my GoodReads is set up now, with the first title of each series in a new series to read shelf. I am trying to desperately avoid having a bookshelf for each on this site, but I'm starting to think that is what it will come down to. I can't seem to find a way to make google docs work, and am running into the same with yahoo. Any suggestions?
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Is it that you just want to have a digital version of the lists, to reference, like in your binder notebook, but on your computer? I've compiled such a list using Microsoft Exel, on spreadsheets. Is this a list that you are wanting to be searchable, like on the goodreads shelves? You could find a database software program for your computer. I did a quick google search and found this: http://www.collectorz.com/book/
thanks Jessica - I'll try it. I'm looking for something that if I'm at the library and want to see what I've already read, and what's next on the list, or to even add a new book, I want to be able to access it through an email or google account. Carrying all those little pieces of paper and/or lists is becoming quite a mess!
I use http://docs.google.com You can do everything through your web browser (or the library browser). It offers spreadsheets, word processing, forms and other stuff. Very cool
I use Excel Spreadsheets also ~ Its one big Spreadsheet..then add the page tabs at the bottom...I label each "page tab" by the Authors name..
and then on each page ~ label What I have read ~ What books I have ~ What books to get..etc
( set each page however you like..) Then you print these out, and put in a 3 ring binder.
I havent tried the google doc's link, that sounds interesting!
Or...if you make an Excel sheet..and the libraries have the Excel programs..
before you leave for the library, you could send yourself an email and attach the Excel sheet that you made for yourself and access that..at the library.
I must be computer stupid! I cannot get google docs to do a spreadsheet form for me. aaarrggghhhh. you guys know exactly what I want to do, but it's not moving in that direction. I will keep working at it. If you hear screaming, muttering and/or cursing from the direction of northern Illinois, it's me.
Deb wrote: "I use http://docs.google.com You can do everything through your web browser (or the library browser). It offers spreadsheets, word processing, forms and other stuff. Very cool"Hi Deb! This is what I tried. The problem I'm running into is that my computer will not let me do a "save as", so I have to rename each one. But first I have to do the search function to find a particular series list, then rename. Then I have to re-find it so I can move it into my Cozy Mystery folder. Is there a shortcut that I am just blind to? Thanks for the help!
I use the Form builder first. Go to the Create New tab in the upper left and create a form that has the fields you want to fill in for each book. I've done a sample form here: http://www.kelpies.us/reading/You can add questions using the +Add Item in the upper left. Also, if you want to stick your form inside a web page like I did with the sample form, there is an option called "Embed" under More Actions...just copy and past the code that displays into a web page and it's done.
To see your results, you go back to your main Google Docs page and click on the title of the document (in my case it's "Cozy Mystery Series Tracker"). It comes up in spreadsheat form. If you want to publish it in some other format, open the spreadsheet document and go to the File tab and then Download As...which gives you a bunch of options for format (download as is equivalent to save as...a little confusing).
Here is a link to the spreadsheet created when the form is filled out:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?ke...
I did this very quickly and would have to think about how to do it to facilitate sorting and organizing. Maybe a new form for each series? You can sort each of the columns just as you would a regular spreadsheet.
I've just come across a wonderful website that lists all an author's works in chronological order. It's up-to-date too! It's called "Stop, You're Killing Me" http://www.stopyourekillingme.comMaybe this would be helpful in keeping track of series?
I use BookBag Plus which you download to your computer or PDA. www.wakefieldsoft.com. I have been using this software for about 4 years and love it. It takes awhile to initially enter all the books you have read, want to read etc., but well worth the effort. 
I've made a booklist file in excel with a To Be Rel page that I add books when I know a new one is coming out by an author, a TBR page that I move books from yellow to green when I've read them and a listing of authors that I track with specifics about their themes, locations, etc. I also have a working list of books with a sheet for each letter (or bunch of letters) that lists all my favorite authors and their books in a series (chronologically). I'd be happy to share these files with anyone who wants. I'm always updating them but they may help you start cataloging your stuff. (I'm an Excel geek from way back)
Mod
Thanks so much, Deb, for the link to "stop..." I can really use that site! :)
I do PBS adn I have a couple of tags that I use: I have a Next In Series Tag for the books I need to read next and then a 1st in series tag. With the TBR list there I can see which ones I have in the series. So I also have a tag for Need In Series for the ones that I'm missing. You could do similar shelves here. So you didn't have to have a shelve for every series. But like a 1st shelf, a next shelf, a need shelf etc.., Or even a 1st, 2nd, 3rd etc..,
I too use an excel spreadsheet. I have it organized by categories - i.e. academia, occupation, area (of the country) etc.
Someone recently recommended this to me and I think it's wonderful since I am soooo unorganized.http://www.fictfact.com/index.aspx
Hope you find one that helps.
Mod
Thanks, Jennifer! This is pretty cool (fictfact). But I'm still keeping my own lists too. I have a book with lists of all the authors I follow and photos printed off the web and I get them to autograph my book when I see them at Malice. : ) That way I have all the autographs in one place. It's just fun for me. But I like that fictfact will send you release info. I also use Stop You're Killing Me to find out when new books are coming.
Jennifer wrote: "Someone recently recommended this to me and I think it's wonderful since I am soooo unorganized.http://www.fictfact.com/index.aspx
Hope you find one that helps."
Wow! That is an excellent site. I wish Goodreads would incorporate that application. Until then, I have joined!
I also love fictfact. Now I know what I should be reading when I'm up for that author again. Great site.
Fictfact is just wonderful for the unorganized like me. I like the fact that I can see all the books in a series, and see what comes out next. My husband and my checkbook hate that part!! LOL
Ditto ditto ditto on fict fact! Fantastic site. They will even send you an e mail when the series you are following has a new one coming out.
Mod
I don't have a PDA or other electronic device, so I keep a word doc book list on my computer that I update and print out every few months to carry in my bag. The first page is upcoming releases by month, then author. If I don't get the book the month it comes out, I move it to the appropriate section of the TBB list, organized by genre (mystery, romance, YA, classics, fiction, nonfic) and then alphabetical by author's last name. I will often write in additional books, then add them to my list when I update. The hard part is remembering to cross off books as I pick them up, LOL.
I am so glad you guys are enjoying Fictfact as much as I am. Would be FANTASTIC to have it merge with Goodreads and or Shelfari since I am members of both. I do enjoy the fact that I don't have to do a review or nothing just check it off that it has been read. Such a Simple site and Easy Cheesy way to know the order of the books and what the next one up is and when new ones release. Happy Reading my Friends!!
Jennifer wrote: "I am so glad you guys are enjoying Fictfact as much as I am. Would be FANTASTIC to have it merge with Goodreads and or Shelfari since I am members of both. I do enjoy the fact that I don't have to..."Jennifer ~ I'm so glad you recommended that site! I spent a little time inputting all my series, and it was well worth it. I love how it tells you when a new book is coming out. Thanks!!
Jennifer wrote: "Someone recently recommended this to me and I think it's wonderful since I am soooo unorganized.http://www.fictfact.com/index.aspx
Hope you find one that helps."
Thanks for posting this site, it sounds great!
Im checking it out right now....
When I posted before, I hadn't yet discovered Fictfact. But I love it! I heard about it on PBS. It's awesome and they are super quick to add an author/series or make correctiosn if you contact them. I've asked them to add an author late at night and the next morning there's an email thanking me for referring that author and they've added them already. I reorganized my goodreads shelf and now isntead of genres, which I never really looked at anyway, I have a 1st in a series, 2nd in a Series and so on, a Stand Alone, Next In a Series, WL and Ebook shelf. It's been very helpful with unpacking and sorting my books since I moved. I filled a small bookshelf with 1sts, Nexts and Stand Alones and that's what I'm reading from. Whenever several spots open up-I look for more books from those 3 lists from my other shelves to fill in the missing spaces.
Not the best way of organizing but I found I was never able to keep up with going alpha by author last name.
Mary wrote: "When I posted before, I hadn't yet discovered Fictfact. But I love it! I heard about it on PBS. It's awesome and they are super quick to add an author/series or make correctiosn if you contact th..."I like your shelf system way of organizing! Im adding some series to FictFact today.
I use the Goodreads Shelves much more now that I've done them this way. I've actually purposely not done more of my books until I put a dent into the shelves I've made already. Or at least the 1st and Next shelves. I give up trying to physically order my books by Author Last name. Going by genre and series doesn't work for me either with keeping them easy to find and filled to maximum capacity. But having the one bookcase filled with my 1sts, a large chunk of my nexts, my stand alones and anthologies is working out great. When I have a lot of spaces open on the TBR case, I update my goodreads shelves, print a couple out and go on a book hunt through the rest of my shelves.
Mod
Mary wrote: "I reorganized my goodreads shelf and now isntead of genres, which I never really looked at anyway, I have a 1st in a series, 2nd in a Series and so on, a Stand Alone, Next In a Series, WL and Ebook shelf. ..."I love this idea. I resorted my shelf recently deleting author names and series names as these are easy to find elsewhere on goodreads. I tried to leave only shelves that I would find useful to look through.
The shelves that you have suggested sound even better. I work out what to read next through reading challenges and it annoying to find book 5 in the series fits well but I will need to fit the 1st 4 books in somewhere as well. This way I will be able to quickly add those books I want to read next.
I also have far too many books on my real shelves. This way books I am not going to get to for ages can be packed away short term to free up some space.
Thanks. I'm now off to reorganize my bookshelves again!
It's worked well for me although I tend to get behind in adding new books to the lists. I'm going about removing ones I've read though. I also removed some of the #'s shelves. I had too many series with like 20 books in them and didn't that many shelves. So now I think I just have 1st, 2nd and Next. In addition to Stand Alone, Wish, Ebook and a couple other shelves.
My real bookshelves are still a mess.
Thanks for ficfact reference. I added it to my favorites and will go back and check it out.
Yup, Fict Fact is my organizer also--the very best. It is easy to add a new series when you discover one and with one click you know where you are in the series. Hope it doesn't merge with GoodReads , though, I like the difference between them and some days just go to FF to organize and don't come here, where I can spend hours. LOL
Katherine wrote: "Yup, Fict Fact is my organizer also--the very best. It is easy to add a new series when you discover one and with one click you know where you are in the series. Hope it doesn't merge with GoodRead..."I agree with you Katherine. I like Fict Fact also - and it is easy to spend a long time on goodreads! lol
I have an excel spread with tabs for each alpha letter.I used fantastic fiction to copy the author's books and color code green-have, yellow-need and blue-read.
When I am ordering books I know what I have and don't duplicate.
I do all my ordering from my computer so I just flip between screens.
I went to Fict fact and I joined and will add all my series there too.
I belong to Eat Your Own Books which helps with all of my cookbooks. Not free but helps me use my cookbooks.
I love these discussions. Thanks so much for the tips.
Thanks folks-I'd never heard of Fict Fact & I've just come from a pleasant hour playing over there, thanks to you! :DI love GR.
One thing to keep in mind with fictfact is that it only list books that are in a *series*. It does not list that author's complete works. Stopyourekillingme.com is a great resource for mysteries - that site lists an author's complete body of work, mystery award nominees and other info specific to the genre.
Thanks for all of the tips and links ladies!I thought I would post the following link ~
http://www.cozy-mystery.com/
this site lists alot of great cozy mystery series, by themes, authors, etc...I refer to it quite often!
I found out a while ago when I was at the library that by accessing Goodreads on my phone I was able to tell what I've read, wanted to read and could even look up books and if they were in a series find out what number they were. I really use it a lot now.
FF is pretty good with adding an author or series pretty quickly when you ask. I've suggested an author late at night and come on the next morning to find an email saything it's already been added. It's a fairly new site and so for awhile there were a lot of series missing.
Sometimes they're info with vary with Goodreads or Fantasticficion (another great site which also has non-series books but you can't track anything there). Usually if they differ it's with a series that has lots of shorts in anthologies and lots of sub series. Which isn't really that common in mysteries. But very common in paranormal and Sci-Fi/Fantasy.
Ellie wrote: "Thanks folks-I'd never heard of Fict Fact & I've just come from a pleasant hour playing over there, thanks to you! :DI love GR."
I am checking out this site on link above to see what you all are talking about.
Interesting list of the 100 most popular mystery series on Fict Fact.I would not think of Harry potter in this genre, but said #2.
What a great discussion thread this is! I use the stopyourkillingme site a lot to track series, but I love the idea of having a "Next in Series" shelf, so you know at a glance where you are in each series. Does everyone here get the Goodreads newsletter in your email? It's personalized to list new releases by authors you've read. When I get it, I add those new books to my ever-expanding to-read shelf.
Now, I'm off to look at fictfact to see if I want to start using it. :)
Beth - Fictfact also sends you E-mails when new books in series you're following are going to be released. I really like this site (I also like SYKM as well!). Okay, so I may have a touch of OCD, I keep my own lists in excel files too. ; ) And, of course, my book I have authors signatures in. LOL
I love Fictfact. I'm following 91 series over there. I go in a make a list of 5 at a time of the ones I want to get to next. It's very helpful.
Beth - I use both SYKM and Fictfact to keep up with authors that I like. Fictfact just keeps up with series so if you like an author that also writes standalone novels, SKYM will give you those titles. But, you can't beat Fictfact for keeping up with where you are in a series and the next in line.
I went through my fictfact lists the other day and removed a bunch of series. Ones that are done and I don't really care if anyone knows I read them or not (a lot of Nora Roberts series that I got on audio from the library). Also ones where I haven't bothered to read them in order and don't make an effort to seek them out. Like the Eve Dallas, Stephanie Plum, Kinsey Milhone series. I kind of just get those on audiobook if I happen to see them at the library. I don't really care if I track them or not.
I like fictfact a lot - love the emails telling me new additions to series have been added. But I never remember to update it when I'm finished reading a book in one of my series. I'd like to see GR add this "next in series" functionality, or work with FictFact to import it in.
