The reader should mount as a USB drive, you put files on it like epub, PDF, or HTML in your own directory structure, and you can browse this and read the files. Nothing else needed.
Don't get the Kobo,it works only mediocre with Calibre Web and other "web based" "personal librarys" - and Kobo is forcing Kepub down users throat more and more. Kobo only looks good if you come from the hellhole that Kindle has become,tbh.
I would highly recommend looking into Pocketbook and especially Onyx if your goal is a more "free" approach.
What's the issue with Calibre Web? I add book to shelf on Calibre Web, and hit Sync on my kobo, and the kobo downloads the book and populates it in my library. What's the thing I'm missing or that's not working right?
Regardless of what reader you go with, look into KoReader, a custom reader app that you install on top of existing firmware. Offers a lot of features that stock firmware doesn't, like OPDS catalog connections
Without question the Kobo Libre Colour. I have owned multiple e-readers and the Kobo Libra H2O was my previous one. It was so much better than anything I had used before that I have probably told a hundred people and will be passionately buying Kobo from here forward. Good luck and read East of Eden if you haven't even if it doesn't sound like your thing. 👍
I love my Kobo Clara. I've read more in the past few years of ownership than I did the 10 years before. Plus I have a calibre-web server that it syncs with so I don't have to manually move things over.
I switched to Kavita. More modern and supports OPDS, so it connects to readers just like Caliber does. It was originally designed for comics, which is why it probably looks so good.
I'm currently running Komga and Komf (metadata) docker containers with the Komelia app on my devices.
I have used kavita in the past but found Komga more robust with its processing/organizing of my comic collection. Komga doesn't do all that well with epub/PDF.
Have there been recent changes to Kavita to make it more eBook friendly? It was a while back when I tried. I'm open to switching servers. It'd be nice to have everything written processed in one place.
How long ago? I ran both side by side and felt the same way at first, but eventually dropped Komga.
I personally dont like rhe folder structure required for Kavita comics, so I have Mylar sort them and then create a symlink structure Kavita uses. Kavita handles Epub great, with the same structure as Calibre.
I have a Kobo Clara I'm super happy with. Way better than the buggy Kindle I had.
Kobo. Fuck Amazon.
Seems Kobo is getting a lot of shout outs here and I agree with your sentiment of fuck Amazon.
I just bought a used kindle and jailbroke it a few weeks ago for a similar use case
Which one did you buy?
Kindle Paperwhite 2
I saw Boox called out, but not the Boox Palma². I just got it and it's been pretty nice. The major draw is the form factor though as it's phone sized making it pretty portable.
It runs android and I've set it up to work with AudioBookshelf and Komga
AudioBookshelf, while designed for audiobooks, allows you to download books for offline reading and seemed the best all in one for books self hosting. It also has a native android app.
Komga seems pretty amazing for manga and comic books (haven't settled on an app, just using the browser now). The e-ink display isn't the best for reading this medium, but it's not terrible for black and white comics.
Since both of those are self-hosted solutions they could integrate with readarr pretty easily (although audiobookshelf's folder structure can be frustrating).
I have a kobo Libra 2. Its the first ereader I've bought and it's super nice. I use calibre to load my books. Looks like kobo only has refurbished units of it now, though.
Kobo is coming out a clear winner here with Boox in second place. Thanks.
Another Libra 2 owner here, it works great and it looks great too.
+1 to Kobo as well, although I'm admittedly unfamiliar with the pirate apps (arr).
no issues downloading books and adding/editing my library with calibre and you can connect it to your library card to rent ebooks if you're feeling frisky.
or you can bypass the login steps and change out the firmware and add games and other utilities. it's as customizable or not as you want.
lots of refurbished options through rakuten and ebay
Thanks.
Seems Kobo is a winner here so it’ll be that or Boox that comes in second.
I have a Kobo. My wife has kindle. Kindle is better if you want kindle unlimited. Kobo is better for everything else as far as I'm concerned. Especially if you want to sideload your own books via calibre or just dropping them onto the device when plugged into your computer. My kobo hooks up directly with overdrive/libby for borrowing books from the library and does everything i need it to.
I don't have a specific model to recommend though. Mine is nearing 8-10 years old and still working
Thanks. Looks like Kobo is winning so far. I hate Amazon so would never get a kindle.
On more vote for Kobo. I have currently a Clara Colour, works 100% offline with Calibre
Kobo is a clear winner thus far. Thanks.
boox makes good e-ink stuff, from what I've heard.
I personally have an actual tablet that I use for reading, the oukitel titan rt7. Don't remember what I paid for it, but I think it was about 300usd. its a bit heavy, but I only have to charge it like one or twice a month, and has a big enough screen that I dont have any issues reading stuff on it.
I absolutely love my go color 7. Wish I could get the second version of it for stylus support, but it's absolutely fantastic. Reading through One Piece manga at the moment in color and it's awesome.
Battery life for an actual android device is incredible. I'll buy another one the next time I am in the market for one.
I like the Kobo options a lot, I have a device from them that was the Kobo Aura HD from Ebay that was $50 dollars in great condition. Kobo has better support for loading whatever you want on it without any annoying issues and it is running linux under the hood and has a lot of expand-ability because of it. These days I use a kindle paperwhite 4 and honestly, it just isn't as well thought out. It is waterproof & has a higher resolution display but I found the Kobo OS was faster & the device with buttons had a much better design overall. So, I wish I had gone for an up to date Kobo alternative when I upgraded. So, go Kobo, don't look back, & get second hand if you want to save some $$$.
Thanks.
Kobo is winning so far as it’s getting a lot of recommendations.
Kobo was on my short-list not long ago. They seemed like the most polished non-amazon option to me. I haven't switched for now because my old kindle 2 is still clinging to life and because of it being long out of support from amazon I just keep it disconnected from the internet and sideload whatever I want.
With that said though, now that some decent kindle jailbreaking options are available, an old second hand kindle from eBay might actually be a very good option.
Kobo does seem to be winning right now but good shout on a used kindle and jailbreaking. Something for me to keep as an option.
Off topic, but check out Trmnl if you want a passive eink display on the wall that shows a few things at a time. Without a subscription. Repairable and byod friendly. Let me know if you want a discount code for 15 off.
Hi!
Just recently was setting up my whole family with ebooks. Ended up with Kobo Libra Colour for myself and Kindle Oasis (jailbreaked) for family.
I am quite happy with both readers. Kindle would be a bit better in quality, but Kobo is color and non-amazon. Both of them have physical side buttons, which were my main requirement.
I store all my books in calibre and uploading it via USB on my kobo reader. It makes it much easier to manage and confirm metadata. I didn’t bother with readarr, as I already has a decent collection that still need to finish.
For family - they were already familiar with Kindle, so I got them Oasises from ebay, jailbroke them to prevent Amazon from messing up with them and just send all necessary book to their readers wirelessly via Send to Kindle.
Portability is key for me. Others here have recommended the Boox Palma, but for the price difference I'd have to go with Moann's Inkpalm Plus.
Arr stack integration for e-readers is going to be Readarr linked to a Calibre instance, as described here.
I see you're coming from a .de domain so chances are you might have a Thalia (store) in your area. I've bought a Tolino Shine about 6 years back and I really like it. Sure, you can buy them online too, but I liked the option to try it out before I buy.
PocketBook also has nice readers and as far as I know they run an embedded Linux as OS.
I bought my first e-reader a month ago, it's the Boox Go 7 and I'm really pleased so far. The fact that it's also an android tablet let's me download apps for Mangas, music, etc.
Kobo, Pocketbook or used Kindle as there is working jailbreak.
I‘m very happy with my Pocketbook Era. Nice device, works with the onleihe system my library uses. Would buy the exact same one again
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