3 Answers2025-04-21
When searching for the publication date of a book for a book citation, it can take a little bit of hunting but for the most part it can be found. I start by looking for the copyright page at the front of the book and this usually states the year of publication and the publisher’s details for the edition that you are using. Many e-books have their publication dates listed in their metadata or in the book’s details.
For older books, rarely printed books, or difficult-to-find books, information on publication dates can be found in library catalogs (e.g. WorldCat) as well as in academic databases. More current information regarding publications can be found on online retail sites (e.g. Amazon) as well as on the author’s or publisher’s website, typically in the book details.
Be sure to note any reprints or revised editions, because the dates for these versions may be listed on the copyright page. Use the most current date in your citation. Sometimes this small detail can have a very large impact on the credibility of your work.
11 Answers2026-07-27
Indirect indeed. To access your online reading history go to Amazon.com, log in to your account and go to account settings (top right of the page). From there click on Manage Your Content and Devices. From there click on the ‘Content’ tab on the right hand side of the page and select Books from the drop-down list at the top of the page. Most books are listed in chronological order. You can search for specific books in the list but it can sometimes be helpful to scan through the list of books you’ve downloaded in case you remember reading part of a book but didn’t finish it. Occasionally it’s helpful to ‘tidy up’ your list and remove samples of books as well as those that you know you’ll never read.
4 Answers2026-07-13
Scan the book using the Google Books app. By taking a photo of the barcode on the back of the book using your phone, you should be able to search for the exact edition. It’s often quicker than manually entering the book. If the Google Books app fails to find the book, I use BookFinder dot com to search for books by their ISBN. BookFinder aggregate second-hand stock from hundreds of retailers worldwide, providing a good indication of what you actually have.
2 Answers2025-06-10
Normally I’ve archived them and just search through my archive to pick out ones I’ve read before
11 Answers2025-08-13
I use a somewhat old-school method here at The Rap Sheet. To begin with, I keep a personal spreadsheet of my own library. When I’m not sure whether I have a certain book or not, I first check the ISBN on that spreadsheet. If that fails, I immediately search for the book on AbeBooks, because – as a marketplace for used and rare books – the sellers here are highly accurate with regard to the ISBN of the copy they are selling.
Looking through a few listings confirms the ISBN number for me. The listing for a used book also includes a photo of the cover. In this case, it is easy enough to tell that one listing is for a hardcover edition and the other for a paperback edition. I prefer browsing a used bookstore this way as opposed to a purely digital search for an ISBN.
4 Answers2025-08-29
As I said earlier, online retailers like Etsy also offer very affordable books, including some interesting self-published history books and even historical zines. It’s great to support independent authors and even learn something new from their works, and often for a low price too. If you have a large bookstore like a Barnes & Noble near you, also check their discount sections both online and in-store. I was surprised to find some very affordable books in their online sale section, and it makes for a fun little scavenger hunt to find the perfect book for you!
8 Answers2025-06-10
Is there a difference between closing a book and putting a Kindle to 'sleep'? I assume Kindle tracks 'time spent reading' based on how long a book is 'open' and how long a device has been 'on'. So, someone who falls asleep with a book open for an hour would have 'reading time' logged for an hour as well. The history isn't entirely accurate it is an estimate based on 'time that a book is open'.
So beware that ‘minutes read’ is probably going to include idle time as well, so it’s best to look at it as a rough proxy rather than the “truth” – it’s a way to get an estimate of how long it took to read a book rather than actual focused time. The “book” count is probably more reliable as a historical record of the books you spent a lot of time reading.
2 Answers2025-07-02
tracking library book history is something I figured out through trial and error. When you borrow Kindle books from libraries via services like Libby or OverDrive, they don't automatically show up in your Amazon purchase history. The trick is to check your 'Manage Your Content and Devices' page on Amazon. Go to Amazon's website, hover over 'Account & Lists,' then select 'Content & Devices.' Under the 'Books' tab, you'll see everything you've ever downloaded—including library books. But here's the catch: returned titles disappear from your Kindle but remain in this list with a 'Returned' status.
For a more detailed history, your library account is the real MVP. Libraries keep records of every book you've checked out, often accessible through their online portals. I cross-reference my Libby app's 'Loan History' with Amazon's list when I want to recall a title. Some libraries even let you export this data. It's frustrating that Amazon doesn't make this seamless, but once you know where to look, it's manageable. Pro tip: screenshot your borrowed books before they expire if you're a chronic re-reader like me.
3 Answers2025-07-21
I heavily use ISBN searches but books that are out of print require a lot of thinking. Apart from 'UsedBookCentral' and 'Biblio' that allow you to search by ISBN on used books websites, on the forums like Reddit’s r/BookCollecting there are many databases of used books as well as contacts of private sellers.
Physical auctions can be a goldmine. Most major auction houses, including Heritage Auctions, list the ISBN number for books in their printed catalogs. I was surprised at the number of rare titles that appeared in their sales. In fact, I was able to pick up a first edition of the paperback edition of Dune for a relatively low price.
For non-English language books, ISBN searches are not as reliable. In the past, BookDepository (before it closed) and the global site for Kinokuniya were fantastic resources. Nowadays, I often find what I’m looking for on eBay (internationally) or through rare book vendors listed on Alibaba. It’s hard work, but an absolute thrill to hold a long out of print book in your hands after all that searching.
9 Answers2025-08-01
Try to work out what isn't in the book. If a secondary world contains no magical or supernatural elements then perhaps it’s alternate history rather than fantasy. The book may not be a romance if there is no central love story or relationship between main characters. This is a good logical exercise to use when a book contains many elements and appears to be ‘genre blend’. Working out what the book is not can help to give you a starting point and help you to work out what it could be. For example, if a book is not set in the future or space then it’s not science fiction. If there is no crime or puzzle then it’s not a mystery.