After macOS Sonoma update most books in Books app missing.

Not sure if you figured this on out yet, but since I had the same problem today I'll post the solution as a reply. What worked for me is to turn iCloud Drive on in System Settings. Not sure why updating turned it off -- maybe something to do with re-signing into iCloud. But this instantly brought all my non-Apple-purchased books and PDFs back to the Books app on my Mac. Hope this helps.

There's Sonoma 14.1.1 update, maybe you should try it. Most times, few restarts of the Mac would correct the problem. I had a problem with storage showing strange sizes, and that was in Ventura. Few restarts of the machine cleared the problem. Hope, it'd work for you.

mikemertens wrote:

Note that the iCloud book library is fine in iPad, showing all books.

It means that you haven't lost your books. They are there in the iCloud, in its webpage, in your personal page. You can download them manually, or by syncing your Mac with your personal iCloud, the books will be in the iCloud, and you'd have only synced links.

Also, in the future, please, backup all your data, before you upgrade/update. Especially copy those books to an external disk for safekeeping. I am an avid reader. I keep all my books safe in an external disk, even if I have them in the computer or in the cloud server.

mikemertens wrote:

• About 40% of my books, both epub and pdf, are "missing" in books.app after Sonoma upgrade (14 and 14.1).

I can locate the "missing" book files in ~/Library/Mobile\ Documents/iCloud~com~apple~iBooks/Documents

• If I open them from that directory they appear in Books.app temporarily - they subsequently disappear from the Books.app once I close Books.app and then reopen

This is very frustrating. In Sonoma about 40% of my books are missing in this fashion. Note that the iCloud book library is fine in iPad, showing all books.

I've looked at file permission etc but don't see an obvious fix for this. Anyone know more about this?

reference—

Redownload books and audiobooks - Apple Support

Hi

Please use always Findanyfile.app

https://findanyfile.app

I did it in Sonoma 14.5

Some of them are in the cloud, but you have the option to download and have the original file.

Find any file It's way better than spotlight.

I just needed to type this en the search field:

(they're separated , don't know why but there they are)

me too and I don't use iCloud to sync my books.

Your question was asked some time ago, but maybe someone else is interested in the answer. I had the same problem and the following helped me:

Go to the system settings and open "iCloud Drive".

Then open "Apps that are synchronized to iCloud Drive" at the bottom.

Deactivate "Books".

If you have the "Books" app open - close it.

Then open it again and go to "Library" > "All".

You will see that there are no books in the library. The library is empty.

Now *activate* in the system settings > iCloud Drive > Apps that are synchronized to iCloud Drive > Books.

Close the Books app and restart the app.

Now all books are back!!!

I hope this helps.