Q: Why can't I sync all my books?
I'm using iTunes 12.4.1.6, with iBooks 1.5 on OS X 10.11.5, along with an iPad Mini and iPhone 6. My iBooks collection contains about 360 books, including data sheets for electronics components, recipe books, photography books, you name it. The formats include ePub and PDF.
In iTunes I can only see a collection of 53 books, which appear to be ones that I have bought from the Apple Bookstore.
How can I get iTunes to recognise all the books I have in iBooks and sync them across to my iPad Mini and iPhone 6?
If that can not be done, what book reader app can I used on the iPad and iPhone which will allow me to read PDF and ePub, along with annotations, notes and bookmarks?
iMac, OS X El Capitan (10.11)
Posted on Jul 11, 2016 7:14 AM
Answered here: iBooks not syncing with iTunes
Short version: iTunes now syncs books from iCloud Drive, not from the local iBooks collection.
This means you have to have enough iCloud storage to fit all your books. If you don't have iCloud, you can't use iTunes to sync your books between desktop and tablet.
In addition you will need enough mobile/cellular bandwidth and data allowance to download the books you want to read. So tough luck if you have 6GB of books, or want to access the instruction manual for your camera when you're out of mobile coverage.
Posted on Jul 11, 2016 7:30 AM