Reading Life with side loaded books.

Hi guys! My Kindle has been trodden on by a housemate, and I'm not too keen on Amazon's refurb offer, so I've decided to go for a Kobo. They seem awesome! :thumbsup: If I side load books to a Kobo, does Reading Life still work? Are there some awards that are locked to books from the Kobo store? (and, funny question, but I can definitely access the Kobo store in Australia, right? That's what turned me off the Sony mostly.)

:D thanks guys!