Walker Library: English Language & Literature: Book Reviews

Key Literary Review Periodicals

These are periodicals that historically have provided substantive, compelling reviews written by established book critics.

New York Review of Books
Call Number: Periodicals -- 1st Floor
Contains commentary and opinion on politics, science and culture by eminent writers.
New York Times Book Review
Contains extended reviews of noteworthy books, short reviews, essays and articles on topics and trends in publishing, literature, culture, and the arts. Includes lists of bestsellers.
Paris Review
Call Number: Periodicals -- 1st Floor -- Shelved Alphabetically
Contains original writing, art, and in-depth interviews with famous writers, offering a rare opportunity to discuss their life and art at length.
The New Yorker
Contains commentary on popular culture and eccentric Americana, focusing on modern fiction with the inclusion of short stories and literary reviews.
Times Literary Supplement (TLS)
Call Number: Periodicals -- 1st Floor (1995-present)
Microtext --2nd floor-- MFM 1159 (1969-1994)
Contains reviews of major books of fiction and nonfiction published in every language, providing a unique record of developments in literature, politics, scholarship and the arts.

Book Reviews vs. Literary Criticism - What's the Difference?

Book reviews are written around the time the book was originally published; literary criticism appears in later years. For example, reviews of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby that appeared in 1925 or 1926 (right after the novel was published) are book reviews, while literary criticism about the novel continues to be written today.

Book reviews can appear in numerous places, including newspapers, popular and literary magazines, scholarly journals, book review indexes, and bookseller sites.

Book reviews are written for all kinds of book publications - not just literary texts.

Book Reviews - Contemporary

Book Review Digest Plus This link opens in a new window
Citations and full-text book reviews from leading publications, 1983 to the present.
Reviews of serious, academic works. Subject coverage includes art, biography, business, education, general interest, history, humanities, literature, library and information sciences, music, religion, science and technology, social sciences.
• Over 2 million review citations, many with generous excerpts, from review sources such as newspapers, popular magazines, and academic journals with more than 118,000 new reviews added each year
• Over 270,000 full-text reviews from more than 1,400 American, British, and Canadian periodicals
Children's Literature Comprehensive Database (CLCD) This link opens in a new window
Information and critical reviews on books and audio visual materials for children and youth.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Contains reviews from Humanities and Social Science disciplines. For best results, select Review from the Advanced Search mode.
Project MUSE This link opens in a new window
Contains reviews from Humanities and Social Science disciplines. For best results, select Reviews Only from the Additional Search Options.
Literature Resource Center This link opens in a new window
For reviews of literature, look at the Reviews and News tab.
For authors now living or who died after 12/31/59, also consult Contemporary Literary Criticism.
Readers' Guide Full Text This link opens in a new window
Contains comprehensive indexing of the most popular general-interest periodicals published in the United States. For best results, select Book Review under Document Type.

Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review Index (1980-1984)
CALL NUMBER: Reference -- 1st floor, 028.1 H14sa 1980-84
Science Fiction Book Review Index (1923-1979)
CALL NUMBER: Reference, 1st floor -- 028.1 H14s 1923-73

Book Reviews - Early/Mid 20th Century

Readers' Guide Retrospective This link opens in a new window
Contains comprehensive indexing of the most popular general-interest periodicals published in the United States from 1890-1982. For best results, select Book Review under Document Type.
ABELL (Annual Bibliography of English Language and Literature) This link opens in a new window
Indexes book reviews of world literature, some dating back to 1920. For best results, select Reviews from Search options.
ABELL indexes books, periodical articles, critical editions of literary works, book reviews and collections of essays published anywhere in the world from 1892 to the present. It is an excellent resource for researching 20th and 21st century authors and literary trends. ABELL is seamlessly linked to 325+ full-text journals in the Literature Online (LION) database. Subjects covered: Drama; Poetry; Fiction; Biography; Literary Theory; Film; Bibliography; Traditional Culture; Onomastics; Lexicography; Dialectology. See ProQuest's LION LibGuide for content details and a user guide.
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Scholarly journals in the humanities and social sciences. For best results, select Review from the Advanced Search mode.

Book Review Digest (1905-2005)
CALL NUMBER: Reference, 1st floor -- 015 B64

Book Reviews - 18th & 19th Centuries

Eight Centuries (formerly 19th Century Masterfile) This link opens in a new window
Database covering Anglo-American primary source material dating from 1106 until 1960, aggregating indexes, catalogs, collections, and other finding aids. Provides access to articles, newspapers, books, U.S. patents, government documents, and images, with links to full-text where available.

8C includes Poole's Index to Periodical Literature; Niles' Register; American Memory; links to images in ArtSTOR; plus many more. See full content list (click on Resource Descriptions)
JSTOR This link opens in a new window
Complete full text (page images) for back issues of various leading scholarly journals.

Guide to Critical Reviews of United States Fiction, 1870-1910
Cites contemporary reviews of major and minor U.S. novelists 1870-1910.
CALL NUMBER: 4th Floor -- 813.09 Ei2g v.1-2
American Literary and Drama Reviews: An Index to Late Nineteenth Century Periodicals (1880-1900)
Covers 13 periodicals for 1880-1900.
CALL NUMBER: Reference -- 1st Floor-- 792.09747 M34a
Combined Retrospective Index to Book Reviews in Humanities Journals
Indexes authors/titles of about 500,000 book reviews appearing in over 150 English and American journals.
CALL NUMBER: Reference - 1st Floor - 015 C73h v.1-10
Literary Reviews in British Periodicals (1798-1820)
CALL NUMBER: Reference - 1st Floor 820.907 W21l v.1-2 -
Literary Reviews in British Periodicals (1821-1826)
CALL NUMBER: Reference - 1st Floor 820.907 W21la -

About Us

English Language & Literature: Book Reviews

Key Literary Review Periodicals

Book Reviews vs. Literary Criticism - What's the Difference?

Book Reviews - Contemporary

Book Reviews - Early/Mid 20th Century

Book Reviews - 18th & 19th Centuries