About
Book reviews appear in magazines and journals near the time of the book’s publication and can be valuable aids in the study of a particular book. Book reviews may include a criticism of the book, a summary of the subject, and even a comparison with other similar books. The resources below are useful for finding book reviews.
Essential Databases for Book Reviews
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Gale Literature: Book Review IndexFind more than 5.6 million book reviews published since 1965 for more than 2.5 million books. Thousands of publications are indexed, including journals and national general interest publications and newspapers.
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Book Review Digest Retrospective: 1903-1982 (H.W. Wilson) @ EBSCOhostFind more than 1.5 million book reviews published from 1903-1982 for about 300,000 books. Indexing of more than 500 popular magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. Contains at least one substantial review excerpt per book. Emphasis is on works of general interest, and on reviews published within 18 months of the book's publication.
Additional Databases for Book Reviews
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Academic Search Ultimate (EBSCO) @ EBSCOhostA comprehensive database containing full-text academic journals, magazines and periodicals plus reports, books and videos covering virtually every discipline. Includes thousands of English-language and native-language full-text journals from Asia, Oceania, Europe and Latin America. Limit to Book Review in the "Document Type" area.
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ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The New York Times with IndexOnline, full-image, and searchable content of The New York Times from September 18, 1851 to December 31, 2012. Select Review in the "Document Type" area.
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JSTORAccess to the full text of scholarly journals from a variety of disciplines. Coverage: varies. Collections include: Arts and Science I - XV, Business IV, Life Sciences, and Sustainability. Using the Advanced Search, narrow by Reviews in the "Item Type" area.
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Literary Reference Center Plus (EBSCO) @ EBSCOhostContains more than 900,000 book reviews. Limit to Book Review in the "Document Type" area.
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MasterFILE Complete (EBSCO) @ EBSCOhostThis database offers an extensive collection of popular full-text magazines, reference books and other highly-regarded sources from the world's leading publishers. Limit to Book Review in the "Document Type" area.
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Newspaper Source Plus (EBSCO) @ EBSCOhostIncludes over 35 million full text articles from 860+ newspapers, and over 857,000 TV and radio news transcripts. Sources include: Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, Daily Mail (UK), Irish Times, San Francisco Chronicle, Sydney Morning Herald, Times of London, Toronto Star, USA Today, Washington Post, Washington Times, NPR, AABC News, CBS, CNBC, CBC, Fox News, CNN, and PBS. Limit to Book Review in the "Document Type" area.
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Readers' Guide Retrospective: 1890-1982 (H.W. Wilson) @ EBSCOhostAn index of articles from more than 550 magazine titles. Limit to Book Review in the "Document Type" area.
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The Times (London) Digital Archive (Gale)Researchers can search through the complete digital edition of The Times (London), using keyword searching to retrieve full facsimile images of either a specific article or a complete page. The entire newspaper is captured, with all articles, advertisements and illustrations/photos divided into categories to facilitate searching. Coverage: since 1785. Using Advanced Search, limit by Review in the "Document Type" area.
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The Times Literary Supplement (London) Historical Archive (Gale)Coverage: since 1902. Using Advanced Search, limit by Review in the "Document Type" area.
Help is Available - Ask a Librarian
Librarians are available to help you learn to make the most of the information resources, tools, and services of Murphy Library and beyond!
Weekdays and Sunday afternoons (fall/spring):
- Stop by at the reference desk on the 1st floor of the library.
- Call us at 608.785.8508.
- Zoom with us.
- Chat with us online.
Any time (year-round):
- Email us. We'll email you back asap!
- Schedule an appointment to meet with a librarian for an extended research consultation.
Public Websites
The following web resources contain book reviews:
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CM: Canadian Review of MaterialsIssues biweekly electronic journal reviews of books and electronic media for young people.
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BookwireBy Bowker. A book industry site featuring reviews, book awards and many library or book related links.
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H-Net: Humanities & Social Sciences OnlineAn international interdisciplinary organization of scholars and teachers, offering peer reviewed essays, multimedia materials, and discussions, plus funding opportunities. Hosted by the History Department at Michigan State University.