LibGuides: Book Reviews: Popular Reviews

You may want to consult a popular book review if:

You want general information about a book, such as its topic, tone, purpose, or intended audience.
You want to know if the book achieved its goals. For example: Was it funny? Did it inform readers?
You want to know if the facts presented in a nonfiction book were accurate.

Remember:

Not every book that is published is reviewed, and Wilkes does not have access to every review that has been written. If you're having trouble locating a review, check with a librarian to confirm that it doesn't exist.

Databases and Indexes

One of the best ways to locate popular book reviews is to search inside some of the library databases and indexes that cover popular news publications. Remember, you should never type "book review" into the search box in a database. Instead, look for an option on the advanced search page to limit your results to book reviews.

Nexis Uni This link opens in a new window
Includes extremely wide-ranging popular news sources from across the globe. To locate book reviews, be sure to sure for both the book title and author's name in "Everywhere" and to check the box limiting the "Article Type" to book review.
ProQuest Central This link opens in a new window
Search within a single database to find materials across all major subject areas, including business, health and medical, social sciences, arts and humanities, education, science and technology, and religion.

Individual Publications

Many individual periodicals are noted for their book reviews, and it can sometimes be most efficient to look for reviews directly at such a publication. Some particularly useful ones are listed below.

The New York Times
The New York Times has all of its book reviews published since 1981 available for free on the web. Look for the box labelled "Search Book Reviews Since 1981" on the right side of the Books page. It's usually helpful to include the author's last name in a search.
Publisher's Weekly
Wilkes subscribes to Publisher's Weekly reviews going back to 1997. Follow the "search within this publication" link on the right of the screen above, and then search for the title of the book in "PS reviews and products." Also make sure you scroll down to the "Document Type" box on the advanced search page and select "book review."
Kirkus Reviews
Kirkus provides free online access to many of its reviews. Coverage of books published in the last twenty years is comprehensive, and the website provides some access to reviews dating back to 1933.