Reader's Advisory
Book Clubs
Starting & Running a Book Club
The websites below offer tips on organizing and running book groups.- Book Group Corner
- from Random House
- Book Groups: Booklist Blog
- Profiles of successful book groups to inspire your own.
- Book the Writer
- BooktheWriter is a pop-up book discussion group both in-person and through Zoom. Currently available in NYC and surrounding areas. Registration and fee required.
- Knopf Doubleday: Discussion Resources
- See also their Group Talk
- Poets.org: Poetry Reading Guides
- Discussion guides from the Academy of American Poets on specific poets (Langston Hughes, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman). See also: How to Read a Poem and Starting a Poetry Reading Group.
Book Discussion Guides
- The websites below provide discussion guides for individual titles. If you are looking for a good book to discuss in your reading group, you will enjoy browsing through these websites. Some have tips and ideas for organizing or reenergizing your group.
- Book Clubs
- From Amazon.com
- Book Discussion Guides
- Discussion questions, information about the author, reviews, and other items of interest on dozens of titles. Provided by Member Libraries of the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS).
- Knopf Doubleday: Reading Group Guides
- LitLovers: Reading Guides
- "Our 1,500 LitGuides include Discussion Questions, Book Reviews, Author Bios, and Plot Summaries." Search or browse.
- Macmillan Reading Group Gold
- "Your destination for the latest in Macmillan-wide reading groups and book clubs!" Includes reading guides, author quotes, and tips for your book club.
- The PBS NewsHour/New York Times Book Review Book Club
- Join PBS and the NYT each month as they choose a book, discuss it, and take your questions for the author.
- Reading Group Guides
- Scholastic Discussion Guides
- "Enrich your book discussion group with these guides. They can be used in various settings - whether in a classroom, library, bookstore, or at home." Search or browse.
- Simon & Schuster: Reading Guides
- W. W. Norton: Reading Guides
- Non-Fiction (Biography, Memoir, History, Science), and Fiction.
Local Information
Awarded Books & Literary Works
- Major Literary Awards
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- The Library of Congress Fiction Prize
- "Since 2008, the Library of Congress has awarded a prize to distinguished writers of fiction. The Library of Congress Lifetime Achievement Award for the Writing of Fiction was created to honor a career dedicated to the literary arts."
- National Book Awards
- Current and past winning titles from the National Book Foundation.
- National Book Critics Circle
- "The National Book Critics Circle honors outstanding writing and fosters a national conversation about reading, criticism and literature." See NBCC's current list of winners at this website. Past winners and finalists are listed at this link.
- Nobel Prize for Literature
- Current and past winners
- Pulitzer Prize Winners
- View current and past winners and finalists.
- Other Notable Literary Awards
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- ALA Book and Media Awards and Notable Mentions
- From the American Library Association. Includes Best Books for Young Adults, Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal, Outstanding Reference Sources.
- Awarded Books in the Library Catalog
- Awarded books in the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS) library catalog.
- The Audies: Audiobook Awards
- "Awards recognizing distinction in audiobooks and spoken word entertainment sponsored by the Audio Publishers Association (APA)." Categories include: Audiobook of the Year, Fiction, History, Humor, Inspiration/Faith-Based Fiction, Mystery, Romance, Drama, Audiobook Adaptation, Nonfiction, Biography/Memoir, Business/Educational, Children's Audiobooks, Classic Audiobook, and more.
- Barnes and Noble Discover Awards
- "Since 1990, a group of Barnes and Noble booksellers has met seasonally to select the best forthcoming new work by debuting and under-appreciated writers."
- Bestsellers in the Library Catalog
- Bestselling books and authors in the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS) library catalog.
- The Booker Prize for Fiction and the International Booker Prize
- "The Booker Prize for Fiction (formerly the Man Booker Prize) has been the leading literary award in the English speaking world since 1969. Each year, the prize is awarded to the best novel of the year written in English and published in the UK. The International Booker Prize (formerly the Man Booker International Prize) was established in 2005 and in 2016 became an annual prize for fiction in translation, awarded for a single work translated into English and published in the UK or Ireland. On June 1, 2019, a new supporter for the Awards began with Crankstart, a charitable foundation of Sir Michael Moritz and his wife, Harriet Heyman, concluding an 18 year sponsorship of the Awards by the Man Group."
- Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction
- "More than seventy short-story collections have appeared in the Flannery O'Connor Award series, which was established to encourage gifted emerging writers by bringing their work to a national readership."
- The Kirkus Reviews Prize
- Beginning in 2014, "the Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers' literature." Links for current winners and finalists can be found on the right side of their page.
- List of Literary Awards
- International literary award information. From Wikipedia: please note their disclaimer.
- The Nebula Awards
- "The Nebula Awards are voted on, and presented by, active members of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, Inc. Since 1965, the Nebula Awards have been given each year for the best novel, novella, novelette, and short story eligible for that year's award."
- PEN American Center - PEN Literary Awards
- "For over 50 years, PEN American Center has honored some of the most outstanding voices in literature." Includes: PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction, PEN/Laura Pels Foundation Awards for Drama, PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay, PEN/ESPN Award for Literary Sports Writing, PEN/Jacqueline Bograd Weld Award for Biography, and other awards.
- Poetry Awards
- Award-winning poets, Poets Laureate, poems, anthologies, poetry collections.
- Science Fiction Awards Database
- "The Science Fiction Awards Database is a rebranding, redesign, and expansion of the Locus Index to Science Fiction Awards." Includes every nominee as well as the winners. From the Locus Science Fiction Foundation and Mark R. Kelly.
Bestseller Lists
- Amazon's Bestsellers
- Bestselling books at Amazon. By clicking on categories to the left, you can create lists for subsections like Large Print, Romance, and Mysteries and Thrillers.
- Barnes and Noble
- Top 100 titles selling this hour.
- Bestsellers in the Library Catalog
- Indie Bestseller Lists
- From the American Booksellers Association. Also available are downloadable current and past bestseller lists.
- The New York Times: Bestsellers Lists
- Current bestsellers, including hardcover fiction, nonfiction, children's books, paperback trade fiction, mass-market and paperback fiction, graphic books, hardcover and paperback business best sellers, and bestselling eBooks.
- Powells.com: Bestsellers
- Publisher's Weekly Bestsellers
- Small Press Distribution's Poetry Bestsellers
- List of the top poetry books sold by Small Press Distribution per month, from January 2007 to the Present.
- USA Today Best-Selling Books
- Top 150 titles based on sales.
Book Lists
Suggested readings, thematic lists, and more
All Time Most Popular Books
- OCLC Top 1000
- "OCLC Research has updated its list of the top 1,000 titles owned by member libraries -- the intellectual works that have been judged to be worth owning by the 'purchase vote' of libraries around the globe." List provided by the Online Computer Library Center, Inc.
- Wikipedia: Best-selling Single-volume Books and Book Series of All Time
- Please note Wikipedia's disclaimer.
Books Made into Movies
- Based on the Book
- Described as "a compilation of over 1,450 books, novels, short stories, and plays that have been made into motion pictures. Utilizing the Internet Movie Database as the authority, all movies in this collection have been released as feature-length films in the United States, in English, since 1980." Browse by movie title, the film's year of release, book title, or author.
- Bookreporter: Books on Screen
- Up to date news on which books are being made into movies. Includes movie/book synopsis, cast, director and release date.
- Movies Inspired by Books
- A printable list from Middletown Thrall Library. PDF format.
Awarded Books and Bestsellers
- Awarded Books
- Lists of winners.
- Bestsellers
- New York Times and other lists of best-selling books.
- Beyond the Bestsellers
- Discover fresh and interesting books and authors not necessarily found on bestseller lists.
- Factmonster: Lists of the Best-Selling Children's Books of All Time
"Best" and "Greatest" Books Lists
- "Best Books of the Year"
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- BBC: Best Books of 2022
- Earlier lists: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018.
- Good Reads: Best Books of 2022
- Featuring "the winners of the Goodreads Choice Awards, the only major book awards decided by readers." Earlier lists: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010.
- Library Journal: Best Books of 2022
- Earlier lists: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
- The New York Times: 100 Notable Books of 2022
- Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and biography. Earlier lists: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, The New York Times: 100 Notable Books of 2013, 100 Notable Books of 2012, 100 Notable Books of 2011, 100 Notable Books of 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2003.
- NPR's Book Concierge: Our Guide To 2022's Great Reads
- "Mix and match the filters below and the years above to explore nearly 2,500 recommendations from NPR staff and trusted critics." Previous lists: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, Best Books of 2012, Best Books of 2011, Best Books of 2010, Best Books of 2009, Best Debut Fiction of 2009, Nancy Pearl's "2009 Under-The-Radar Books" list.
- Oprah: The Best Books of 2022
- Earlier lists: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010.
- Publishers Weekly: Best Books of 2022
- Earlier selections: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015.
- TIME: Best Fiction Books of 2022
- Earlier lists: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018.
- USA Today: Best Books of 2021
- Earlier lists: 2021, 2020, 2019.
- The Washington Post: Best Books of 2022
- Earlier lists: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017.
- Other "Best Books" Lists
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- ALA / RUSA: Notable Books List
- Please scroll down their page for current or archived lists. "Since 1944, the goal of the Notable Books Council has been to make available to the nation's readers a list of 25 very good, very readable, and at times very important fiction, nonfiction, and poetry books for the adult reader." From the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) of the American Library Association (ALA).
- Discover Magazine: 25 Greatest Science Books of All Time
- The Great American Read List
- "America's 100 most-loved books." "The Great American Read is an eight-part series that explores and celebrates the power of reading, told through the prism of America's 100 best-loved novels (as chosen in a national survey). It investigates how and why writers create their fictional worlds, how we as readers are affected by these stories, and what these 100 different books have to say about our diverse nation and our shared human experience." From PBS.
- The Greatest Books
- Includes a fiction list and a nonfiction list. It can be limited by time, e.g. The best books since 1950. It is currently derived from 119 lists.
- The Library 100: The Top 100 Novels of All Time
- "We've identified 100 timeless, top novels - those found in thousands of libraries around the world - using WorldCat, the world's largest database of library materials." From OCLC.
- LibraryReads: Top Ten Books Nominated by Librarians
- "LibraryReads is the monthly nationwide library staff picks list for adult fiction and non-fiction. Our goal is to help connect librarians' favorite books to as many readers as possible, while drawing upon the incredible power that public library staff has in helping to build word-of-mouth for new books, and the important role that libraries play in creating audiences for all kinds of authors."
- Modern Library: 100 Best Nonfiction Titles
- Modern Library: 100 Best Novels
- National Geographic Adventure Magazine: Extreme Classics - The 100 Greatest Adventure Books of All Time
- Archived website.
- 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels
- Top young adult (YA) fiction selections as voted upon by readers at NPR.org (National Public Radio). List produced August 2012.
- The Reading List
- "The Reading List seeks to highlight outstanding genre fiction that merit special attention by general adult readers and the librarians who work with them." Lists from 2008 to the present can be found in the left hand column. From the American Library Association.
- The 10 Best Top 100 Book Lists
- A compilation of several top 100 book lists from across the web, ranging from popular fiction, to nonfiction, to the classics. From BookRiot.com.
- TIME: All-TIME 100 Nonfiction Books
- "Politics and war, science and sports, memoir and biography - there's a great big world of nonfiction books out there just waiting to be read. We picked the 100 best and most influential written in English since 1923, the beginning of TIME... magazine." From TIME.
- Top 100 Science-Fiction, Fantasy Books
- "The winners of NPR's Top 100 Science-Fiction and Fantasy survey are an intriguing mix of classic and contemporary titles." From National Public Radio (NPR).
- Top 100 Works in World Literature
- "The editors of the Norwegian Book Clubs, with the Norwegian Nobel Institute, polled a panel of 100 authors [in 2002] from 54 countries on what they considered the 'best and most central works in world literature.' Among the authors polled were Milan Kundera, Doris Lessing, Seamus Heaney, Salman Rushdie, Wole Soyinka, John Irving, Nadine Gordimer, and Carlos Fuentes. The list of 100 works appears alphabetically by author." From Infoplease.com.
Controversial & Censored Books
- Banned and Challenged Classics
- From the American Library Association (ALA).
- Banned Books Online
- A list of censored and challenged books. From the Online Books Page, University of Pennsylvania Libraries.
- List of Books Banned by Governments
- List from Wikipedia (please note their disclaimers: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:General_disclaimer).
- Most Frequently Challenged Books
- Includes: Top Ten Frequently Challenged Book Lists, 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books by Decade, Most Frequently Challenged Authors of the 21st Century, an an extended list of books banned or challenged from 2004 to the current year. From the American Library Association (ALA).
General Book Lists - Multiple Topics/Themes
- Books that Shaped America
- From the Library of Congress. For more about this list, please see the Library of Congress' press release.
- Wikipedia: Book Lists
- Thematic lists of writings. Please note Wikipedia's disclaimer. Also see their Literature Lists page.
Literary Lists
- Great Books Lists
- Literary classics, epics, and other famous and influential works of world literature. Includes Harold Bloom's Western Canon, Eastern and World Canons, Contemporary Canon, Other Lists and Indexes of Great Books.
- Literary Classics
- Browse by author or title/genre/books. Book lists include fiction, drama, poetry, nonfiction. Directory by Middletown Thrall Library.
Mysteries
- Stop, You're Killing Me
- All things for mystery lovers. What order is the series? What time period? Did it win an award? Where does it take place? Search by author or character names.
New Writers and Forthcoming Books
- Beyond the Bestsellers
- Booklovers Blog
- Browse New Books Visually
- New Books
- Upcoming lists of new and notable authors/titles.
Poetry Books
- Best American Poetry Archive
- Lists of poems and poets appearing in the yearly Best American Poetry anthology. Browse by year back to 1988.
See also these items in the library catalog:- The Best American Poetry series
- Harold Bloom's anthology The Best Poems of the English Language: Chaucer through Robert Frost
- Classic Books of American Poetry
- "This collection of books showcases the masterpieces of American poetry that have influenced - or promise to influence - generations of poets." From the Academy of American Poets.
- Poetry Reading Recommendations
- "Poets.org has asked a number of poets, including previous Chancellors of the Academy of American Poets, to list a few poetry books that they would recommend to others. The selections that came in include influential volumes, books returned to over and over, must-reads, and books frequently recommended to students or new poetry readers." From the Academy of American Poets. [Technical note: their top navigational links may not work. Scroll down page for full list of suggestions.]
- Popular Poetry Books
- A ranked list of popular poets, books of poerty, and poetry collections as voted upon by members of the Goodreads community.
Regional Reads & Travels
- Discover Great Places Through Reading
- A list of children's books "representing the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands." From the Library of Congress.
- The 86 Greatest Travel Books of All Time
- Adapted by Goodreads from Conde Nast Traveler. "Chosen by a literary all-star jury that included: Monica Ali, Vikram Chandra, Jared Diamond, Peter Mayle, John McPhee, Francine Prose, Paul Theroux, Gore Vidal, and more."
- Hard Boiled Gazetteer
- These annual articles from Booklist by Bill Ott highlight crime fiction. Each article focuses on a particular city or region with many suggestions of titles, authors and series. The link above leads you to the Academic OneFile database page (available at the library and also to members of Thrall at home). When the database search page appears after you log in, search for "hard-boiled gazetteer" (copy and paste this for best results) to read all the "Hard-Boiled Gazetteer" articles from the current year back to 1997.
- Library Book Lists: Travel Fiction/ Fiction of Place
- A collection of links to book lists for fiction "whose geographical setting is important to the story."
Social Distancing Reads
- The Best Books for Distancing Yourself From Reality Right Now
- From Esquire Magazine.
- The Best Books to Read During the Coronavirus Pandemic, According to PEOPLE Editors
- From People Magazine.
- The Best Books to Read While Social Distancing, According to Authors
- From Oprah Magazine.
- A Dystopian Reading List: Books To Enjoy While In Quarantine
- From The Guardian.
- 18 Really, Really, Really Long Books You Finally Have Time to Read
- From Refinery29.com.
- 15 Epic Books You May Finally Have Time To Read Now
- From CNN Entertainment.
- Great Science Books to Read During Quarantine
- From Discover Magazine.
- How to Survive The Quarantine: 25 Brilliant Books To Give You Information, Insight And Inspiration
- From Forbes Magazine.
- 19 Boredom-Busting Books to Read While Social Distancing
- From Harper's Bazaar Magazine.
- 100 Books to Read While Stuck At Home During The Coronavirus Crisis
- From USA
- Popular Quarantine Books
- From Goodreads.
- Quarantine Reading List: What We're Reading While We're Practicing Social Distancing
- From BookRiot.
- Quarantine Reads Archive
- The Paris Review Blog.
- Searching for the Best Books to Read During Quarantine? We've Got You Covered With 30 Picks
- From Parade Magazine.
- 68 Books to Read While Social Distancing from Home, Recommended by Avid Readers
- From Popsugar.com.
- 30 Books and Series to Read While Social Distancing
- From Time Magazine.
- 31 Great Quarantine Reads
- From Vanity Fair Magazine.
- 25 Best Books to Read During Coronavirus Lockdown, According to Business Leaders
- From Worth Magazine.
- We Have a Coronavirus Quarantine Reading List for You Based on Your Mood
- From Epic Reads.
- What Your Go-to Quarantine Read Says About You
- From Literary Hub.
Summer Reading - Fun & Beach Reads
- AARP: "21 Hot New Novels for Summer"
- Earlier lists: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014.
See also: 50 Years of Sizzling Summer Reads. - Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) (2023 Summer Reading Lists)
- "The lists are full of book titles to keep children engaged in reading throughout the summer. Four Summer Reading book lists are available for Birth-Preschool and grades K-2, 3-5 and 6-8. Titles on the Summer Reading Lists were compiled and annotated by members of ALSC's Quicklists Consulting Committee." Earlier lists: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015.
- Beyond the Bestsellers
- Middletown Thrall Library's summer selections feature interesting books and authors not necessarily found on bestseller lists.
- CNN: "Need a beach read? Check out the most anticipated new books to read this June" (2023)
- Earlier selections: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2014, 2013, 2012.
- Booklovers Blog
- Future Title Watch
- Goodreads: Summer Book Lists
- Thematic lists and recommendations from other readers.
- The New York State Summer Reading Program: "All Together Now : Todos Juntos Ahora" (2023)
- The New York Times: "24 Works of Fiction to Read This Summer" (2023)
- Earlier lists: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
- NPR (National Public Radio): "Here Are 19 Books Our Critics Are Excited for This Summer" (2023)
- See also: 2022, "Summer reading suggestions from novels to nonfiction via 'The Stacks' host Traci Thomas" (2022)
Earlier lists: 2018, 2017, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011. - Oprah: "Dive Into These Sizzling Summer Reads" (2023)
- Oprah Book Club selections. Earlier lists: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2019, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012.
- Parade: "If You Need a New Book To Read This Summer, Try One of These 11 Modern Retellings of Classic Stories" (2023)
- From Parade magazine. Earlier selections: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011
- Poems for Summer
- Selected poetry from the Academy of American Poets.
- Publishers Weekly: Summer Reads 2023
- Previous lists: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, Summer 2012
- Student Summer Reading Lists
- For local area school districts.
- Summer Poems
- Selected by The Poetry Foundation, publisher of Poetry magazine.
- USA Today: "20 Summer Books for Poolside Reading 2023" (2023)
- Earlier selections: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012.
Urban Fiction
- Good Reads: Popular Urban Fiction
- As voted upon by readers.
- Goodreads Popular African American Teen Books
- Popular Urban Fiction Books for Teens
- From Ann Arbor District Library.
- Urban Bookish on Amazon
- Urban Lit for Teens
- From Seattle Public Library.
- Urban Reviews
Women's History & Literature
- National Collaborative for Women's History Sites: Women's History Bibliographies
- This resource presents two comprehensive bibliographies containing some of the most important texts on women's history, as suggested by experts on the subject.
- Women's Studies and Women's History Month
- Lists of suggested books available in the Ramapo Catskill Library System.
Young Readers and Young Adults
- Young Readers
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- Adolescent Literacy: Book Lists
- "Our themed booklists offer help in finding books that suit both teens' interests and reading abilities." From AdLit.org.
- ALA Book and Media Awards
- The American Library Association links to all the current and past winners and honor books. Includes the Newbery Award, the Caldecott Award, the Sibert Award and others. Also includes the Children's Notable Lists.
- Best Books for Kids
- "Best books: our recommendations for families." Includes thematic reading lists for children, teens, young adults. From Common Sense Media.
- Children's Books
- Lists and reviews.
- Children's Library Catalog
- Thrall's catalog for children and parents. Browse books, picture books, and other items by topic. Also explore famous persons, classic children's authors, Caldecott and Newbery winners, book reviews, and more.
- Children's Poetry
- "Each month, Children's Poet Laureate J. Patrick Lewis recommends a book of children's poetry." From The Poetry Foundation. See also their Articles on Children's Poetry.
- The New York Times: "The 25 Best Children's Books of 2021"
- Previoulsy called Notable Children's Books. Previous years: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010.
- Reading Rockets Themed Booklists/ Bookfinder
- Recommended books for kids by theme from WETA, a public television station located in the Washington DC area. Book lists are also available from ¡ColorínColorado!, WETA's bilingual site for educators and families of English language learners.
- Top 100 Greatest Books for Kids
- PDF document. "Our 100 Greatest Books for Kids list spans a variety of ages and genres, so there's something for everyone." From Scholastic.
- Unity. Kindness. Peace. Booklist
- "This booklist was created to share the message of creating unity, acting with kindness toward others, and promoting peace." From the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), American Library Association (ALA).
- Young Adults
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- Best Fiction for Young Adults
- Current and past selections from American Library Association's (ALA) Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). See also their Best Books for Young Adults lists.
- Booklists: Young Adult Fiction Lists
- If You Like The Glass Castle
- "Here are several inspiring memoirs of people who have survived extremely abusive and difficult childhoods, yet who have found success in their adult lives. The stories are grim but inspiring."
- NPR (National Public Radio): "5 YA books that offer a nuanced reading experience for summer" (2022)
- Book reviews from National Public Radio.
- Reading Rants!
- A blog featuring book reviews for young adults. Site is self-described as "a group of booklists for those of you teens out there who need a good read, but are wondering if there's life after Judy Blume and Brian Jacques."
- Teen Book Finder Database
- "A free resource that allows users to search by award, list name, year, author, genre, and more, as well as create personalized lists." From the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a part of the American Library Association (ALA).
- Teen Space Booklists
- From Oregon's Beaverton City Library.
- Young Adult Library Catalog
- Thrall's own library catalog page for young adults. Includes instant access to teen favorite books and authors (fiction and nonfiction), ALA "best" and awarded books for teenagers, reviews, and much more.
- Young Adult Memoirs
- From the Hewlett-Woodmere Public Library (NY).
- Young Adults and Teens Books Lists
- Amazing Audiobooks, Best Books for Young Adults, Great Graphic Novels, Outstanding Books for the College Bound, Popular Paperbacks, Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers, Teens' Top Ten. From the American Library Association (ALA) / Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA). Also see their Popular Paperbacks for Young Adults page.
- Your Favorites: 100 Best-Ever Teen Novels
- List from National Public Radio (NPR).
Book Reviews
- All About Romance
- Subtitled "the back-fence for lovers of romance novels", this website contains reviews, lists of suggested titles, and information on romance authors and publishers.
- The Barnes and Noble Review
- Book reviews, author interviews, essays, an archive of past reviews, and more.
- Book Verdict
- "Book Verdict is the new home for hundreds of thousands of expert reviews from the most trusted voices in the library community, updated on a weekly basis. Browse over 300,000 reviews of books and media from Library Journal, School Library Journal,Horn Book Magazine and Horn Book Guide‚ including starred reviews, Best lists and Junior Library Guild selections‚ all in one place using this powerful collection development resource. Using flexible search and filtering tools, users can quickly find exactly what they need, share reviews and lists via email and social media, and even purchase products via online retailers. Book Verdict is fully accessible to all users, though certain content and functionality are only available to subscribers."
- Booklist Online
- "Reviews and articles on our home page are free to all. You can also do a quick search to see some of the 130,000 books, e-books, audiobooks, videos, and online databases we've reviewed. To read full text of all reviews and features, you'll need to log in, subscribe, or take a free trial."
- Comic Book Reviews
- Combined reviews from various comic book news websites. Search or browse. You can browse by comic book publisher (Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, etc.) or recent comic book series. From ComicBookRoundUp.com.
- Fantasy Book Review
- "Fantasy Book Review is dedicated to reading and reviewing the very best fantasy books for children and adults (both young and old). Featuring interviews, the latest fantasy news, audio-book reviews and competitions we aim to provide fantasy fans around the world with a useful, interesting and informative guide to the genre."
- ForeWord Reviews
- Described as an "online review service for readers, booksellers, book buyers, publishing insiders, and librarians." ForeWord Reviews features independently published works of fiction, nonfiction, biography, poetry, comic books, graphic novels, and more.
- Kirkus Reviews
- "Founded in 1933, Kirkus reviews more than 500 pre-publication books each month, including fiction, nonfiction, children's and young-adult books. Our reviews are a trusted and authoritative decision-making tool, crafted by specialists selected for their knowledge and expertise in a particular field."
- Library Journal: Book Reviews (Fiction, Nonfiction)
- "Find impartial library book reviews on new and prepublication books, best-sellers, fiction, non-fiction, literature, reference and more from Library Journal."
- Locus Online
- News, reviews, resources and perspectives of the science fiction field.
- New York Journal of Books
- "The New York Journal of Books Reviewer Panel consists of a growing team of talented and experienced reviewers whose expertise and credentials are unique among exclusively online book reviews. This panel includes bestselling and award-winning authors, journalists, experienced publishing executives, tenured academics, as well as highly experienced professionals across a number of disciplines and industries." Free registration is required for certain sections of their website as well as their newsletter.
- New York Review of Books
- Electronic version of the newspaper. Contains in-depth reviews from well-known critics of both fiction and nonfiction. Although you are able to search through the complete archives back to 1963, only several hundred reviews are available for free.
- New York Times Book Review
- Archives of reviews back to 1981. Includes links to many first chapters.
- New York Times: Book Review Podcast
- Audio broadcasts from the NYT in MP3 format.
- Poetry Reviews
- "This is the Tumblr blog of the Publishers Weekly Poetry Reviews section, edited by Craig Morgan Teicher. You'll find news about upcoming PW poetry reviews, features, interviews, and links to goings-on around PoetryTown."
- Publishers Weekly
- Includes: audio books, children's, comics, fiction, nonfiction, religion, and "Web-exclusive" reviews.
- Times Literary Supplement
- The electronic version of the well-known literary paper, has current reviews of fiction and nonfiction. Nonfiction is arranged by subject. Archives are available with a paid subscription.
Children's Books
- Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature
- "Over 5800 fully digitized children's texts from the Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature. A continually growing archive of children's books published in the United States and Great Britain during the 19th century. The foundation for this on-line, digitized Collection is a cataloging and preservation project covering the years 1850-1900 funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)." From the University of Florida.
- Book Lists
- For young readers. Reading recommendations from multiple sources.
- Brightly
- "Founded in 2014 by a small team of passionate bookworms and parents, Brightly is a resource to help moms and dads raise lifelong readers. Launched in partnership with Penguin Random House, Brightly features book recommendations from all publishers for every age and stage, reading tips and insights, seasonal inspirations, author essays, contests, gift guides, and more."
- Children's Classics: A Guide for Parents
- From The Horn Book Magazine. PDF format: view with Adobe Reader. (Archived PDF via Archive.org.)
- Children's Picture Book Database
- "Our database contains abstracts of over 5000 picture books for children, preschool to grade 3. Search over 900 keywords (topics, concepts, and skills) to locate books with storylines adaptable to your curriculum or program. Teachers, librarians, parents, students, and other professionals love this multidisciplinary, learner-centered resource."
- Common Sense Media: Children's Book Reviews for Parents
- Offers parents and guardians insight on children's books along with content advisories, family discussion guides, and suggested authors and readings.
- Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
- Includes podcasts, news, reviews, recommended titles for children / teens / young adults, an archive of Book of the Week selections (back to 1997), and more.
- Horn Book: Guide/Reviews Database
- Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Popular and Seasonal Topics, Short Stories, and a Monthly Special Booklist archive of thematic reading lists.
- International Reading Association: Choices Booklist
- "Each year, thousands of children, young adults, teachers, and librarians around the United States select their favorite recently published books for the "Choices" booklists. These lists are used in classrooms, libraries, and homes to help young readers find books they will enjoy."
- PBS Parents: Reading and Language (formerly Bookfinder)
- Topics include: reading and language milestones, reading activities on the go, reading tips, books for boys, books recommended by PBS Kids programs and PBS Parent Picks.
- Read Kiddo Read
- Created by bestselling author James Patterson, this website was designed to help parents, teachers, and librarians find books to inspire reluctant readers to become life long readers. Lots of suggestions are included for every reading level.
- Recommendations
- Annual list of recommended children's books from the librarians at New York Public Library.
- See also: Children's Literature
- Classic fiction, poetry, and more.
Forthcoming Fiction & Nonfiction Lists
- The following websites feature upcoming titles and authors. You can click here to check the catalog for titles that interest you and reserve them once they become available.
- Amazon.com: New and Upcoming Releases
- Barnes & Noble.com Books: Coming Soon Bestsellers
- Forthcoming Bestsellers
- A list of upcoming titles from the Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS). Choose Forthcoming Bestsellers List from the publication list.
- Future Title Watch
- Thrall's own monthly highlights of forthcoming titles
- Historical Novel Society
- The Historical Novel Society is an organization devoted to the promotion of historical works. This resource provides a list of forthcoming historical novels set in the 1960's and earlier.
- Indie Next List
- "The Indie Next List, drawn from bookseller-recommended favorite handsells, epitomizes the heart and soul of passionate bookselling. Independent booksellers are and have always been discoverers of the next big thing, the next great read, the next bestseller, and the next undiscovered gem." Provided by the American Booksellers Association
- Locus Mag: Forthcoming Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Books
- New York Review of Books
General Reader's Advisories
- BookBrowse.com
- Read reviews, first chapters, and author interviews here. Browse by genre, and find heaps of information for book clubs.
- Bookspace
- Hennepin County Library's reader's advisory center provides lists of books by genre and "If you liked" lists for certain titles. It also features an "If you like" search by author which indicates on which genre list(s) an author is included.
- Fantastic Fiction
- This is a British website that caters to American fiction. Includes bibliographies of 30,000 authors. Great place to check for forthcoming books by author and genre as well as series titles by author or for series that have more than one contributing author, by title.
- Literature
- Your guide to literary treasures in the library and on the web. Includes Rediscovering Literature, Classics in the Library Catalog, Literary Reference Materials in Print, and Literature on the Web. Provided by Middletown Thrall Library.
- Novelist
- Accessible to current Middletown Thrall Library cardholders. A reader's advisory tool for all ages, Novelist helps readers select fiction titles based on a wide selection of criteria. Provides reviews, subject content, and reading levels.
- NPR Books
- Find books, interviews and reviews. Also includes the NPR Book Concierge.
- Oprah
- She needs no introduction. Her website includes a listing of her popular book club selections and information on past and future shows. Her regular guests often include authors of books.
Graphic Novels
- A Brief History of the Graphic Novel
- Provided by Brodart. Archived website (via Archive.org).
- Comics and Graphic Fiction
- This research guide provides "helpful links to resources for both students and teachers of the comic arts," including but not limited to primary texts, encyclopedias, research databases, journals, organizations, and other relevant materials on the subject. From the libraries at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Good Comics for Kids
- Blog. "An alphabetical list of all the picks from the All Ages Comics and Manga list from the last year. You'll find over 100 titles that were highlighted in comics, graphic novels and manga from the weekly release list." From School Library Journal.
- Graphic Novels
- Includes: Graphic Novels 101: FAQ, Reading Lessons, Recommended Graphic Novels, and more. From The Horn Book. Archived website via Archive.org.
- Great Graphic Novels for Teens
- From the American Library Association.
- RCLS OverDrive eBooks: Graphic Novels
- Thrall/RCLS members: explore graphic novels electronically available in the library system and download free ebooks to a computer or ebook reader.
Series and Sequels Advisories
- Juvenile Series and Sequels
- Series written for or enjoyed by children. "The Juvenile Series and Sequels database contains over 36,000 books in 4,900 series titles that are classified into three audiences:
- Juvenile Easy [JE] - for birth through 2nd grade readers
- Juvenile [J] - for 2nd through 6th grade readers
- Young Adult [YA] - for 6th through 12th grade readers
- What's Next
- What's Next is a series oriented web database developed and maintained by the Kent District Library in Michigan. Search adult and youth series fiction by category or genre. A 'series' is two or more books linked by a characters, settings or other common traits.
- YA Books in Series and Sequels
- Series written for or enjoyed by teens.
Online Reading Communities
- Good Reads
- Friends, colleagues, and people worldwide sharing their reading interests, commenting on favorite works and authors, and joining groups of readers with similar literary tastes. Registration required at GoodReads.com.
- LibraryThing
- Readers can share their literary interests with others at this site. Registration required at LibraryThing.com.
- RAVES!
- Middletown Thrall Library's patrons, staff, and online visitors share reading recommendations and comment on works in the RAVES! database. No registration required.
Publishing Industry
- American Booksellers Association (ABA)
- The not for profit trade association representing independent booksellers. ABA'S Bookselling This Week contains industry news, features, and the Media Guide which lists books that have been reviewed in print or discussed on the radio or television this week.
- The Association of American Publishers (AAP)
- "AAP is the trade association for the U.S. book publishers, providing advocacy and communications on behalf of the industry."
- Association of American University Presses
- AAUP is a not for profit association of university presses. University presses often have access to the best ideas and research produced by the scholarly community.
- BookExpo America (BEA)
- A book affair described as "the largest gathering of booksellers, librarians, retailers, and industry professionals anywhere in North America."
- The Children's Book Council
- Non profit trade association of publishers and packagers of trade books for children and young adults.
- Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA)
- "The Independent Book Publishers Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association representing independent book publishers. Founded in 1983, it serves book publishers located in the United States and around the world. Its mission is to advance the professional interests of independent publishers. To this end, IBPA provides cooperative marketing programs, education and advocacy within the publishing industry."
- The International Publishers Association (IPA)
- "The International Publishers Association (IPA) is an international industry federation representing all aspects of book and journal publishing. Established in 1896, IPA's mission is to promote and protect publishing and to raise awareness for publishing as a force for economic, cultural and political development."
- Literary Market Place
- Resource Directory for the domestic and international book publishing industry. You must register to use. Some features require a subscription fee.
- National Book Festival
- A "Celebration of the Book" from the Library of Congress. Includes: Books That Shaped America, Book Festival Video Webcasts, Book Festival Audio Podcasts, Book Festival Kids and Teachers Guide.
- NewPages.com
- "NewPages.com is news, information, and guides to literary magazines, independent publishers, creative writing programs, alternative periodicals, indie bookstores, writing contests, and more."
- Publisher's Weekly
- The online version of the international news magazine of the publishing industry.
- Publishing Perspectives
- "An international online publishing newsletter, Publishing Perspectives delivers daily opinion about the industry from top members of the global publishing community, a look at the innovators and issues who are shaping the future of the business, as well as news and links from around the Web and the world."
Major Publishers Online
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Audiobooks
- Audio Publishers Association (APA)
- Includes listings of the Audie Award winners. Membership directory includes links to the major audio book publishers.
- AudioFile: The Magazine for People Who Love Audiobooks
- Reviews of audiobooks. Check out the Earphone Award winners. Includes profiles of audiobook narrators and AudioPolis (AudioFile's "top audiobook picks"). Some features require free registration.
- Amazing Audiobooks
- "An annual list of notable audio recordings significant to young adults." From the American Library Association (ALA).
eBooks & eReading
Jump to:
- eBooks Catalog - OverDrive/RCLS eBooks / eSebco eBooks / Virtual Reference Library
- About eBooks & eReaders (General Information & Considerations)
- Accessible Books & eBooks
- eBooks Providers
- eReaders Compatible with RCLS/OverDrive eBooks System
- eReaders - Product Websites, Specifications
- eReaders - Software
- News & Reviews
- Virtual Reference Library - Travel Guides, Online Reference Works, & More
About eBooks & eReaders - General Information & Considerations
- Choosing an eBook Reader
- Some things to consider. Thrall publication (Adobe Reader PDF format).
- Comparing eBooks & Books
- A quick look at the benefits/limits of both formats. Thrall publication (Adobe Reader PDF format).
- eBooks & eAudiobooks: A Quick Introduction & Some Tips
- Topics include: installing eBook software, searching for eBooks, downloading, and viewing/playing titles. Thrall publication (Adobe Reader PDF format).
- eBooks FAQ
- Frequent Asked Questions about eBooks.
- eBooks Help Pages
- Learn how to use, setup, and download RCLS/OverDrive eBooks onto your computer, eReader, tablet, or portable media player device.
Accessible Books & eBooks
- Bookshare
- "Bookshare is the world's largest online library of copyrighted content for people with qualifying print disabilities." Some persons might qualify for low-cost or free access.
- Bookshare via The New York Public Library (NYPL)
- Bookshare is the largest online library of content for people with qualifying print disabilities. Through an agreement between Bookshare and the NYPL, patrons in New York may join Bookshare for free with a New York Public Library Card. If you live, work, or pay taxes in New York State, you are eligible to apply for a library card from the NYPL online without visiting in person. Once you have received your New York Public Library Card in the mail, then a Bookshare account may be established with your new NYPL card (Your Middletown Thrall Library Card will not work with Bookshare.)
- Choice Magazine Listening (CML)
- "Choice Magazine Listening is a nonprofit organization that produces an audio anthology of magazine writing for print-disabled adults, four times a year. Our unique service, as well as the special player, are provided absolutely free of charge. Any individual who is print-disabled may receive Choice Magazine Listening. This includes people who are blind, visually impaired, or physically disabled. CML is recommended for those who are eighteen years old and over. We subscribe to approximately 100 distinguished magazines and select the best current writing for inclusion in each quarterly, 12-hour issue of CML. All selections are unabridged and read by professional audiobook narrators. Three experienced CML editors carefully select the best-written, most interesting, informative, and entertaining articles, stories, essays, interviews, and poems from current, national magazines. All subjects are fair game. We record articles about nature, health, business, sports, politics, entertainment, relationships, food, history, the arts . . . just about anything as long as the piece is well written and reflects the depth and breadth of the human experience."
- LibriVox: Free Public Domain Audiobooks
- "LibriVox audiobooks are free for anyone to listen to, on their computers, iPods or other mobile device, or to burn onto a CD." Browse by author, title, topic, genre, or language. You can also search for audiobooks.
- National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS)
- "Through a national network of cooperating libraries, NLS administers a free library program of braille and audio materials circulated to eligible borrowers in the United States by postage-free mail." From the Library of Congress.
- New York State Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL)
- "The New York State Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) lends audio and braille books and magazines to eligible residents of upstate New York who have a qualifying print disability." Includes information about BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) and Radio Reading Services.
- Open Library
- "Our goal is to provide a page on the web for every book ever published. At its heart, Open Library is a catalog. The project began in November 2007 and has been inhaling catalog records from some of the biggest libraries in the world ever since. We have well over 20 million edition records online, provide access to 1.7 million scanned versions of books, and link to external sources like WorldCat and Amazon when we can. The secondary goal is to get you as close to the actual document you're looking for as we can, whether that is a scanned version courtesy of the Internet Archive, or a link to Powell's where you can purchase your own copy." Open Library also offers of accessible DAISY eBooks as well as an eBook lending program, through which many titles can be borrowed.
- Open Library: Print Disabled Books FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- OpenLibrary.org offers electronic access to both "open" DAISY (Digital Accessible Information SYstem) ebooks and "protected" DAISY ebooks.
- Using Technology for Reading
- Sections include: Special Text Collections for the Visually Impaired, Mainstream Recorded and Audio Books: Resources for People with Print Impairments, Accessing and Reading Mainstream Electronic Books (eBooks) and Magazines, Turning the Printed Page into Machine-Readable Text. From the American Foundation for the Blind.
Book Covers & Book Design
- The Book Cover Archive
- "For the appreciation and categorization of excellence in book cover design." Search by title or author, or use the numerical page links to browse book cover designs.
- Book Designs
- Featured and award-winning book designs presented by AIGA (formerly the American Institute of Graphic Arts). See also AIGA and Design Observer's annual 50 Books/50 Covers awards.
- BookScans
- "BookScans is a free online reference site listing tens of thousands of .jpg images, arranged numerically, by publisher, displaying how cover images and graphics changed during the early years of paperbacks."
- Collection of Book Jackets
- "The jackets in the collection are from books published in the United States and Europe during two turbulent decades. Throughout, the illustrations and titles mirror the era's changing political concerns and desires." Browse covers by year. From New York Public Library.
- Cover Browser: Greatest Book Covers
- "Created in 2006, Cover Browser displays galleries of comic book (and book, pulp, games, DVD or magazine) covers for comic book fans like myself to explore and enjoy."
- Goodreads Listopia: Book Covers
- A variety of "best" and thematic lists of book covers voted upon by Goodreads members. Additional lists can be explored by clicking the numerical links near the bottom of each Goodreads page.
- The New York Times: The Best Book Covers of 2022
- Previous years: 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012.
- See also: Browse New Books in the Library System by Book Cover
- Directory provided by Middletown Thrall Library.
eReaders Compatible with RCLS/OverDrive eBooks System
- Compatible eBook Devices
- List of eReaders (eBook readers), computers, MP3 and portable digital audio players from OverDrive.
eBook Providers (free)
Featured Providers
- LibriVox
- eAudiobooks. "LibriVox volunteers record chapters of books in the public domain and release the audio files back onto the net. Our goal is to make all public domain books available as free audio books."
- Literature - eBooks and Digital Editions
- Download literary classics (novels, plays, poetry, essays, and more).
- Open Library
- Browse eBooks (public domain texts and other online editions). Not all texts listed are readable online or downloadable. Check "Only search eBooks" to limit your searches to text. You can also browse by topic or author. From Archive.org.
- Project Gutenberg
- Downloadbable eBooks/eTexts and eAudioBooks. Plain text, HTML, PDF and other editions of literary classics, historical works, nonfiction, and other titles.
- Ramapo Catskill Library System: eBooks, eAudiobooks, eVideos
- Available to members of Middletown Thrall Library or other libraries within RCLS.
Other Providers
- Amazon: Top Free Kindle books
- A directory of currently popular Kindle-compatible works. Browse by genre by using their left-side menu.
- Art eBooks & Art Collection Catalogs
- Hundreds of illustrated as well as scholarly editions published by major art museums and organizations around the world.
- Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature
- "Over 5800 fully digitized children's texts from the Baldwin Library of Historical Children's Literature. A continually growing archive of children's books published in the United States and Great Britain during the 19th century. The foundation for this on-line, digitized Collection is a cataloging and preservation project covering the years 1850-1900 funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH)." From the University of Florida.
- Baen Free Library
- Fantasy and science fiction titles. "Baen Books is now making available - for free - a number of its titles in electronic format. We're calling it the Baen Free Library. Anyone who wishes can read these titles online - no conditions, no strings attached. (Later we may ask for an extremely simple, name and email only, registration.)"
- BookBoon.com
- "On bookboon.com you can download free ebooks for students and [travel guides for] travelers in PDF format. All the books can be downloaded without registration. Our ebooks are legal and written exclusively for Bookboon. They are financed by a few in-book ads." Note: e-mail address is required (note: consider this and the potential for unwanted e-mail). Advertisements appear within books.
- DOAB: Directory of Open Access Books
- "The primary aim of DOAB is to increase discoverability of Open Access books. Academic publishers are invited to provide metadata of their Open Access books to DOAB. Metadata will be harvestable in order to maximize dissemination, visibility and impact. Aggregators can integrate the records in their commercial services and libraries can integrate the directory into their online catalogues, helping scholars and students to discover the books. The directory is open to all publishers who publish academic, peer reviewed books in Open Access and should contain as many books as possible, provided that these publications are in Open Access and meet academic standards." Browse by subject or search.
- Feedbooks
- "On Feedbooks you'll discover thousands of public domain books and original books from new authors that you can read on any mobile device." Downloadable etexts are provided in a number of formats (EPUB, Mobipocket, Kindle, PDF, and more).
- Forgotten Books
- "We are an independent publisher, specializing in historical writings. This includes works such as: classical fiction, philosophy, science, religion, folklore, mythology and sacred texts, in addition to secret and esoteric subjects, such as: occult, freemasonry, alchemy, hermetic and ancient knowledge. We have fiction and non-fiction books in both print and as e-books for download." Note: free editions are only available at low-resolutions, so you might want to locate certain editions at other eBook sources.
- FreeTechBooks.com
- "Free Online Computer Science and Programming Books, Textbooks, and Lecture Notes."
- Google Books
- Tip: the Use Advanced Search to locate public domain titles. Select "Full view" to locate books that can be viewed entirely online.
- HathiTrust Digital Library
- "The HathiTrust Digital Library brings together the immense collections of partner institutions in digital form, preserving them securely to be accessed and used today, and in future generations. HathiTrust is a partnership of major research institutions and libraries working to ensure that the cultural record is preserved and accessible long into the future. There are more than sixty partners in HathiTrust, and membership is open to institutions worldwide." Contains over ten million titles (fiction/nonfiction, literary works, and various other documents/publications), many of them full text and downloadable as eBooks. Search or browse.
- International Children's Digital Library (ICDL)
- "The International Children's Digital Library (ICDL) is a research project funded primarily by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), and Microsoft Research to create a digital library of outstanding children's books from all over the world. The project was introduced at an international celebration at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. in November 2002. The collection's focus is on identifying materials that help children to understand the world around them and the global society in which they live. The materials in the collection, all presented in the original languages in which they were published, reflect similarities and differences in cultures, societies, interests, and lifestyles of peoples around the world. At the end of the initial research period, it is anticipated that the ICDL collection will include approximately 10,000 materials in at least 100 languages. The ICDL was created by an interdisciplinary research team at the University of Maryland in cooperation with the Internet Archive. Members of the team include computer scientists, librarians, educational technologists, classroom teachers, graphic designers, and graduate students from the University of Maryland's (UMD) College of Information Studies (CLIS) and the UMD Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL), a leader in children's interface design."
- LearnOutLoud.com
- eAudioBooks. "LearnOutLoud.com has scoured the Internet to bring you over 3000 free audio and video titles. This directory features free audio books, lectures, speeches, sermons, interviews, and many other great free audio and video resources. Most audio titles can be downloaded in digital formats such as MP3 and most video titles are available to stream online."
- NASA e-Books
- Space exploration, astronomy, cosmology, and related topics.
- National Academies Press
- Science, technology, and medicine publications (studies, reports, etc.). "The National Academies - National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council - are committed to distributing their reports to as wide an audience as possible. Since 1994 we have offered 'Read for Free' options for almost all our titles. In addition, we have been offering free downloads of most of our titles to everyone and of all titles to readers in the developing world. We are now going one step further. Effective June 2nd, PDFs of reports that are currently for sale on the National Academies Press (NAP) Website and PDFs associated with future reports will be offered free of charge to all Web visitors."
- The Online Library of Liberty
- "The Library is where electronic versions of classic books about individual liberty are stored. These texts go back some 4,000 years and cover the disciplines of economics, history, law, literature, philosophy, political theory, religion, war and peace. They are in a variety of formats - facsimile PDFs so scholars can view the original text, HTML for ease of searching and attractive layout, and text-based PDF EBooks for personal use." Provided by LibertyFund.org.
- O'Reilly Open Books
- Online editions of select computer, Web / Internet development, and technology books published by O'Reilly. Some titles are no longer in print.
- Renascence Editions
- Search or browse. Description from website: "An Online Repository of Works Printed in English Between the Years 1477 and 1799. These publications are provided for nonprofit purposes only."
- Sesame Street eBooks
- Choose from several free ebooks and read them online.
- Smashwords
- A variety of fiction and nonfiction "ebooks from indie authors and publishers." Many titles are self-published. Browse by genre and click the "Free ebooks" link to view freely available titles in a variety of formats.
- Standard Ebooks
- "Standard Ebooks is a volunteer driven, not-for-profit project that produces new editions of public domain ebooks that are lovingly formatted, open source, and free. Ebook projects like Project Gutenberg transcribe ebooks and make them available for the widest number of reading devices. Standard Ebooks takes ebooks from sources like Project Gutenberg, formats and typesets them using a carefully designed and professional-grade style manual, lightly modernizes them, fully proofreads and corrects them, and then builds them to create a new edition that takes advantage of state-of-the-art ereader and browser technology."
- UC Press E-Books Collection, 1982-2004
- "UC Press E-Books Collection, 1982-2004, includes almost 2,000 books from academic presses on a range of topics," which include art, history, literature and literary studies / criticism, music, philosophy, religion, science, women's studies, and much more. Items available to the public are marked with a "public" tag. Browse by topic or search. From University of California Press.
- WikiBooks
- Online texts (mostly nonfiction, many collaborative and developing) available in a variety of languages. Described by WikiBooks as "the open-content textbooks collection that anyone can edit." Please note WikiBooks' disclaimers.
- World Book Encyclopedia
- In World Book Advanced you can read online (and in many cases download) numerous classics and other eBooks through their E-book Center. Available to members of Thrall.
See also: Virtual / Electronic / Digital Libraries
eReaders
- Amazon Kindle
- Barnes and Noble Nook eReader
- Kobo Reader
- Wikipedia: List of E-Book Readers
- Note Wikipedia's disclaimers.
eReader Software
- Adobe Digital Editions
- Software required for accessing certain OverDrive / RCLS eBooks (EPUB, PDF format).
- Amazon Kindle - Free Reading Apps
- Software for viewing books Amazon Kindle eBooks on your computer. Versions available for Windows PC, Windows Phone 7, Apple / Mac / iPad, Blackberry, Android. Additional technical information about RCLS eBooks and the Kindle can be found at this link.
- Adobe Reader
- For viewing PDF formatted eBooks and documents.
- Barnes and Noble Nook App
- For viewing books acquired through Barnes and Noble.
- OverDrive Media Console
- Software required to access audio eBooks (eAudioBooks), music, and videos from the RCLS eBooks catalog.
- Wikipedia: Comparison of E-Book Formats
- Note Wikipedia's disclaimers.
eBook News & Reviews
- CNET: E-book Reader Reviews
- eReaders.
- Consumer Reports: e-Readers
- Review of eReaders and related services. Please note: as of April 2018, the last overview report of ereaders was from April 2016.
- Digital Book World
- Electronic publishing news, articles on digital publishers, and more. From F+W Media.
- The New York Times: Books Under Glass: The Many Faces of E-Readers
- E-reader reviews (5/31/2012). See also the NYT's Personal Technology page.
- Publishers Weekly: Digital Content - eBooks
- News and articles on eBooks and related publishers, authors, eReaders, and more.
Authors
Writers, Novelists, Dramatists, Essayists, Poets, and Storytellers- Authors Online
- Past and present literary authors on the Internet. Directory from Middletown Thrall Library.
- Author Name Pronunciation Guide
- "A collection of brief recordings of authors & illustrators saying their names." From TeachingBooks.net.
- Author Pronunciations
- "Guidance on how to pronounce those tricky author names." From BookBrowse.com.
- Book TV
- Videos of interviews and speeches featuring "top nonfiction authors" and their books. Adobe Flash required to watch videos (http://www.adobe.com). From C-SPAN.
- Booknotes: 800 Nonfiction Authors in Hour-Long Interviews
- "For sixteen years, from 1989 to 2004, Booknotes was C-SPAN's signature author-interview program. Focusing exclusively on contemporary nonfiction books, the Booknotes series created an unparalleled television forum for writers of history, biography, politics, and public affairs." Browse by Author or Category. Provided by C-SPAN.
- Kirkus TV: Author Video Interviews
- Video reviews with recent fiction, nonfiction, and young adult authors. From Kirkus Reviews.
- National Public Radio (NPR): Author Interviews
- Audio (streaming + MP3 download) and text transcripts.
- Open Books Radio
- From Booklist editor Donna Seaman, this website offers exclusive author interviews and free downloadable audio files of select editions of Open Books. Adobe Flash is required (http://www.adobe.com).
- The Paris Review: Interviews
- Featuring poets and writers interviewed from the 1950s to present.
- Powell's Books: Author Interviews
- Contemporary writers interviewed by used books seller Powell's.
- Reading Rockets: Video Interviews with Renowned Children's Book Authors and Illustrators
- Adobe Flash required to watch videos (http://www.adobe.com).
- Something about the Author
- Biographical and bibliographical information on authors and illustrators of children's and young adult books.
Bookstores / Sales
- Addall.com
- This website for book shoppers allows you to check title availability and compare prices at all the major online booksellers.
- Advanced Book Exchange
- The "world's largest network of independent booksellers" features a database of 22 million listings of used and out-of-print books.
- Alibris
- Alibris allows you to shop from the inventories of thousands of used booksellers.
- Amazon
- Amazon features reviews from Booklist and Kirkus.
- Barnes & Noble
- The online version of Barnes & Noble has reviews from Library Journal and School Library Journal.
- Biblio.com
- "Biblio offers nearly 100 million used and rare books for sale from professional independent booksellers around the world."
- Bookbub.com
- Bookbub.com is a free daily email alert which sends readers information regarding free or discounted ebooks available for purchase. Members can customize the books they are alerted to by genre or by bookseller.
- Bookfinder
- Searches catalogs of used book dealers to give you access to 40 million books
- Chegg
- "From starting as a textbook rental company in 2007 to evolving into the leading network for students, Chegg has become one of Silicon Valley's most successful start-ups, disrupting - and enhancing - education for millions of students."
- IndieBound (formerly Book Sense)
- A family of independent booksellers websites. Locate independent book stores by zip code or city. Check out the Book Sense Picks, a monthly selection of eclectic new books chosen by independent booksellers. This is a great place to browse for new titles.
News
- Alltop Books News
- Headlines and updates from various literary news sources and blogs.
- Book Reporter
- News and other features about upcoming titles and their authors. Part of the Book Report Network, which also includes such sites as Reading Group Guides
- National Public Radio (NPR): Book News and Author Interviews
- The New York Times - select a news section:
- Kids and Family Reading Report
- "The Kids & Family Reading Report is a national survey sharing the views of both kids and parents on reading books for fun and the influences that impact kids' reading frequency and attitudes toward reading. It is a biennial report with 2019 unveiling the seventh edition, released in three installments. In 2015, the first international report was unveiled in the United Kingdom, followed in 2016 by India and Australia, and Canada in 2017."
- NewPages.com
- "News, information and guides to independent bookstores, independent publishers, literary magazines, alternative periodicals, independent record labels, alternative newsweeklies and more." Includes a blog and resources for writers (e.g. markets / calls for submissions).
- Publishers Weekly
- USA Today: Books
Other Blogs for Booklovers
- BlogCritics: Books
- Commentary, criticism, and reviews of upcoming books.
- BritLitBlogs
- A combination of British literary blogs.
- CriminalElement.com
- "A publisher neutral crime and mystery community." From Macmillan.
- Literature Blogs
- A select list of blogs focusing on classic and contemporary literature.
- The Millions: A Blog About Books
- Reviews, commentary, and news for readers.
- National Book Critics Circle: Critical Mass Blog
- "The National Book Critics Circle honors outstanding writing and fosters a national conversation about reading, criticism and literature. Critical Mass includes regular series such as these: 1) The Critical Library, five essential books listed by critics; 2) 30 Books in 30 Days, reviews of each year's awards finalists; 3) Conversations with Literary Websites, interviews with the top online editors; ) 4) Independent Press Spotlight, interviews with authors, editors, publishers; 5) The Next Decade in Book Culture, guest posts from hundreds of reviewers and readers speculating about all possibilities for books, reading and reviewing, including effects of technology on how we read; 6) In Retrospect, reviews of past NBCC award winners/finalists by today's critics;; plus industry news, interviews, points of view, and guest posts, plus podcasts and videocasts of NBCC awards events and programs."
- The New York Review of Books Blog
- The New Yorker: The Page Turner
- "Criticism, contention, and conversation about books that matter."
- Omnivoracious: The Amazon Book Review
- "Omnivoracious is a blog run by the books editors at Amazon.com. We aim to share our passion for the written word through news, reviews, interviews, and more. This is our space to talk books and publishing frankly and we welcome participation through comments.
- Powells Books Blog
- Reviews, commentary, and news for readers from Powells, a book vendor.
- Publishers Weekly Blogs
- A variety of blogs about publishers, writers, and books.
- Readers Read
- Publishing news and other literary updates.
- Reading Rockets: Blogs about Reading (Sound It Out, Page by Page, The Reading Rockets Blogroll)
- "Updated weekly, the following blogs from Reading Rockets offer insight into the best practices in reading instruction and using books effectively both inside and outside of the classroom."
- SMP Romance - Indulge. Escape. Read.
- All things Romance. From Macmillan.
- Tor.com
- "Science Fiction. Fantasy. The Universe. " From Macmillan.
- See also: Thrall's Booklover Blog
- Monthly featured titles and other literary interests. Published by Middletown Thrall Library.
About this Guide
Booklovers has been developed to help you select reading material. These websites are great sources, but our efforts to help you find a good book don't stop here. The library owns a collection of books geared to assist our patrons in their search for what to read next.
Please stop by our Reference Desk to learn about any of these services and to browse our dedicated print collection of Reader's Advisory guides for all ages, subjects, and genres.