Library

Book Reviews

Below are suggested resources to use searching for book reviews. For research strategies and techniques, visit the resources linked from the menu at the left.

Book Review Indexes | Book Reviews in Biographical Sources | Book Reviews in Newspapers, Magazines, and Journals

Book Review Indexes

Book Review Digest
Ref Z1035.A1 C96 1905-present (Online Access: GSLIS ONLY)
Includes citations for and excerpts from book reviews of fiction and non-fiction books for both children and adults. To find reviews in the print index:

Select the volume for the year the book was published and 3-5 subsequent volumes. (If the book experienced renewed popularity some time after its publication, such as because of an authors death or the release of a movie adaptation, you may wish to check the volumes from those years, as well)
Search the index alphabetically for the books author/editor or title; you may be pointed from one to the other for full entries.
Full entries include author, title and publication information, Library of Congress subject headings, ISBN and LC codes, summaries, review citations, and possibly review excerpts.
See the beginning of each volume for a list of periodical indexed to determine from which sources the indexed review are culled.

Book Review Index
Ref Z1035.A1 B6 1965-present
Provides citations for reviews of books in all formats (print, electronic, and audio). Reviews indexed are for books for popular juvenile and adult, scholarly, and professional audiences. To find reviews in the print index:

Select the volume for the year the book was published and 3-5 subsequent volumes. (If the book experienced renewed popularity some time after its publication, such as because of an authors death or the release of a movie adaptation, you may wish to check the volumes from those years, as well)
Search the Title or Author/Editor Index alphabetically. Title Index comes after and points to main Author/Editor Index with full entries.
Full entries include author/editor, title, illustrator (if applicable), Age and Type codes, review citations, summaries, review citations, including approximate number of words in each review.
See the beginning of each volume for a list of publications indexed to determine from which sources the indexed review are culled.

Books in Print with Review
Simmons Eresource
BIP with Reviews provides a record of all books in print in all markets. Many of the entries include reviews from select sources. To find reviews:

Select a field to search for a book--"Author," "Title (exact)," or "Keyword in Title." *Note that if a book's title is indexed at all differently than you enter it in "Title (exact)," you will not get results searching this way.
Enter the author or title in the search bar.
Select the book from the results list if it appears. *Note: multiple editions available in many countries may appear for the same title.
Review will appear at the bottom of the entry as displayed when you select a title from the results list.

CHOICE Reviews
PER Z1035.A1 C5 and Simmons Eresource
CHOICE is a publication of reviews provided by subject experts on books and electronic resources of interest to those in higher education. To find reviews Choice Reviews Online:

Select a field to search for a book--"Keyword in Title" or "Author/Editor."
Enter the title or author/editor in the appropriate search bar.
Select the book from the results list if it appears to view the fulltext of the review.

Choice reviews are also published in print in the monthly Choice magazine. Citations for these reviews are included in many databases. If you wish to view the choice reviews in this way, contact a librarian for help.

Book Reviews in Biographical Sources

Biography Reference Center
Simmons Eresource
Provides biographies of people from all fields, including literature. Some of the sources--like Authors and Artists for Young Adults, Contemporary Authors, and Contemporary Popular Writers--include citations for reviews of writers works. To search for reviews:

Enter the author or editors name in the name search bar.
If you enter the author's full name, select "Name Contains." If you enter the author's last name only, select "Start of Last Name."
Select your author, if he or she appears, from the results list.
Citations for reviews are usually included under the "Narrative Biographies" and "Magazine Articles" sections.

Contemporary Authors
Simmons Eresource
Provides complete biographical and bibliographical information and references on approximately 120,000 U.S. and international authors. Full entries include citations for select reviews of authors' major works. To find reviews:

Enter author's name or title of the work in the appropriate search line.
Select your author, if he or she appears, from the results list.
Citations for reviews appear under the "Further Readings About the Author" section.

Contemporary Literary Criticism
Simmons Eresource
While the focus of this source is on critical essays on contemporary authors, some entries include citations for and fulltext of book reviews. Each CLC entry contains a biographical/critical introduction, listing of principal works, and sources for further study. To find reviews:

The default search, indicated on the left menu, is "Author." Enter the authors name, or select "Title" search and enter the name of a book.
Choose a citation from the list of results to view the article. *Note most are more critical essays then book reviews.

Book Reviews in Newspapers, Magazines, and Journals Indexes

Academic Onefile
Simmons Eresource
To find reviews:

Select "Advanced Search."
Choose "Named Work (W0)" from the dropdown menu of searchable fields.
Enter the name of the book for which you need a review.
Leave "Keyword (ke)" in the next dropdown menu of searchable fields.
Enter "review" in the Keyword search box
Click "Search."
Choose the appropriate citations for reviews of your book if they appear in the results list.

Academic Search Complete
Simmons Eresource
To find reviews:

Enter the name of your book in quotation marks in the search line.
Select "PS Products and Reviews" from the dropdown menu of searchable fields next to the search box.
Click "Search."
Choose the appropriate citations for reviews of your book if they appear in the results list.

AltPressWatch
Simmons Eresource
To find reviews:

Enter "review" on the first search box.
Select "Document Type" from the dropdown menu of searchable fields next to the search box.
Enter the name of you book in quotation marks in the second search line.
Click "Search."
Choose the appropriate citations for reviews of your book if they appear in the results list.

Alternative Press Index
Simmons Eresource
To find reviews:

Enter "book reviews" in the first search box.
Select "Article Type" from the dropdown menu of searchable fields next to the search box.
Enter the name of you book in quotation marks in the second search line.
Click "Search."
Choose the appropriate citations for reviews of your book if they appear in the results list.

LexisNexis
Simmons Eresource
To find reviews:

Click the "Guided News Search" tab.
Under Step One, select the Category "Arts and Sports News."
Under Step Two, select "Book, music, movie, & play reviews."
Under Step Three, enter the name of your book in quotation marks in the first search line.
Select "Full Text" from the dropdown menu of searchable fields next to the search line.
Under Step Four, choose a date range that encompasses the publication date of your book.
Click "Search."
Choose the appropriate citations for reviews of your book if they appear in the results list.

Getting Fulltext

Some of the sources listed here will provide citations for book reviews, but not the actual full text of the reviews, themselves. You may have to elsewhere to find an article for which you have a citation. Consult the resources below to find out how to get access to the articles you need.

Library Online Catalog - to see what Simmons owns in print or electronically
Fulltext Journal Locator (Serials Solutions) just for e-journals, indicates which database covers which years of full-text journals
Interlibary Loan - if Simmons does not have an article electronically or in print

MySimmons

Simmons College Intranet for Current Students, Faculty and Staff

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