Research Guides: English Literature: Book Reviews

Why Book Reviews?

Book Reviews Can...

Help you evaluate books and formulate your own analysis of the book.
Help you decide if a book is one you want to read and use in your own research.
Tell you how well a book was received, and if the book is a trusted resource.

Best Practices

In Start My Research book reviews are automatically excluded. You'll need to remove that filter when starting your search. Use the keywords "book review" and a title, author, or subject to start.

Popular book reviews
- found in mainstream periodicals such as Time Magazine and newspapers, and tend to be short.
- Reviews may appear up to one year after the book was published.
Scholarly reviews (including "critical" and "literary" reviews)
- found in peer-reviewed academic journals or other authoritative compilations, such as websites maintained by scholarly societies or books that compile reviews and criticism.
- Reviews may appear up to three years after the book was published.
Keep in mind that many books are never reviewed!

Start My Research
This is the library's main search tool. Search numerous resources available through Auraria Library including journals, articles, media, books, and more. Limit by material type, publication date, author, and more.

Book Review Best Bets

New York Times - Books
Find book reviews from the last four years.

NoveList This link opens in a new window
A reader's advisory database for book recommendations. Find recommendations by genre, age group, subject, awards, or title.
Book Review Digest Retrospective: 1903-1982 This link opens in a new window
Supplies citations to more than a quarter of million reviews of adult and juvenile fiction and non-fiction English-language books published in magazines, newspapers, scholarly journals, and books. Includes an excerpt of each review.