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Hoover Public Library

200 Municipal Dr. Hoover, AL 35216 | (205) 444-7800

Need a Good Book?

Use the links below to find lists of reading suggestions, genre-specific websites, books reviews, and the latest in book news on the web!

Quick Links to Websites by Genre

African American	General Reading Advice	LGBTQ	Romance
Award Winners	Historical Fiction	Movies	Science Fiction & Fantasy
Book Discussion Groups	Horror	Music	Social Networking for Readers
Chick Lit	Inspirational	Mystery	Southern Literature
Current Best Sellers	Latin American	News & Reviews	Westerns

African American

African-American Literature Book Club

Increases knowledge of the diversity of African-American literature and serves as a resource and vehicle of expression for aspiring and professional writers. Website is a recognized source of critical reviews of books by and about African-American authors, contains book reviews, includes author profiles, provides a copy of their current newsletter, and offers writer's resources

Promotes books written by or about African-Americans. This website promotes literary works which may reflect the African-American culture, publishes new releases by mainstream as well as self-published writers, offers monthly author interviews as well as book previews and reviews

The-Blackbox.com

St. Martin's Press website showcasing the lastest titles in African American fiction and nonfiction, including excerpts, descriptions, and information about upcoming author events.

Award Winners

This site lists awards for: American Library Association Award, Audie Award (Audio books), Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, Buckeye Children's Book Award, Caldecott Medal (American picture book for children), Christy Award, (Contemporary Christian fiction), Coretta Scott King Award, Edgar Award (Mystery), Hugo Award (Science Fiction), James Beard/KitchenAid Awards (Cooking), National Book Award, National Book Award for Young People's Literature, Nebula Award (Science Fiction/Fantasy), Newbery Medal (American literature for children), PEN/Faulkner Award (Fiction), Printz Award (Young Adult), Pulitzer Prize

Lambda Literary Award

The Lambda Literary Awards identify and celebrate the best lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender books of the year and affirm that LGBT stories are part of the literature of the world.

The RITA Awards recognize the best romance novels and novellas in various categories published each year.

Book Discussion Groups

Beauregard Parish Library

Provides reading group lists as well as links to websites devoted to reading groups and reading guides

Guides for those leading book discussion groups indexed by title, author, and genre. Also includes advice and a forum to invite the author to your book group.

Book Club Classics

Designed to help book clubs be more effective by getting the most out of their selections with discussion questions and interesting links

Find a book. Find a review. Find a discussion guide. Also has tips on starting a book club and making the most out of it.

Offers an extensive selection of reading group guides along with general reading group information

Offers reading group guides for a variety of different genres

Reading Group Choices

Recommendations for lively book group discussions along with book summaries and conversation starters

Reading Group Guides

Provides book synopses, discussion questions, and critical feedback

Chick Lit

Candy Covered Books

Lists and rates chick lit by book title, author, and cover. Each entry has a plot summary and reviews of the book.

Chick Lit Books

Reviews, interviews and sub-genres in the chick lit market

Chick Lit is Not Dead

Lots of fun reviews of the latest in chick lit

Online women's magazine that celebrates 21st century women's contemporary fiction and lifestyle

Current Best Sellers

Offers bestseller lists from various sources

Publishers Weekly

Complete bestseller lists from Publishers Weekly online.

The New York Times

Complete bestseller lists

General Reading Advice

Publishers Weekly

Complete bestseller lists from Publishers Weekly online.

Historical Fiction

Historical Novel Society

A Literary society comprised of both authors and readers of historical fiction that reviews and promotes the genre in the US and the UK. Their online magazine offers book reviews and feature articles that are searchable by author, sub-genre and time period.

Historical Novels

Lists over 3,500 historical novels by time and place

Lists author, title, and synopsis of novels receiving at least one starred review. Provides lists of Historical Fiction and Historical Crime Fiction.

Horror

Fiction, movies, and art dedicated to the horror genre complete with author interviews, award news, and book reviews

Horror Writers Association

Offers reading suggestions and lists all awards and winners, as well as providing links to several other horror sites with reviews

Inspirational

Faithful Reader

Website devoted to the Christian novel with book reviews and upcoming titles, along with an author index and search capabilities

Comprehensive Christian Fiction resource including news, interviews, and information about current and forthcoming books

The American Christian Fiction Writers Association's guide to current and popular inspirational fiction with reviews, author interviews and much more.

Focus on Fiction

Sharing Christian fiction through author interviews, book reviews, and new release sneak peeks

Latin American

Links to Latino statistics and literature resources, including book reviews and Latino award-winning authors

LGBTQ

100 Best Lesbian and Gay Novels

Voted on by a panel of judges including gay and lesbian writers and those in the publishing industry, along with readers in the online world.

GLBT Literature

Devoted to literature about the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience. Lists recommended titles along with new publications in the genre

Lambda Literary Association

Lists award winners and offers reading suggestions. Note: There is no search feature

Movies

Internet Movie Database

Offers searching by movie title, plot, character, actor/actress, and quotes. Also offers movie reviews and news.

Rotten Tomatoes

Searchable database of objective film and video reviews

Music

All Music Guide

Offers searching by artist, album, title, record label, and music style. Also offers music news and reviews.

Provides access to and summarizes the vast amount of entertainment criticism available online

Mystery

Sponsored by the International Thriller Writers organization, this webzine is full of great links and scores of reviews

Bloodstained Bookshelf

The Bloodstained Bookshelf is a (more-or-less) monthly list of recent and forthcoming traditional-print mysteries published in the US.

Offers links to many different mystery sites with reviews, current mysteries, and mystery series

Site for fans of the cozy mystery with reviews and an author index

Criminal Element

Site for interesting crime fiction with excerpts and interviews

Murder on the Internet

Web resources for mystery and detective fiction including links to subgenre directories, reading lists, listservs, and many other links from the Springfield City(MA) Library

Showcases the African-American contribution and presence in mystery fiction, features African-American amateur sleuths, P. I.s, and police detectives as well as their authors, highlights one title a month and offers book reviews of other titles, updates readers on latest mystery news as well as new, recent, and upcoming releases, provides writer information for aspiring mystery writers

Stop, You're Killing Me

Offers searching by series character and character's occupation, links to reviews, news, awards, and authors

News & Reviews

Publishers Weekly

Complete bestseller lists from Publishers Weekly online.

Romance

All About Romance

For lovers of romance novels providing reviews, blog posts, and author interviews

Offers bestseller lists from various sources

Offers many top 10, 50, 100 lists, etc. and lists authors, titles, and synopses as well as reviews

Romance Writers of America

Features a large searchable database with information on both current and past bestsellers. Also offers lists of award winners.

Magazine of romance book reviews and author interviews

Science Fiction & Fantasy

Fantasy Book Critic

Thoughtful reviews make this one of the best speculative fiction blogs. The emphasis is on fantasy, but science fiction and horror are also reviewed.

Online magazine of the science fiction and fantasy field with book reviews, award winners, and perspectives on the varied genre

SciFan

Lists author bibliographies, series chronologies, books on major genre themes, and new and forthcoming releases by month

News, reviews, fan forums, interviews and a place for fan writers to post their own work.

Bibliography of over 3,000 novels, stories, and essays covering alternative histories and the "what if's" of history

Social Networking for Readers

Free social networking website which can be used as a reader's advisory tool to find recommended books, readalikes, and genre collections. "Imagine it as a large library that you can wander through and see everyone's bookshelves, their reviews, and their ratings."

Free social networking website which connects you to others readers who are reading what you read. Can be used as a reader's advisory tool to find book reviews and recommended reading.

Free social networking website for book lovers who want to be connected to other readers. Can be used as a reader's advisory tool to find book reviews and book recommendations

Southern Literature

Film production company that conducted a nationwide poll of the top 125 Southern books of all time.

Alabama Authors and Their Works

An extensive listing compiled by the Alabama Library Association's Bibliographic Committee which lists the works of specific Alabama authors

Southern Literary Review

Celebrates the classic as well as the newer Southern authors through book reviews and author sketches. No search capability.

Westerns

Booklist of mostly hardcover books about the American West that received at least one starred review from a professional review source.

A forever growing web directory of Western authors of today and of the past. Includes a monthly online magazine.