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Like most gay men of the early to mid-twentieth century, Dr. Jake Friedman’s homosexuality is explained away as an embarrassing “tendency.” Thrilled to discover a woman with whom he can share intimacy, he proposes marriage early on, intending to fulfill his promise after the war. Jake feels drawn to volunteer after a tragic auto accident that kills a coworker and as a response to the fascist genocide in Europe and the Japanese invasion of the Pacific region that cast shadows across the free world in 1941. ... (read more)

The names Bill Clinton and Monica Lewinsky will forever be intertwined for all the wrong reasons. With the end of the twentieth century nearing, the world's eyes were seemingly on the sitting president’s extramarital affair. While this topic will undoubtedly be covered in the history books for generations to come, Lichtman's research, which includes speaking to many of the chief players, has resulted in a candid presentation of the content that is simultaneously insightful and entertaining. ... (read more)

Deeper View

When one thinks of President Richard Nixon, the Watergate scandal is usually the first thing that comes to mind. However, in this biography, award-winning author Paul Carter works relentlessly to bring the true essence of Richard Nixon to the forefront, a feat which he performs masterfully and with grace and simplicity. Audiences will gain exposure to Nixon’s humble roots in rural Whittier, California, and Yorba Linda, California—his birthplace—when it was just a fledgling Orange County city with hardly three hundred residents. What’s more, though, is that Carter truly shines a light on the kind of person Nixon was. The premise is that, for all intents and purposes, while the former president was a superb tactician, he transcended that and was a giant of a man. ... (read more)

Extraordinary Read

Four young Irish immigrants seek their fortunes in Denver, Colorado, filled with enthusiasm and dreams for their new futures. Emmett Kelly, the titular butcher, has meat-packinghouse experience in Chicago and longs to open his own butcher shop or grocery store. He may be considered the lead protagonist because the novel opens and closes with his predicaments, but the story is truly not Kelly’s alone. He becomes acquainted with Thomas Quinn on the train to Denver, a young carpenter who is quieter and much less brash. The young men soon find a wealth of job opportunities and female companionship in the rapidly growing city. Despite the era’s restrictions for women of all ages, Alice Butler and Maggie Sullivan are high-spirited young ladies with viable dreams of their own. More interested in romance than in making a headlong rush toward marriage and motherhood, they’re inclined to seek both adventure and respectability in their new environment. ... (read more)

Beyond the Usual

D’Agostino, a psychiatric and behavioral health expert, offers his personal and professional opinions about the differences between racism, prejudice, and tribalism in his book. He clearly explains in the introduction that he is neither a sociologist nor a scholar of racism, nor has he spent years researching and writing about this issue. His interest stems from his viewpoint as a mental health professional looking through the lens of psychiatric concerns with the complex of “motivations and emotionally important belief systems.” To this end, the author primarily examines the trajectory of race relations in his lifetime as he experienced the black-white racial divide, although he also cogently covers the topic historically. ... (read more)

Live Positive

In this intimate book, Davies shares a deeply personal story about reckoning with death, grief, and life after losing a loved one. The author recounts her story of losing her husband in daily journal entries. These entries help readers understand the process of acceptance that happens after someone dies. They also learn about how the support of one’s family and community can make the grieving process more navigable. Throughout the collection, poems appear with certain journal entries, and these poems help memorialize the author’s husband, Butch. However, the poems’ inclusion is also a testament to the healing power poetry and literature offer during difficult times. As readers progress through the journal, they learn that the author’s assertion, “Grief demands to be handled on its own terms and in its own time,” is an adage to adopt and live by when facing grief and trauma. ... (read more)

Jazzy & Gritty

This collection by Streitz is the first of four Bar Bibles of Poetry authored by him. In this volume, his attention falls on subjects ranging from bartenders to civil rights leaders, E.D. to selfies. Several poems deal with sex and love, from the lofty heights of romanticism to the street level of strippers and masturbation. He spends time on drunk writers hiding in their homes, dancers who should have been writers, beetles rolling balls of dung, and fathers who find themselves protective and uncomfortable. ... (read more)

A New Favorite

From the outset, Oscar and Otto are destined for confrontation. Oscar loves to fish, while Otto loves to trick fishermen. One day, Oscar’s fishing takes a turn. He keeps putting worms on the line, getting a nibble, but hooking no fish. He soon runs out of worms. While sitting in wonder in his boat, Otto approaches, thanks Oscar for all the worms, then splashes him and laughs as he swims away. Of course, this angers Oscar. He begins to plan and plot, but Otto still seems to get the best of him, and Oscar ends up falling out of the boat into the lake. Meanwhile, Otto is bragging more and more to his friends. Finally, Oscar comes up with a more devious plan and hooks Otto. Although Otto gets away, he is no longer bragging as he has a hook stuck in his mouth. When winter comes, Oscar is still fuming and making plans, while Otto has trouble eating. When Oscar forgets to be cautious and falls through the ice, Otto has a decision to make as he sees Oscar fighting fearfully to find a way back to the surface. ... (read more)

Clear Philosophy

The free will debate has raged for over 2,000 years. Do individuals have control over their own actions and decisions, or are these actions and decisions predetermined by the gods, logic, nature or nurture, or many other forms of determinism? In this new work by Kral, he takes the reader on an intellectual journey that attempts to provide an alternative to the free will question. Upon initial inspection, the question, at its heart, seems to imply either a yes or no with explanations while excluding other answers. However, Kral manages to create a compelling third option, which posits that the question itself is flawed. He argues that “will” cannot be considered free or not free. His reasoning breaks down what the word means in the context of this question, and his results lead him to create an additional theory about the source of human behavior. which he has titled procirclism. ... (read more)

The book opens with a bold declaration that all forms of perfectionism are unhealthy. Collins and Molitor denounce the concept of “normal” perfectionists who are more productive and achieve greater success. As perfection is inherently unattainable, its pursuit is an inevitable path to frustration, which adversely affects mental and physical health, relationships, creativity, and productivity. Inspired by Kintsugi—the Japanese art and philosophy of “golden repair”—the authors advocate rejecting perfectionism and adopting the “Flawsomism” mindset of celebrating imperfection, striving for excellence, and embracing failure as an opportunity for growth. ... (read more)

The Journey

Author Jeffries recalls his personal history, expanding it to a broad vision of his nation and the world. Born during World War II, he recognized early on that men in his parents’ “Greatest Generation” were spurred by the trauma that all warfare can evoke and, therefore, strove to achieve more once they returned home, building new neighborhoods and aiming for meaningful employment. Similarly, American women who had contributed industrial efforts to the nation’s defense, symbolized by the popular image of “Rosie the Riveter,” resolved to be conscientious wives and parents while also starting to seek outside employment. The postwar years thus wrought numerous upswings in ordinary American life. Meanwhile, citizens of central Europe, where whole cities had been obliterated, were still grappling with extremely challenging aftermaths. One ominous signal was the burgeoning of Russian communism and its concomitant movements of socialism and similar, politically far-left movements. ... (read more)

Transporting audiences into a riveting espionage thriller, Bornstein pushes the limits of science and technology to create a potentially cataclysmic outcome that is as plot-centric as it is character-driven. Loyalties are tested regularly, revealing the fortitude of the main characters and their determination to achieve their goals at all costs. Not your typical thriller, the narrative is tied to one’s roots, family, and being wronged in a way that can’t easily be forgiven. ... (read more)

Masterful Storyteller

This third book in Cannon’s enjoyable fantasy series continues the saga of Sillik. Having returned home to Illicia, “the most powerful and wealthy city in the land,” to learn of his father’s death, he becomes king. With his wife, Renee, by his side, Sillik surrounds himself with trusted advisors. The city is attacked by dragons and the horrible Schula—“green-skinned, long-tusked creatures.” As it becomes clear that the dragons and Schula are attacking other cities, war seems imminent. The Seven Gods and Illicia are pitted against the nine dark forces, which include the formidable gods Mind Breaker and Soulcrusher. As the two factions move toward war, it becomes clear that Sillik and his people will need to harness all their magical powers if they are to defeat the Nine. Will they succeed, or will all be lost in the final battle? ... (read more)

Juhani Murros made an unexpected discovery during his visits to art galleries when he worked for an organization in Ho Chi Minh City in 1990. A small still life in an unobtrusive gallery commanded the Finnish physician’s attention. “It was an unpretentious oil painting, yet its dark, mysterious colors and the emotional tension of its disciplined composition set it apart.” Thus began a long journey of discovering the art and life of Van Den, a frugal and kind Buddhist of mixed Chinese and Vietnamese ancestry who studied in Paris for less than two years during 1950-52, a volatile period during the first French Indochina War. ... (read more)

Cast of Characters

The relationships between instructors working in a dysfunctional sociology department at a fictional Florida university in the late 1980s are realistically explored in this novella by educator McNeill. While many workplaces, whether in government, the private for-profit sector, or even non-profit organizations, have these ego-driven, ideological clashes that create a hostile environment for some employees but provide unfair advantages to others, this story reveals the particular problems that arise in academic settings, and in this case, with dramatic, destructive results. The drama is also a cautionary tale determined by various departmental cliques that disregard the warning signs of trouble ahead for not only department faculty but for the entire university and the outside community as well. ... (read more)

Myths & Magic

Prince Khael Stratton is a mystic who seeks to deepen his knowledge of such arts to help those in need. Following a mission, he reports to the city of Cambridge—ruled over by his brother—and has a close encounter with a pickpocket who steals his signet ring. Alongside his bodyguard, Grant, the prince manages to track down the young woman, Vixen, who suffers from a foggy memory while demonstrating a great talent for skills associated with assassins. Prince Khael finds it an odd happenstance in a time when a terrorist group known as the Chelevkori are making active attempts to eliminate the royal family for a perceived wrongdoing by his grandfather, Loren, and it is further compounded by reports that tyrannical rule has seized the city of Skemmelsham over which he rules. Prince Khael forges a contract with Vixen, and with Grant, they go on a journey to liberate the city. ... (read more)

Transformation

Fred counts on his dad when his inability to keep a job and keep his weight in check causes conflict with his mom and sister. When Fred’s dad dies and his sister (his primary income buffer) moves away, Fred and his mom are on their own until Fred’s wrestling champion girlfriend, Mary Ellen, arrives, giving Fred the boost he needs to defend himself, literally and figuratively. ... (read more)

Fluid & Engaging

David and Tereza have been together since they were children. Both are progressive and intellectual thinkers. As young lovers, they believe they will change the world together. However, the circumstances of life end up taking them down separate paths. Each eventually marries and has children, although they are able to keep their families close and their more platonic love intact. When they leave a family barbecue together, a microburst brought on by advancing climate change brings down a jet that slams into the house, killing their loved ones. This leads to a terrible argument where they shut each other out, each one wallowing in their own destructive guilt. When they finally patch things up, they take their tested and, at times, confusing relationship to the Ashami Institute, a retreat for artists and intellectuals. The institute is in bad shape financially, and David and Tereza, along with David’s new girlfriend, formulate a plan to take over the leadership and turn the institute into an environmentally friendly, sustainable community. However, the increasing climate crisis and the ever-evolving complications of their relationships threaten to tear their lives apart again. ... (read more)

Spoken Right

At some point, everyone has experienced the feeling of being misinterpreted, either in words or intentions. Often this causes the listener to feel defensive or offended, leading to a conflict even in situations where the speaker felt they were being considerate or even caring. In this book, the author draws upon his experiences of both working within the New Mexico correctional systems as well as years spent in ministry and in support groups to help readers communicate clearly and considerately with people from all walks of life. At the end of the day, when one has a message that one wants to be heard, but ultimately, being heard is not the goal, the focus should be more on being understood. As the title implies, wanting to say what one means can lead to conflict, but with practice and empathy, it is possible to express fully transparent feelings without ignoring the other person’s situation. ... (read more)

Beautiful Bar Talk

Streitz dives into an impressive and expansive range of topics, tackling them head-on rather than tiptoeing around them as most normally do. In the process, audiences get to reflect on how they interact with their own lives and the stimuli they are constantly surrounded by. Above all else, however, it is the poet’s ability to use language, particularly metaphor, imagery, and satire, to create a remarkably relatable and universal connection with his readers. ... (rea d more)

Learning Now

In his capacity as a counselor for those facing life-threatening illnesses, the author pulls upon what he deems “teachable moments” that have emerged through his work. He divides the book into three sections or themes which he sees to be of the most importance to those with whom he has worked. Each section begins with an introduction to the theme. He uses the Bible and examples from his practice and personal experiences to discuss each concept. Each chapter closes with a few questions to enhance one’s understanding of the material by applying concepts to one’s personal life. Lessons cover common interests and concerns of his clients, such as forgiveness, taking revenge, and how to achieve serenity. The lessons are short, and the book can be used effectively in individual or group Bible studies. ... (read more)

Nadia lives in the Soviet Union with her parents and sister Nastya. The Soviet empire has begun to crumble as the Cold War is reaching its apex. The reign of President Mikhail Gorbachev is in full swing, and perestroika has shifted the political and economic landscape. Nadia is intelligent and has a bright future ahead of her. As she is in her mid-teens, her parents opt to have Nadia live with her grandmother. Nadia is crestfallen at leaving Nastya, but she gets to learn more about Gramma in her new home. Gramma was a soldier during the Second World War, and her spirit has never wavered. Nadia returns home to discover that Nastya is married and expecting a child. The world is changing, and Nadia ponders her own place in it. ... (read more)

Revealing Truths

Author Chavarría has created an epic journey for her central characters—from birth to lives on earth to death and beyond. The central focus is Belinda, whose emergence from the restrictions of the womb to “quiet, cooing voices” forms the first chapter. Raised strictly by her grandmother, intelligent Belinda proves too shy, sometimes too outspoken. She experiences genuine regret and guilt about a rowdy incident in her early college years. Seeking normalcy and structure, she marries a self-seeking entrepreneur and, after a miscarriage, has a daughter, Gloria, whose name belies the child’s deep-seated mental and physical disabilities. ... (read more)

This diverse collection of lyric poetry opens with an introduction to key terms from the Yorùbá religion Ifá. Written in styles ranging from free verse to elegies, odes, prose form, and visual poetry, this volume explores a wide variety of topics with a recurring underlying theme of spiritual reverence. The powerful imagery in the poem “Lepidoptera” compares a dancing moth surrounded by other bugs to people seeking spiritual enlightenment: “traveling into the night in the dense bush…risking green mambas and killer ants.” The combination of visual design elements and written expression in “Dawn” lends a creative flair and challenges readers’ interpretation of the author’s artistic intent. ... (read more)

Plot Twists

A police officer named Travis Holiday is heading home to his family when a truck driving aggressively sideswipes his vehicle over a cliff. Miraculously, Travis survives but is somewhere other than where he expected to be. A mysterious man says that God is calling him to travel to a strange city named Carnage Coast, where he is expected to fight on God's behalf in what appears to be the final battle between God and Lucifer. In this strange city that exists seemingly between worlds, the citizens are no strangers to corruption and crime, though there are some who still keep their faith and simply try their best to make life better. In his quest, Travis has been bestowed with the powers of the Iron Warrior, a superhero-like figure who has strange powers and superhuman strengths so long as he keeps steadfast in his faith in the Lord and his mission to protect God’s creation from evil influences. ... (read more)

Beginning with a train arrival and ending with a plane landing, the novel follows an East Coast family through the WWI era. Like the train brings mail to Andrew and Alice Croft on their farm “chateau” on Maryland’s eastern shore after the war, the middle of the story brings their past into the present. How Alice and Andrew met in China, their sons Rory and Autie’s military and business careers, and their adoptive daughter, Laura’s, romantic pursuits lead the novel to a surprise barnstormer landing at the farm just before a new beginning: a wedding. While each character travels around the globe, Crofts’ home base becomes a microcosm of the world at one dynamic point in time. ... (read more)

Faith & Endurance

Elisa McVeigh’s earliest memories were traveling as a toddler from England to Scotland to visit her husband. During Elisa’s infancy, her parents arranged her marriage to three-year-old Ian, Laird of the McVeigh Clan. Elisa’s childhood was filled with brutal abuse at the hands of her parents for the slightest infraction, real or imagined. At the tender age of seven, Elisa lost her mother and was forced to assume responsibility for managing her father’s estates and caring for her younger siblings. Traumatized by sexual abuse and determined to become self-reliant, Elisa trained in self-defense while planning her escape to her husband’s homeland. ... (read more)

Discernment

Building off his twenty years in the Marine Corps, Bell delivers a work that is essentially a guide for resolute Christians to have the tools to sift through much of the fodder being presented to them and understand their role in end-time events. With so much of the world in flux, be it political, economic, or otherwise, Bell approaches his warrior mission in the same manner as his marine service: unconditional devotion to saving souls through prayer and trust in their Savior. ... (read more)

Outstanding & Moving

A writer loses his friends, family, and home because of his writer’s block. With the help of a familiar stranger, he finds a table by the window at a coffee shop that changes everything for him. The table gives him back his creativity and his life. However, like everything in life, there is a catch. He can only write at that table and nowhere else on Earth. The familiar stranger soon comes back to haunt him. The writer flees to another town, starts to work at a coffee shop, and meets Tristan. Tristan is also suffering from writer’s block and finds his own table but with tragic results.

Leon’s prose is poetic and unnerving to the end. His referencing of the Bible and Dante's "Inferno" throughout the story makes it all the more brilliant. This is a psychological look into the writer’s mind and what a person will do to keep their career from failing. Tristan, for instance, tells the main character that his family is rich, but they are going to cut him off because he left his Ivy League school to become a writer. Like the main character, Tristan’s writing career is a life-and-death situation. If he can’t write, he won’t have a family or a home to go to. ... (read more)

Youthful Turmoil

Tom Pierson enrolls in Abbott College in the 1960s with an ambition to distinguish himself as a student of literature. He soon falls under the sway of Dr. Duke Becker, who, impressed by Tom’s essays, invites him to attend an upper-level seminar on American literary naturalism. Dr. Becker’s abiding passion is Jack London, a lonely pursuit in an era when London’s books are dismissed as trivial fiction by the literary establishment. As Tom devotes himself to the study of London, he becomes enmeshed in campus drama. He repulses one girl with his fondness for Lewis Carroll but wins the attention of the beautiful Sherri Redding, who works in the dean’s office. Dean Cody is investigating Dr. Becker, who was recently accused of blasphemy by a wealthy lady whose donations are essential to the survival of the college. Tom struggles to navigate the intricate social dynamics of this new environment, torn between his loyalties to Dr. Becker and his relationship with Sherri, as one secret after another spills into the open. ... (read more)

Evangelical View

Written as a series of letters in 2001, 2002, and 2020, this book argues that America has been specially blessed by God but that the nation has rejected its spiritual heritage by removing God from the public square. The 1962 Supreme Court decision barring sectarian prayer from public school classrooms is presented as the watershed of a long spiritual decline, downstream of which has come a rise in violent crime and premarital sex. Compounding the matter, eleven years later, the Court effectively made abortion legal, which, in Ervin’s view, makes Americans complicit in state-sanctioned murder. The result, he writes, has been the deaths of some fifty million unborn babies, an atrocity without parallel that merits the swift judgment of God. Ervin is hopeful, though. He believes that the people of America are, by and large, decent Christian folk and that it’s time to take our nation back from unelected elites. ... (read more)

More Nice Than Naughty

This book offers up a modern-day twist on the traditional holiday song “Santa Claus Is Coming to Town.” Griffin uses colloquial language, phonetic spellings, and pseudowords in an attempt to deliver an updated version that readers will find relatable. The book cleverly compares Santa Claus’ famous annual trek from the North Pole in a reindeer-drawn sleigh to an alien spaceship or double-decker jet aircraft flying through the air and traveling across the sky. ... (read more)

Defining Situations

Many people who claim to have had a spiritual experience often talk about “answering the call” or being receptive to God and his message. In this autobiography, the author retells the major events of his life, from growing up in the California projects before the civil rights era to serving in Vietnam and returning home to find his place. Early on, he reveals a vision he received pushing him toward military service but kept hidden from others for fear of being ostracized. On top of this, he continued to live his life in a secular, worldly fashion, believing that before he could give to others and serve, his needs had to be addressed first. And given the general attitudes and racial tensions at this time and beyond, there was much he felt was deserved in order to balance the scales. ... (read more)

Life Well-Lived

Fortenbaugh’s collection of cartoons always depicts the characters as tigers. This arises from the fact that Fortenbaugh was an undergrad at Princeton University, which has a tiger as a mascot. The cartoons he captions and illustrates are mostly dominated by happenings at Princeton or family matters. The Princeton issues cover many things ranging from campus life, wrestling (and the near termination of that program), and reunions. The family memories include his marriage to his wife, Connie, the births and accomplishments of their children and grandchildren, their own anniversaries, and recent Christmas cards. Fortenbaugh mentions that many of the early drawings, particularly in relation to Christmas cards, have been lost over the years. Through the comics, readers see the Fortenbaugh couple travel together through the changes that come from raising a family and growing older together. What is learned is that this is a loving family, with their own ups and downs, who have a lifelong connection to Princeton, display a sense of humor, and enjoy time visiting with former classmates. ... (read more)

The Vocation

For many children, teachers are figures in their lives who they see and spend time with on par with their own families. The impact that teachers have on the development of the children who become their students is immeasurable, and so it is important that the members of this profession come to work every day with inspiration and enthusiasm in the face of what can be truly difficult challenges. This book includes several personal anecdotes, memories, and methods for success collected by the author over her career as a teacher with the intent of helping other teachers make each day of class exciting and engaging. Dealing with the unique requirements each student brings to school, difficult parents, burnout, and administration can be overwhelming for any teacher, but by sticking together and reminding themselves of why they teach, they can find joy in every lesson. ... (read more)

Unconditional Love

A teen with drug-addled parents and a rare mental illness experiences her first taste of familial strength and loyalty in this young adult metaphysical thriller. Sixteen-year-old Ashlee Sutton believes she’s transcending her physical body and has occasional clairvoyance. Because of her parents’ addictions, Ashlee almost raises herself and is often forced to act as the sober adult in the family. Her father quickly embraces the possibility of acquiring a fortune using Ashlee’s psychic abilities to gamble. But the large financial windfall from their one and only casino jaunt fuels his accidental overdose. ... (read more)

Saving the Day

Merna is a mermaid. After getting injured in the ocean, she receives help from a fisherman named Mark. They build a relationship, get married, and have a daughter together. Moving to a coastal town in Maine, Merna becomes well known as a doting mother, helpful neighbor, and community volunteer. No one outside Merna’s family knows that she is a mermaid who changes back to her original form by getting wet, and it proves to be a costly mistake for a burglar who breaks into her home. Merna fills the whole house with water, knocks out the thief, ties him up, and calls the police. She drains the house to hide any evidence of her being a mermaid before the authorities arrive. Just like that, she has saved the day. ... (read more)

Journey In & Out

In this novel, Young Carlie is the victim of her father’s sexual abuse. As she endures adolescence and keeps what her father does to her a secret, she develops a plan to reclaim her life. When she finds herself with seemingly unlimited access to her parents’ funds, Carlie determines that she will have her revenge. However, what she quickly learns is that no dollar amount can compensate for all that she has lost as a victim of her father’s abuse. ... (read more)

Transcendent Tone

Divided into three movements to mimic an actual concerto, this book’s poems create a representation of the human emotional experience that makes its complexities accessible. Poems like “Early in Morning in Bethesda” examine a relationship’s tenderest moments. “Little Box” embraces an experimental form that is both peaceful and chaotic. “Grief at Full Moon” captures where loss compounds one’s interactions with not only the physical world but also the emotional one, and the memory of a loved one becomes a haunting force that controls one’s being. In other poems, the sanctity of nature becomes a healing, cleansing entity, while “the first grace of snow” offers a turning point in the speaker’s grief cycle. Fueling the musicality inherent in these poems are the experimental structures of lines and stanzas that form a concerto unlike any other. ... (read more)

Pandemic Struggles

In 2020, any plans for summertime fun have seemed to come to a complete halt due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Young Emma dreads that thought, even as she loves spending time with her grandmother, who encourages her to enjoy the wonders of a pond nearby. While there, Emma spots a blue heron and becomes so fascinated by him that she later gushes about the encounter to her grandmother. She decides to name the blue heron “Big Blue.” The next day, she brings out a fishing pole and begins catching fish that she shares with Big Blue. This begins a relationship between the two that is built up throughout the summer. Emma has a wonderful time with her new friend, and even after going home, she continues to think about him. Eventually, she discovers that Big Blue comes to the pond every year in the spring so the friends can continue to enjoy each other’s company. ... (read more)

Within this poetry collection, Australian writer Rodden has arranged forty-one contemporary poems reflecting both urban and rural experiences. Within the first selection, the poem’s speaker is driven to “make for the trees,” an attempt to avoid indoor offices where everyone else seems to be. There arise suddenly throughout these poems vivacious, invigorating lines, such as “In the library I try and try / to cram in all the poets and storytellers ….” Other poems tell of the writer’s experiences working among crews fighting bushfires in the wild. And some selections—such as the slightly eccentric, dry-humored “dead chicken-meat day”—paint a rather zany picture in which “the sign says / two skinned chickens for 6 dollars” as the speaker finds herself panting past KFC en route to work. In “The Loaded Dog,” a rustic pub sporting “Depression swaggy” photographs of “romantic gold miners / in classic beards” offers Devil’s Choice beer—with raspberries. ... (read more)

Award-Winning

The two authors—one, a retired physician, the other, a professional chef—have developed a compilation of meals and exercises to regulate blood sugar and promote health overall. Poothullil has written extensively that the cause and exacerbation of complications from type 2 diabetes is glucose from the ingestion of too much food from grains. He maintains that type 2 may be cured by greatly reducing the intake of grains and following practices that the author has devised based on his twenty-five years of research in and observation of type 2 diabetes. Chef Cackowski has created appropriate recipes for meals and snacks. The philosophy of eating includes permitting one's body to determine what it needs nutritionally and to choose foods that contain the appropriate nutrients to answer those needs. Low-impact exercises for relaxation and circulation include deep breathing and toe-tapping. ... (read more)

Set in Chicago, this story is a Cinderella meets Pride and Prejudice romance. Orphan Genevieve Davidsley is sent on a path to become a nurse in a convent. However, when she is kicked out due to her penchant for running, she has no choice but to return to abusive aunts who seem determined to make her life a living hell. A chance encounter while running with the family dog leads to a collision that alters the trajectory of her fortunes. ... (read more)

Fascinating Figure

Though much has been written and recorded about the Hollywood actors who helped make the motion picture industry what it is today, less is known about the artistic contributions of other countries, particularly in the West. For China, one of the most breathtaking yet tragic figures is that of Ruan Lingyu, a dramatic actress of the silent film era who seemed capable of portraying the full scale of feelings effortlessly, thanks in part to her challenging upbringing. Though her performances drew significant acclaim and attention, her life did not become any simpler or easier for her to bear with. That life and her career were cut short at the early age of twenty-four when she committed suicide. Her memorable roles, obvious ability, and tragic downfall made her a legend in early Chinese cinema. ... (read more)

Ruthless People

With a prologue that opens up with a deluge of insightful facts about Joseph Stalin, Mefford sets the tone early for what is to come: a narrative rooted in suspense and lore, one that is so consumed by the chaos and death that Stalin unleashed on his own people that its ripple effects are felt all the way to America, where the story is set. When he was at the height of his powers, Stalin’s mantra was that death was the solution to all problems. Yet in this work, it is the aura of mystery that his death is shrouded in that becomes the backdrop of the plot. ... (read more)

Patriot'ing

Born at the American military hospital in Linz, Austria, in 1948, Lowe’s early childhood was spent in Braunau. His father was employed with the American government, and Lowe spent a lot of days surrounded by both local children and the children of American and international servicemen. Braunau was somewhat infamous as it was the birthplace and childhood home of Adolf Hitler. Nazi Germany shattered the lives and homes of many of Lowe’s Jewish relatives leading up to and during WWII. As a child and young man, Lowe was a constant witness to the destroyed cities and broken, despondent families trying to reconstruct lives after the war’s destruction. ... (read more)

Children Thinking

Most children adore a good animal story. This one will likely be fought over if there is only one copy on the home, school, or public library shelf. This true tale of a rescued baby otter shares concepts of kindness, hope, healing, and the life cycle. ... (read more)

Dichotomy of Tone

Jill, a young woman full of curiosity and chutzpah, is a graduate student from Princeton who is visiting India to study the local gypsies. She has close contact with Venkie, a great friend of her father. Strange occurrences soon take place. Someone ransacks their apartment, planting a stink bomb. It happens again when they move. Jill learns that Venkie is not only a scholar but has also worked for years in the intelligence agency. Venkie’s former-friend-turned-enemy. Kebab, has links to the Taliban and is threatening to unleash a large, weaponized stink bomb on India if Venkie doesn’t meet him within a certain time using only land travel. Jill is fascinated with the story and recruits two of her gypsy contacts to accompany them on their journey to stop Kebab. ... (read more)

Daily Trials

While the book begins with the murder of Professor Johnny Wharton, the murder itself is almost superfluous to this brilliantly written novel of intrigue that is primarily set in the mid-1980s. It explores the lives of five women. Four of the women are connected to Wharton, while the fifth becomes an integral part of the book later in the story. These four women include the following: Wharton's wife, Liz, who is an accountant and who volunteers at a dog rescue; their estranged and troubled daughter, Jenny; his grad student Jane (with whom he’s having an affair); and his closeted lesbian coworker, Maddie, who he holds in disdain, and who is the lover of Roz, the fifth woman. The book takes readers through the lives of these women, from the joy and beauty of existence to the trials and tribulations of daily life. ... (read more)

In the opening pages of this novel, what commences with a charade aboard a cruise ship where neither person is who they claim to be culminates with the ruthless murder of a prolific climate scientist. The names Ingrid Halverson and Mark O’Mara, while both aliases, set the stakes quite high for what is to come. Nothing is off limits, secrets abound, and yet there is an Orwellian Big Brother-type presence that seems to have eyes on all the happenings, however discreet. ... (read more)

Working Character

On the surface, Heidari’s children’s book is incredibly sweet and heartwarming, a feel-good story in every way. However, probing further reveals that it is much more than that. Heidari’s work is a crafty and creative educational piece that is both entertaining and a tailor-made way to help young minds understand the concept of time. ... (read more)

A Pastor Emerges

Author and pastor Garcia has created a memoir of a boy gone bad melded with the revelations of a young man searching for life’s higher meaning. He is both. His tale begins when he is in solitary confinement in prison, punishment for participation in his street gang’s attack on a law officer. He bears the nickname “Tony Roam,” given to him by his gang mates to denote his apparent inability to escape his life of crime and poverty. What can he do in this depressing atmosphere? He pulls up memories from his childhood as the son of a loving, hardworking Puerto Rican mother and his early upbringing in an urban New Jersey slum. He recalls hearing as a small child that his beloved father was dead, with no details given by his grief-stricken mother. ... (read more)

Enduring Family

Paul Davidson relives the nightmare every night in his mind. The trauma of his son Ryan’s final moments on earth plays on a loop. The consumption of alcohol and drugs only postpones the inevitable nightly event. The abduction and murder of Ryan was a tragedy that tore a hole through the hearts of Paul and his wife, Ellen. Since then, Paul has become consumed with rage, a man waiting to be triggered. His brother Joe is concerned with Paul’s downward spiral, his emotional descent on display for all to see. Joe wants to reach out to his brother but doesn’t know how to approach him. Soon, a third party reaches out to Paul with an offer of revenge that may be too good to refuse. Paul may have found an outlet for his fury. ... (read more)

Depravity Afoot

A riveting prologue introduces this action-packed saga of money, corruption, kidnapping, and the search for family. When beautiful Ursula escapes the clutches of her criminal husband and father-in-law, she does not anticipate that Molly, one of her twins, will be torn from her side. A long journey ensues to reclaim what is hers, involving international crooks, depravity, deception, and murder. ... (read more)

Impending Danger

Smithson, a dangerous criminal, kills a fellow associate named Biggs. He does not want the murder to be traced back to him. Unfortunately for him, Lauren Hull unknowingly has incriminating evidence in her camera that can send Smithson to prison. Smithson feels he has to retrieve the camera and the SD card because, for obvious reasons, he does not want it to be posted on a social media website or seen by the authorities. He does some research on Paul and Lauren Hull and finds out that Paul is retired from the Air Force. One day, Smithson breaks into the Hull's home when no one is there. He searches everywhere for the camera but does not find it. Now, he must devise a plan to locate the camera before law enforcement gets ahold of it. ... (read more)

Imagine being a fly on the wall in the brain of a cold-blooded murderer. What prompts someone to kill? What catalyst led them down that path? What was their story? In Cope’s crime narrative, there is less glorification of the mobster life and more character construction. Using the first-person point-of-view of the main character, Joey, the novel gives audiences a direct seat into the mind of a killer.... (read more)

Friendship & Responsibility

Meier’s debut work is an endearing tale inspired by her granddaughter Ellie. It is the story of a gray kitten named Alexander, whose white eye patch and big ears set him apart from other kittens. Alexander and his mother, brother, and sister live on a farm owned by Mr. and Mrs. Fremont, a kind older couple. But when the Fremonts relocate, they only take the kittens’ mother with them. Alexander and his siblings are taken to a shelter to be cared for until they find new homes. ... (read more)

Kind-Hearted Soul

Young Emmeline dreams of becoming a veterinarian or a biologist in the future. She is inspired by her father, who works as a naturalist and travels all over the world. When she convinces him to let her meet up with him on an expedition to the Falkland Islands, Emmeline travels on the Maria Christina , where she becomes friends with a crew member’s son named Demetrio. Disaster strikes when the boat comes under attack and sinks, leaving Emmeline alone when she washes up in the strange land of Pletonia. But she soon makes friends with many of its inhabitants, learning it is natural for them to get reincarnated as various animals. Further, during her journey to visit its rulers, Emmeline discovers that she has personal ties to this fantastical land. However, Pletonia comes under attack by the exiled Valdrimos Pish, who unleashes creatures that kill and stop the reincarnation process. Emmeline and her new friends must work together to find solutions to the crisis. ... (read more)

Intuition Connection

This book begins with an introduction to intuition, the author’s own process, and the development of this book through manifesting her own intuition. It examines definitions of terms that are used throughout the book, including spiritual terms. The work explores the challenges one may have in looking at intuition. It looks at time-space reality, letting go of the need to control outcomes, allowing change to happen, discernment, relaxation, and the law of attraction. It examines the problems of book learning to the detriment of utilizing one’s inner guidance and ways to listen to one’s intuitive guidance. Looking at destructive beliefs vs. unconditional love is seen as a way of reframing and focusing on one’s soul, as intuition can be viewed as unconditional love. The text also explores how understanding who we have a vibrational match with is a valuable component in understanding our relationships with others, as is shifting our “bad” energy to more positive energy. ... (read more)

Bedtime Stories

This is a joyful children's fairytale about a mythical creature named Fiokla who lives in an Amanita mushroom. At the beginning of the story, Fiokla lives with her pet caterpillar, Varya. Inspired by the size of her home, Fiokla decides to open it up to guests of all types. After two little blue alien creatures referred to as "fu-fus" move in, Fiokla welcomes a hamster and a mouse. ... (read more)

It's common to have investment fears about buying into the stock market. After all, life is complicated enough. But Demmert is extremely optimistic about investing in stocks and has the numbers to back it up. He explains that even given the higher risk and troughs in the market, stocks historically give the best return on your money. ... (read more)

Sculpted Art

Everyone’s got a story, though many look a lot less like your average fantasy story or hard-boiled crime drama. For many of us, it’s the pain of loneliness, adapting to difficult situations, or moments of elation at personal victories dashed down by the smallest of inconveniences or unfortunate turns. Like events in the life of an average person, these stories are not tales of dashing heroism and sacrifice but accounts of people trying to find normalcy in routine after a divorce, indulging in their hobbies, and looking for work. These are the kinds of stories that get shared around Sunday brunch or over coffee, not to brag or embellish, but because we need others to recognize the work of survival, whether it becomes painful or a point of pride. ... (read more)

New Perspective

Poothullil emphasizes that his book does not address type 1 (juvenile-onset) diabetes but the type that usually occurs in older humans—although it may occur in children, as well. The main dietary culprits are grains: wheat, rice, potatoes, rye, etc. The way to improve overall health and significantly reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes is to adopt the doctor's guidance to changes in diet and attitudes about eating. ... (read more)

Classroom Tool

This book sets out to teach young children the alphabet. Each letter comes with a photograph, often associated with an animal, a treat, a scenic location, or something else fun to give kids a visual representation. Small rhymes accompany each letter and picture, which flow together into a song. The title page also includes a link to the full song for families to sing together, which provides yet another way to help children remember the contents. After the main content in the book, a stylized version of the alphabet appears where animals are solely used to represent each letter. Through the song and some additional lyrics, children are encouraged to always be curious and spend their time learning more about the world. Instilling a love for learning in children is important. ... (read more)

Empowering & Magnificent

One of the primary roles of a parent or grandparent is to summarize all of the hard lessons and important truths learned over a life well lived and pass them down to the next generation(s). This book is written for the author’s own family, but as the lessons contained within are universal, he is sharing his insights and reflections with any who are willing to sit at the metaphorical fire with him and have a conversation. Topics range from managing one’s finances responsibly to taking life at a slower pace and learning to appreciate the process of doing as much as the potential result. Each lesson is told with a mixture of directly addressing the subject and sharing various stories and anecdotes that help to fully expand on thinking about the issue from as many angles as possible. ... (read more)

Extraordinary Woman

The year was 1893, and a young woman was wending her way through the streets of New York City for the first time. A determination to help provide for her family drove Rose O’Neill to approach various publishing companies to sell her sketches. She had a talent for drawing beautiful images on paper and believed they could generate profits for the periodicals they were placed in. Her talent and her moxie convinced some publishers to buy various drawings from her portfolio, and her ascent to prominence began. The stubborn male chauvinism of the times initially kept her identity camouflaged, but eventually, she revealed herself to the world, and people took notice. Her creation of the Kewpies would garner her more attention and money, but she maintained an altruistic nature that funneled her money to family, friends, and causes. ... (read more)

Every writer harbors a hidden fear that the ability to write may escape them someday. And what is a writer who cannot write? This is the central predicament that Leon explores in this slim thriller, where a bestselling writer grapples with the inexplicable loss of creativity. Fallen into despair, the forlorn, nameless writer wanders the city in gloomy contemplation of his plight. It is soon revealed there is a coffee shop table with the word W-R-I-T-E etched into it that offers hope. It is at this table where the writer can write again, due to a shadowy figure who prompts a kind of deal with the devil. But what seems like salvation is really a trap, and the writer must navigate this harrowing, dreamlike existence. After a chance encounter with another young, struggling writer and a moment of spiritual awakening, the narrator finds the strength to regain control of his creativity. This determination sets in motion an ultimate battle of survival between man and demon. ... (read more)

Many Lessons

In this delightfully imaginative tale, Luke and his friends have an adventurous day with dinosaurs. The book shows young readers how much fun education can be as the children learn new vocabulary and interesting dinosaur facts while having the “best-osaurus” day ever. ... (read more)

Seeking Justice

C.W. Blakenship and his wife, Jessie, attend the annual picnic at the Hazel Lake Fire Department. They are having a good time with their friends and colleagues until gunshots ruin everything. Everybody takes cover, unable to figure out from where the gunshots originate. It is a total disaster and one in which the shooters manage to get away. This awful event results in three dead and thirty injured. Blakenship is of the CBI, so he ends up investigating the mass shooting. Understandably, he takes this case very personally. Although he and his friends with the sheriff's department, are trying to find the perpetrators, so far they mainly know that the assailants used assault rifles. As Blakenship digs deeper into the case, it becomes more complex than it originally looks like. ... (read more)

Controversy Continues

A hundred years from now, the Great Pandemic has ravaged Earth’s population, and climate changes have rendered much of the planet’s surface uninhabitable. The majority of survivors have been evacuated to underground shelters in the Moon Colony. Those who refused relocation are presumed to have perished. High-ranking officials in the Moon Colony’s governing body, the Assembly, are given access to Earth’s retreat locations no longer in the quarantine zones. ... (read more)

Historic Helper

Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, was a teenage French aristocrat and military officer inspired by the American colonies’ fight for liberty. American diplomat to France Silas Deane gave Lafayette a commission as a Yankee major general. Despite his family's objections and the persuasive tactics of England’s King George, Lafayette remained dedicated to the cause of American independence. He bought a ship in secret, sneaked aboard, and sailed to the American colonies. ... (read more)

Set against the backdrop of Vladimir Putin’s grab for power in Russia and a rash of global terrorist attacks in the late twentieth century, the novel delves into the complex world of covert counterterrorism. At the age of six, Maxym (Max) Mikhailovich Ivanov suffers an unbearable loss when his parents are killed and ten-year-old sister brutally raped and murdered by religious extremists. Escaping the cruel fate of his family, Max hides in a cupboard. He is rescued by the Russian army after being discovered by a Russian soldier, Leonid. The desire for revenge ignites in young Max after seeing the brutalized bodies of his family. Vowing to his rescuers to kill as many of these terrorists as possible, Max, at the young age of six, begins with those who murdered his family. Praised for his execution of the captured terrorists, Max is admired by the soldiers and given a home with Leonid. ... (read more)

Remarkable Woman

This is the inspirational testimony of the author’s deliverance from twenty-five years of substance abuse and the amazing feats she has accomplished since. Although a preacher’s kid and raised in the church, sixty-eight-year-old Anding found herself at rock bottom—addicted to crack cocaine, devoid of all self-esteem, and estranged from family and friends. Her last chance came in the form of a free ninety-day drug rehabilitation program that encouraged participants to fall in love with Jesus. In the program she affectionately nicknamed “God’s repair shop,” she found healing and forgiveness for a past littered with adultery, promiscuity, deception, domestic violence, failed marriages, drugs, and political scandal. ... (read more)

Wealth of Scripture

This is one woman’s testimony of faith, endurance, and spiritual growth. At the tender age of ten, Hannah made a confession of faith and accepted Jesus Christ as her personal lord and savior. Afraid to be viewed as different by her peers, Hannah kept her newfound faith secret. Early on, she was called to be a missionary nurse, but fear and low self-confidence held her back. Instead of heeding the Holy Spirit’s call on her life, Hannah rebelled, ran away from God, and married a nonbeliever. ... (read more)

Author Ring has created a colorful, readable tale of the noted female disciple of Jesus, Mary Magdalene. Presented in simple, vivid prose with powerful and evocative pictures on each page, she recounts the early years of Jesus’ life, including his baptism by his cousin John. The incident is depicted with the two men standing in the Jordan River as a pure white dove hovers overhead. Jesus then began to gather what would become his group of twelve disciples. His miracles and preaching also attracted many women, with Mary Magdalene becoming the most prominent in biblical lore. ... (read more)

Auto Enthusiast

In this anthology of forty-one short stories and nine poems, one enters a realm where a love for automobiles abounds. In these stories, readers discover automobiles that change and transform lives as well as vehicles with which their owners share a range of emotional attachments. Stories like “Final Frederic” capture the tragedy some vehicles bestow on others. Others, such as “Built to Last,” rely on personification and give the automobiles they feature human emotion. The anthology’s poems also contribute greatly to the collection. Poems like “69 Firebird Convertible” celebrate the freedom and nostalgia vehicles offer their owners. “Chester and the Model T” is a clever narrative poem uplifting the simpler times when vehicles were not synonymous with American transportation, and horses were still the main transportation method for many families. ... (read more)

Emotional Moments

In this third book in Collins’ Love That Does Not Die trilogy, readers are returned to Larissa in a state of survivor’s guilt. Her family is growing, and new opportunities to love and care for her reunited children and grandchildren fill her with hope. However, the pain of losing her daughter and not wanting to be overbearing and chase her son Everett away has her walking on eggshells. Set amidst the pandemic of 2020, a series of events unfolds that leads to Larissa taking care of her granddaughter Beth while Everett is away in Europe on business and then forced to stay there during lockdown. More connections from a musician to Everett’s biological father begin to appear in surprising and unexpected places as Larissa’s family continues to thrive despite past and present hardship, tragedy, and loss. ... (read more)

Turbulent Times

In Brantner’s narrative, a chance encounter between a nomadic Gypsy community and an injured man, Ernest Beebe, sets the tone for the theme of boundless compassion and empathy that is prevalent throughout the novel. Though many see the gypsies as primitive, they ensure that Ernest honors his commitments when he impregnates Ercyline. While he himself is morally corrupt in nearly every way, the one good thing he does is give birth to Mary Alice, whose journey throughout life becomes a testament to living a life of faith and resilience. ... (read more)

Connections

Paying homage to his late wife, Dr. Pamela Samms, the author takes inspiration from her four decades as a marriage educator and his own extensive experience in pastoral marriage and family counseling to deliver a guide to building fundamentally strong marital relationships while weaving in biblical principles that can be applied to practical, day-to-day experiences. In creating paradigms that are both personal and easily relatable, Samms essentially takes the science out of marriage so couples can internalize and then execute upon the models of a rock-solid relationship foundation. ... (read more)

Major Events

When considering the potential for alien visitation or UFO sightings, many people would lump these phenomena into either fictional or occult status. Yet in this nonfictional, measured account of his own personal experiences, the author of this book reveals how his encounter with an unidentified flying object mysteriously pushed him from a secular life to one of faith. Studying scripture with intense focus, he not only came to understand many of the events in the Bible to have ties to extraterrestrial experiences but also had surprising realizations about the feminine nature of the Holy Spirit and a solution for Jesus’s feeding of the masses with only scant amounts of both fish and loaves of bread. Taking passages from Genesis all the way to Revelation and then combining them with a modern understanding of the typical UFO sighting, things that seemed to be lacking context or explanation suddenly seemed clearer to the author. ... (read more)

Faith Within

Staff Sergeant Dan Mastik is returning home, wounded and weary, yet resolute in his love and faith in God’s plan for him. The narrative opens up with a chilling scene. Dan may be coming home, but the four flag-draped coffins of his fallen fellow soldiers leave him torn. Dan’s introspective nature allows audiences to naturally enter his mind and experience his feelings in their most raw state. Additionally, from the very beginning of the novel, civilian audiences are made privy to a snapshot of how the right equipment, especially aircraft, makes all the difference. Yet there is an inherent dichotomy to the machinery. The C-17, for instance, is utilized as a pivotal tool for medical units. Although it is designed as a tool to take lives, it also becomes instrumental in life-saving measures. ... (read more)

Selena's mother controlled much of her life while grooming her to be the perfect fashion model, but now Selena feels she has finally walked away from living under someone’s dominance. Selena is smitten when she falls for Victor LaRoche. Their relationship is both loving and passionate. However, it only takes a short time for cracks to appear in Victor’s facade. The inconsistencies in his behavior morph into a daily barrage of emotional and physical abuse after Selena and Victor wed. Selena knows she needs to escape and travel a great distance to be free of her husband’s control. She believes she has found liberation in the small city of Andersonville, Georgia, along with a shot at normalcy. Unfortunately, chaos soon re-enters Selena’s life, and bodies start to fall. Selena will need to figure out Victor’s next move before it's too late. ... (read more)

The Creative Mind

This book is an exploration of different views regarding what is commonly referred to as “objectivity.” It is influenced by the Greek philosopher Heraclitus, from whom the author has derived the concept of “flux” or constancy of change alone as “reality.” This is combined with a neo-Kantian or, by Nova’s own interesting account, the lesser-known logician George Berkeley, who introduced the concept of the “thing in itself,” for which both he and Kant asserted was impossible for humans to perceive or know. ... (read more)

Sage is the head of a group of intellectuals from various disciplines who developed artificial and crystal-powered bots that saved the earth from the ecological crisis humans created. It was a rogue and rebellious move that got her into trouble, but the end results worked. Not only have her bots helped heal the earth and remove most diseases, but their use has also led to the unexpected development of psychic abilities in some people and animals. Now, her teenage twins, Cali and Kalen, along with their friends, are embracing their rebel sides as they set out to expose the dangers of their mother’s institute's newest work. The EthosBot is attempting to heal mental health issues. However, there are individual side effects and area-wide occurrences which pose a real threat. While navigating this new danger, the teens also deal with first loves, betrayal, and terrorists. ... (read more)

Living Women's History

In Steenkamp’s latest nonfiction work, the author looks at twenty-five women who changed the world by taking risks. The book is divided into three parts. The first part looks at women in war, such as popular figures like Joan of Arc in the Hundred Years’ War, Clara Barton tending the wounded in the American Civil War, and lesser-known figures such as World War II spy Virginia Hall and eighth-century African Queen Al-Kahina. The book's second part examines women who made great strides in politics, while the last part looks at women who were human rights activists. ... (read more)

Color & Tale

Ford’s work holds true to the spirit of children’s books, personifying animals and imbuing them with human qualities and emotions. In this story, the main character, an unnamed pup, and Todley, his German shepherd best friend, have planned an epic fishing outing. The surreal autumn weather, as depicted poignantly in the illustrations, certainly is a harbinger of a successful afternoon and a bonding time. However, the story takes a turn when Tiger, the tomcat, and Thumpee, the elephant, join the party, leaving the main character in a sour mood, yearning to have alone time with his best friend. ... (read more)

A Modern Look

An inspiration to believers and nonbelievers alike, the biblical story of David is central to trekking the pathway to success while navigating life’s highs and lows. As Lea makes clear, this work does not claim to be a self-help guide. On the contrary, it shows how David is an archetype of the successful individual and how there are many elements that resonate with society in their journey. ... (read more)

Trauma is often a catalyst for finding one’s way to faith and the Lord. However, in Cannata’s work, the abuse she experienced as a child is so deeply repressed that it creates a disconnect between the mind and body, creating an identity dissonance that can leave an individual feeling lost as they meander through life. In this work, the author’s trials and tribulations are brought to the forefront. More specifically, Cannata makes astute observations regarding the difference between a visible physical injury and invisible, mental scarring. Just because one can’t see pain does not mean it doesn’t exist. As she works through this convoluted web of conformity to carve her path toward thriving in God’s Kingdom, audiences learn about therapies like EDMR and concepts like brainspotting, where the visual field is instrumental in processing trauma. ... (read more)

God's Creation

To heal is a process that ranges from the spectrum of one’s own choices to prayer itself. In an effort to provide a platform to better understand the self, Grant creates a three-pronged approach to her work: a section on choices goes deeply into personal introspection, which segues into a segment on changes, followed subsequently by a portion on verse. This unique structure represents the cycle of healing, of change agents that can take a mere ripple and transform it into a full-fledged tsunami of change through scripture. From letting go of one’s ego to creating change brick by brick, the focus of the work is on the simplification of life to create an internal homeostasis that is focused on self-evaluation and humility. Each idea that Grant dissects in this work ultimately serves to derive a sense of appreciation and provide the tools to build a strong foundation. ... (read more)

Better Health

Tomen reviews 102 of the most common nootropic supplements that naturally treat ADHD, anxiety, depression, brain fog, and many other mental and emotional disorders, along with those that boost learning and memory retention. The author struggled with remaining focused on the job and was subsequently diagnosed with adult ADD/ADHD and PTSD. Originally prescribed Ritalin, he found that eventually, the drug didn’t work as well over time. He researched the matter and found that L-tyrosine and two other supplements boosted dopamine levels in his brain, an essential component of mood maintenance and focus. As a result, his Ritalin began to work again. Eventually, Tomen reached another plateau when he became ill with brain fog and fatigue, the symptoms of hypothyroidism. ... (read more)

Nature Connection

A tiny dandelion seed attaches itself to the sleeve of a little girl. The child, out walking with her beloved grandmother, observes, "A gentle wind blows and dances with the crows," personifying the breeze poetically. The seed, clinging to her sleeve, even seems to tell a story—that of grit and a rolling stone all in one. The love between the main character and her grandmother as they share a hug on a park bench is a perfect children's scene, complete with a bit of rhyme: "They share a big hug beside a ladybug...." The grandmother-granddaughter outing is heartwarming and a wonderful example, without lecturing or pedantic lessons, about how one should feel about their elders. ... (read more)

Precise Detail

The Bible describes in great detail the collapse of powerful empires that strayed from God’s commandments and blessings, establishing a pattern that can be measured and observed. Using this tendency, the same events can be applied to modern global superpowers, namely the United States. The author of this book lays out the timelines of Israel’s fall in biblical times and compares it to recent American history to ask the question of whether current events are meant as a warning to be heeded before the time of the Tribulation draws nearer and becomes unavoidable. Informed by the book's use of scripture, visual aids, and recent headlines as data points, it falls to the reader of this observation to decide for themselves if this is a mere coincidence or a sign of things to come in the following years. ... (read more)

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The 13 Best Book Review Sites and Book Rating Sites

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Nobody likes to spend money on a new book only to face that overwhelming feeling of disappointment when it doesn't live up to your expectations. The solution is to check out a few book review sites before you hit the shops. The greater the diversity of opinions you can gather, the more confidence you can have that you'll enjoy the title.

Which book review and book rating sites are worth considering? Here are the best ones.

1. Goodreads

Goodreads is arguably the leading online community for book lovers. If you want some inspiration for which novel or biography to read next, this is the book review site to visit.

There's an endless number of user-generated reading lists to explore, and Goodreads itself publishes dozens of "best of" lists across a number of categories. You can do a book search by plot or subject , or join book discussions and reading groups with thousands of members.

You can participate in the community by adding your own rankings to books you've read and leaving reviews for other people to check out. Occasionally, there are even bonus events like question and answer sessions with authors.

2. LibraryThing

LibraryThing is the self-proclaimed largest book club in the world. It has more than 2.3 million members and is one of the best social networking platforms for book lovers .

With a free account, you can add up to 200 books to your library and share them with other users. But it's in the other areas where LibraryThing can claim to be one of the best book review sites.

Naturally, there are ratings, user reviews, and tags. But be sure to click on the Zeitgeist tab at the top of the page. It contains masses of information, including the top books by rating, by the number of reviews, by authors, and loads more.

3. Book Riot

Book Riot is a blog. It publishes listicles on dozens of different topics, many of which review the best books in a certain genre. To give you an idea, some recent articles include Keeping Hoping Alive: 11 Thrilling YA Survival Stories and The Best Historical Fiction Books You’ve Never Heard Of .

Of course, there's also plenty of non-reading list content. If you have a general affinity for literature, Book Riot is definitely worth adding to the list of websites you browse every day.

Bookish is a site that all members of book clubs should know about. It helps you prep for your next meeting with discussion guides, book quizzes, and book games. There are even food and drink suggestions, as well as playlist recommendations.

But the site is more than just book club meetings. It also offers lots of editorial content. That comes in the form of author interviews, opinion essays, book reviews and recommendations, reading challenges, and giveaways.

Be sure to look at the Must-Reads section of the site regularly to get the latest book reviews. Also, it goes without saying that the people behind Bookish are book lovers, too. To get a glimpse of what they’re reading, check out their Staff Reads articles.

5. Booklist

Booklist is a print magazine that also offers an online portal. Trusted experts from the American Library Association write all the book reviews.

You can see snippets of reviews for different books. However, to read them in full, you will need to subscribe. An annual plan for this book review site costs $184.95 per year.

6. Fantasy Book Review

Fantasy Book Review should be high on the list for anyone who is a fan of fantasy works. The book review site publishes reviews for both children's books and adults' books.

It has a section on the top fantasy books of all time and a continually updated list of must-read books for each year. You can also search through the recommended books by sub-genres such as Sword and Sorcery, Parallel Worlds, and Epic Fantasy.

7. LoveReading

LoveReading is one of the most popular book review sites in the UK, but American audiences will find it to be equally useful.

The site is divided into fiction and non-fiction works. In each area, it publishes weekly staff picks, books of the month, debuts of the month, ebooks of the month, audiobooks of the month, and the nationwide bestsellers. Each book on every list has a full review that you can read for free.

Make sure you also check out their Highlights tab to get book reviews for selected titles of the month. In Collections , you'll also find themed reading lists such as World War One Literature and Green Reads .

Kirkus has been involved in producing book reviews since the 1930s. This book review site looks at the week's bestselling books, and provides lengthy critiques for each one.

As you'd expect, you'll also find dozens of "best of" lists and individual book reviews across many categories and genres.

And while you're on the site, make sure you click on the Kirkus Prize section. You can look at all the past winners and finalists, complete with the accompanying reviews of their books.

Although Reddit is a social media site, you can use it to get book reviews of famous books, or almost any other book for that matter! Reddit has a Subreddit, r/books, that is dedicated to book reviews and reading lists.

The subreddit has weekly scheduled threads about a particular topic or genre. Anyone can then chip in with their opinions about which books are recommendable. Several new threads are published every day, with people discussing their latest discovery with an accompanying book rating or review.

You'll also discover a weekly recommendation thread. Recent threads have included subjects such as Favorite Books About Climate Science , Literature of Indigenous Peoples , and Books Set in the Desert . There’s also a weekly What are you Reading? discussion and frequent AMAs.

For more social media-like platforms, check out these must-have apps for book lovers .

10. YouTube

YouTube is not the type of place that immediately springs to mind when you think of the best book review sites online.

Nonetheless, there are several engaging YouTube channels that frequently offer opinions on books they've read. You’ll easily find book reviews of famous books here.

Some of the most notable book review YouTube channels include Better Than Food: Book Reviews , Little Book Owl , PolandBananasBooks , and Rincey Reads .

Amazon is probably one of your go-to site when you want to buy something. If you don’t mind used copies, it’s also one of the best websites to buy second-hand books .

Now, to get book reviews, just search and click on a title, then scroll down to see the ratings and what others who have bought the book are saying. It’s a quick way to have an overview of the book’s rating. If you spot the words Look Inside above the book cover, it means you get to preview the first few pages of the book, too!

Regardless of the praises or criticisms you have heard from other book review sites, reading a sample is the most direct way to help you gauge the content’s potential and see whether the author’s writing style suits your tastes.

12. StoryGraph

StoryGraph is another good book review site that's worth checking out. The book rating is determined by the site's large community of readers. Key in the title of a book you're interested in and click on it in StoryGraph's search results to have an overall view of its rating.

Each book review provides information on the moods and pacing of the story. It also indicates whether the tale is plot or character-driven, what readers feel about the extent of character development, how lovable the characters generally are, and the diversity of the cast.

13. London Review of Books

The London Review of Books is a magazine that covers a range of subjects such as culture, literature, and philosophy. Part of its content includes amazingly detailed book reviews. If you feel that most modern book reviews are too brief for your liking, the London Review of Books should suit you best.

You'll gain insight into the flow and themes of the story, as well as a more thorough picture of the events taking place in the book.

Read Book Reviews Before You Buy

The book review sites we've discussed will appeal to different types of readers. Some people will be more comfortable with the easy-to-interpret book rating systems; others will prefer extensive reviews written by experienced professionals.

Although it’s easy to be tempted by a gorgeous book cover, it’s always best to have a quick look at the book reviews before actually buying a copy. This way, you can save your money and spend it on the books that you’ll be proud to display on your shelves for a long time. And check out recommendations, as well, to help you find what's worth reading.

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20 Great Book Websites for Finding What to Read Next

I’m writing this list of the best websites about books for me five years ago. Back then I was deep in the beginning of learning about book world and would have welcomed a list of the great book websites to help me learn what to read next. Getting to know the publishing industry is a lifelong process of book discovery, and the Internet makes the literary community more accessible and inclusive than ever. These 20 book websites (plus a few extra way down at the end) are the places I go to find out about new books being published, to deepen my understanding of literature and reading, to get book recommendations, to grapple with critical book reviews, and more. I hope you’ll find your next favorite book through this list of great book websites to grow as a reader.

20 Best Book Websites for Book Recommendations, Lists, and More

(1) amazon book review.

Love it or hate it, but Amazon is a quality place to go to find out about new books. The Omnivoracious Amazon Book Review is a flagship for good book content, with recommendations from celebrities and other notable readers being a unique feature. I love the author interviews they have on their site, with writers like George R. R. Martin , Holly Black , and Charlie Jane Anders recently stopping by for a chat, often on the podcast. Amazon’s Best Books of the Month list is one I check religiously for new books to add to my TBR. They often surprise me with little-known reads I wouldn’t otherwise have on my radar (even if I think they make YA an afterthought), which is why I rate them highly for “new book discovery,” meaning a place where you can learn about books to read.

Strengths: Author interviews, previews of new releases, lists of recent award winners, podcast, new book discovery

(2) Book Bub

When Book Bub first came on the scene about five years ago, I signed up for their signature daily newsletter with hot deals on eBooks. I scored a lot of great books to load up my Kindle, but I didn’t really follow the site for a few years as I wasn’t reading too much on my eReader. Now they’re everywhere, moving beyond the email list to create original bookish content. It’s now totally expected to have one of their many comprehensive book lists pop up in a search for new books. The only downside that I see is that now you have to have an account to view their book lists or other blog content . I do like how they track book recommendations from authors like Stephen King, Jill Shalvis, and Nora Roberts.

Strengths: Book list articles, book recommendations, eBook deals, new book discovery

(3) Book Marks

One of the sites associated with Literary Hub or “Lit Hub,” which I write up as #12 below, Book Marks is the place to go if you want to find book reviews of the latest big books. Book Marks’ specialty is aggregating adult literary fiction and nonfiction book reviews and then assigning them a score card so you can see how many reviewers gave the book a Rave, Positive, Mixed, or Pan. Without a doubt, if you want to find out the critical consensus on a book before buying it or checking it out of the library, Book Marks should be your first stop. I also like how the site regularly interviews book critics to ask them more about their bookish lives. The site also reprints classic book reviews.

Strengths: Book reviews, coverage of new books, literary criticism, book news, essays

(4) Book Riot

Sure, I might be a little biased to include Book Riot in my list of the best book websites since I write for them , but the fact is, Book Riot is one of the leading destinations on the web for book lovers and certainly one of the top best sites for new books. Book Riot’s got all areas of the reading life covered and does an especially good job at highlighting diverse authors, featuring all genres, and amplifying thoughtful and at times controversial opinions about books, publishing, and reading. The annual Read Harder Challenge pushes readers beyond their comfort zone with categories like “A book by an AOC (Author of Color) set in or about space” and “A novel by a trans or nonbinary author,” and a thriving community of challenge takers trade book recommendations and ideas. Book Riot’s many book podcasts are also must-listens for readers wanting to learn about new books and what to read next.

Strengths: Diversity, essays, book list articles, all-genre coverage, podcasts, book news, reading challenge, new book discovery

(5) Brain Pickings

Looking for engrossing essays about books that will push you emotionally and intellectually? You’ll definitely want to stop by Brain Pickings, the literary love child of Maria Popova, a blogger who decided to create an “inventory of the meaningful life” more than a decade ago and share it with other readers. Popova’s one-woman show is an intensely personal exploration of art and ideas, with coverage of children’s literature alongside philosophy, literary fiction, and creativity. Sign up for her newsletters to get a hit of thought-provoking writing a few times a week, guaranteed to break up your mundane day. Popova is author of two books: Figuring (2019), which highlights the hidden legacy of influential female thinkers, scientists, and creators, and A Velocity of Being: Letters to a Young Reader (2018), a book for younger readers that collects essays about reading from leading creative thinkers like Neil Gaiman, Shonda Rhimes, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Elizabeth Gilbert.

Strengths: Literary criticism, essays, backlist coverage, newsletter

(6) Bustle Books

The website Bustle is designed for the modern woman, and the ample literary coverage on their standout Bustle Books channel reflects that. Here readers will find profiles and interviews with female authors, lists that focus on feminism, and personal essays that explore the experience of being a female reader in today’s world. Bustle Books is known for provocative articles challenging the publishing world to be more diverse and more female inclusive. You’ll also find fun articles, too, about books, TV and film adaptations, and books in pop culture.

Strengths: Feminism, diversity, essays, book list articles, all-genre coverage, new book discovery

(7) CrimeReads

Like Book Marks, CrimeReads is a branch of Literary Hub (discussed in #12 below). This book website has a niche focus on “crime” in literature: through true crime, mysteries, thrillers, fiction about crimes in general. On CrimeReads, you’ll find essays about writing and reading crime fiction, appreciation of and interviews with crime fiction authors both well known and underrated, reading lists for crime fiction and nonfiction, and coverage of crime in TV, movies, and other media. CrimeReads also has essays and original reporting on true crime. If you’re a mystery and thriller lover, appreciate a good courtroom novel, or just love reading about true crimes stories, you’ll definitely want to head over to CrimeReads and marathon read their quality content.

Strengths: Mystery/thriller/suspense, true crime, nonfiction, the writing life, book list articles, essays, literary criticism, new book discovery

(8) Electric Literature

With its signature tagline of “Reading Into Everything,” Electric Literature hosts an eclectic mix of bookish coverage, ranging from highbrow literary criticism to horoscopes for writers and everything in between. A hallmark of Electric Literature is a focus on reading more diversely, and a regular feature called Read More Women asks writers to recommend books by women (a response to male authors who only recommend books by fellow male authors). One thing I love about Electric Literature is how often they touch on writing and the life of being a storyteller. (I’m a bit biased because I’ve written for Electric Literature and consider it one of my proudest accomplishments to have my writing on there.) Electric Literature also publishes original fiction in its literary magazine , so keep your eyes peeled for some of today’s best authors and new and emerging voices alike converging there.

Strengths: Literary criticism, diversity, essays, author interviews, the writing life, all-genre coverage, book news, book list articles, new book discovery

(9) Epic Reads

Oh, Epic Reads: what started as an arm of HarperCollins publishing house has turned into the go-to destination for YA book fans. Readers of young adult literature love Epic Reads for the humorous tone, creative article ideas (bookish horoscopes, fan reactions to plot twists, book title or song lyric? challenges, etc.), addictive quizzes, and, of course, the many TBR-exploding lists. You’ll also find book trailers, cover reveals, and details on the latest books and tour dates for YA authors. Even though Epic Reads is part of HarperCollins, they don’t only put the spotlight on books through their publishing house. Epic Reads is simply and purely about celebrating YA literature, no matter whose imprint is stamped on the book jacket. So often YA can be a heavy genre, with books tackling serious themes, but Epic Reads always reminds me that reading ( and YA) can and should be fun, too.

Strengths: Young Adult (YA) books, quizzes, book list articles, new book discovery

(10) Five Books

Five Books has a niche formula and does it well: a list of five great book recommendations. This powerhouse book website solicits a fascinating mix of today’s most interesting, creative, and thoughtful “Experts” —like Mary Beard , Madhur Jaffrey , Mia Farrow , and Jo Nesbø —to offer five book recommendations on a specific topic, such as “The Best Prose Poetry,” “Congress,” and “Zombies.” An additional nice feature of Five Books is the ability to make your own lists and share your expertise. The site lives up to its tagline of “The Best Books on Everything” as you’ll find as wide a variety of book lists and book coverage as anywhere on the web.

Strengths: Book list articles, book recommendations, new book discovery

(11) Goodreads

In the 9 years that I’ve been a member of Goodreads, I’ve seen the site change a lot—for the better. Goodreads is perhaps the most essential website for readers as it allows you to track the books you’ve read, want to read, and are reading and add custom shelves to sort books. Connect with other readers in groups and follow authors for updates and exclusive information. The Goodreads lists are a rabbit hole to tumble down and find out more about books. I’ve found that the user-generated reviews have also improved over the last few years, going from one-line snarky hot takes to more thoughtful reviews. Plus they are home of the popular Goodreads Reading Challenge, an annual self-challenge to set a goal of how many books you want to read that year. (I’ve been known to argue against the challenge on this blog and offer alternatives to the Goodreads challenge , yet what can I say… I do it almost every year.) Even the Goodreads blog is getting better at publishing creative articles about the bookish life.

Strengths: Community, reading data tool, book list articles, user-generated reviews, reading challenge

(12) Largehearted Boy

Largehearted Boy is a book and music blog established in 2002 by David Gutowski and an essential corner of the literary internet. Obsessed with best-books-of-the-year lists? Make sure you bookmark Largehearted Boy, which compiles an index of the best-of lists you can peruse till your heart’s desire. Check out last year’s “Online ‘Best Books of 2018’ Book Lists” for a TBR-buckling example. (Full disclosure: I’ve submitted my best-of lists from this blog before and been included.) Also great for book discovery is the weekly “Books of the Week” that Montreal bookstore Drawn & Quarterly hosts on Largehearted Boy. What I love about Largehearted Boy is the thoughtful and honest book reviews, the blending of music and literature with the “Book Notes,” where an author matches a mix tape to their new book. Like Brainpickings, Largehearted Boy traces a very personal experience of inquiry into being a reader, writer, listener, and human being to provoke our own consideration. It’s an honor to share in it.

Strengths: Book list articles, author interviews, essays, book reviews, new book discovery

(13) Literary Hub (a.k.a. “LitHub”)

The parent site of the aforementioned Book Marks and CrimeReads, Literary Hub pumps out new book content for readers on the daily. I also suggest signing up for the LitHub newsletters as they come out each day with a summary of new posts not just on LitHub but elsewhere on the Internet. The weekly edition is a must-read, too, and it’s where I get many of the interesting bookish links I post on the Facebook page for this blog . On LitHub, you’ll find an endless stream of great writing about books, including essays on writing and reading, author interviews, highbrow intellectual literary criticism, book lists, and new fiction. Browsing LitHub is like reading a digital version of a literary magazine (like The New York Review of Books ) that you actually want to read. Unquestionably LitHub’s specialty is literary fiction, though they do also cover various genres, too. However, you likely won’t find much YA and children’s literature coverage on LitHub, excluding when they come up in personal essays about reading or writing kidlit.

Strengths: Literary criticism, literary fiction, nonfiction, essays, book list articles, author interviews, new book discovery, book news

(14) The Millions

Established in 2003, The Millions is one of the oldest book websites around, and over the past 15 plus years it has built up a reputation for being a gathering point for intellectually curious readers. Head over to The Millions if you want to check out the latest buzzy literary releases, hear more from authors about how they conceptualized and wrote their new book, discover the most anticipated books published in the month ahead, and find out what books were nominated for awards. The strength of The Millions is definitely literary fiction and nonfiction. Two of the best recurring features on The Millions are the annual Year in Reading , in which notable creatives and thinkers share a little about their year in reading, and The Millions’ Most Anticipated: The Great First-Half Year 20XX Preview, a TBR-toppling list of the most anticipated books of the year. This list comes out in two parts: January for the First-Half and July for the Second-Half. (Example: here’s the First-Half of 2018 Preview and Second-Half .) You’ll want to comb through these articles with your TBR ready, and you can find all The Millions lists on Goodreads for easy record keeping. I look forward to them every year as traditions, almost holidays, on the bookish calendar.

Strengths: Literary criticism, literary fiction, nonfiction, essays, author interviews, book list articles, previews of new releases, book news

(15) The New Yorker ‘s Books Section

Arguably the best literary magazine in America, The New Yorker is also a flourishing website with tons of great book content, most of it found on The Page-Turner blog . On The New Yorker ‘s Books channel, book reviews, publishing news, essays and articles from the magazine about writing and literature, and New Yorker staff book recommendations. Note that you’ll need a subscription to view more than a few articles a month. I admit I’m a proud subscriber of the magazine; I never recycle the issues, and they take over every corner of the house like an invasive species, but I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Strengths: Literary criticism, essays, literary fiction, nonfiction, author interviews, book reviews, book recommendations, book news

(16) The New York Times Book Review Online

It would hardly be a list of the best book websites without including The New York Times ‘ Book section. After all, The New York Times Book Review is one of the most prestigious and influential periodicals in publishing, and landing a coveted spot on its bestseller lists is just about every writer’s dream. Fortunately, the Review ‘s virtual presence is a worthy digital companion to the supplement you’ll find in Saturday’s paper. Online, you’ll get the same great book reviews, essays, and humor sketches, plus some podcasts going inside the Book Review and publishing that week that are seriously worth checking out. Every week I look for the New & Noteworthy feature, which highlights new releases you should put on your radar, and the Editors’ Choice: New Books We Recommend This Week, a weekly list that includes extracts from the critics’ reviews that’ll make you want to read these fresh books. One of my favorite recurring series in the Book Review is the By the Book interviews with writers, thinkers, and creatives, which discuss the bookish life and always includes interesting books to add to your TBR. You can find all of these digitized and uploaded weekly .

Strengths: Book reviews, book recommendations, author interviews, literary criticism, book news, podcasts, previews of new releases, new book discovery

(17) NPR Books

National Public Radio (NPR) has always been ear candy for readers, but now you can get all their great book programming online in one spot. The NPR Books site collects all the author interviews, book reviews, and stories about the reading life that you’ll get on the radio. If you’ve ever had the experience I have where you’ve gotta turn off the car in the middle of a story and you don’t have a pen or paper ready to record a book title or author name, they’ve got you covered. Beyond audio programming, NPR Books has a solid stream of book reviews and feature articles about writing and reading with a focus on diverse authors. Breadth and depth of coverage is a signature of NPR, which is why you’ll find articles about children’s books alongside graphic novels and comics and highbrow literary fiction. NPR Books is known for one more thing: the annual end-of-the-year book concierge . This behemoth of a book recommendation machine is a slick book discovery tool to find more than 300 of the best books of the year. Yes, I said 300. I’ve found so many great books this way, ones that were otherwise overlooked in best-of-the-year lists, and the methods to sort by what you’re in the mood for make this giant list manageable, with some seriously high-quality UX. Oh, yeah: you’ll be working through that list for the rest of the upcoming year.

Strengths: Book reviews, diversity, book list articles, author interviews, book news, all-genre coverage, new book discovery

(18) Publishers Weekly

If it’s publishing industry news you want, Publishers Weekly should be your first stop. Publishers Weekly (PW) is packed with insider-y gossip-y content about what’s hitting the shelves now and soon. Writers will want to check out PW’s articles to get an idea of what agents are buying and what trends are moving through books. I also sometimes mine the announcements that publishers make of new and upcoming books to get ready for upcoming releases and add them to my calendar.

Strengths: Book news, publishing industry information, book list articles, previews of new releases, new book discovery

(19) Read Brightly

Kid lit fans, this one is for you. Read Brightly is an online children’s literature website that’s part of Penguin Random House. Read Brightly is an excellent resource for readers of children’s literature and the adults who help children learn to love reading. One great feature of this website is the way each article is broken down by reading levels, a key distinction that takes the guessing game out of trying to connect children to the most age and reading level appropriate books. A flurry of articles celebrate kid lit, with creative and diverse book lists around categories like “Move Over, Rover: 10 Picture Books That Feature Unusual Pets.” Each month, Read Brightly hosts a reading challenge for kids designed to help them stretch themselves and discover new books. Like Epic Reads, this book website is hosted by a publishing house but features books from all parts of the children’s literature publishing world. Read Brightly truly lives up to its motto “Raise Kids Who Love to Read” as that passion for literacy and raising bookworms comes through in every story they write.

Strengths: Children’s literature, Young Adult (YA) literature, book list articles, previews of new releases, reading challenges, all-genre coverage, book discovery

Last but definitely not least, Tor is the go-to destination for science fiction and fantasy readers on the literary web. Tor has long published books, but their online presence takes their mission to highlight great voices in speculative fiction and pushes it further, creating a space for a community of SFF fans to grow and thrive. On Tor, you’ll read honest book reviews that are fair and critical of the books and authors in question, original fiction, lists of books, personal essays, eBook deals, SFF industry news, and coverage of SFF-related media, like Game of Thrones . What I like about this site is the freedom that Tor gives its bloggers and staff writers to really speak their minds about books. You might find articles about super-super niche sub-sub-sub genres you didn’t even know were a thing, but you definitely won’t find BS here. This makes Tor a leading place to go for readers who want to dig into the issues behind books.

Strengths: Science fiction, fantasy, SFF related TV shows and movies, book news, book reviews, essays, book list articles, book discovery

More great book websites

Here are a few other book websites you’ll definitely want to check out but didn’t make the full list (because I ran out of time!): Atlas Obscura’s Books Section , Catapult , The New York Review of Books , and Vox.com’s Books Section .

What are some of your favorite book websites? What did I miss? Leave a comment!

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Sarah S. Davis is the founder of Broke by Books, a blog about her journey as a schizoaffective disorder bipolar type writer and reader. Sarah's writing about books has appeared on Book Riot, Electric Literature, Kirkus Reviews, BookRags, PsychCentral, and more. She has a BA in English from the University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Library and Information Science from Clarion University, and an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts.

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Blog – Posted on Thursday, Nov 11

The only book review templates you'll ever need.

Whether you’re trying to become a book reviewer , writing a book report for school, or analyzing a book, it’s nice to follow a book review template to make sure that your thoughts are clearly presented. 

A quality template provides guidance to keep your mind sharp and your thoughts organized so that you can write the best book review possible. On Reedsy Discovery , we read and share a lot of book reviews, which helps us develop quite a clear idea what makes up a good one. With that in mind, we’ve put together some trustworthy book review templates that you can download, along with a quick run-through of all the parts that make up an outstanding review — all in this post! 

Pro-tip : But wait! How are you sure if you should become a book reviewer in the first place? If you're on the fence, or curious about your match with a book reviewing career, take our quick quiz:

Should you become a book reviewer?

Find out the answer. Takes 30 seconds!

Book review templates for every type of review

With the rapid growth of the book community on Instagram, Youtube, and even TikTok, the world of book commentary has evolved far beyond your classic review. There are now many ways you can structure a book review. Some popular formats include:

• Book reports — often done for school assignments; 
• Commentary articles — think in-depth reviews in magazines and newspapers; 
• Book blog reviews — short personal essays about the book; and
• Instagram reviews — one or two-paragraph reviews captioned under a nice photo. 

But while the text in all these review styles can be organized in different ways, there are certain boxes that all good book reviews tick. So, instead of giving you various templates to use for different occasions, we’ve condensed it down to just two book review templates (one for fiction and one for nonfiction) that can guide your thoughts and help you nail just about any review. 

⭐ Download our free fiction book review template  

⭐ Download our free nonfiction book review template  

All you need to do is answer the questions in the template regarding the book you’re reading and you’ve got the content of your review covered. Once that’s done, you can easily put this content into its appropriate format. 

Now, if you’re curious about what constitutes a good book review template, we’ll explain it in the following section! 

Elements of a book review template

Say you want to build your own book review template, or you want to customize our templates — here are the elements you’ll want to consider. 

We’ve divided our breakdown of the elements into two categories: the essentials and the fun additions that’ll add some color to your book reviews.

What are the three main parts of a book review?

We covered this in detail (with the help of some stellar examples) in our post on how to write a book review , but basically, these are the three crucial elements you should know: 

The summary covers the premise of the book and its main theme, so readers are able to understand what you’re referring to in the rest of your review. This means that, if a person hasn’t read the book, they can go through the summary to get a quick idea of what it’s about. (As such, there should be no spoilers!) 

The analysis is where, if it’s a fiction book, you talk more about the book, its plot, theme, and characters. If it’s nonfiction, you have to consider whether the book effectively achieves what it set out to do. 

The recommendation is where your personal opinion comes in the strongest, and you give a verdict as to who you think might enjoy this book. 

You can choose to be brief or detailed, depending on the kind of review you’re writing, but you should always aim to cover these three points. If you’re needing some inspiration, check out these 17 book review examples as seen in magazines, blogs, and review communities like Reedsy Discovery for a little variation. 

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Which additional details can you include?

Once you’ve nailed down the basics, you can jazz things up a little and add some personal flavor to your book review by considering some of these elements:

• A star-rating (the default is five stars but you can create your own scales); 
• A bullet-point pros and cons list; 
• Your favorite quotation from the book; 
• Commentary on the format you read (i.e., ebook, print, or audiobook);
• Fun facts about the book or author; 
• Other titles you think are similar.

This is where you can really be creative and tailor your review to suit your purpose and audience. A formal review written for a magazine, for instance, will likely benefit from contextual information about the author and the book, along with some comment on how that might have affected the reading (or even writing) process.

Meanwhile, if you’re reviewing a book on social media, you might find bullet points more effective at capturing the fleeting attention of Internet users. You can also make videos, take creative pictures, or even add your own illustrations for more personal touches. The floor is yours at this point, so go ahead and take the spotlight! 

That said, we hope that our templates can provide you with a strong foundation for even your most adventurous reviews. And if you’re interested in writing editorial reviews for up-and-coming indie titles, register as a reviewer on Reedsy Discovery !

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Where Writers Win

Marketing, websites, training and tools for emerging authors, the ultimate list of book review websites.

Nearly all book review sites experience lots of web traffic. They’re great places to find a read, no matter your genre preference, and better places to place yourself as an author. Many offer links to your website, author interviews (print, podcast, even video), guest author blogs and more.

So let’s create the ULTIMATE list! Here are TWENTY — a mere starter dough of potential review sites to get you rolling. And, to be politically correct (since traffic comes and traffic goes), we’ve listed them in alphabetical order.

NOTE: Each entry links to that review site’s URL. Please do add more sites — or your comments about the sites we’ve listed — in our comments section below. Or, comment at any of the various LinkedIn or Facebook groups where we’ve posted this challenge. Within a couple of weeks we’ll cobble together what WILL be the ultimate list and put it all in a Google doc for anyone to access and add to…

• Allreaders.com (it’s not sexy, but it’s functional, and you can submit a review and be a “scholar”)
• Alltop.com (specifically books.alltop.com – a list of blogs related to books and an easy place to begin your search).
• Bookfetish.org (specializing in genre fiction reviews from horror to true crime to romance).
• Bookpage.com (with hundreds of reviews a month, it’s a great place to discover new talent).
• Bookslut.com (gotta’ love the name – Bookslut is a monthly web magazine and daily blog dedicated to those who love to read)
• ForewordReviews.com (ForeWord has exclusively reviews books from small presses)
• Goodreads.com (The “Razzles” of book review sites – it’s reader candy and social networking gum to chew on all in one neat package)
• Galleycat.com (with great traffic, great lists, great reviews and great e-blast updates, this one is a great favorite of the WWW team!)
• IndieAuthorNews.com (book reviews, interviews, ebooks, even self-publishing advice)
• LibraryJournal.com (news and reviews from Library Journal staffers)
• LibraryThing.com (like GR, a hybrid community of readers, writers and reviewers, boasting 1,500,000 readers)
• MidwestBookReview.com (lots of resources and easy links to get a book reviewed or become a reviewer)
• WriteMyFirstEssay.com (like other essay services, but with good customer support to help with reviews and books in coursework)
• NPR.org (with an ongoing commitment to serious books and authors, lots of lists, author interviews and reviews)
• NewYorker.com (Page Turner is the name of the blog here, with “criticism, contention, and conversation about books that matter.”)
• NYBooks.com (The New York Review of Books – great traffic, lots to read)
• NewYorkTimes.com (okay, not everyone can crack the NYT best-seller lists, but the lists will surely lend insights… 50 Shades of What?!)
• PublishersWeekly.com (a world unto itself)
• Riffle.com (brand new – click on the link to get invited to its anticipated launch)
• Shelfari.com (owned by Amazon, you can click thru to buy in an instant – and like Goodreads has the benefit of “groups” where you can find your reading tribe)
• ← Writing Rules!
• POD Publishers: Scams and Frauds →

12 thoughts on “ The Ultimate List of Book Review Websites! ”

The Ultimate List of Book Review Websites! | Where Writers Win, was a fantastic name to give this valuable blog post. Exactly where can I actually browse more related to this?

Here are 7 more for you. Make sure that you *always* check their review policy page as sites open and close for reviews depending on their reading backlog. Enjoy!

http://shewolfreads.com http://wefancybooks.blogspot.com http://www.sithereandread.com http://www.roofbeamreader.net http://manoflabook.com http://fadeintofantasy.com http://novelreaction.com

GREAT! Will add to list and publish soon!

Thanks for the mention Adonna!

Also look at these: http://greenmanreview.com/ http://www.rambles.net/

And, with all modesty: http://johnadcox.wordpress.com

Great — will add ’em to list — thanks so much (think these will get us over 50 so far…)

Excellent info in this post. I’ve updated my book review database to include some of your suggestions.

Jane Lassar Publicist Blog: “Dear Author; A publicist’s guide to the ever-changing world of book PR” http://www.janelassar.wordpress.com @clevelandbookpr

Bookgasm: http://www.bookgasm.com/ Also, http://popcultureguy-don.blogspot.com/ reviews books if they are pop culture related, but that might be too specific for your list.

No, these are both great – thanks! (We’ve got one for just paranormal, so there ya go!)

I will run a reference to it in the August 1 issue of Publishing Poynters. BTW, you might like to divide the list in the those that review free and those that charge.

Bitten by Books http://www.bittenbybooks.com

Great – thank you!

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The Best College Textbook Stores

The 10 best college textbook stores.

• Valore Books
• BiggerBooks

Where Can You Find the Cheapest College Textbooks?

Picture this: Emma is a sophomore majoring in Economics. A new semester is approaching, and she's been handed her list of required readings. Instead of braving the long lines at the campus bookstore and potentially paying high prices, she turns to online college textbook stores.

In a matter of minutes, she's located every textbook she needs, some at heavily discounted prices or even available for rent. Not only does she save money, but she also saves time, making her semester preparations smooth and hassle-free. Right on, Emma!

Tuesday, July 16th

2024 College Textbook Store Reviews

• Free Standard shipping on all orders
• Prepaid UPS return labels
• Flexible rental options
• Text reminders for due dates
• Highlighting and note-taking allowed within reasonable limits
• Positive customer reviews and high ratings

Knetbooks was founded in 2009 with the goal of providing affordable textbook rentals to college students. They became a customer favorite for their budget options and straightforward rentals.

Rent or buy

In 2011, the company was acquired by a major textbook retailer, leading to further improvements such as a wider selection of rentals, faster shipping, and better customer support. Knetbooks has since saved a total of $46,081,677 for 406,328 students, remaining dedicated to their mission of making college more affordable. While they focus on rentals, students can also opt to purchase the books they've rented.

Special offers and free shipping

Knetbooks claims to be the most affordable textbook rental service, and they back it up in a few ways. For example, they offer promotions such free 6-10 day Standard shipping on all orders, prepaid UPS return labels, and extra discounts for large orders and email subscribers. Knetbooks recommends customers shop early and bundle their orders to save even more.

Low rental prices

Rental prices on Knetbooks are low. The title we've checked against every site in this review rents Short Term for $15.58 and $28.81 for a semester, which is cheaper than some of its competitors. That title is available for purchase (used) for $71.24, which is a little higher than competitor prices.

Faster shipping available for a fee

If you do happen to need your textbook right away, you can opt for Expedited or Two-Day shipping for $10 + $2 per item or $32 + $7.99 per item respectively. These rates are a little high, so it's best to plan ahead.

Get text alerts about due dates

Knetbooks understands that college students have a lot on their plates. That's why they offer flexible rental options and make sure to keep their customers in the loop. With Knetbooks, you have the freedom to choose the rental duration that works best for you, and you can easily extend or purchase your rental whenever you need to. Plus, they'll keep you updated on the status of your order and remind you of upcoming due dates through text messages.

Ambiguous charges for late returns

We did find this in their terms of service: "Knetbooks reserves the right to charge your card a late fee of any amount leading up to but not exceeding the new list price as indicated on our site at the time of the charge for a book that is not returned." We're not thrilled by this policy, but their text reminders about due dates reassure us that they aren't trying to trip you up to extort you for late fees.

Highlighting is allowed

When renting textbooks from Knetbooks, there are a few important things to keep in mind. Renting is a great option if you don't need the book for a long time or if you don't plan on taking extensive notes or highlighting. It's also good to know that rental books don't come with supplemental materials like CDs or access codes, unless otherwise indicated. But if you end up loving your textbook for some reason and want to keep it ( nerd ), you have the option to purchase it after the rental period. Feel free to highlight and take notes in the rented book, as long as you do so within reasonable limits - excessive marking may result in the return being rejected.

Great reputation

Knetbooks has an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 on a third-party review site, based on over 5,600 reviews. Positive feedback emphasizes the ease of use, fair pricing, and effective service provided by Knetbooks. Where there were complaints, Knetbooks has responded by acknowledging the problem, offering proactive resolutions, and taking steps to prevent similar occurrences in the future.

Great for students who need to save

Knetbooks keeps things simple: rentals are their bread and butter, and they won't charge you extra dough for shipping, ever. We love that they also offer occasional coupon codes and discounts on bulk orders, and we're happy to see so many positive reviews. For these reasons, we give them our highest rating and our #1 recommendation for getting college textbooks.

• Established in 1999
• Trusted by educational institutions
• Offers a Price Match Guarantee
• Competitive rental rates
• Platform offers a Marketplace for third-party sellers
• Free shipping on orders over $35
• Rewards program
• "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau
• Strong reputation and positive customer reviews

eCampus, launched in 1999 during the dot-com bubble, revolutionized the online textbook industry by offering new, used, and electronic textbooks for sale, rental, or buyback. Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, eCampus doesn't just serve individuals; it partners with educational institutions across the U.S., providing official bookstore services. It enjoys significant accolades including being named the "Best Website for Buying College Textbooks" two years in a row by About. Driven by a leadership team with deep roots in educational publishing, eCampus remains steadfast in its student-first approach, continually adapting to better meet their needs.

Price Match Guarantee against two top competitors

We love that eCampus has a Price Match Guarantee. A lot of used and rental textbook companies promise the best prices out there, but few of them put their money where their mouth is. There are a couple of catches, though: they'll only price match against two of their competitors (named in the Price Match Guarantee info page) and it must be in the same condition and format.

Rental prices similar to competitors

Rental prices on eCampus vary widely. We saw titles as low as $4.59 and as high as $184. The title we've checked against every site in this review rents Short Term for $28.74 and is available for purchase (used condition) for $63.84, which is pretty much on par with competitor prices. You can also rent titles from eCampus for the length of a semester or a quarter, with corresponding prices.

Lower prices from Marketplace sellers

Keep an eye out for textbooks with Marketplace listings - if there is one, it'll appear right below the other rental and purchase prices. Often, that's where you'll find the best deal on eCampus. What is the Marketplace? It's a venue on eCampus through which third-party sellers, both individuals and volume dealers, can list their items. When you make a Marketplace purchase, eCampus handles the payment, making sure that your banking details are kept private and never shared with the sellers. After placing an order, these Marketplace sellers have a 2-day window to dispatch your textbook. However, it's important to note that they only ship within the continental U.S. Also, while browsing, be sure to check the seller's comments, as the item might differ slightly from eCampus' description.

eCampus offers free shipping on orders over $35. However, be aware that this doesn't apply to any eTextbooks in your order - you'd need to reach that $35 minimum with physical textbooks. We don't think this is a big deal, though: 6-10 Day Standard Shipping is only $4 (plus $0.99 per item). If you need your textbook in 3-5 days, it's $6 plus $3.25 per item.

Returns subject to 15% restocking fee

Books bought from eCampus can be returned within 25 days of shipping, though short-term rentals have a 15-day return window. To initiate a return, log into "My Account" and follow the "Manage My Rentals/Returns" process. Be mindful that returns come with shipping charges and a 15% restocking fee deducted from the refund. eBooks and access codes can't be refunded. Items must be in their original condition; for instance, items with broken shrink-wrap or opened digital media won't be accepted.

Lots of ways to earn rewards points

The eWards program by eCampus offers a rewarding way to save on textbooks. By signing up with an email address, members can easily start accumulating points through various actions: making purchases, referring friends, engaging with eCampus on social media, and more. These points can then be redeemed for exclusive discounts on future orders. For instance, 175 points can snag you a $5 discount on orders over $30. The more points you gather, the bigger the discounts, reaching up to $20 off on orders exceeding $120. From signing up to tweeting a product, there's a myriad of ways to earn and save.

Find out how much your old textbooks are worth

Selling your books back to eCampus? Super easy. Just punch in the book's ISBN on their "Sell Textbooks" page to see what they'll pay. To determine the price they're willing to offer, you simply enter the book's ISBN on their "Sell Textbooks" page. When you accept their offer, you'll create a Buyback order and can choose from three payment methods: check (with a $2.00 fee), direct deposit, or in-store credit. eCampus provides a prepaid UPS shipping label, so shipping is free. Remember to send your books within 7 days of the Buyback order to lock in the quoted price. Always include a copy of your Buyback Confirmation in the package. Prices may change based on book demand, and eCampus holds the right to cancel any buyback order before payment is made.

Buyback can be hit-or-miss

Before selling your books to eCampus, you might want to double-check their quality requirements. Your book must be in "Good Condition" which they define as being free of many notes or highlights, water stains, missing pages, or a busted spine. However, one customer's buyback order got canceled because of a small fold on the cover. They were told it didn't match eCampus' "quality standards", even though that specific flaw wasn't listed under their Good Condition criteria. If the same thing happens to you, you can ask for your book back (it won't be destroyed like one of the companies in our review does), but there's a $12 shipping fee. Worth keeping an eye out for these details before you send in your treasured tomes.

eCampus has an "A+" rating from the Better Business Bureau and a 3.9-star average on Trustpilot across more than 2,500 reviews. Customers say they found what they were looking for at great prices, that their orders had tracking info, arrived on time, and that any hiccups were resolved by customer service in a positive and prompt manner.

One of our top choices

Overall, we're impressed with eCampus and we'd say this is one of the few services that has sufficiently substantiated its claim to be number one in its industry. With their Price Match Guarantee, competitive rental prices, and the Marketplace feature, eCampus makes it easy for students to save on their textbooks. They also provide free shipping on orders over $35 and have a rewards program called eWards, where students can earn points for future discounts. With a strong reputation and positive customer reviews, eCampus is a reliable and customer-centric service that is worth considering for all your textbook needs.

• Established in 2002
• Marketplace model encourages competitive pricing
• 20,000 sellers
• Competitive buyback prices and free shipping for sellers
• Price-matching on rentals and flexible rental term structure
• "A+" grade from the Better Business Bureau
• Positive customer reviews for fast deliveries and low prices

Valore Books stakes its claim as a dedicated online marketplace catering specifically to students. One of the first of its kind, established in 2002, Valore Books hosts over 20,000 sellers and remains a trusted name in the realm of academic resources. The platform entices sellers with a straightforward listing process and zero upfront fees, only taking a cut when a book actually sells.

Don't always have every edition

During our review, we used two textbooks as test cases to assess the available inventory. Unfortunately, Valore Books didn't stock either of the editions we were looking for, which were required readings for a recent semester at a particular college. This could suggest potential difficulties in sourcing high-demand titles. However, your mileage may vary.

You could save $500 a year

Valore Books prides itself on its ability to access millions of inexpensive college textbooks from their thousands of sellers. They ambitiously claim an average annual saving of $500 for college students (although it should be noted this is when compared to buying your textbooks new, not from competitor services).

Marketplace model

Unlike other textbook buyback and resale sites, Valore Books doesn't own the inventory it sells. Rather, it acts as a bridge, connecting buyers to sellers. By showcasing numerous sellers vying for your purchase, they maintain competitive prices, leaving the decision-making power in the hands of the buyer regarding price and book condition.

Returns processed by sellers

One slight downside to this marketplace model is that experiences with returns may not be consistent, given they are processed by the individual sellers, not Valore Books itself. Before initiating a return with Valore Books, you must contact the seller. If they don't respond within 48 hours, you can reach out to Valore. You'll have 30 days to initiate a return and you should expect to pay your own shipping costs. For discretionary returns (change of mind or accidental purchase), seller approval is required. Sellers are, however, required to accept returns if the item's condition doesn't match its listing, it got damaged in transit, or the wrong item was received compared with the ISBN on the order. A 15% restocking fee might apply for discretionary returns. So, for a $50 item, expect a $42.50 refund.

Selling made easy (and profitable)

For those looking to declutter their bookshelves and make a few bucks, Valore Books is one of the better buyback sites. Sellers benefit from competitive buyback prices, free shipping, and a range of accepted titles. Payments are swift, with options for checks or PayPal. They will also let you list other kinds of books, like novels. If it's on your bookshelf, chances are you can sell it via Valore Books.

Price-matching on rentals

If you're not looking for a long-term commitment with your textbooks, renting might be the way to go. Valore Books promises economical rental rates, with the added benefit of free return shipping. Their marketplace model constantly compares rental rates to make sure students get the best deals available. Plus, with a flexible rental term structure, students can select the rental period that suits them best. If you spot a better rental price elsewhere within a week, they guarantee a refund of the difference.

$3.95 shipping

Although shipping is free for rental returns and sellers, it isn't free when you're ordering from Valore. Standard shipping takes between 4-14 business days and is priced at $3.95. Expedited shipping is $6.95 and will usually arrive in 3-5 business days.

"A+" with the BBB

Valore Books enjoys an "A+" grade from the Better Business Bureau, having been accredited by them since 2021. Customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive - reviewers report fast deliveries, low prices, and used textbooks in like-new condition. Where there were complaints, Valore's customer service representatives followed up.

A top choice

Valore Books is one of our favorite services in this review. We love their price match guarantee on rentals, and we like that their marketplace model encourages sellers to price their textbooks competitively. That "A+" from the BBB doesn't hurt, either. If you need affordable college textbooks this upcoming semester, make sure you stop by Valore Books to see if they have what you need.

• 10 million books in stock
• Up to 90% off retail prices
• Free shipping on orders over $25
• Guaranteed Cash Back feature in place of renting
• High inspection standards for used textbooks
• Buyback quotes locked in for 30 days

Positive customer feedback

• Supplemental materials included in order when in title

Good customer support

• Sincerity and understanding of students' needs

If there's one thing that rings true about Textbooks, it's sincerity. In business since 2006, it's a platform crafted by a community who understands the trials and tribulations of juggling academic responsibilities: students, parents, readers, and tech enthusiasts. This collective understanding makes Textbooks stand out.

Pricing and savings

With up to 90% off on textbook prices and free shipping on orders over $25, Textbooks appears to be a haven for budget-conscious students. They stock over 10 million books, leaving buyers spoiled for choice. Their "A+" BBB rating attests to their credibility.

Guaranteed Cash Back

The "Guaranteed Cash Back" feature promises 50% cashback if you sell your textbook back in good condition at the end of the semester. Essentially, you're renting a book at half its price, although there is no official option to rent.

High inspection standards

Every used textbook undergoes meticulous inspection to ensure it's free from excessive wear and tear. From ruling out water damage to broken spines, Textbooks' standards are commendably high. Even for used textbooks, the worst you can expect are a few highlighter streaks, faded covers, or dog-eared pages.

Buyback quotes are locked in for 30 days

Selling your used textbooks is a breeze. Just enter the ISBN, get a quote, and they'll even cover your shipping costs. Plus, their quotes have a 30-day validity, much longer than many competitors (who give you only 7 days).

Textbooks' commitment to satisfaction and sincerity shines through in numerous reviews. From prompt deliveries to appreciation for their buy-back feature, the praises are aplenty.

Areas of improvement

There are a few areas of improvement, though. Textbooks' search engine could use some tweaks. Even after typing in several versions of the title we were looking for, we couldn't find the correct edition. Other editions were selling for around $50 to $60 a copy, but on competitor sites, they were available for under $30.

Discount categories

The website does offer categories that allow you to browse textbooks available at discounts of up to 70% off retail price. However, this may not be helpful for someone who needs a specific textbook assigned by their professor. We can imagine these discount categories might be a good place for a budget-conscious homeschool parent to find educational material for their children, though.

Supplemental materials included when indicated

We do like that if the listing's title includes supplemental materials (CDs, codes) you can actually expect those things to come with your order - which isn't true for some competitors, and can lead less discerning buyers to feel scammed.

eTextbook woes

eTextbooks seem to be Textbooks' Achilles' heel. The most common complaint we found was about long delivery wait times after buying eTextbooks. One user said they spent $50 and the purchase was stuck processing for days. Another paid $30 for an eTextbook they needed immediately for quizzes, but didn't receive an access link for several hours. Another complaint was about not being clearly informed that their eTextbook access was only for 30 days, which caused problems for midterm study after that period.

However, it's heartening to see prompt and attentive responses from customer support to these complaints. Every negative review we found had a reply from a representative offering to resolve the issue. That's more than we can say for some other services in our review.

Buy direct or through Marketplace

The Marketplace on Textbooks serves as a hub where independent sellers, authorized and vetted by Textbooks, can offer their books for sale. While these sellers operate within the platform, they manage their own order processing and returns. All marketplace sellers undergo a thorough vetting process to make sure they meet Textbooks' high standards of quality and reliability. However, for optimal service and speedier deliveries, it's advised that customers purchase directly from Textbooks.

• 30 days for returns

Regarding returns, if you've purchased directly from Textbooks, you have 30 days from the purchase date to send back your items. Do note that refunds can take up to two weeks, shipping fees aren't reimbursed, and the returned book should be in the same condition as received. If you've made your purchase from the Marketplace, it's crucial to send your returns directly to the individual seller, as mentioned in the packing slip, within the same 30-day window. For eTextbooks, returns are only possible before activation, and if unactivated, they must be returned within 30 days from the purchase date.

One of our favorites

Textbooks emerges as a platform genuinely dedicated to serving its community. Their vast collection, pocket-friendly prices, and guaranteed cashback options make them an attractive choice. While there are areas they can improve, their commitment to customer service is evident. In an age where every dollar counts for students, Textbooks, with their blend of value and sincerity, is a worthwhile option. Just keep in mind to double-check eTextbook terms and be clear about where you're sending your returns, and you're good to go.

• Easy search for textbooks by title, author, or ISBN
• Rent physical or digital textbooks starting at $4.99
• Generous return policy for physical and digital textbooks
• Access to step-by-step solutions for thousands of textbooks with additional subscription

Highlighting permitted in rental books

• Quality of Book Guarantee
• Buyback program and discounts

Chegg is a well-known education technology company that has been helping students since 2005. If you've ever googled the answers to your homework questions, you've probably visited their website before. Chegg started as a textbook rental service and has now grown into a comprehensive educational platform offering various services like online tutoring, study aids, scholarship searches, and internship matching. With over 15 years of experience, Chegg has become a trusted resource for students worldwide, constantly adapting to meet the changing needs of today's learners.

Search by title, author, or ISBN

To find the textbook you're after on Chegg, simply go to the search bar and enter the title, author, or ISBN, and you'll be brought to a list of results with the closest match appearing first. From here you can click on the "Rent/buy book" button, where you'll find pricing.

Get access to homework help with monthly subscription

You might also have noticed when search results include something called Solutions. These are part of the Chegg Study Pack subscription, priced at $19.95 per month. We know that most students don't have much extra cash on hand, but if you manage to save a significant amount on a textbook with Chegg, you might consider reinvesting those savings into furthering your education. With this subscription, you'll have access to step-by-step solutions for thousands of textbooks, helping you to understand every topic thoroughly. Need more personalized help? Check out the Expert Q&A Archive, which houses 90 million explained homework questions. You can post up to 20 of your own questions every month and get answers from experts, often in as quick as 30 minutes.

Rent physical or digital textbooks for under $15

A used Western Civilizations textbook that retails new for $58 was available for rental for only $12.49 with Chegg. Some textbooks will only be available for either renting or purchasing, but not both. Some books can also be viewed online as eTextbooks, which are available for purchase or rent starting at $4.99 for renting. Pricing will vary based on the specific book you're looking at. Orders over $35 are eligible for free shipping.

21 days to decide on physical textbooks

Chegg lets you send back your physical textbooks for any reason within 21 days - super handy if you drop a class or order the wrong book. Just send it back how you got it, and you'll get your money back, but they might keep what you paid for shipping. Don't worry about return shipping; Chegg's got it covered. Just make sure to ship the textbook back within 21 days from when you ordered, which you can check in your confirmation email or on your account.

10 days for digital textbook returns

Got a digital textbook you don't want? No stress. You can get a full refund within 10 days if you change your mind or don't need it anymore. Just head to your account to sort it out. But remember, after 10 days, no returns, and if you've returned it once, you can't do it again.

One of the things that stands out about Chegg's rental service is their understanding towards students' study habits. They allow limited highlighting in their rented textbooks. This is pretty generous of them. Think about it: how often do you come across a service that lets you borrow something and then make minor changes to it? We don't recommend you test this out at your local library, unless you want to see what an angry librarian looks like. Highlighting helps many students grasp and retain information, so it's a gesture that acknowledges the needs of students while trusting them to keep the book in good shape for others. Just be sure not to write in the textbooks - save your notes for your personal notebook.

Quality of Book Guarantee gives you peace of mind

Everyone likes quality, especially when it comes to textbooks - no one wants to be told to turn to page 394 only to discover the previous owner tore it out. Chegg's Quality of Book Guarantee means that if you're not 100% happy with the condition of your book, they'll send you another copy, no fuss, and on their dime.

Earn with their buyback program

When it's time to move onto a new semester, Chegg's buyback program comes into the spotlight. Collaborating with third-party partners, Chegg offers a platform where you can potentially sell back your textbooks. That's an eco-friendly and wallet-friendly way to keep your dorm room clutter-free. And speaking of savings, Chegg occasionally offers coupon codes at checkout, so keep an eye out.

User data compromised in the past

Chegg has a "B+" rating from the Better Business Bureau, but there was an alert on their page notifying customers of a data breach. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has taken action against education tech company Chegg Inc. for not protecting user and employee data properly. Chegg didn't keep personal information safe, even storing some in plain text and using weak encryption methods. This led to four major data breaches affecting around 40 million people, exposing emails, personal details, and even sensitive data about scholarships and Chegg employees' financial and medical information. The FTC now requires Chegg to enhance its security measures, limit the data it collects, provide better account security for users, and let users access or delete their data. This should not be a problem for new users to the website.

A great option

All in all, Chegg stands out as a top choice for college textbook rentals due to its competitive prices. But what really sets them apart are the additional services they offer beyond just renting books. It's definitely worth exploring their tutoring, test prep, scholarship, and internship opportunities alongside their vast textbook collection.

• Operational since 2001
• Affiliated with over 500 educational institutions
• Provides a platform for independent sellers
• Average rental prices
• Free shipping on retail orders over $49
• Year-round buyback opportunities
• Wide range of academic materials
• Positive customer reviews and ratings

In business for over 20 years, TextbookX's mission is to offer students the lowest prices for their course materials by combining their own inventory with that of third-party sellers. With one of the largest inventories of new, used, digital, and rental books, TextbookX provides lots of options to students.

More than just textbooks

TextbookX offers more than just textbooks. They also list school supplies, best-selling books, magazines, study guides, and more.

Benefits of school-partnered online bookstores

TextbookX partners with colleges, and they offer custom websites for partnered schools. When you buy through your school, you'll benefit from a dedicated inventory tailored to your courses. Students can search for textbooks by course name, code, instructor, or ISBN. The platform also offers school-branded merchandise and multiple payment options, including financial aid where applicable. Note that availability of the textbooks you need isn't guaranteed - it's based on stock and demand, so plan to purchase as soon as you get your required reading list.

Benefits of buying from TextbookX directly

Students can benefit from average savings of 60% off the list price when purchasing from the Marketplace. The platform allows users to search for books by ISBN, title, author, or keyword, and offers year-round buyback opportunities. You can also get free economy shipping on retail orders over $49 - note that this is almost double the minimum amount to qualify for free shipping with some competitors.

Standard search functions

TextbookX offers standard search functions and provides detailed listings that show all available copies of books along with their corresponding prices. Additionally, the platform includes notes from sellers that provide information about any damage, inclusion of access codes, and shipping or satisfaction policies. Make sure you pay attention to these - some sellers do not accept returns.

Marketplace textbooks don't qualify for free shipping

Through TextbookX's Marketplace, you can shop from sellers nationwide and choose from books available in their warehouse as well as from trusted third-party sellers. The sellers range from big volume sellers to individual students, and you can generally tell what kind of seller you're buying from based on the listing where there is a section for notes indicating their return policies and the book's condition. However, please note that free shipping offers do not apply to items purchased from the Marketplace, although some sellers might cut you a deal.

Shipping is a few dollars more than competitors

For orders below $49, the shipping cost is $4.89 plus $2 per book. The estimated delivery time is 3-10 business days. Standard Ground shipping takes 2-5 days and costs $8.49 plus $2.99 per book. For marketplace and rental orders, Economy shipping costs $6.89 per item, with an estimated delivery time of 3-10 business days. Standard Shipping is $11.49 per item, with an estimated delivery time of 2-5 days.

New rental program

As a response to customer feedback, TextbookX recently introduced a rental program, which further reduces prices for students. The rental books are always in at least "good" condition and are never international or reprint editions. However, it's important to note that supplemental materials are not included with the rental, unless otherwise indicated. Students are required to return the rental books at the end of the term - they don't seem to have options for shorter or longer term rentals.

If you're late to return your rental, you buy it

Students have the flexibility to purchase a rented book at any time during the rental period. Late returns result in a charge of the book's buyout price - less the amount you paid to rent it, but still, TextbookX is not playing around with these fees. Their grace period only covers the time it would reasonably take for your return to be sent out and delivered.

10% restocking fee and no returns on Pearson eBooks

The return policies for TextbookX can be summarized as follows: for items to be eligible for a full refund, they must be returned in their original condition, unmarked if sold as "new," and with intact software media. Refunds are subject to a 10% restocking fee, and marketplace returns are subject to the policies of individual sellers. eBook refunds are possible under certain circumstances, such as within two weeks of purchase and with limited viewing or printing of the content. eBooks from Pearson can't be refunded at all, nor can rental returns.

Trusted by customers

We're glad to see that TextbookX has an "A+" Better Business Bureau rating and a 4.3-star average on Trustpilot. Customer reviews for TextbookX have been generally positive. Students have praised the platform for its international shipping services and customer support. Many have found their textbook prices to be competitive compared to an online retail giant, also included in our review. The efficient book listing system for registered courses has been appreciated, along with reliable and timely delivery. Students also value the ability to sell their books back to TextbookX. While some reviewers experienced occasional issues with delivery delays, there have been reports of positive experiences with customer service to resolve these issues.

Not a bad choice

Overall, we would recommend TextbookX for your college textbook needs. While we do wish their rental return policy was a little less strict ( college students can be messy, and it could be easy to misplace a textbook in a cluttered dorm ), we didn't find any major faults with them. We like that they make it so easy for students to find the books they need by partnering with colleges, and their BBB rating is encouraging. While not an outstanding service, they do pretty well.

• Vast inventory of textbooks
• Exclusive deals and promotions on textbooks with Prime Student
• All copies of a textbook found under the same listing
• Free shipping with Amazon Prime Student membership, quick delivery
• Convenient platform for selling old textbooks

Amazon, known to many as the go-to online marketplace for a dizzying array of products, actually got its start as a humble book retailer. Before it became the behemoth it is today, it was a place where book lovers could find their next great read. Its expansion is credited to its quick delivery, vast inventory, low pricing, and the ability to share experiences with products. You can purchase and sell your own used textbooks here, although they no longer support the ability to rent physical textbooks.

Navigating Amazon's selection is difficult

We're not really into Amazon's search function for textbooks. You can begin by browsing their New and Used Textbooks category, but you can't search within it, and let's be real: no one is browsing textbooks for kicks. You're going to be after a specific title and edition. So, wandering around in the Science & Math category of New and Used Textbooks, hoping to magically stumble across the one you need? Not super efficient. To search for a specific book, you have to use the general search bar at the top, which can't be narrowed down any further than Amazon's broad "Books" category.

Potential Savings with Amazon

Price-wise, Amazon can be a mixed bag. Sometimes, you'll stumble upon incredible deals on used books, with prices that brick-and-mortar stores can't match. Other times, new editions might be priced close to the publisher's rate. But with the possibility of buying used, or even scoring a deal during one of their frequent promotions, there's potential for real savings. Combine that with Amazon Prime Student discounts, and you've got yourself a recipe for some budget-friendly textbook shopping. Amazon itself advertises savings of up to 90% on used textbooks, up to 49% on new ones, and discounts of up to 60% off the print list price.

No more physical textbook rentals

A notable change in 2023 saw Amazon putting an end to their print textbook rental services. However, you can still rent their eTextbooks. The move towards digital makes sense given the convenience and flexibility eTextbooks offer. Here's how it works: if you're looking to rent an eTextbook, simply navigate to the Kindle eTextbooks section on Amazon. Pop in the ISBN, title, or author into the search bar to find what you're after. If the eTextbook is up for grabs as a rental, a rental price tag will be visible right there. Once you've found your eTextbook, click the "Rent" button, followed by "Rent now with 1-Click" , and voila! You've got your digital textbook ready to guide you through the semester.

All copies under the same listing

Found the textbook you were looking for? Make sure to click on the blue text labeled "[quantity] used & new offers" under "More Buying Choices" to see the lowest price available. This is something Amazon does well: all of the available copies of that textbook on Amazon, whatever the condition, will show up under the same listing. No need to try alternate spellings of the title to bring up other results.

Maximize benefits with Amazon Prime Student

If you're looking for free shipping on your textbooks, Amazon Prime could be your best friend, especially since students get a deal on this membership. Head to the Prime Student page and sign up for your first 6 months for free. Once your trial runs its course, you can continue enjoying Prime Student for only $7.49 monthly. Beyond the obvious free shipping perk, Prime offers exclusive deals and promotions on textbooks - including discounts of up to 90%. So, not only do you save on shipping, but you might just get your books for a steal too.

Cash in on old textbooks

Got old textbooks gathering dust? Amazon can help you turn them into cash. Selling your textbooks on Amazon is pretty straightforward. Simply list your used books on their marketplace, describe their condition accurately, and set a competitive price. With millions of users visiting Amazon daily, your books will be showcased to a wide audience, increasing the chances of a quick sale. Plus, Amazon provides shipping labels and even offers trade-in options for select books. So whether you're decluttering or just looking to recoup some of your expenses, Amazon's platform can be a convenient way to get value out of your old textbooks.

Returns generally possible for 30 days

Bought a textbook, then dropped the class? Don't sweat it. Items shipped directly from Amazon can generally be returned within 30 days of delivery. However, there are some exceptions, and you'll want to check out the list of "Items that Can't be Returned" to be sure. Also, while most of the products fall under the 30-day window, some specific product types might have extended return timelines; you'd need to check the product type's listed details for that. Bought a used textbook from a third-party seller on Amazon? Most of them align their return policies with Amazon's, especially if their listing is Prime-eligible.

Doesn't specialize in textbooks, but does a good job

Amazon wears a lot of hats, and for the most part they seem to have their College Textbook Retailer Hat on straight. While they could probably stand to improve their search function, they're still a solid choice thanks to their large inventory, fast shipping, and discounted Prime membership for students.

• In business since 2001
• Daily coupon codes
• Textbook rentals for different periods (Semester, Quarter, Short Term)
• Buyback program
• Free shipping for orders over $59
• Refunds available for 25 days after purchase

Around since 2001, BiggerBooks claims to have the "largest used book inventory" and that their "bigger selection of used books equals bigger savings." They try to differentiate themselves from competitors with their Daily Deal feature, which makes a new coupon code available to customers every day of the week.

Physical textbook rentals aren't going anywhere

While one notable competitor recently rolled back their textbook rentals, BiggerBooks is standing by this business model. Search for your textbook by title, author, or ISBN and you'll be taken to the list of results of titles available for rent or purchase. On each listing's page, you'll find their prices for each rental period: you have the option to rent by Semester, Quarter, and Short Term. Next to each option, you'll see the date the textbook would be due if you were to rent it today.

Prices aren't as low as they say

We found even the rental prices to be a little on the expensive side, though. The Short Term rental (roughly 2 months) on a particular textbook would cost $29.60. When we checked a competitor site, we found several used copies of this book available for purchase for a few dollars less. Forget renting - if you want to buy the textbook used from BiggerBooks? That'll be $63.20. Given that that's about 3 times the purchase price we found elsewhere, BiggerBooks' 7% Tuesday discount isn't enough to make their prices competitive.

Buyback program has strict terms

Ready to cash in on your textbooks? BiggerBooks offers a straightforward Buyback program to help you turn those old books into some extra cash. Simply enter the ISBNs of the books you want to sell, and you'll get a quote that is valid for 7 days. But here's the catch: if your textbooks don't meet their standards, they won't be returned; they'll be destroyed. So, before you send them off, make absolutely sure they meet BiggerBook's condition guidelines to avoid missing out on payment and the chance to resell elsewhere with less stringent standards.

Returns subject to shipping and restocking fees

Your order will qualify for free shipping if it's over $59. Otherwise, for 6-10 day Standard Shipping, you'll have to pay $4 plus $0.99 for each item included in the order. Orders are eligible for refund up to 25 days after purchase; however, you'll have to pay shipping and a 10% restocking fee ( ouch! ).

Supplemental materials not included

Make sure you don't need an access code for your textbook. Gone are the days when all you needed was the book itself - publishing companies have gotten wise to students renting and reselling textbooks to save money, and now you often can't access your course material without a one-time code that you can only get with a new textbook. BiggerBooks is no different from other used textbook companies in that they can't guarantee your textbook will come with that access code or any other supplemental materials (like CDs).

Unhappy customers

We found multiple 1- and 2-star reviews from customers who say BiggerBooks sold them textbooks they didn't actually have on hand. Customers were charged and not refunded or notified of the mistake until they reached out to inquire about why their orders had not yet arrived.

Look somewhere else

BiggerBooks talks a big game about their affordability (even promising savings up to 91% on list prices), but we didn't find these claims to be substantiated in our own test case. You might still luck out and find the specific used textbook you need at its lowest price here, but that could be said for virtually any of the websites in our review. With high rental fees, less-than-generous return and buyback policies, and poor order fulfillment, we're forced to give BiggerBooks a below-average ranking.

• Offers textbooks (new and used), digital learning materials, college apparel, and school supplies
• Curates book listings based on specific institution's courses
• Consistent pricing with physical campus stores
• Offers shipping options and free delivery to some campus stores
• Allows highlighting and note-taking in rented textbooks

eFollett, often simply referred to as Follett, is a company that provides educational products, services, and technology solutions to educational institutions ranging from K-12 schools to colleges and universities. The company operates a vast number of physical and online campus stores across the U.S. These stores offer textbooks (both new and used), digital learning materials, college apparel, school supplies, and more. Over the years, Follett has expanded its offerings to include digital solutions and technology platforms designed to facilitate learning, library management, and course material accessibility.

School-specific redirects

eFollett is distinct from many other used textbook services in that it serves as a gateway to individual college and university bookstore sites rather than offering a centralized online shopping experience. When you visit eFollett, you're prompted to select your specific institution. (They partner with 1,000+ universities, but if you attend a community college or otherwise small school, this number might not include you.) Once you do, you're redirected to your own school's bookstore site, ensuring that you're viewing materials tailored to your school's courses and curricula. On their website, they state, "Bottom line: we guarantee that you have the right course materials."

Limited browsing

Unlike other services where you can freely browse textbooks, eFollett's structure means you're primarily viewing books that are relevant to your specific institution's courses. This can be both an advantage, as it curates your choices, and a limitation, as it doesn't allow for broader exploration. However, it did make it nearly impossible to compare their prices to similar websites, whether for rentals or purchasing used textbooks.

Consistent book listings

The advantage of their system is that you're more likely to find books that are specifically required by your professors, reducing the risk of purchasing incorrect editions or titles. This is easily done with Follett's tagging system. Because they communicate directly with your university, they are able to mark your textbooks as required, recommended, or suggested based on your instructor's preferences. Their Customer Support Center page promises finding what you need will be easy, thanks to their inventory being browsable by course.

Price consistency with campus store

The prices on eFollett-powered sites tend to mirror those of the physical campus store. While there might be occasional online discounts, don't expect the deep discounts sometimes found on other online used textbook platforms.

Pick up your books from your campus store

eFollett offers a range of shipping options for students. Standard shipping typically arrives in 4-7 days, the "Faster" option in 3-4 days, and the "Fastest" in 2-3 days. For those looking to save on shipping costs, there's a "Store Pickup" option which allows for free delivery to some campus stores. Regarding costs, standard shipping is priced up to $6.99, the "Faster" option up to $13.99, and "Fastest" up to $19.99.

Highlighting in rented textbooks is allowed

Renting textbooks through eFollett is a cost-effective option for students, often costing less than half the price of buying new textbooks. The process is simple: students choose their course, select rental items, and finalize the rental by providing collateral, usually a credit card. While you can highlight and take notes in the rented textbooks, excessive markings may result in fees. You can return rentals either in-store or via shipping, but the shipping cost is your responsibility. If you miss the return deadline, you will be charged additional fees, and if you return the book too late, you will be charged the full price of the book. You can convert rentals to purchases or return them if you drop the course within the return period set by your university.

Terrible customer service

Although eFollett has an "A+" grade from the Better Business Bureau, they don't have many positive reviews elsewhere. We found dozens of reports of packages that arrived with missing books, textbooks that hadn't been wrapped in plastic and were ruined by rain, and even orders that were "shipped" but never arrived. Many of these customers say they never received replies to emails or phone calls asking to be refunded the hundreds of dollars they had spent on their course materials. Those who were able to make contact with customer service characterize them as rude and unhelpful.

Access Program seems like a scam

If you're a college student, you may already be familiar with Follett through their Access Program, which touts benefits like "exclusive, lower than market prices" . Students don't get an initial choice to subscribe but are automatically charged, with the option to opt out available only later. A Reddit user shared their experience with this program, noting that their school automatically enrolled them, catching them off-guard. They wrote, "I just got an email saying that a charge had been added to my balance because one of my classes uses this program. My bill doesn't even specify which class or textbook the charge pertains to, yet I've been charged $110." The user warned about the potential pitfall of forgetting to opt out amidst the hustle of a new semester, emphasizing that the promise of savings on used textbooks becomes irrelevant if you're faced with a $110 charge for a service you didn't actively choose. We felt this information was relevant because it highlights eFollett's disregard for student welfare, demonstrating a readiness to capitalize on an already financially vulnerable population.

Look elsewhere

eFollett isn't the same kind of service as the others in our review because it seems mostly to be an extension of a campus bookstore (and indeed it partners with them). It's hard to say whether their promises of savings are accurate due to their course-specific browsing settings, but that becomes moot when you look at their terrible track record for customer satisfaction. Sure, you might find a rental for a few bucks cheaper than on a competitor site, but those savings go down the drain if they lose your order, blame it on you, and refuse to refund you. We don't recommend you use eFollett if your school gives you other options; look at the higher-ranking college textbook platforms on our list instead.

• Access to 1,800+ eTextbooks and study materials for $10.99/month
• Includes flashcards, audio, and study tools
• Additional Channels feature offers curated study videos, quizzes, and summaries for $7.99/month

Pearson is a leading global publishing and education giant, long-recognized for its extensive collection of educational textbooks, resources, and digital learning platforms. However, while its influence in the education sector is undeniable, it hasn't been without its fair share of criticisms.

Response to the criticism

Many have voiced concerns over Pearson's near-monopoly status in the industry, accusing it of leveraging its dominant position to impose high prices and exploit students financially. Perhaps in response to some of this criticism, Pearson introduced Pearson+, a subscription service dubbed the "Netflix for textbooks". With Pearson+, the company attempts to reposition itself in the digital age, offering students access to nearly 2,000 eTextbooks and study materials for a monthly fee.

1,800 textbooks to choose from

For $10.99 a month (with a 4-month term), the eTextbook model gives subscribers access to their selection of 1,800+ eTextbooks. This subscription also boasts flashcards, audio, and other study tools. At face value, this seems like a deal, especially if you consider the cost of traditional textbooks.

No textbooks from other publishers

Something to keep in mind is that the catalog of 1,800+ only includes textbooks published by Pearson. This means that if your coursework requires textbooks from various publishers, Pearson+ might not meet all your needs. You could end up subscribing and still have to spend additional resources on books from other publishers.

Study videos for $7.99

For an additional $7.99/mo, Channels offers thousands of curated study videos, practice quizzes, and AI-powered summaries. It sounds like a comprehensive study tool for the modern student, and the potential for this tool is vast, especially for visual learners.

Logs you out while reading

Unfortunately, not all that glitters is gold. One user from UBC voiced their regret after opting for a Pearson eTextbook, finding the platform "extremely frustrating and unintuitive." The book's navigation was clunky, and, even worse, the system frequently logged them out. Adding to their woes was Pearson's penchant for weekend site maintenance, rendering their "book" inaccessible just before an exam. Although this particular customer complaint was logged almost 6 years prior to the time of this review, our own experience with Pearson's eTextbooks confirms that these technical issues have not been fixed. We suppose there is not much incentive to create a product that works well when customers are cornered into buying it from you.

Not accessible for users with disability

Accessibility features, too, left much to be desired. Another user, living with low vision, criticized Pearson's text-to-speech function, which kept defaulting to the beginning of the book. Despite their efforts to seek help, customer support was "equally unhelpful." A harsh critique, but echoed by others: "I wish this company would vanish off the planet."

Customer support is terrible

Finally, there are the customer support failures. One user lamented being charged five times for an online textbook, one they never accessed. When they called for support, the experience was draining, the outcome unsatisfactory: no credit, no access to the book, just hours and money lost.

Too good to be true

Pearson+ seems too good to be true. That's because it is. While the allure of accessible digital textbooks at a low price is tempting, the reality, as reported by many users, is a platform riddled with technical glitches, subpar accessibility features, and frustrating customer support. Students looking for consistent and hassle-free access to their study materials have learned the hard way that sometimes, the old-fashioned way - purchasing or renting a physical or used textbook - is best. It's no wonder that Pearson earns our lowest ranking among providers of college textbooks.

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Online college textbook stores have revolutionized the way students acquire their academic resources. These platforms offer a convenient, often cheaper, alternative to traditional brick-and-mortar stores. With just a few clicks, students can purchase new or used books, rent textbooks, or even access digital versions.

How much could you save? In some cases, students might spend over $1,000 per semester on required course materials, especially if they are studying in fields that require expensive textbooks or access codes for online resources. It's obvious that every penny counts, so why not take advantage of every possible way to get your textbooks for less money? You could cut that $1,000 in half (or even more) by skipping the school bookstore and opting to source your books online.

When choosing a college textbook retailer, it's important to consider several factors to be sure you get the best deal and the resources you need. Here are some factors to keep in mind:

• Cost. How much does the textbook cost on this site compared to others? Look for competitive prices. Are there any special deals or discounts? It's always a win to save some money.
• Selection. Does the website have the textbooks you need? Check if they offer both e-books and physical copies. It's best to have choices to fit your study style.
• Shipping and return policy. Can they get your textbook to you before classes start? Consider shipping costs and speed. If the textbook isn't what you meant to order, is returning it easy? A good return policy can save you from headaches later on.
• Access codes. Do you need an online code for your course? Some books come with codes for online materials. If buying used or renting, is the code still valid? Make sure you're getting everything you need.

Top Consumer Reviews has reviewed and ranked the best online stores to buy college textbooks, both secondhand and new. We hope these reviews help you get the books you need for school quickly and without spending too much.

College Textbook Store FAQ

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Independent Book Review

A Celebration of Indie Press and Self-Published Books

30+ Top-Notch Book Review Sites for Readers & Writers

Here are 30+ top-notch book review sites for booksellers, librarians, readers, & writers. Learn more about 30 bookish companies helping spread the word about the best & latest books.

Top-Notch Book Review Sites for Readers & Writers

Book reviews are for all of us.

Readers need to know whether books with the best covers are worth the time they’re about to put into it. They find it helpful (and fun!) to check out reviews after reading the books, too, so they can see what other real-life humans had to say about it.

Authors & publishers need to get book reviews to build buzz and credibility for their product. Librarians & booksellers need to hear from trusted sources that the book they are about to buy for their collection has the capability to get picked up & to satisfy. 

Book review sites have transformed the book-recommending landscape.

We can write reviews on product pages, on social media apps, and some of us, for publications that have been around since before the internet. Book reviewing has changed. But maybe it also hasn’t.

What kind of book review sites are you looking for? Chances are, this list has you covered.

Here are 30+ book review sites to read, write, and bookmark. 

1. Independent Book Review

Does this logo look familiar? (Hint: You’re sitting on it).

IBR, the website you’re on RIGHT NOW, is all about indie books . There are so many books in the world right now, but if you feel like you keep seeing the same ones recommended over and over, start reading indie!

Independent presses & self-published authors are doing some incredible work right now. IBR reviews books, curates lists, does indie bookstore round-ups, and uses starred reviews & best-of-the-year lists to show which books are going to blow your mind.

2. Book Marks

Lit Hub rules. You already knew this.

But do you know about Book Marks? They’re a branch of the Lit Hub network, and they are an excellent way for booksellers and librarians to get shorter recaps from multiple sources and voices.

Their staff peruses book review sites and shares pull-quotes from them in book lists & more. By reading all of these sites, they can give the book a rating based on the average: “Rave, Positive, Mixed, or Pan.”

My favorite book-buying platform, Bookshop , uses Book Marks’ scale for their books’ ratings, and I love getting access to that.

3. Publishers Weekly

Publishers Weekly has been around since 1872. By now, they’re a review churning machine. They cover so much of the book industry in so many different ways, reviewing nearly 9,000 books per year and providing publication announcements, agency announcements, industry job listings , bestseller lists, industry stats, a self-publishing partner, and more. 

4. Kirkus Reviews

Another one that’s been around since before the internet! 1933 to be exact. Kirkus is a widely recognized publication that book buyers & librarians follow carefully. I dare you to find a bookstore or library that doesn’t have multiple books with Kirkus Reviews plastered on their front and back covers.

5. Booklist

The American Library Association runs Booklist , a platform dedicated to helping libraries, educators, and booksellers choose books. They’ve got a magazine (since 1905!), book reviews, lists, awards, and one of my favorite bookish podcasts out there: Shelf Care .

6. Library Journal & School Library Journal

As you might be able to guess, Library Journal & School Library Journal focus on librarians too! They review a ton of books, and they write often about library-related news, collection management, technology, programs, and more. If you’re an author hoping to land your book in libraries, these are essential targets.

7. BookPage

You may have seen BookPage in your local library or bookstore. Some shops provide it for free so that patrons can look through it to find which books to buy in-store. Their website is clean and intriguing and always full of the most up-to-date releases and bestsellers.

Speaking of libraries! Have you seen our gifts for librarians ?

8. Foreword

Foreword is such an enthusiastic and dedicated champion of indie books, and they’ve been doing it since the 90s! I love how much attention university presses get here too. Their reviews are well-written & thorough, in both print & digital, and I always find something to speed-purchase once the Foreword Indie winners come out.

9. LoveReading

LoveReading is a top book-recommendation website in the UK. They’ve got starred reviews, lists, staff picks, a LitFest , eBooks, and they even donate 25% of the cover price of their books to schools of your choice. It’s reader-friendly and apparent how much they appreciate the wonder of books. 

10. Washington Independent Review of Books

What’s not to love about The Independent?

Back in 2011, a group of writers & editors were frustrated by newspapers dropping book review sections and decided to do something about it. The Washington Independent Review of Books is quite a lovely something! This nonprofit posts every day: from reviews to interviews to essays and podcasts. They host events too!

11. Book Riot

Try being a reader and not finding something you love on Book Riot. Book lists, podcasts, personalized recommendations, newsletters, book deals—this site is a haven.

It doesn’t post solo book reviews like other sites, but they do share mini-reviews in book lists and talk about reading in unique & passionate ways. The Book Riot Podcast is such a winner too! I love listening to Jeff & Rebecca laugh about the latest in books & reading.

12. Electric Lit

From novel excerpts to original short fiction & poetry, they might not only be a book review site,  but they do offer a lot in the world of book recommendations. Their Recommended Reading lit mag features unique staff picks and short, insightful book reviews.

13. The Millions

The writing in The Millions is something to behold. They are an artful source for all things book reviews & recommendations. They write stunning essays about books & reading and long reviews of new and old books. They’ve got some of my favorite Most Anticip ated lists too.

What are the biggest benefits of reading ? 🧐

14. Bookforum

Did you hear? Bookforum is back ! This book review magazine announced in December 2022 that they were closing, and my heart sank a little bit. This company means so much to the publishing industry and has for 20+ years, so when I saw (last week!) that they are returning, I did more than a few jumps for joy.

Welcome back, Bookforum! Can’t wait to see what you’ve got coming for us in book world coverage.

BOMB is in it for the art. Art, literature, film, music, theater, architecture, and dance. There are reviews and interviews, and the literature section is a real delight. The reviews are like poignant essays, and the author interviews are in-depth and feature some fascinating minds.

16. The Asian Review of Books

The only dedicated pan-Asian book review publication! It’s widely cited and features some of the best in Asian books and art, so booksellers and librarians have a source to trust to stock their collections with high-quality pan-Asian lit.

Have you seen our gifts for book lovers yet?

17. Chicago Review of Books

I love so much of what Chicago Review of Books does. They have a clean & sleek design that features some of the buzziest books as well as plenty of hidden gems from our favorite indie presses. I’m a particularly big fan of the spotlight they put on books in translation .

18. Rain Taxi

I love Rain Taxi ’s style! They champion unique books, publish their own fiction, poetry, and nonfiction, and put a real emphasis on art for their magazine covers . It’s a beautiful print magazine to subscribe to, but they also share free online editions & digital archives. They even run the Rain Taxi Reading Series & Twin Cities Book Festival if you’re a real-lifer in Minnesota!

19. The Rumpus

Oh, The Rumpus ! This mostly volunteer-run online magazine publishes reviews, interviews, essays, fiction, and poetry. The reviews are in-depth and personal and heart-melting, and in addition to the site, they’ve got cool perks like the Poetry Book Club  and Letters in the Mail . The book club is where you get a pre-release book and meet the poet via Slack with other club members at the end of the month, and Letters in the Mail are actual postcards sent in the mail to you twice a month from your favorite authors.

20. Book Reporter

The selection in Book Reporter is carefully curated & enticing: hot new releases, forthcoming books, major presses, & indies. And there are plenty of unique ways to learn about them, like video interviews and monthly lists & picks. It launched in 1996 and is in The Book Report Network, which includes Reading Group Guides , a super useful resource for book clubs.

21. BookTrib .

BookTrib does such a great job of making their site browsable. The different ways you can enjoy what they offer—from book lists to giveaways to ebook deals —are difficult to keep your purchase finger off of.

23. Lit Reactor

Writers & readers—where bookish people meet! LitReactor’s book reviews are in the magazine portion of their website, and they’ve got plenty of them! Reviews, interviews, lists, introspectives, writing tips, and reading discussions. I’ve found some really unique content on Lit Reactor, like this ranking of literary parents . The website is a haven for writers especially, as there are workshops, writing blog posts, and even a forum to participate in.

24. Crime Fiction Lover

Dark alleys. Stray bullets. Hard-boiled detectives. Runaway thrills. If you’re a mystery-thriller reader, you’ve got to know about Crime Fiction Lover. They’ve got a passionate group of readers and writers talking about the best books in the genre and the ones that are soon to come out too.

25. SF Book Reviews

Speculative fiction fans unite! SF Book Reviews has been reviewing sci-fi and fantasy books since 1999, and while they’re a relatively small staff, they publish regularly, feature books of the month, and work wonders for their fantastical community.

26. Historical Novel Society

For all you historical fiction fans out there, the Historical Novel Society has reviewed more than 20,000 books in its twenty years. This one works like a membership for “writers and readers who love exploring the past.” You get a quarterly print magazine as a member, and if you’re a writer, you can join critique groups and ask for book reviews.

27. The Poetry Question

The Poetry Question writes about poetry published by indie presses and indie authors. They are a small passionate team dedicated to showing the world why indie presses continue to be a leading source for award-winning poetry.

28. Goodreads

Did you know that there are over 125 million members on Goodreads? When users review books, they can have conversations with fellow readers and follow reviewers too. If you’re looking for the biggest community, there’s no doubt Goodreads is the one. I like using sites like this because it helps you catalog books, one of my favorite ways to build a strong reading habit . 

29. The Storygraph

A big community of active users that’s Amazon free! Come review books, use half & quarter stars (!), and complete reading challenges. You got this.

29. Bookwyrm

Bookwyrm is small (around 5,000 members at the time of this writing), but doesn’t that sound kind of nice? There are active members and a genuine collective goal in talking books. Grow with it. I think you’ll be comfy here. There are other communities within the Bookwyrm umbrella too, like Bookrastinating .

30. Reedsy Discovery

I hold a special place in my heart for book review sites dedicated to helping writers! I got into this business as a book marketer, and I experienced first-hand, through hundreds of books, how hard it was to get exposure & validation for small press and self-published authors. 

Reedsy Discovery is a branch of Reedsy (the author resource company) that connects authors & reviewers so that people can read free books, sometimes receive tips for it, and authors can get more reviews in the process. Readers can choose from the latest books as well as the ones that are getting the best reviews.

31. Netgalley

Netgalley is a book review site for pre-released books. Reviewers sign up for a free account, request galleys from publishers and indie authors, and get to read them before they’re published so that they can leave reviews for the book, preferably on Amazon, Goodreads, or their blog. They also run Bookish , the editorial arm of Netgalley, which has book recommendations, interviews, and more.

32. Online Book Club

This review site combines a bunch of cool things! The 4-million member community gives me a lot of Goodreads vibes, especially with the Bookshelves app . But Online Book Club is a place for you to get eBook deals and talk about books in reviews and forums.

What are your favorite book review sites to follow? Let us know in the comments!

Thank you for reading “ Top-Notch Book Review Sites for Readers & Writers !” If you liked what you read, please spend some more time with us at the links below.

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Check out http://www.literaryvault.com for best book reviews and author interviews. The literary Vault is a blog run and owned by a 13-year-old passionate reader who loves to share her passion and recommendations with others.

Thank you for the information!

Book review sites serve as invaluable resources for both readers and writers, offering insightful critiques, recommendations, and discussions on a wide range of literary works. Whether you’re seeking your next captivating read or looking to promote your own book, these platforms provide a wealth of information and opportunities for engagement. https://ghostwritersplanet.com/

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Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Writing a Book Review

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Book reviews typically evaluate recently-written works. They offer a brief description of the text’s key points and often provide a short appraisal of the strengths and weaknesses of the work.

Readers sometimes confuse book reviews with book reports, but the two are not identical. Book reports commonly describe what happens in a work; their focus is primarily on giving an account of the major plot, characters, and/or main idea of the work. Most often, book reports are a K-12 assignment and range from 250 to 500 words. If you are looking to write a book report, please see the OWL resource, Writing a Book Report.

By contrast, book reviews are most often a college assignment, but they also appear in many professional works: magazines, newspapers, and academic journals. They typically range from 500-750 words, but may be longer or shorter. A book review gives readers a sneak peek at what a book is like, whether or not the reviewer enjoyed it, and details on purchasing the book.

Before You Read

Before you begin to read, consider the elements you will need to included in your review. The following items may help:

• Author: Who is the author? What else has s/he written? Has this author won any awards? What is the author’s typical style?
• Genre: What type of book is this: fiction, nonfiction, romance, poetry, youth fiction, etc.? Who is the intended audience for this work? What is the purpose of the work?
• Title: Where does the title fit in? How is it applied in the work? Does it adequately encapsulate the message of the text? Is it interesting? Uninteresting?
• Preface/Introduction/Table of Contents: Does the author provide any revealing information about the text in the preface/introduction? Does a “guest author” provide the introduction? What judgments or preconceptions do the author and/or “guest author” provide? How is the book arranged: sections, chapters?
• Book Jacket/Cover/Printing: Book jackets are like mini-reviews. Does the book jacket provide any interesting details or spark your interest in some way? Are there pictures, maps, or graphs? Do the binding, page cut, or typescript contribute or take away from the work?

As You Read

As you read, determine how you will structure the summary portion or background structure of your review. Be ready to take notes on the book’s key points, characters, and/or themes.

• Characters: Are there characters in the work? Who are the principal characters? How do they affect the story? Do you empathize with them?
• Themes/Motifs/Style: What themes or motifs stand out? How do they contribute to the work? Are they effective or not? How would you describe this author’s particular style? Is it accessible to all readers or just some?
• Argument: How is the work’s argument set up? What support does the author give for her/findings? Does the work fulfill its purpose/support its argument?
• Key Ideas: What is the main idea of the work? What makes it good, different, or groundbreaking?
• Quotes: What quotes stand out? How can you demonstrate the author’s talent or the feel of the book through a quote?

When You Are Ready to Write

Begin with a short summary or background of the work, but do not give too much away. Many reviews limit themselves only to the first couple of chapters or lead the reader up to the rising action of the work. Reviewers of nonfiction texts will provide the basic idea of the book’s argument without too much detailed.

The final portion of your review will detail your opinion of the work. When you are ready to begin your review, consider the following:

• Establish a Background, Remember your Audience: Remember that your audience has not read the work; with this in mind, be sure to introduce characters and principles carefully and deliberately. What kind of summary can you provide of the main points or main characters that will help your readers gauge their interest? Does the author’s text adequately reach the intended audience? Will some readers be lost or find the text too easy?
• Minor principles/characters: Deal only with the most pressing issues in the book. You will not be able to cover every character or idea. What principles/characters did you agree or disagree with? What other things might the author have researched or considered?
• Organize: The purpose of the review is to critically evaluate the text, not just inform the readers about it. Leave plenty room for your evaluation by ensuring that your summary is brief. Determine what kind of balance to strike between your summary information and your evaluation. If you are writing your review for a class, ask your instructor. Often the ratio is half and half.
• Your Evaluation: Choose one or a few points to discuss about the book. What worked well for you? How does this work compare with others by the same author or other books in the same genre? What major themes, motifs, or terms does the book introduce, and how effective are they? Did the book appeal to you on an emotional or logical way?
• Publisher/Price: Most book reviews include the publisher and price of the book at the end of the article. Some reviews also include the year published and ISBN.

When making the final touches to your review, carefully verify the following:

• Double-check the spelling of the author name(s), character names, special terms, and publisher.
• Try to read from the vantage point of your audience. Is there too much/enough summary? Does your argument about the text make sense?
• Should you include direct quotes from the reading? Do they help support your arguments? Double-check your quotes for accuracy.

Ten Honest Review Sites for New Authors

Books flood into review sites, and the sheer numbers overwhelm book review editors. They must make choices: the big New York publishers or the little guys?

Publicists are Tweeting the editors and importuning them with e-mails. “Well, are you going to review my guy or gal or not?”

Probably not. There’s just not time. And the number of newspapers with book review sections keeps shrinking.

If this is publishing’s new reality, how are unknown authors supposed to get pithy, cover quotes? Hire a publicist? Sure, but not everyone can afford that.

If you want to throw a “Hail Mary,” you can join the National Book Critics Circle and gain access to the members of that organization. Alternately, you can monitor the group’s Twitter feed and collect Twitter addresses. Be forewarned, however.

Without a publicist, small presses, independent publishers, and self-published authors have very little chance of making it into the book review sections of national newspapers.

But, don’t give up yet. There are paid and unpaid review sites that will give you what you want–a “money quote.”

The Money Quote

Long before a book goes to press, the author or publisher needs to solicit reviews. Why? Because it’s good to have a “money quote.” That’s a single sentence you can put on the cover to promote it.

Here’s the money quote for my novel, Montpelier Tomorrow . “An affecting, deeply honest novel; at the same time, a lacerating indictment of our modern health care system.”– Kirkus Review

And, here’s a money quote for Bonds of Love & Blood . “MacDonald applies insight, power, and delicacy to create characters between whom the psychic space virtually sizzles.”– Foreword Reviews

You need quotes like these in your marketing campaign. That campaign can involve Tweets, blog tours, press releases, podcasts, and speaking engagements. But, all that effort begins with you deciding which review sites you’re going to target.

In this post I’m going to cover free review site and sites that charge money. Sometimes the same review organization will do both. ( Foreword Reviews, Kirkus Review , and Publishers Weekly/BookLife are examples of two-tiered review sites.)

The Skinny on Review Sites

I’ve seen disparaging comments on the web about sites that charge authors money in exchange for reviews. Honestly, it’s a very competitive world out there, and most sites that want you to pay for a review do not guarantee a positive outcome.

The reviewer can pan your book or give it a lukewarm endorsement. In that case (since you’ve forked over money), you can ask the site not to publish; but that’s the only break you’re going to get. Money doesn’t buy happiness, and it doesn’t buy a five-star review.

I’ve solicited both paid and unpaid reviews. Some of the paid reviews have been the best, not because I bought the reviewers’ good opinion, but because the readers took time to read thoroughly and respond in a “feelingful” way.

Apart from reviews, what authors want most is that vital connection with readers. Our chances improve if the review sites allow reviewers to self-select from among the many books available for review. One site, for instance, says they receive 1,000 books per month. There’s no way the editor who manages that rising tide can possibly know which readers who will be receptive. As I said, review sites are literally being inundated.

Review Sites | Free or Cheap

The Midwest Book Review — This is a site that favors small presses. If the book has not yet been published, the author or publisher can pay a $50 “reader fee” (which is an administrative fee) and MBR will assign a reviewer. At that point the author or publisher will send the reviewer a pre-publication manuscript, galley, uncorrected proof, ARC, or pdf file . Turnaround isn’t instantaneous, so it’s important to allow enough time, especially if you want a money quote for your book cover.

If your book is too far along to qualify for a pre-publication review, you can still try to get one from MBR, one of the oldest and most respected review sites in the country. The editor, James Fox, asks that you send two copies of the book, a press release, and a physical address to which they can mail the review.

If the book isn’t picked up by one of their volunteer reviewers during the 12 to 14-week time window, you can submit a review from any other reviewer (with their permission), and they’ll run the review in their newsletter.

While you’re on their site make sure you take note of their info about Book Review Magazines Used by Librarians and Other Book Reviewers . The latter is a helpful list because it includes review sites for academic books.

Foreword Reviews is one of my favorite sites for small and independent presses and for indie authors .

“To be considered for a review in the pages of Foreword Reviews magazine, a review copy (printed or digital) of the title in question must be received in the Foreword offices at least two months prior to the book’s firm publication date. Once we have our hands on your book, our managing editor will carefully critique whether it meets our editorial standards. We receive hundreds of worthy titles every month. Due to space limitations, we’re only able to review 150 books per issue of the quarterly magazine. If your book did not make the cut, we also offer objective, 450-word reviews (including a star rating) by Clarion Reviews , Foreword ‘s fee-for-review service.”

These folks produce a beautiful magazine, and their reviewers are great. Unlike Kirkus Review (more on that in a minute) Foreword Reviews does not charge for its reviews. I’m very proud that my short story collection, BONDS OF LOVE & BLOOD , is a finalist for their IndieFab awards and that they featured the book in their January issue. The magazine spotlights many books published by university and small presses.

New Pages is a great site for small and independent presses, but not so great for self-published authors and presses that use a POD printer. New Pages doesn’t charge for their reviews, and they are also inundated with new books.

“If you want your book to be considered for a review, please send two copies. We need to keep one in the office to check against any review that might be submitted. Advanced Reading Copies are acceptable.”

Their address is New Pages, PO Box 1580, Bay City, MI 48706. If your book is self-published or published by a POD publisher (such as CreateSpace), they will not review your book , but they will list it on their “Books Received” page. If, in their initial screening, they think your book looks promising, they will offer it to their reviewers, but it is up to the reviewers to choose.

Even if you can’t get a review from these folks, the site is still worth visiting. Don’t overlook their  New Pages Guide to Review Sources .

BookLife is a new venture for Publishers Weekly , the big gorilla in the publishing zoo. (If your book’s publisher produces works by multiple authors, then the publisher must submit the book through the Publishers Weekly’s GalleyTracker portal.)

Prior to launching BookLife, an author could only get a book review on PW if the author’s publisher submitted the book and if PW accepted the book for review. With BookLife you’ll have a chance at getting your book reviewed, but only if the book meets their standards .

Amazingly, the review is free. You’ll also find that they’re offering a host of other services, including helpful info about ISBN numbers, social media, and publicity. That is undoubtedly where they intend to make money.

Kirkus Indie Reviews is one of the sites acquisition librarians consult, and Kirkus reviews carry weight with readers. Kirkus Indie needs a lot of lead time–7 to 9 weeks ($425) for a standard submission and 4 to 6 weeks ($575) for a rush job.

If you’re publishing with a small or independent press, and they did not submit your book prior to publication, you can still get it reviewed under Kirkus’s Indie program.

“In the interest of introducing consumers and industry influencers to self-published books they might otherwise never discover, Kirkus Indie does not put any restrictions on publication dates for submissions. You may order a review for a book that’s been on the market for 10 years or for a book that doesn’t even have a publication date yet.”

Kirkus Indie reviews are eligible for Kirkus stars.

I’ve had two books reviewed by Kirkus Reviews . Click the link at left, and see if you can tell the difference between the one I paid for and the one I didn’t. (Hint: The publisher of BONDS OF LOVE & BLOOD submitted an ARC to Kirkus prior to publication.)

Kirkus Review clearly states that they do not review POD (print-on-demand) books except in their Indie program, but both my books were produced using POD technology, and they reviewed them.

Review Sites That Want You To Show Them The Money

Some of my favorite reviews have come from review sites that require a modest payment. Often these sites employ volunteer reviewers, but sometimes, they pay their reviewers for taking the time to write a coherent review.

The US Review of Books is a site that has given both my books great reviews. They state that they “ do not sell editing or manuscript review services on the side . This practice creates a clear conflict of interest with the integrity of a fair and honest review.” ( Kirkus Review does sell editing services.) A basic review with US Review of Books costs $75, but if you’re close to your pub date, you can get an express review for $129. If you’re on Twitter and you include the hashtag #USReview in your Tweet, they will retweet to their list.

An added feature of the US Review of Books site is that it supports the Eric Hoffer Award . This is an award for new books, and it also honors books that have been around for awhile. I’m thrilled that the cover of BONDS OF LOVE & BLOOD is a finalist for the da Vinci Eye award.

The Readers’ Favorite Book Review and Award Contest is one of the review sites that every indie author needs to know about. I know there are a lot of sites out there that have a gajillion categories and steep entry fees. They bilk new authors with the promise of recognition. However, Readers’ Favorite Book Review is different. The people who run the site have high integrity.

The site will do one free review of your book, and the reviews are done by real readers. You can rank your reader, just as your reader ranks you. But, there’s more! For $129 you get three reviews, and for $199 you can order five. In addition to putting the reviews on their site, they will post the reviews to Goodreads and Barnes & Noble (but not to Amazon because Amazon doesn’t accept paid reviews. Oddly, Amazon doesn’t accept reviews from Midwest Book Review , even though that site has been around a long time and has a solid reputation for objectivity.)

If you enter the Readers’ Favorite Award Contest and are one of their finalists, you become eligible to join their Forum. Contest winners share strategies they’ve used to market their books, and I can’t think of another site that’s as genial and helpful as this one.

Last year I won a Gold Medal for Drama for MONTPELIER TOMORROW , and I was invited to attend their award ceremony in Miami, held in conjunction with the Miami Book Fair. It was a first-class event. These folks truly are dedicated to indie authors, and the writers you meet, either in person or online, soon become your friends.

Pacific Book Review is a site that provides reviews and extra features, such as author interviews. The PBR Basic Review Package costs $300, and they post the review to Oasis (a library site), Barnes & Noble, Google Books, the Apple iStore, Authorsden.com, Bookblog.com, and Writers Digest Book Blog. They use professional reviewers who know how to think about–and write about–books.

If you’re in need of another review, they have a second review site called Hollywood Book Reviews . For another $200 you can order a professionally written review/press release and see it posted on all major sites.

Reader Views is another good site for indie authors, as well as small and university presses. Their basic package for one review costs $119, but they have a disclaimer saying that the cost isn’t actually paying for a review, merely for their processing. If you need reader reviews for Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Goodreads, on top of a book review, ask about their book giveaways . What’s good is that you get the reviewers’ email addresses so that you can send them a “thank you” note.

That’s a start! What sites have you found? I’d love to hear about your successes.

Marylee MacDonald is the author of MONTPELIER TOMORROW, BONDS OF LOVE & BLOOD, BODY LANGUAGE, and THE BIG BOOK OF SMALL PRESSES AND INDEPENDENT PUBLISHERS. Her books and stories have won the Barry Hannah Prize, the Jeanne M. Leiby Memorial Chapbook Award, a Readers' Favorites Gold Medal for Drama, the American Literary Review Fiction Prize, a Wishing Shelf Book Award, and many others. She holds an M.A. in Creative Writing from San Francisco State, and when not reading or writing books, she loves to walk on the beach and explore National Parks.

2 Responses to “Ten Honest Review Sites for New Authors”

I review for the following three virtual book tour companies: 1. Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours . Lori offers free review tours for cozy mysteries. She charges for other genres as a way to support the free cozies.

2. Historical Fiction Virtual Blog Tours . They set up and run tours for authors of historical fiction. They have done and do scores of tours. I do not know their pricing structure.

3. TLC Book Tours . Again, scads of tours under their belts and in the pipeline (I have some reviews scheduled out through August.) I do not know their pricing structure here, either.

There are a few other sites for which I review, but they are smaller and/or I haven’t worked with them as much.

Thanks so much for these great links. I knew about TLC, but not the other two.

All Content © 2024 Marylee MacDonald

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‘Bright Objects’ Brings Together a Cult, a Comet and a Widow Out for Justice

Set among the fevered residents of a remote Australian town, Ruby Todd’s debut novel considers how grief can draw people to extreme beliefs.

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By Ivy Pochoda

Ivy Pochoda’s most recent novel is “Sing Her Down.”

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BRIGHT OBJECTS, by Ruby Todd

HBO’s Covid hit series “The Vow” unleashed what has become an almost insatiable appetite for cult documentaries — the more extreme, the more addictive. By now we are all but inured to the wild things people do to belong: drinking colloidal silver, getting branded, stalking their supposed “twin flame.”

Because Ruby Todd’s debut novel, “Bright Objects,” is loosely based on the Heaven’s Gate cult, whose members, with the help of phenobarbital, imagined they could hitch a ride on the tail of the Hale-Bopp comet in 1997, you might expect some of the same emotional pyrotechnics and bizarre antics you found in 2023’s hottest cult documentary series, “Love Has Won” and “Escaping Twin Flames.” Instead, Todd has chosen a quieter and more unusual route toward understanding the extremity of belief.

It’s 1997 in the small Australian town of Jericho. A newly discovered comet, St. John, is approaching Earth — its impending arrival summoning fevered responses from the town’s residents, most of whom are searching for outsize meaning in the sky. One of these searchers is Sylvia Knight, whose husband, Christopher, was killed by a hit-and-run driver two years earlier. Tortured by the fact that the killer remains at large and unwilling to live without Christopher, Sylvia has set a date for her own death.

Before she can carry out her plan, she finds herself torn between a surprising new lover, Theo St. John, the astronomer who discovered the comet, and Joseph Evans, a local mystic with increasingly fatalistic notions about the comet’s approach.

At the outset Sylvia tells us that she has died twice within two years — the first time after the car crash that killed her husband. The second, well, those of you familiar with Heaven’s Gate will be able to guess what’s in store for those in Joseph’s orbit.

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La Grande Boucherie is the Titanic of D.C.’s restaurant scene

The chain restaurant downtown is big and beautiful — and something of a wreck.

From the moment it opened in April, dozens of you have asked me if I’ve visited La Grande Boucherie, the splashy French talker near the White House.

Inevitably, the question is followed by either another question — “How does it compare to Le Diplomate ?” — or, if my inquisitor had already sampled La Grande Boucherie, their one-word judgment.

So far, “bad” vies with “awful,” along with eyerolls and thumbs down.

Everybody seems amazed that the space — the historic National Bank building on the corner of 14th and G streets — sat vacant for nearly 30 years. And lots of us can admire how the Group Hospitality, based in New York and led by founder Emil Stefkov, elevated the already good bones of the interior into even more of an eye-catcher with the help of $10 million and artisans in Europe. Behold the pewter bar, coaxed from an ancient mold! Note the 15-foot-high sculpture that greets arrivals! “Our version of the Statue of Liberty,” jests Stefkov. Early descriptions of the 14,000-square-foot expanse, outfitted with the city’s most-gilded ceiling and graced with a century-old chandelier, read similar to those of other anticipated spectacles — say, the Titanic. So big. So grand.

The best new restaurants in the D.C. area

Meals there are indeed nights to remember, but not in a good way. From a culinary standpoint, La Grande Boucherie bears as much resemblance to the beloved Le Diplomate as T.J. Maxx does to Galeries Lafayette . Baguettes bend when you want them to snap, hot food frequently arrives tepid, the French onion soup borders on dessert, and halibut with carrots — Ambien on a plate — is something that might fly at 30,000 feet but not in a restaurant with any aspirations.

More spoiler alerts: For a place that puts such an emphasis on meat (boucherie references butchery), steak frites is cooked past the medium-rare we request and gets most of its moisture and flavor from a knob of herbed butter. Rack of lamb is dragged down by a reduction of lamb jus that’s heavy as a lead apron and salty as the Dead Sea. I love omelets for lunch, and this one, filled with ham and cheese and free of any brown spots, looks like a textbook version. A few bites in, I push the plate — essentially, a yellow salt mine — away.

The decor does its best to divert your attention. Stefkov says his company is “trying to revive epic buildings around the country, and eventually the world.” (La Grande Boucherie’s other branches are in New York and Chicago.) In a phone call from Lisbon, where the native of Macedonia owns a restaurant carved from a 400-year-old convent, Stefkov tells me, “I find Washington, D.C., to be the most elegant city in the U.S.”

The owner knows he took on too many customers too soon. “Obviously, we can’t make 4,000 people a week happy,” says Stefkov, who says he has addressed complaints by cutting back the number of reservations and enlisting mystery shoppers. Smart moves, but four months in, the 450-seat La Grande Boucherie still acts like a wreck waiting for a tow.

Chef de cuisine Ahmed Ibrahim is a native of Egypt with three science degrees and a restaurant résumé sans prior Gallic examples. His past employers include Kona Grill, the American concept owned by ONE Group Hospitality, parent to the unfortunate STK collection of “vibe-” focused steakhouses , and the Spanish watering hole Barcelona . For sure, the chef has his hands full, watching over nearly 30 cooks in La Grande Boucherie’s sprawling kitchen, visible behind glass on the main floor, which is dramatically accessed by a steep set of stairs paved in red carpet.

“I come bearing gifts!” a gregarious server announces one night. I want to believe him. I do, I do, I do. The reality on our plates is more like penance: The pink tuna tartare is a snooze of an appetizer, while salmon rillettes, served with a ball of herbed butter in a little glass jar, is so dense I’m tempted to ask for a drill because my spreader isn’t cutting it. A tomato salad is so overdressed, there’s no tasting the tomatoes. Grainy bars of duck breast set off with orange segments come with apples poached in saffron syrup, which sounds intriguing but smacks of old perfume. Bon appétit, gang!

Take a deep breath. The air is heavy with the scent of fried potatoes. Give in to the subliminal advertising and order a burger and fries. They might be the best pairing on the menu. No need to upgrade to the wagyu model; the patty built partly with chuck, joined with brie cheese and set in a tender, toasted brioche bun is plenty satisfying. The kitchen does right by french fries, too, soaking Idaho potatoes in cold water, cutting them by hand and frying them twice.

A few other dishes rise to the occasion. Oysters on the half shell are cool, well-shucked introductions. Escargots are solid, too, reminders that butter and garlic improve pretty much whatever they douse. And kudos to the bar, whose life rings embrace a winning combination of vodka, sparkling wine, lychee, cranberry and Lillet Blanc, a.k.a. La Vie en Rose. When the thermometer approached triple digits outside, I revived myself at La Grande Boucherie with a nonalcoholic swirl of watermelon, grapefruit, lime and fresh basil, as thirst-quenching a drink as I’ve encountered all summer.

You might be hungry after turning in unfinished appetizers and entrees. Consider filling in the gaps with some light profiteroles, robed in dark chocolate sauce at the table.

Ultimately, too much of the menu, which includes such large-format dishes as suckling pig, leads me to wonder if food critics can file for hazard pay.

Service proves a mixed bag. For every genial host and deft waiter, there’s someone pouring water as if the table were in flames, interrupting conversation, and someone who doesn’t bother to write down an order, so has to ask again. Long gaps between courses sometimes have diners looking at their watches. “Did the chef go on vacation or what?” a pal asked during one “War and Peace”-length wait.

Grand doesn’t necessarily translate to comfort. Some of the seating shows why restaurants should audition everything diners touch before they buy it. The tiny table two of us were led to one visit would have worked in an ice cream parlor or espresso joint, but not in a restaurant where multiple courses are part of the drill. The sweep of the restaurant can’t obscure a few other facts. That acres-long red carpet already looks like it could use a good shampoo, and I noticed a hole in the linen on my table the last time I dropped in. And yes, that’s a food stain on the paper menu. Details, details.

My initial inclination was to ignore La Grande Boucherie. D.C. brims with French restaurants, after all, most better than this one. Location, location, location makes the arrival hard to dismiss, though, and the job of a critic includes writing warnings as well as raves, or at least telling readers where they might want to spend their hard-earned money. La Grande Boucherie is not that place. Further, the owner intends to install a couple more venues within the building, one Italian, the other Japanese, yet this year.

Meanwhile, the next La Grande Boucherie is destined for Miami. Poor thing.

La Grande Boucherie

699 14th St. NW. 771-208-4804. boucherieus.com . Open for indoor dining and takeout 11 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to midnight Saturday and Sunday. Prices : Dinner appetizers $18 to $32, main courses $28 to $78, large-format dishes $170 to $600 (for whole suckling pig). Sound check : 76 decibels/Must speak with raised voice. Accessibility : An elevator on the street level goes to the second and third floors. Bar includes space for wheelchairs. Restrooms are ADA-compliant.

Watch CBS News

Trump picks Sen. JD Vance as VP running mate for 2024 election

By Kathryn Watson

Updated on: July 15, 2024 / 7:58 PM EDT / CBS News

Former President Donald Trump has chosen Sen. JD Vance of Ohio to be his vice presidential running mate this November. Trump announced his VP pick on social media just before he was to accept the presidential nomination at the in Milwaukee on Monday. 

A source familiar with Vance's selection told CBS News that Vance flew privately to Mar a Lago to meet with Trump Saturday morning. He received the call from Trump asking him to be his running mate 20 minutes before the former president announced his selection on social media.

Trump said in his social media post, "After lengthy deliberation and thought, and considering the tremendous talents of many others, I have decided that the person best suited to assume the position of Vice President of the United States is Senator J.D. Vance of the Great State of Ohio." 

He said of Vance that he had "honorably served our Country in the Marine Corps, graduated from Ohio State University in two years, Summa Cum Laude, and is a Yale Law School Graduate, where he was Editor of The Yale Law Journal, and President of the Yale Law Veterans Association." 

The former president noted that Vance's book, "Hillbilly Elegy," was a bestseller that "championed the hardworking men and women of our Country." And he pointed to Vance's previous career as a venture capitalist.  

A source familiar with Vance's selection told CBS News that Vance flew privately to Mar a Lago to meet with Trump Saturday morning. He received the call from Trump asking him to be his running mate 20 minutes before the the former president announced his selection on social media.

Vance, who is just 39, is half Trump's age, is one of the youngest men to be a vice presidential nominee and is political neophyte, a first-term senator who's only been in office for about a year and a half. 

Sources confirmed before Vance's selection was announced that Florida Sen. Marco Rubio and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, who were also considered to be top contenders for the No. 2 job, were informed that they had not been chosen. Upon the announcement that Vance was the pick, Burgum said in a social media post that his "small town roots and service to country make him a powerful voice for the America First Agenda." 

Although Vance wasn't at the Pennsylvania rally where a shooter made an attempt on the former president's life, the senator expressed his concern and support for the president from Ohio. He also shared fundraising information for the families of those who were killed or injured at the rally. 

"Courageous, United, and Defiant. This is leadership," Vance wrote on X over the weekend after Trump asked Americans to remain "resilient" in their faith and "defiant in the face of wickedness." 

The Trump campaign released a campaign video showing clips of Vance appearing on the campaign trail with Trump, and his TV appearances and concluded it with the Trump-Vance campaign logo.

Vance has frequently joined Trump on the campaign trail and was long considered to be on the shortlist of VP contenders . Vance and his wife, Usha, were spotted leaving their Ohio home Monday morning, a sign that Vance might be the pick. 

Ohio has been a reliably Republican-dominated state in recent elections, although the senior senator from the state, Sherrod Brown, is a Democrat and is also up for reelection this year. But Trump has focused less on choosing a running mate from a key battleground state and more on the qualities in a candidate that matter most to him. 

Trump has prioritized picking a running mate who would be loyal to him and support him publicly, as Vance has increasingly done through the years. 

Initially, though, Vance harshly criticized Trump and was an avowed "Never-Trump guy." Earlier this year, Fox News' Bett Baier confronted Vance with some of his previous statements, including comments that Trump could be "America's Hitler" and "cultural heroin." Vance told Baier he was "wrong" about Trump.   

"I think you should, when you are wrong about something, you should change your mind and be honest with people about that fact," Vance said in the interview. 

Vance grew up in challenging circumstances, largely raised by his grandparents before going on to college and law school at Yale.

Now one of Trump's most vocal allies, Vance defended the former president during his criminal trial in Manhattan, including after his conviction on 34 felony counts of falsifying business records for "hush money" payments. 

"The entire purpose of this trial was to allow the media and the Democrats to say exactly that," Vance told CNN after the New York verdict. "This was never about justice, this is about plastering 'convicted felon' all over the airwaves when in reality the only thing that Donald Trump is guilty of is being in the courtroom of a political sham trial."

Asked in a June interview on "Face the Nation" about his interest in the vice presidency and his relatively brief experience in the Senate, Vance said, "In 18 months … we've done a lot of good work for our constituents."

Vance represents a departure from Mike Pence, who was Trump's vice president in his first two presidential nominations. Vance has said in the past that he would have refused to certify the election on Jan. 6, 2020, if he had been in Pence's position.

"If I had been vice president, I would have told the states, like Pennsylvania, Georgia and so many others that we needed to have multiple slates of electors," he told  ABC  News in early February, "and I think the U.S. Congress should have fought over it from there. That is the legitimate way to deal with an election that a lot of folks, including me, think had a lot of problems in 2020. I think that's what we should have done."

In 2020, Trump pressured Pence, who presided over the joint session of Congress that affirmed the results of the presidential election, to refuse to certify the electoral votes that showed Joe Biden had won. Pence did not agree to do so, concluding that his role was ceremonial, and he ultimately announced that Mr. Biden had won — after an attack on the Capitol that day. Since then, Trump has continued to publicly  claim  that Pence "did have the right to change the outcome." 

The job of the vice president is to read the results of each state  according to  the the 12th Amendment. The  Electoral Count Act of 1877 , the other law concerning the certification of votes, does not give vice presidents the power to overturn the vote either. Numerous  legal  experts  have denied that there is any interpretation of these laws that would have given  Pence the power to reject the outcome of the election on January 6.

Caitlin Huey-Burns and Jacob Rosen contributed to this report.

• Donald Trump

Kathryn Watson is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital, based in Washington, D.C.

More from CBS News

RNC Day 2: Here's what to expect from the convention after Trump announced VP pick

Who is JD Vance, Trump's pick for VP?

2024 RNC Day 1 fact check of the Republican National Convention

Trump says "I'm supposed to be dead" after assassination attempt at rally

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Ordered an ebook and NEVER received an…

Ordered an ebook and NEVER received an access code or was given a way to access ebook. I tried calling their customer support number and it just said help was only available via email.

Date of experience : June 05, 2024

The worthless piece of crap service…

The worthless piece of crap service can't even offer a DIGITAL textbook instantly. I just spent $50 on a textbook for a college course that already started, and it's stuck on processing even after the money has come out of my account. When you buy a digital textbook, it's supposed to be simple and instant. You have to go out of your way to be terrible and disorganized enough to complicate it more than that.

Date of experience : August 27, 2019

Reply from Textbooks.com

I’m sorry to hear that your eBook was delayed! Our digital materials are typically delivered very quickly. In some uncommon cases, the delivery may experience a delay. You’re always welcome to contact our customer service team if you experience any issues with your order and we will be happy to check the status for you. If you haven’t done so already, please contact our digital support team at 877-292-6442 x Option 4 for assistance. They will be able to determine if there are any issues with your eBook and can troubleshoot any access-issues you may be having. Best, The Textbooks.com Team

Bought an e-textbook for $40 (which was…

Bought an e-textbook for $40 (which was about $10-$20 cheaper than other places) but only had access for 30 days. They did not disclose this information until it expired. So now I have to reorder on Vitalsource for $50 (120-day access) since midterms are coming up. Moral of the story- check how long you have access for.

Date of experience : October 14, 2020

Save your money and buy your books from somewhere else

I rented out a used book that was already in bad condition (pages were already stained and dirty) plus I never even opened it and when I shipped it back I get a stupid email from them saying it was rejected because it was "damaged". I recommend you people buy your books somewhere else this company is a scam full of scumbags.

Date of experience : January 24, 2019

Worst experience ever

Worst experience ever. I have two quizzes tonight and my textbook from another website hasn't been delivered yet so I bought the eTextbook version to read the chapters I need to. Turns out I paid $30 for nothing. I never received an access link for my book (like it said I would up to 30 minutes after purchase) and I've been waiting hours. The real kicker is that I can't even cancel my order or get my money back (as far as as I know). Don't waste your money here.

Date of experience : January 25, 2021

Hi Haley- I’m sorry to hear that your eBook was delayed! Our digital materials are typically delivered very quickly. In some uncommon cases, the delivery may experience a delay. You’re always welcome to contact our customer service team if you experience any issues with your order and we will be happy to check the status for you. If the item has not been accessed, we can also process a return. Please contact our digital support team at 877-292-6442 x Option 4 or email us at [email protected].

I found a great deal on this website and took a chance after reading the bad reviews because it seemed like most people with negative experiences just hadn't read the descriptions before buying or had a technical issue with an e-book. I'm glad I did! I ordered a new textbook and it shipped quickly and was packaged well. Would absolutely order again.

Date of experience : January 12, 2021

Hi Jordan - Thanks for sharing your experience - we're glad you found us! If you have any questions or need help with future orders, please don't hesitate to contact our customer service team at 877-292-6442 or [email protected]! Best, The Textbooks.com Team

ATTENTION: STUDENTS WHO NEED INSTANT ACCESS TO E-TEXTBOOKS

I rarely write reviews but I wanted to help out the students out there that are in dire need of "instant access" e-textbooks. JUST STAY AWAY, ITS FALSE advertisement. They do not grant instant access to reading your etextbook. Its been already 2 days since they are "processing" my order and have not let me grant access to my readings. I cant even contact customer service because they are only open on the weekdays during business hours. For those who need a e- textbook ASAP, DO NOT PURCHASE FROM TEXTBOOKS.COM (or else you might have to turn in an assignment late or waste more time and money to find a simple e-book).

Date of experience : July 14, 2019

I’m sorry to hear that your eBook was delayed! Our digital materials are typically delivered very quickly. In some uncommon cases, the delivery may experience a delay. You’re always welcome to contact our customer service team if you experience any issues with your order and we will be happy to check the status for you. If you haven’t done so already, please contact our digital support team at 877-292-6442 x Option 4 for assistance. They will be able to determine if there are any issues with your eBook and can troubleshoot any access-issues you may be having.

Deceptive Selling Practices-Buyer…

Deceptive Selling Practices-Buyer Beware. I received an advertised very good book with writing and damaged. I reached out to them and they told me I was responsible for return shipping and the shipping charge of $8 for a book was not refundable. The book was sold as "not as advertised". I caution anyone buying books from this site- it's a scam.

Date of experience : August 30, 2022

I'm sorry you had an experience like this. If you could provide your order number, I would be happy to look further into this as that is not our normal policy.

Don't buy from these people

Don't buy from these people! Some of my students bought their ebooks from Textbooks.com but found that they were missing several chapters from the text. They contacted the company, as did I, and were told that that file is what the publisher gave them. My other students with ebook versions of the text had all chapters so I'm sure this isn't true. They did nothing to compensate the students. They had to purchase new copies from elsewhere - and get this, they had all the chapters in them. I would never recommend doing business with this company and I will always keep a warning in my syllabus so that future students can avoid getting ripped off.

Date of experience : September 26, 2022

I am sorry for your poor experience! While we do get all our ebooks directly from the publishers and do not have the equipment to edit them in any shape or form, the fact that multiple students were ordering ebooks with missing information is suspicious. Can you provide the order numbers for these students and the ISBN of the title you required them to have? I'd be happy to look further into this issue and see if we need to contact the Publisher for providing us with faulty ebooks.

The worst best seller company ever

The worst best seller company ever, placed the order on 8/24/20 and didn't get the textbook for 9/14/20 now. I did sent several emails to follow up and I asked for refund and didn't get any reply, which make me paid and didn't get my textbook for my class. I was waiting for the textbook in urgent and my class have been started three weeks now, the worst service ever. I will never purchased the books again from this bookseller.

Date of experience : September 14, 2020

The absolute best for selling used books

As a book scout, I deal with many vendors: textbooks.com (in Missouri) is the absolute best, offering prices which are often 2-3x higher than their competitors. Free shipping via UPS, low rejection rates, & fast payment via PayPal makes them a no-brainer.

Date of experience : October 21, 2016

A gang of thieves

I needed a textbook fast, so I ordered from textbooks.com in the form of ebook to study before my physical book from Barnes&Noble comes. Textbooks.com promises to deliver the materials within 30 minutes from ordering. Two hours later the status was still showing "authorization in progress". When I clicked on my order it was bringing me to the screen to put the ebook to the cart. another thing is that the first page is deceitful in the way of making potential customers to think returns and cancellations are possible. I could not cancel the transaction. You gotta be kidding me. I already called my credit card company and will be contacting an appropriate governing agency, in addition to BBB. Steer off from dealing with textbooks.com. I want my money that was charged for nothing, back.

Date of experience : June 09, 2019

I’m sorry to hear that your eBook was delayed! Our digital materials are typically delivered very quickly. In some uncommon cases, the delivery may experience a delay. You’re always welcome to contact our customer service team if you experience any issues with your order and we will be happy to check the status for you. While we don’t offer a means to cancel your order in your online account, cancelations and returns are available through our customer service team. In the case of our digital products – unactivated eTextbooks can be returned within 30 days. If you haven’t done so already, please contact our digital support team at 877-292-6442 x Option 4 for assistance.

Not a scam, Great features.

I have bought the ''sponsored e-book'' , which basically puts out a 30 secs ad made by textbookmedia, it is not annoying and I do not think it pops up heavily, I got the book immediately, they have some features : -bookmark , highlight, add note, search by keywords and they just launched their sponsor e-book, I personally think that they are a great company, made for a great cause, and they are looking to improve, and it looks like 2021 is an important year for them, they are not amazon-e-books, but they will get better, you should probably give them a try!

Date of experience : January 27, 2021

False advertising!

You think you’re purchasing a specific e-book title that clearly states to be read on Vitalsource Bookshelf, only to be scammed and discovering you were instead charged for a Pearson+ 4 month subscription service on Pearson‘s website. Not an e-book!

Date of experience : August 22, 2022

Very Unreliable!! I do not recommend!

The price was good and I was able to access the e-text early on. But, soon had to reset my password 20+ times. There is not 24 hour assistance. During an proctored exam tonight, where the textbook would be needed to be used, once again I was unable to access. This was a timed test, so spending time struggling to access the text was stressful. I gave up trying and failed that portion. I would NOT recommend! Very unreliable!!

Date of experience : February 26, 2021

My son enrolled in Roanoke College

My son enrolled in Roanoke College. It’s been weeks and he still cannot order books on his Maroon Card. Starting to think we made a bad choice of school. If they deal with such a problematic company I can only imagine the education he will get there.

Date of experience : July 28, 2019

Hi - While everyone is welcome to purchase books through our site, Textbooks.com is not directly affiliated with Roanoke College and is not set up to accept payment by Maroon Card. According to the Roanoke College website, it looks like your university Textbook provider is https://www.textbookx.com/ - which is a separate company. If you are experiencing issues ordering on their site, you may be able to resolve them by contacting TextbookX directly. Best, The Textbooks.com Team

They are liars

They are liars, they recieved my textbook and said "We have received the shipment for order 0086964. However, we are not able to buy Art History, Combined Volume (4th Edition). The book is marked "Examination Copy". It is against our policy to purchase any books marked this way. Your new total is :$00.00 If we do not receive a reply within the next 10 days, the book will be recycled. If you want your book returned to you, you will have to pay return shipping. Please reply to this email for more information." THEY SCAMMED MY BOOK!!!! THEY ONLY DESERVES NEGATIVE STAR IF THERE IS ONE

Date of experience : January 04, 2018

Take Your Money Elsewhere

I am livid. I need a book for tomorrow and ordered it yesterday morning. It is an E-Book, and even though it says it's still authorizing, money is showing pending on my bank account. I wouldn't use Textbooks.com ever again, and do not trust them.

Date of experience : September 23, 2019

Hi Joyce - I’m sorry to hear that your eBook was delayed! Our digital materials are typically delivered very quickly. In some uncommon cases, the delivery may experience a delay. You’re always welcome to contact our customer service team if you experience any issues with your order and we will be happy to check the status for you. I looked at your order and your eBook has been processed and is ready to view. You should receive an email with information on how to access your eBook. If you need any additional help, please contact our digital support team at 877-292-6442 x Option 4 for assistance. Best, The Textbooks.com Team

Text book never arrived

I ordered a textbook for my class 2 weeks I. Advance. It never arrived, said that it was the wrong address (it wasn’t). I never got the book for my class, or even notifications. I had to call and see why it didn’t arrive and the company offered no viable solutions for the massive inconvenience.

Date of experience : September 01, 2020

I will never use this website again

I will never use this website again, and I recommend that no one else uses it either. I have homework due tonight for this and it said my book would be ready in an hour. It has now been well over an hour since I have purchased this and I cannot access this. I have emailed their support team and still have not received an email, this is the worst experience I have ever had.

Date of experience : May 24, 2020

Hi Connor – I’m sorry to hear that your eBook was delayed! Our digital materials are typically delivered very quickly. In some uncommon cases, the delivery may experience a delay. You’re always welcome to contact our customer service team if you experience any issues with your order and we will be happy to check the status for you. To note: In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, we continue to meet or exceed the current CDC guidelines in our Customer Contact Center to ensure employee health and safety. The Customer Contact Center has adjusted staffing levels and hours – the digital support team is currently available from 8:00am – 5:00pm, Monday – Friday. If you need any additional help, please contact our digital support team at 877-292-6442 x Option 4 or email us at [email protected]. Best, The Textbooks.com Team