Readers' Resources
Websites | Readers' Advisory Books | Keywords for Searching
Websites
Genreflecting - Web site sponsored by Libraries Unlimited Inc., publisher of the Genreflecting Advisory Series.
Mostly Fiction: Booklists! - From the Waterloo Public Library.
Overbooked: Genre Fiction - Resources related to genre fiction & readable nonfiction - links, author information, new releases, booklists, reviews and more. Overbooked is a non profit volunteer project and a by-product of the work of the Chesterfield County (VA) Public Library's Collection Management department.
Xpress Reviews - From Library Journal. Free to everyone--not just Library Journal subscribers.
Readers' Advisory Books
Genreflecting
Herald, Diana Trixier. (2005). Genreflecting: A guide to popular reading interests (6th ed.) . Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited.
Focusing on what today's readers read, this classic guide introduces you to current genre fiction and popular reading tastes. By defining genres, describing their features and characteristics, and grouping titles by genre, subgenre, and theme, the book helps those who work with readers to understand distinct patterns in reading habits and book selection; and it allows users to identify "read-alikes" and other titles their patrons will enjoy.
New chapters on Christian fiction and emerging genres (women's fiction and "chick lit") have been added. In addition, more than 5,000 titles, approximately one-third new to this edition, are classified, focusing on titles published since the last edition along with perennial classics and benchmark titles. -- Review from http://www.amazon.com
Book Lust
Pearl, Nancy. (2003). Book lust: Recommended reading for every mood, moment, and reason. Seattle: Sasquatch Books.
Pearl, a longtime reader, book reviewer and public librarian, presents a hundred or so of her favorites in this novel guide to finding the right book for the right mood. Presented in eclectic categories of people, places and themes, each of her suggestions is accompanied by a few of her thoughts on it, a succinct plot summary and often information about the volume's prizes and print status. Her notes are sprightly and concise. -- Review from http://www.amazon.com
More Book Lust
Pearl, Nancy. (2005). More book lust: 1,000 new reading recommendations for every mood, moment, and reason. Seattle: Sasquatch Books.
More books, more lists from Nancy Pearl.
Now Read This
Pearl, Nancy. (1999). Now read this: A guide to mainstream fiction, 1978 – 1998. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited.
an annotated list of 1,000 novels, the vast majority published between 1980 and 1997. Mainstream fiction is defined as "novels set in the twentieth century that realistically explore aspects of human experience." Books were selected largely on the basis of awards and appearances on American Library Association Notable lists.
The selections are arranged alphabetically by author within one of four categories: "Setting," "Story," "Characters," and "Language." Each individual entry lists a book's author, title, publisher and publication date, and pagination, followed by a brief descriptive annotation.
Each entry also includes a list of subject headings, and "now try" recommendations for further reading. Suggestions may be for other books by the same author as well as books by other authors; nonfiction or poetry as well as fiction; genre and historical novels as well as mainstream fiction. An icon indicates novels that make good book-discussion selections. For novels in translation, the original language and the name of the translator are noted. The volume concludes with an appendix of book awards and indexes by title, subject, and author. -- Review from http://www.amazon.com
Now Read This II
Pearl, Nancy. (1999). Now read this II: A guide to mainstream fiction, 1990-2001. Englewood, Colorado: Libraries Unlimited.
Pearl offers a simple method of finding good novels based on the elements of a book that make readers enjoy them. She has divided her guide into four main sections, corresponding to the four "appeal characteristics" for mainstream fiction: setting, story, characters, and language. In each section, entries are arranged alphabetically by author and include title, publisher, date, pagination, a brief but illuminating summary, secondary appeal categories (if any), subject headings, and, most important, a "Now Try" list of further reading. There is also an author/title index and appendixes on book clubs, awards, and genre fiction. -- Review from http://www.amazon.com
Keywords for searching
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH)
The Library of Congress Authorities Website lists the following keywords for fiction. These can be used when doing searches in your library catalog.
Adventure stories, Adventure and adventurers, Adventure fiction,
Swashbucklers, Thrillers.
Allegories, Allegory (Art), Exempla, Homiletical illustrations, Tales,
Fables, Parables.
Alternative histories (Fiction), Imaginary histories, (an alternative outcome of an historical event).
Bildungsromans, Apprenticeship novels, Coming-of-age novels, Entwicklungsromane ("novel of character development"), Erziehungrsromane
Biographical fiction, Biographic fiction, Biographical novels.
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Chick lit
Children's stories, Juvenile fiction, Juvenile stories, Children's literature,
Storytelling.
Christian fiction, Religious fiction.
Christmas stories. Christmas books, Christmas books.
Code and cipher stories, Cipher stories, Ciphers Fiction, Code stories,
Cryptogram stories, Cryptography Fiction.
College stories, University and colleges Fiction.
Confession stories, Confessional stories
Detective and mystery stories, Detective Fiction, Adventure stories,
Crime stories, Gentleman detective stories, Murder mysteries,
Mysteries, Mystery and detective stories, Mystery stories, P.I. stories,
Private detective stories, Private investigator stories, Who-done-it
stories, Who-done-its, Whodunit stories, Whodunits.
Diary fiction, Dagboksroman, Diary novel, Fictional journal, Journal novel, Novel as diary, Novel as journal, Diaries.
Diary fiction [proposed update]
Didactic fiction
Dime novels, Adventure stories, Penny dreadfuls.
Domestic fiction
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Easter stories
Epistolary fiction, Novels in letters, Letters
Epistolary fiction [proposed update]
Erotic stories, Erotic fiction, Sex Fiction.
Experimental fiction, Avant-garde fiction.
Fables, Didactic literature, Exempla, Homiletical illustrations, Legends, Literature, Tales, Allegories, Parables.
Fan fiction
Fantasy fiction, Fantastic fiction, Heroic fantasy (Fiction), Fantasy literature.
Feminist fiction
Feuilletons, Journalism, Newspapers, Serialized fiction.
Film novelizations, Motion picture novelizations, Novelizations.
Ghost stories, Ghosts Fiction, Horror tales.
Graphic novels, Comic book novels, Graphic albums, Graphic fiction, Graphic nonfiction, Graphic novellas, Comic books strips.
Hanukkah stories
Historical fiction
Horror tales
Humorous stories, Comic stories, Wit and humor.
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Islamic stories, Stories, Islamic, Homiletical illustrations, Islamic.
Jesuit fiction
Legal stories, Law Fiction, Lawyers Fiction, Legal novels.
Legends, Martyrs--Legends; Mary, Blessed Virgin, Saint--Legends, Folk tales, Traditions, Urban legends, Exempla, Folk literature, Homiletical illustrations, Tales.
Love stories, Love Fiction, Romances (Love stories).
Martial arts fiction
Medical fiction, Hospital fiction, Hospitals Fiction, Medical care Fiction, Medicine Fiction.
Musical fiction, Musical novels.
Nature stories, Natural history Fiction, Nature Fiction.
New Age fiction
Noir fiction, Detective and mystery stories.
Nonfiction novel, Documentary story, Journalistic novel, New journalism, Reportage literature.
Novelle, Nouvelles, Novellas, Narrative poetry.
Novels in verse, Verse novels, Narrative poetry.
Occult fiction, Occult stories, Occultism Fiction, Paranormal fiction, Witchcraft Fiction, Spiritualism, Psychic phenomena, voodooism.
Oral interpretation of fiction, Fiction reading, Reading fiction aloud, Storytelling.
Pastoral fiction, Pastoral romances.
Picaresque literature, Picaresque novel, Rogues and vagabonds in literature.
Plot-your-own stories, Choose-your-own story plots, Making-choices stories, Multiple plot stories, Literary recreations.
Political fiction
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Radio stories, Radio and literature, Radio programs, Radio scripts.
Railroad stories
Religious fiction
Romans à clef
Romanticism, Pseudo-romanticism, Aesthetics, Literary movements.
Science fiction, Science stories, Adventure stories, Literature and science, Future in literature.
Novelists
Serialized fiction
Short stories
Short story, Short stories -- History and criticism, Authorship.
Sports stories
Spy stories, Espionage Fiction, Espionage stories, Spies Fiction.
Stories in rhyme
Suspense fiction, Suspense tales, Tales Suspense, Thriller Fiction, Tales of suspense.
Three-decker novels, Three-volume novels.
War stories
Western stories, Fiction Western, Stories Western, West (U.S.) Fiction, Western fiction, Westerns, Adventure stories, American fiction, Short stories American.
Young adult fiction, Young adult literature.