Good Reading

I notice that Caron Dann has posted a very interesting comment to my item about the possible demise of newspaper book reviews. (Scan down . . . and down.)

I "met" Caron Dann when she interviewed me for a story for a marvellous Australian magazine devoted entirely to good books and called (of course) Good Reading. It produces a great internet issue which is complementary to the printed periodical, and which is searchable for past stories and reviews. Have a look at it at:
http://www.goodreadingmagazine.com.au/index.cfm?page=80

You need to register, though this is free. You will be issued with a six- or seven-digit number, and the numbers of your post code (zip code) serve as your password. Just in case your program does not allow pop-ups, it is a good idea to press "CTL" as you log on. Then the magazine comes up as a full-page thumbnail, with tabs on either side for easy turning of pages. In order to make a chosen page readable, position your cursor anywhere on the page, and click your mouse. Hold the mouse button down to "grab" the page and scan up, down, and from side to side. It's easy once you get the hang of it, and the content is very highly recommended.

Caron asks about other book review internet sites. I enjoy the online versions of book review pages from regular papers and magazines, including the New York Times, Washington Post, International Herald Tribune, and The Guardian. A personal favorite for reviews of mystery books is The Mystery Reader, which is one of the many listed on AcqWeb (see link below), which has a very comprehensive list of book review sites, including those of many American, Canadian, and British newspapers.

http://www.acqweb.org/bookrev.html

I am not sure how recent this list is, though, as a few URLs come up with a "page unavailable" sign. Some of those that do work ask for a paid subscription, though they offer a free trial period lasting as long as 30 days, while reference-type sites like Gale want their money upfront.

However, most are free. Many of these ask you to register with a username (which, like Good Reading, they might provide) and a password, but there is no cost attached.

Your local library might post reviews online, often written by the librarians themselves, so it is worth checking its site. And there are some fine and perceptive reviewers writing thoughtful assessments for the sheer love (or in some cases, loathing) of the books they have read on amazon.com Don't underrate this as a resource.

I'll add more as I think of them. But thanks, Caron!