Novelist Plus: A Database for Book Lovers

Figuring out what’s next on your reading list has never been easier, or more entertaining, with access to Novelist Plus, the premier Readers Advisory resource published by Ebsco. Whether you are a librarian, a teacher, a bookseller or a bookworm, there is something to pique your interest here. All you need is your Worcester Public library card when you visit www.mywpl.org and select Online Databases under the Resources tab.

Novelist Plus boasts many browsable options, including Author Read-Alikes, expert articles such as “Books to Movies”, and an extensive collection of book discussion guides. The homepage presents an array of Recommended Reading lists, arranged by genre and age group, plus there is a keyword search box for the person who needs to retrieve a book title about which they only remember a few details. Perhaps most engaging is the outstanding “I’m in the mood for books are…," a feature in which you can search by the following descriptors (or appeal factors in Novelist-speak): Nostalgic and Bittersweet, Offbeat and Witty, Fast-paced and Strong Female, or Nonlinear and Compelling. You can also customize a personal reading list by choosing your own appeal factors.

Creating an account with Novelist allows the user to save their results, and an advanced search allows the user to search by title, author, ISBN, genre, subject, starred review, grade level, Boolean/phrase, author’s cultural identity, and more. In lieu of talking with a live librarian, consulting Novelist Plus is the next best thing for finding good reads!