Even with ebooks and online books, print versions still sell by the millions, in fiction and non-fiction formats and across all genres.

On this page is information on different groups of books. Discover Picture Books, children’s books, audio-books, fairy tales & myths, classic literature, author collections and genre listings.

As well, there are Book Review sites, book magazines & journals, newsletters and special collection information. There is a further section of book information with miscellaneous inclusions.

If you prefer to read eBooks, use this link. Other book information, especially about new releases and popular sellers can be found through the Booksellers and Publishers pages.

Books

Audio-Books

Many books now have audio versions.

• Audible.com
  ‘Choose from more than 25 000 best selling digital audioboooks, radio shows, audio versions of popular magazines, daily newspapers, more’.
• AudioBooksForFree.com
  Fiction, non-fiction, children. Also have a text only page for text browsers or screen readers.
• Audio Editions
• Free Audio Books : Open Culture
  ‘Download hundreds of Free audio books, mostly classics, to your MP3 player or computer. Below, you’ll find great works of fiction, non-fiction and poetry’.
• LibriVox
  ‘Free audiobooks from the public domain. Several options for listening. The first is to get the MP3 or Ogg files into your own computer’.
• Telltale Weekly
  ‘Project Gutenberg is well known for offering Free electronic versions of famous public-domain texts. Now Telltale Weekly wants to be its audiobook equivalent. Pamela O’Connell, The New York Times’.
• Wired for Books
  If you can’t read them, you can listen to them.

Author Collections

• Dickens, Charles
  Online Literature Library.
• Doyle, Arthur Conan
  Online Literature Library.
• Mark Twain
  Online Literature Library.
• The Thoreau Reader
  Books, essays, links to other sites, some annotated versions.

Shakespeare, William

Considered by many as the greatest ever English writer. All links to the author and his works are now found on the Literature page.

• Verne, Jules
  Online Literature Library.

Children’s Books

• All Time Best Selling Children’s Books
  Publisher’s Weekly. Some obvious entries but also surprises including the most sold book for children. There are 189 hardback and 376 paperback listed at time of viewing. Check other Bestseller information through the link in the main menu.
• Australian Children’s Books
  ‘Australian children’s literature rests on the enthusiasm and talents of many individuals, including a great many more Australian writers, illustrators and books than can be listed in this article. A selected few are mentioned as a starting point to this rich and vibrant subject’. Australia.gov.au.
• Children’s Book Awards
  ‘The most comprehensive guide to English-language children’s book awards on the Internet’.
• Children’s Books Online : The Rosetta Project
  ‘Largest collection of illustrated antique children’s books on line, we think’. Many available with translations of every page, in multiple languages.
• Children’s Literature Web Guide
  Canadian. Recommendations.
• Cool Reads
  ‘Books for 10-15 year old readers are reviewed by 10-15 year old reviewers’. 1 200+ books have been reviewed by this group of British young people. Broken into categories.
• Harry Potter, The Official Website
  Activities, information about Harry Potter. Also see Harry Potter.
• Kidsreads.com
  Titles for children aged from 6 to 12.
• Little Golden Books
  No longer 2/6 [25c], but for many of the older generation this was often all there was.
• Misrule
  ‘The Home of Australian Children’s Books Online’. Review, Interviews & Articles, Links, Events, News, Media Watch.
• Mr Sneeze’s, Mr Men and Little Miss Page
  Books for very young children.
• Peter Rabbit and Friends
  Classic Beatrix Potter stories featuring Peter Rabbit and his friends.
• Puffin
  Part of Penguin books, but for children up to about 15. Join the club, find about publishing books, read reviews of books written for different children’s age groups. Links to authors such as Paul Jennings.
• Spookyland
  Children’s literature made fun for older children. Fee-based
• The Children’s Book Council of Australia
• The Horn Book
  ‘Founded to herald the best in children’s literature. More than eighty years later, we are following her lead’. US-based, Fee-based, though you can start with very small amounts for short periods of time. Resources, reviews.
• The International Children’s Digital Library
  ‘A place where kids all over the world can find lots of books from many different countries’. Sections for Kids and Adults. Check carefully for costs.

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Classic Literature

• Cambridge History of English and American Literature
  All aspects of literature from both until the end of the Victorian era [British], Later National writings [American].
• ClassicReader.com
  Read, search, annotate classic literature. ‘Currently contains 3 747 titles by 355 authors. Split into seven categories’. Good collection. Continually expanding.
• Classic Short Stories
  Selections from Dickens to Garcia Marquez. Significant variety.
• Faber Finds
  ‘Making good books available once more. Because Faber Finds editions are printed only on demand, they will take a little longer to reach you’. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, arts, Children’s.
• The Harvard Classics And Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction
  1909-1917, Eliot, Charles W., ed.. ‘The most comprehensive and well-researched anthology of all time comprises sections’..
• The Internet Classics Archive
  Several hundred Greek and Roman texts, many with commentaries.
• The Literary Encyclopedia
  Simple searches provide information on authors, books, topics. Complex searches will provide even more information.
• Online Medieval and Classical Library
  Search function, browse by criteria.

Fairy Tales, Myths & Legends

Tales of all descriptions.

• Bunyips
  ‘Enter the lair of the bunyip if you dare ! But remember, you have been warned !’ Now archived but still available through a link on this site.
• The Cinderella Project
  There are multiple versions. Here they all are, all in English so no translation is required.
• ClassicFairyTales.com
• Fables and Fairy Tales
  Fables, fairy tales, stories, nursery rhymes from the best authors.
• Fairy Tales
  Collection with the bonus of being able to hear some read aloud [Real Audio].
• Folk and Fairy Tales
  Encyclopaedic, rather than an encyclopaedia. Links from around the world that look at folk and fairy tales.
• Folk/Fairy Tales from Around the World
  All areas of the world covered.
• Folk Literature - Fables, Folktales, Legends
• Folklore & Legends
  Broken into cultural, geographical regions.
• Folklore and Mythology Electronic Texts
  Extensive listing.
• Grimm Brothers @ Nationalgeographic.com
  Read the original, less sanitised versions of these, from a 1914 translation.
• Grimm’s Fairy Tales
  Traditional writers of tales including Cinderella and Hansel & Gretel to name two. Read them all here.
• Grimm’s Fairy Tales [Animated]
• Grimm’s Fairy Tales [CMU]
  ‘This book contains 209 tales collected by the brothers Grimm’.
• Grimm’s Fairy Tales [National Geographic]
  ‘The stories collected by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm in the early 1800s serve up life as generations of central Europeans knew it - capricious and often cruel. Our presentation brings you 12 unvarnished tales’.
• Hans Christian Andersen
  Read most of his 200+ fairy tales here, see the accompanying artwork. Biography.
• Jack and the Beanstalk
  ‘Jack the Giant-Killer Project’. Similar in format to the Cinderella Project above.
• Legends & Folktales
  Use the ‘Folk Tale Map’ to find these from countries around the world.
• Little Red Riding Hood Project
  Similar in format to the Cinderella Project above.
• Myths and Fables
  35 annotated links to collections of these from around the world.
• Myths, Fables, Fairy Tales and Folklore
  Annotated links to collections of these from particular countries or on specific topics.
• Myth, Legend, Fable
  Which each is, read the collection. Links to other sites.
• Oban’s Myths & Legends
  More than 40 legends from around the world including Australia.
• SurLaLune Pages
  Portal where you get the tales, their history, similar tales from other cultures/world areas.

Fantasy & Science Fiction

• Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America
  Link to many of the best known writers and their works.
• Science Fiction.com
  Links to the world of Science Fiction.

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General Sites

• AcqWeb
  ‘Gathering place for librarians, other professionals interested in acquisitions, collection development’.
• Banned Book’s Online
  Which books have been banned, where, why. Be genuinely surprised at some on this list.
• Best of Legends
  Understand the background to epics such as Robin Hood. Even information on the background to Shakespeare’s works.
• Blackwell Reference Online
  ‘Online library giving instant access to the most authoritative and up-to-date scholarship across the humanities and social sciences. It is the largest academic reference collection available online’.
• Bloomsbury Research Centre
  Access 17 000+ references in this online database which allows you ‘to search on a wide range of subjects including literature, art, myth, human thought, quotations, a thesaurus or browse each book at your leisure’.
• BookMooch
  ‘Community for exchanging used books. Lets you give away books you no longer need in exchange for books you really want’.
• Books in Print
  ‘Comprehensive database of worldwide English language book, audiobook, and video titles. Also contains books out of print, the full Publishers Authority Database, bestseller database [spanning over 100 years] and a database of author biographies. Access to this resource is restricted to National Library of Australia registered users and/or users located in the NLA building’.
• Book Sources
  ‘Search for multiple sources for a book given the ISBN number. An Example of one search cis found here.
• Full Text Books
  Links done by Slippery Rock University. Reasonable collection.
• Genres
  If you like a particular book, want to know if there are more by the same author, this could be worth visiting. It will also provide other books/authors in the same genre.
• Simon & Schuster - Browse
  Browse through major areas of Fiction, Non-Fiction, Children’s Books, Teens and then within the genres listed within these. You can also try Pulse It, ‘a way to read amazing teen books for free online, and have your voice heard as a reviewer, trend-spotter, and all-around expert. So if you want early access to great books, join this community of fellow readers and become part of the “it” thing !’
• Teen Reads
  Book lists selected by the librarians at an American library and covering those in their teen years.
• The Assayer
  ‘The web’s largest catalogue of books whose authors have made them available for Free. Users can also submit reviews’. Membership is Free, provides access to several additional areas.
• The Battle To Define the Future of the Book
  In The Digital World ‘Examines competing visions for the future of the book in the digital environment. Particular attention to questions about social implications of controls over intellectual property, such as continuity of cultural memory’. Extensive presentation that is worth reading.
• The Centre for The Book
  US Library of Congress, as part of Read.gov. They ‘call attention to the importance of books, reading, literacy and libraries’. They have separate sections for Kids, Teens, Adults and Educators & Parents. Worth visiting.
• The Internet Public Library
• The Internet Speculative Fiction Database
  ‘Bibliographic data : author bibliographies, publication bibliographies, award listings, magazine content listings, anthology and collection content listings,, forthcoming books’.
• The Lord of the Rings
  The story, the setting, the author. A guided tour of Middle Earth, an extensive quiz [big enough to break into parts]. Buy collectables.
• What Should I Read Next ?
  ‘Enter a book you like and the site will analyse our database of real readers’ favourite books [nearly 70 000 different titles so far, and more than a million reader recommendations] to suggest what you could read next’. A similar site is The Book Seer where you enter title and author to seek recommendations for what to read next.
• The Censor’s Library [ABC Radio National]
  ‘This is the story of Australia’s empty bookshelves; an entire ghostly library of books suppressed, banned, confiscated and removed from the public. Nicole Moore has uncovered both the censor’s literal collection of banned books and the processes and beliefs that collected them’. Listen online or download the audio.
• World Oral Literature Project
  ‘The World Oral Literature Project is an urgent global initiative to document and disseminate endangered oral literatures before they disappear without record. The Project supports local communities and committed fieldworkers engaged in the collection and preservation of all forms of oral literature by providing funding for original research, alongside training in fieldwork and digital archiving methods’.

Magazines, Journals & Newsletters

• Arts & Letters Daily
  Literature, language, philosophy, aesthetics, ideas, culture, gossip, more. Beside the articles, there are quality links to related areas. Updated 6 times a week.
• Early Modern Literary Studies
  ‘Articles examine English literature, literary culture, language during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries’.
• Journal of Commonwealth Literature Online
  Issues, articles, most read articles, RSS feeds, more.

Mystery, Crime & Detective Books

A starting point only.

• Bookmarks #1
  Links arranged on all areas of mystery writing from books to authors, more.
• Holmes Online
  Work with the greatest detective of all time. Also called Baker Street Connection.
• MysteryNet
  Reviews, trivia, puzzles, discussion area, allows you to post your own mystery, more. Try their MysteryNet’s Solve-it with short story puzzles, and MysteryNet’s Kids’ Mysteries for the younger generation.
• Dangerous Books for Boys
  Reviews, Extracts, linked pages, author sites, more.
  Previously listed as Penguin Most Wanted Crime.

Non-Fiction Books

• 100 Best Non-Fiction Books
  As selected by Random House. Includes both the Board’s List and a Reader List’. Links to other 100 Lists.
• Controversial Non-Fiction Books
  Extensive listing, some annotated, all linked. From Wikipedia.
• Dummies
  The supplier of an extensive range of books from computing topics to everyday things.
  Excellent for beginners and other !

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Picture Books

‘Picture books are most often aimed at young children, and while some may have very basic language especially designed to help children develop their reading skills, most are written with vocabulary a child can understand but not necessarily read.Some picture books are also written with older children or even adults in mind’. Picture Book, Wikipedia. They can also include Board Books and Pop-up Books.

Australian Information

• 15 Australian Picture Books Everyone Should Read
  ‘15 Australian books - and some extra suggestions - that every Australian can enjoy if they want to understand our literature, our country and ourselves’.
• 2011 Short List
  The Children’s Book Council of Australia. The 2010 Winners can be found here.
• Australian Children’s Choice Awards
  ‘There are many children’s choice book awards in Australia, both state based and national. In each case children are the judges, voting for their favourite book’. Check the Picture Book listings. Note the warning on this page. Compiled by Focus on Fiction, Department of Education, WA.
• Australian Picture Books
  A listing by Australian Online Bookshop. Several hundred are included and are available for purchase.
• Australian Picture Books of the Year
  A listing from Amazon.
• Children’s Books - Australian Picture Books
  Authors from CJ Dennis to Tim Winton. Listing by bookseller. Provides author, title, brief abstract, price.
• Picture Books [Puffin]
  Extensive, annotated listing from Puffin Books.
• Picture Books - Reviews
  ‘The following Australian picture books have been reviewed on Aussiereviews’. Several hundred are listed covering a wide range of topics.
• Picture Books, Shaun Tan
  ‘Click on the cover of each book to see some internal illustrations and read descriptions and production notes’. Also provides a listing of international publishers of picture books.

• 100 Picture Books Everyone Should Know
  An international collection compiled by the New York Public Library.
• Children’s Picture Book Database
  ‘Our site offers you abstracts of over 5 000 children’s picture books’. Other information and search facilities. Miami University.
• ChildrensPictureBooks.info
  ‘As you explore our pages, you’ll find information about all kinds of children’s picture books, how to select the perfect picture book for your child or grandchild and a wealth of suggestions’.
• Kids’ Reading List : Illustrations
  From Oprah Winfrey. ‘Especially for children who are too young to read, looking at the illustrations of a book can have just as big an impact as reading the words. The pictures in these selections set them apart’.
• List of Postmodern Picture Books
  A selection from publishers around the world, including Australia, and compiled here.
• Old Picture Books
  ‘Story books from days of old, now flipbooks with “real pages” that turn with a click of the mouse’. Includes titles such as The Tale of Peter Rabbit and Fun and Nonsense.
• Picture Book
  Characteristics, Early picture books, Early to mid 20th Century, Mid to late 20th century, Awards, References, other links. From Wikipedia.
• Picture Books [About.com]
  ‘Learn about children’s picture books of all types, including some recommended for their positive portrayals of people from different cultures’.
• Preschool Picture Books Listed By Themes
  Themes from Animals to Transportation.
• Selecting the Perfect Picture Book for Your Child
  ‘Here are a few ideas with suggested books that will help you in selecting the perfect picture book for your child’.

Special Book Groups

• Poet’s Corner
  Thousands of poems by hundreds of poets.
• Romance Novel Database
  See if you find what you want here.
• The Script Site
  Not only books but also scripts which are works of fiction and worth reading.
• Short Stories
  Short stories sorted into a range of genre from fiction to romance, more.

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Other Information

Book Reviews

Access reviews, or follow links to other sites providing reviews based on book types, genres.

• ABC Arts Online - Books
  Extensive book reviews [new and archived], by ABC presenters from around Australia. Fiction, non-fiction, children’s books.
• Aussie Reviews
  ‘Welcome to Aussie Reviews, the Australian review site. You can see the latest reviews below, or browse the reviews by category’. These include Adult Fiction, Non-fiction, Young Adult and Younger Readers.
• Barnes & Noble Review
  Reading lists in story rather than date order, links to author pages, interviews, reviews.
• Booklist Online
  ‘Book Reviews from the American Library Association’. Browse reviews [including an archive], Top 10s, browse columns, awards, more.
• First Tuesday Book Club
  ABC Australia, Television. Books are reviewed by a panel.
• Foreword Reviews
• Goodreads
  ‘Share Book Recommendations With Your Friends, Join Book Clubs, Answer Trivia’. Free to join. Similar sites include LibraryThing and Shelfari.
• Inside a Dog
  ‘For young people. Read and write reviews, meet our online author-in-residence, preview upcoming titles, read interviews with authors, keep up to date with all the latest bookish news’.
• My Favourite Book - The Top 100
  Compiled, from community responses, by the Australian ABC. An interesting collection.
• Other Lists of Great Books
  Reasonably extensive annotations for the links and lists provided. Also check Good Reading : A Guide for Serious Readers from the same group.
• The Modern Library : 100 Best
  Claimed to be the 100 best novels published in English since 1900.
• whichbook.net
  UK site. Get book recommendations based on specific interests [e.g. sad/happy, easy/demanding]. Some sections relate only to the UK but recommendations are still good.

Weblogs

May actually cover more than books. Information about areas such as prizes, authors, reviews, etc..

• ABR Blog
  ‘The official blog of Australian Book Review, Australia’s leading literary magazine’.
• Literary Blogs and Weblogs
  News for Classic Literature. Small collection of well-annotated links.
• Literary Minded
  Australian books, general literary matters.
• The Book Show Blog
  ABC Australia. This blog covers Books and Publishing. Includes reviews, commentary, more.
• Writer’s Blog
  ‘Offers commentary about events in the literary and publishing worlds for journalists and writers’.

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