google book reviews

• Skip to main content
• Keyboard shortcuts for audio player

Author Interviews

Book reviews.

• Best Books Of The Year
• NPR Reader Favorites
• Books Podcast
• Subscribe to Books Newsletter

Here are the Books We Love: 380+ great 2023 reads recommended by NPR

November 20, 2023 • Books We Love returns with 380+ new titles handpicked by NPR staff and trusted critics. Find 11 years of recommendations all in one place – that's more than 3,600 great reads.

11 books to look forward to in 2024

December 30, 2023 • The first few months of the year are stacked with exciting and interesting reads. Get ready for big swings from old pros and exciting new debuts.

Hold on to your wishes — there's a 'Spider in the Well'

May 19, 2024 • There's trouble in the town of Bad Göodsburg! A wishing well has stopped working! NPR's Tamara Keith talks with Jess Hannigan about her new children's book, "Spider in the Well."

Writer Carvell Wallace on past pain and forgiveness: Letting go is 'always available'

May 16, 2024 • Wallace is known for his celebrity profiles, but his new memoir, Another Word For Love , is about his own life, growing up unhoused, Black and queer, and getting his start as a writer at the age of 40.

'Whale Fall' centers the push-and-pull between dreams and responsibilities

May 16, 2024 • Elizabeth O'Connor's spare and bracing debut novel provides a stark reckoning with what it means to be seen from the outside, both as a person and as a people.

Two new novels investigate what makes magic, what is real and imagined

May 15, 2024 • Both of these novels, Pages of Mourning and The Cemetery of Untold Stories, from an emerging writer and a long-celebrated one, respectively, walk an open road of remembering love, grief, and fate.

Author Miranda July poses next to her novel, "All Fours" Elizabeth Weinberg/Amazon hide caption

Perspective

It's been a minute, the miracle of middle age with miranda july.

May 14, 2024 • Our culture is full of stories about what it's like to be young: to find yourself, to fall in love, to leave home. But there aren't nearly as many scripts for what middle age might look like, especially for women. This week, host Brittany Luse is joined by author and filmmaker Miranda July, whose new novel 'All Fours' dives deep into the mystery and miracle of being a middle aged woman.

Canadian author Alice Munro as she receives a Man Booker International award at Trinity College Dublin, in Dublin, Ireland, on June 25, 2009. Peter Muhly/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Alice Munro, Nobel Prize-winning short story author, dies at 92

May 14, 2024 • The Canadian writer was known for her masterfully crafted short stories. Throughout her long career, she earned a number of prestigious awards including the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2013.

What are 'the kids' thinking these days? Honor Levy aims to tell in 'My First Book'

May 14, 2024 • Social media discourse and the inevitable backlash aside, the 26-year-old writer's first book is an amusing, if uneven, take on growing up white, privileged, and Gen Z.

Serj Tankian, singer for System of a Down Travis Shinn/Hachette Books hide caption

System of a Down's Serj Tankian on his memoir, why a new album hasn't come since 2005

May 14, 2024 • System of a Down singer Serj Tankian covers fleeing the Lebanese Civil War as a child, advocating for recognition of the Armenian Genocide, and why his band hasn't made a new album since 2005.

Book News & Features

'brotherless night,' an ambitious novel about sri lankan civil war, wins $150k prize.

May 13, 2024 • The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is a relatively new literary award given to women and nonbinary authors. This year's winner is V.V. Ganeshananthan for her book Brotherless Night.

"When I first started being in Bikini Kill, I thought of myself as a feminist performance artist who was in a punk band," Kathleen Hanna says. Rachel Bright/Ecco hide caption

Music Interviews

Kathleen hanna on life as a 'rebel girl,' and the joy of expressing anger in public.

May 13, 2024 • The Bikini Kill frontwoman pioneered the "riot grrrl" movement in the 1990s. "I thought of myself as a feminist performance artist who was in a punk band," Hanna says.

Claire Messud's sweeping novel borrows from her own 'Strange Eventful History'

May 13, 2024 • Messud draws from her grandfather's handwritten memoir as she tells a cosmopolitan, multigenerational story about a family forced to move from Algeria to Europe to South and North America.

My Octopus Teacher's Craig Foster dives into the ocean again in 'Amphibious Soul'

May 13, 2024 • Nature's healing power is an immensely personal focus for Foster. He made his film after being burned out from long, grinding hours at work. After the release of the film, he suffered from insomnia.

'Women and Children First' is a tale about how actions and choices affect others

May 11, 2024 • The puzzle of a girl's death propels Alina Grabowski's debut novel but, really, it's less about the mystery and more about how our actions impact each other, especially when we think we lack agency.

Author Viet Thanh Nguyen discusses 'The Sympathizer' and his escape from Vietnam

May 10, 2024 • Nguyen and his family fled their village in South Vietnam in 1975. Now his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel has been adapted into a series on HBO and MAX. Originally broadcast in 2016.

A 19th-century bookbinder struggles with race and identity in 'The Library Thief'

May 10, 2024 • In her debut novel taking place in the Victorian era, Kuchenga Shenjé explores the expectations that arise when society demands that every group be neatly categorized.

Rod with his father Sam Serling c. 1943. Esther Cooper Serling/Courtesy of Anne Serling hide caption

A WWII story by The Twilight Zone's Rod Serling is published for the first time

May 9, 2024 • Twilight Zone creator Rod Serling was a paratrooper during WWII. After the war, he wrote a short story inspired by the experience. It's now being published for the first time in The Strand.

Magic, secrets, and urban legend: 3 new YA fantasy novels to read this spring

May 8, 2024 • A heist with a social conscience, a father using magic for questionable work, an urban legend turned sleepover dare: These new releases explore protagonists embracing the magic within themselves.

Author Daniel A. Olivas poses next to the cover of his recent book, Chicano Frankenstein Author headshot via publisher hide caption

Code Switch

In 'chicano frankenstein,' the undead are the new underpaid labor force.

May 8, 2024 • Daniel Olivas's novel puts a new spin on the age-old Frankenstein story. In this retelling, 12 million "reanimated" people provide a cheap workforce for the United States...and face a very familiar type of bigotry.

Brittney Griner warms up before a game against the New York Liberty at Barclays Center on July 05, 2023. Dustin Satloff/Getty Images hide caption

Consider This from NPR

Brittney griner shares her experience behind bars in russia.

May 7, 2024 • Brittney Griner didn't know the flight she was taking to Moscow in February 2022 would upend her life. But even before she left for the airport, Griner felt something was off.

'Long Island' renders bare the universality of longing

May 7, 2024 • In a heartrending follow-up to his beloved 2009 novel, Brooklyn, Colm Tóibín handles uncertainties and moral conundrums with exquisite delicacy, zigzagging through time to a devastating climax.

Griner competes for Team USA on Aug. 8, 2021, during the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. Griner won gold medals in both Tokyo and in Rio de Janeiro. Aris Messinis/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

Brittney Griner reflects on 'Coming Home' after nearly 300 days in a Russian prison

May 7, 2024 • The WNBA star, who is six feet, nine inches, says she felt like a zoo animal in prison. "The guards would literally come open up the little peep hole, look in, and then I would hear them laughing."

Planet Money

Neoliberal economics: the road to freedom or authoritarianism.

May 7, 2024 • Nobel-winning economist Joseph Stiglitz's new book argues the road to tyranny is paved not by too much, but by too little government.

• Member Login
• Library Patron Login

SUBSCRIBE TO OUR

FREE NEWSLETTERS

Search: Title Author Article Search String:

Song of the Six Realms

Xue'er has no place in the kingdom of Qi or any of the Six Realms. Her name means "Solitary Snow" and it surely fits a girl doomed to life as an "undesirable." Orphaned when she was young, all Xue has...

Beyond the Book

Music and poetry are a central part of Song of the Six Realms by Judy I. Lin. They are cornerstones of life in the kingdom of Qi and the Celestial world beyond it. Music may entertain but it also ...

The Demon of Unrest

In the aftermath of the 1860 presidential election, the divided United States began to collapse as South Carolina seceded from the Union, followed by another six Southern states. Among the countless ...

Fort Sumter Today

As Erik Larson recounts in The Demon of Unrest, the first shots of the American Civil War were fired on Fort Sumter, off the coast of South Carolina, at 4:30 a.m. on April 12th, 1861. Thirty-six hours...

Daughters of Shandong

Daughters of Shandong is the debut novel of Eve J. Chung, a human rights lawyer living in New York. Overall, First Impressions readers loved the book, awarding it an outstanding average rating of 4.8 ...

Real-Life Inspirations for Daughters of Shandong

Eve J. Chung's debut novel Daughters of Shandong focuses on the mother and daughters of a landowning family who flee China for Taiwan as a result of the Communist revolution in the late 1940s. ...

Anita de Monte Laughs Last

Brooklyn-based novelist Xochitl Gonzalez is an inspiring writer to follow. At forty, she decided to pivot in her career and pursue a lifelong dream of writing fiction. She enrolled in the prestigious ...

Artist Ana Mendieta

The title character in Xochitl Gonzalez's Anita de Monte Laughs Last is closely based on the artist Ana Mendieta. Although Mendieta's shocking death at the age of thirty-five has overshadowed ...

The titular protagonist of K. Ancrum's young adult novel Icarus lives a double life that mixes the mundane and inexplicable. By day, he is like any other high school senior, managing his classes, ...

Icarus and Helios in Greek Mythology

The titular protagonist of K. Ancrum's young adult novel Icarus denies that his name is an allusion to the famous character from Greek mythology and reveals that his mother christened him after ...

The Moon That Turns You Back

The poignant, accessible poems in Palestinian American author Hala Alyan's fifth collection, The Moon That Turns You Back , emerge from a family history of Arab diaspora. Simultaneously tied to and ...

A Reading List of Palestinian American Literature

Hala Alyan, author of the poetry collection The Moon That Turns You Back, has also published two novels: Salt Houses, winner of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize and the Arab American Book Award; and ...

Join BookBrowse

for a year of great reading about exceptional books!

Genres and Themes

Read-alikes, young adults, members recommend.

The Stolen Child by Ann Hood

An unlikely duo ventures through France and Italy to solve the mystery of a child’s fate.

Daughters of Shandong by Eve J. Chung

Eve J. Chung's debut novel recounts a family's flight to Taiwan during China's Communist revolution.

The Book Club

Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld A comedy writer's stance on love shifts when a pop star challenges her assumptions in this witty and touching novel.

Featured Book Club

New In Paperback

Solve this clue:

and be entered to win...

• Reading Guides

Win this book!

A powerful, sweeping historical novel about a courageous woman in World War II Germany.

• PEN America holds annual gala following months of turmoil
• Alice Munro, short story master and Nobel Laureate, dies at 92
• Biographies
• Author Read-Alikes
• Name Pronunication Guide
• Beyond the Book: 7 Articles on Nature and the Environment
• The Pulitzer Prize: a Brief History and Overview

Your guide to exceptional           books

BookBrowse seeks out and recommends the best in contemporary fiction and nonfiction—books that not only engage and entertain but also deepen our understanding of ourselves and the world around us.

Subscribe to receive some of our best reviews, "beyond the book" articles, book club info and giveaways by email.

Common Sense Media

Movie & TV reviews for parents

• For Parents
• For Educators
• Our Work and Impact

Or browse by category:

• Get the app
• Movie Reviews
• Best Movie Lists
• Best Movies on Netflix, Disney+, and More

Common Sense Selections for Movies

50 Modern Movies All Kids Should Watch Before They're 12

• Best TV Lists
• Best TV Shows on Netflix, Disney+, and More
• Common Sense Selections for TV
• Video Reviews of TV Shows

Best Kids' Shows on Disney+

Best Kids' TV Shows on Netflix

• Book Reviews
• Best Book Lists
• Common Sense Selections for Books

8 Tips for Getting Kids Hooked on Books

50 Books All Kids Should Read Before They're 12

• Game Reviews
• Best Game Lists

Common Sense Selections for Games

• Video Reviews of Games

Nintendo Switch Games for Family Fun

• Podcast Reviews
• Best Podcast Lists

Common Sense Selections for Podcasts

Parents' Guide to Podcasts

• App Reviews
• Best App Lists

Social Networking for Teens

Gun-Free Action Game Apps

Reviews for AI Apps and Tools

• YouTube Channel Reviews
• YouTube Kids Channels by Topic

Parents' Ultimate Guide to YouTube Kids

YouTube Kids Channels for Gamers

• Preschoolers (2-4)
• Little Kids (5-7)
• Big Kids (8-9)
• Pre-Teens (10-12)
• Teens (13+)
• Screen Time
• Social Media
• Online Safety
• Identity and Community

Explaining the News to Our Kids

• Family Tech Planners
• Digital Skills
• All Articles
• Latino Culture
• Black Voices
• Asian Stories
• Native Narratives
• LGBTQ+ Pride
• Best of Diverse Representation List

Celebrating Black History Month

Movies and TV Shows with Arab Leads

Celebrate Hip-Hop's 50th Anniversary

Google books, common sense media reviewers.

Make online libraries, review books, and read the classics.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this website.

Kids can learn organizational skills as they choos

A search for "sex" on Google Books bring

Parents need to know that Google Books is a book-finding search engine with many bonus functions and a great selection of free, public-domain content. Kids can read some of their favorite classics online, like Wind in the Willows and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , among others. They can fill…

Educational Value

Kids can learn organizational skills as they choose categories for their libraries and add books to each list. They'll also compare their opinions about books with other readers' by looking through the site's reviews. Google Books can help kids understand that there are many ways to read: they can read online, use an ereader, listen to an audiobook, or even do it the old-fashioned way -- get a book.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

A search for "sex" on Google Books brings up many links, such as "Cosmo's Guide to Red-Hot Sex," "Ultimate Sex Positions," and many more titles inappropriate for kids. Sometimes even Snippets contain inappropriate language.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Google Books is a book-finding search engine with many bonus functions and a great selection of free, public-domain content. Kids can read some of their favorite classics online, like Wind in the Willows and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland , among others. They can fill their libraries with favorite books and organize them into categories; they also can write personal reviews or reminders about each book. Reviews and libraries can be made public or private. Google Books is a great resource, but make sure your kids are using it wisely -- it has no content filters. Just as in the regular library, kids can find all kinds of books here, including very inappropriate ones. They can come across explicit excerpts almost without trying.

Community Reviews

• Parents say (1)
• Kids say (3)

Based on 1 parent review

Amazing Careers

What’s it about.

GOOGLE BOOKS works like the classic search engine, except it only searches books. Enter a title, keyword, or author name into the search box, and the site will give you a series of links, called Snippets, which are short summaries of each title. If the book is out of copyright or the publisher has given permission, you can view the book (Limited Preview), and in some cases you can see the entire text (Full View). If it's in the public domain, you're free to download a PDF. If you find a book you like, click the \"Buy this book\" or \"Borrow this book\" links to see where you can buy or borrow the print book. You can also buy the ebook from the Google Play Store.

Who's compiling this giant online repository? Google's Library Project is working with libraries and publishers to obtain links to all books, even those that are out of print, while still respecting copyright. You also can search some magazine content using the Google Books search tool, and you can save and store favorite books on your My Library page. Within your library, you can write reviews for books and organize them into lists.

Is It Any Good?

This is a rich resource. So many classic books are in the public domain, and Google Books is a fun way to access them all in one place (although the regular library has its merits, too). Kids can read Anne of Green Gables and look at the original 1908 illustrations or look at Homer's Odyssey , all for free. Privacy can be tricky; make sure your kids' libraries are marked private or else anyone can see them. Although it's easy to purchase books through Google Play, Google Books is best used as a resource for free content and as a way to collect and share favorite books with friends.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about reading books online compared to reading printed books. What are the main differences? Which do your kids prefer?

Encourage your kids to add their favorite books to a Google Books library -- they'll be proud of the growing list and excited to keep adding titles.

Website Details

• Subjects : Language & Reading : reading, reading comprehension, writing
• Skills : Thinking & Reasoning : collecting data, decision-making, investigation, Creativity : combining knowledge, Communication : conveying messages effectively, Tech Skills : using and applying technology
• Genre : Educational
• Pricing structure : Free
• Last updated : November 5, 2015

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

Suggest an Update

Best book apps for kids and teens.

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

• Help Center
• Google Search
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Service
• Submit feedback
• Announcements
• Use Google Books

Use the new Google Books

You can read, download, or preview books on Google Books. If you find a book you want to read, you might be able to read it on Google Books, buy it online, or borrow it from a library.

Tip : Some books are provided by publishers, while others are scanned as part of the Library Project .

Important : Some of these features might not be available on mobile devices.

Try the new Google Books

You can try the new Google Books here or:

• Go to Google Books .
• Search for any book.
• Click the book title.
• At the top left, click Try it now .

Go back to classic Google Books

You can go back to classic Google Books here from your computer or:

• Click Go back to classic Google Books .

Read or preview a book

• Search for the title, author, ISBN, or keywords. To search with filters, in the search box, click Advanced search . Learn how much of the book you can see .
• Read : If the book is available on Google Books, click Read free of charge .
• Preview : If only part of the book is available, click Preview .  Learn more about why you can’t see the full book .

Search within a book

• Search for the title, author, ISBN, or keywords. 
• Click a title.
• Under the title, click Search inside .

Buy, borrow, or download a book

• Search for the title, author, ISBN, or keywords.
• Buy : Under “Buy Print,” or “Buy Digital” you might see providers where you can buy the book. Click a provider to purchase a book from their site.
• You can also search in different libraries using Search WorldCat.
• You can search for other editions when you click  Any edition . 
• Not all books are available for download. 

Cite a book

• Under “About this edition,” click Create citation .

Add a book to your library

To add a book to your library from a computer:

• Under the title, click Add to my library .

To add a book to your library from a mobile device:

I have an issue with a book I bought

You can’t see a book or magazine.

Try these common fixes:

• Turn off any ad blocker plugins or extensions. Learn how to turn off extensions .
• Use another browser, like Chrome or Safari, to open Google Books.
• Follow the steps to clear your browser’s cache and cookies .

You can’t see the full book

The owner hasn’t agreed to show the entire book, or it might not be fully scanned.

• To buy the book online: On the menu bar, click Get the book, then select a retailer.
• If you think the book is available in the public domain in your country, ask us to review it .

To report poor image quality, missing pages, issue with reviews, incorrect metadata, illegal, or offensive content, contact us .

Related resources

• Link to individual titles on Google Books
• Add, organize, or share books

Was this helpful?

Need more help, try these next steps:.

Goodreads vs Google Books

Top 10 eBook Organizers

• ADMIN AREA MY BOOKSHELF MY DASHBOARD MY PROFILE SIGN OUT SIGN IN

• Awards Winner of the 2024 Dylan Thomas Prize Is Revealed

• Book to Screen Keira Knightley To Star in ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’

• Awards Winner of the 2024 Plutarch Award Is Revealed

Our Take On This Week's Bestsellers

Our Verdict

• Children's Bookseller Reveals Winners of Kid Lit Book Awards

• Teen ‘Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Coming in 2025

• Fiction Kevin Kwan Is Back for Summer Reading Season

FEATURED REVIEW

• 23 Hot Summer Books for Young Readers
• 24 Hottest Summer Reads of 2024
• Best Indie Books of May
• 20 Books That Should Be Bestsellers
• 20 Most Addictive Books of 2024 (So Far)

Featured Book Reviews

New Releases

• THE ART OF DYING Peter Schjeldahl

• REBEL GIRL Kathleen Hanna

• THE WANNABE FASCISTS Federico Finchelstein

• LOCKED IN PURSUIT Ashley Weaver

• THE HUNTER'S DAUGHTER Nicola Solvinic

• UNLADYLIKE RULES OF ATTRACTION Amita Murray

• 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT PROM Elle Gonzalez Rose

• THIRSTY Jas Hammonds

• QUEER CHEER Eric Rosswood, Jodie Anders

• BURNING SKY John Darnton

• WHEN AMONG CROWS Veronica Roth
• THE MINISTRY OF TIME Kaliane Bradley

• LOVE AT FIRST BOOK Jenn McKinlay

• THE PARADISE PROBLEM Christina Lauren

• THE RAINBOW PARADE Shane Jordan, Rick Hendrix, Jieting Chen

• THOMAS JEFFERSON'S BATTLE FOR SCIENCE Beth Anderson, Jeremy Holmes

• FINDING THINGS Kevin Henkes, Laura Dronzek

• MONARCH Emily Jon Tobias

• BLUE RUIN Hari Kunzru

• MAN'S BEST FRIEND Alana B. Lytle

• THE WELL-CONNECTED ANIMAL Lee Alan Dugatkin

• THE RED GROVE Tessa Fontaine

• YOU MAY NOW KILL THE BRIDE Kate Weston

• PARIS Jeremy Black

• THE STRUGGLE FOR TAIWAN Sulmaan Wasif Khan

• THE JELLYFISH Boum, Boum

• SPIRAL Aidan Koch

• VICTORY PARADE Leela Corman

Didn’t find what you were looking for? OK, how about some

• New Novel by Attica Locke Coming This Summer
• YA Romance by Jason Reynolds Coming This Fall
• Amor Towles Talks New Book With Seth Meyers

• Kaliane Bradley Offers a New Twist on Time Travel
• A YA Novelist Asks: What Is True Happiness?
• Kevin Kwan Is Back for Summer Reading Season

• Skip the Cineplex and Read a Summer Blockbuster
• Hit Pause: These TV Books Are Worth Reading
• Before Summer Fun Begins, Hit the History Books

• Keira Knightley To Star in ‘The Woman in Cabin 10’
• Sony Drops Trailer for ‘It Ends With Us’ Film
• ‘Summer I Turned Pretty’ Season 3 Coming in 2025

• V (Formerly Eve Ensler) | Fully Booked Podcast
• Deepti Kapoor | Fully Booked Podcast
• Leigh Bardugo | Fully Booked Podcast

• Episode 372: Miranda July
• Episode 371: Best May Books with Aimee Nezhukumatathil
• Episode 370: Alexandra Tanner

The Magazine: Kirkus Reviews

Featuring 318 industry-first reviews of fiction, nonfiction, children’s, and YA books; also in this special Summer Reads Issue: interviews with Kevin Kwan, Ronald Drabkin, Andrea Wang, and Shivaun Plozza; and more

The Kirkus Star

One of the most coveted designations in the book industry, the Kirkus Star marks books of exceptional merit.

The Kirkus Prize

The Kirkus Prize is among the richest literary awards in America, awarding $50,000 in three categories annually.

Great Books & News Curated For You

Be the first to read books news and see reviews, news and features in Kirkus Reviews . Get awesome content delivered to your inbox every week.

• Discover Books Fiction Thriller & Suspense Mystery & Detective Romance Science Fiction & Fantasy Nonfiction Biography & Memoir Teens & Young Adult Children's
• News & Features Bestsellers Book Lists Profiles Perspectives Awards Seen & Heard Book to Screen Kirkus TV videos In the News
• Kirkus Prize Winners & Finalists About the Kirkus Prize Kirkus Prize Judges
• Magazine Current Issue All Issues Manage My Subscription Subscribe
• Writers’ Center Hire a Professional Book Editor Get Your Book Reviewed Advertise Your Book Launch a Pro Connect Author Page Learn About The Book Industry
• More Kirkus Diversity Collections Kirkus Pro Connect My Account/Login
• About Kirkus History Our Team Contest FAQ Press Center Info For Publishers
• Privacy Policy
• Terms & Conditions
• Reprints, Permission & Excerpting Policy

© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.

Popular in this Genre

Hey there, book lover.

We’re glad you found a book that interests you!

Please select an existing bookshelf

Create a new bookshelf.

We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!

Please sign up to continue.

It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!

Already have an account? Log in.

Trouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.

Almost there!

• Industry Professional

Welcome Back!

Sign in using your Kirkus account

Contact us: 1-800-316-9361 or email [email protected].

Don’t fret. We’ll find you.

Magazine Subscribers ( How to Find Your Reader Number )

If You’ve Purchased Author Services

Don’t have an account yet? Sign Up.

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement

• Services & Software

Google Play Books for Android review: Google gives its e-book reader a lot more power

Looking for a solid e-reader app for your Android device? The newest version of Google Play Books is an awesome option. The thing is, it's still missing one key feature.

The newest version of Google Play Books brings some much-needed functionality to a previously weak e-reader app. While the app isn't perfect yet, it's a heck of a lot closer than it was before its latest update.

Google Play Books for Android

The bottom line.

While Google Play Books' interface is unquestionably clean and easy to navigate, I do think it could use a bit more visual style. As it is now, the app feels sterile, with the book carousel sitting on top of a flat, dark gray backdrop. Alternatively, you can display your books in a list, but that's even less attractive.

The flow of Google Play Books is simple and intuitive. Once you purchase and download a book on Google Play, it automatically shows up in your Books app, on all of the devices that are connected to your Google account. To flip through a book, you can either use the scrubber bar at the bottom of the screen or the interactive table of contents via the button at the top. One thing I love about the in-book experience is the 3D page-turning animation. It's not ground-breaking, but it adds a bit of polish to an otherwise standard experience.

While you're reading, the app offers quite a few options as far as visual styling goes. There are three themes to choose from: Day (black text on white background), Night (white text on black background), and Sepia. And of course, there are options to change zoom level, font size, typeface, text alignment, and line height. Additionally, you can choose to see either a clean, "Flowing text" version of the book, or the original scanned pages, which are certainly fun, though not as easy to read. Tablets can display pages side by side, while phones (even in horizontal mode) are stuck with a single page per screen.

When it comes to features, Google Play Books sits somewhere near the front of the e-reader pack, though that wasn't always the case. With the newest update to the app, users finally get integrated translation, maps, dictionary, and highlighting. To see the tools in action, simply tap and hold on a block of text from the page and wait for the options to appear. Depending on what your target text is, Google will show you a quick description or definition, links to Wikipedia, a translation (powered by Google Translate), or even a map of a location. For me, these tools have been indispensable, especially when I find myself reading works with a lot of non-English text. The highlighter is also useful, as it comes with four different color options and can be enabled by tapping a button on the top of the screen. Curiously, though, I haven't found a way to un-highlight text, which is infuriating. Also, for school-related reading, it would be a huge help to be able to name bookmarks.

By far, my biggest gripe about Google Play Books is that it doesn't import or sideload books. With so many sources of DRM-free e-books on the Web, not to mention my own personal collection of downloaded PDF e-books, it's a shame Google's e-reader app doesn't offer the feature. And I know there are swathes of users out there who feel the same way.

Score Breakdown

• Best of 2024
• How to Spot a Trustworthy Website
• Dating Apps
• Shopping Discount Fashion
• Discount Clothing
• Discount Designer Clothing
• Affordable Wedding Dresses
• Affordable Activewear for Women
• Plus-Size Swimwear
• COVID-19 Resources
• Consumer Tips
• Write a Review
• For Business
• Request a Review
• Backed by the National Science Foundation
• Entertainment
• Google Books

Unsolicited

Google Books has a rating of 4.6 stars from 11 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally satisfied with their purchases. Google Books ranks 25th among Ebook sites.

“The Little Black Book of European Stereotypes by Eric Fisher”

I really loved this book. It has given lots of ideas when speaking to people and it is good fun. I take it on holiday with me when I go to Europe.

“Used to be great, not sure what happened”

About 14 years ago I began using Google Books to read books online for some research I was working on. The subject matter of the project I was working on surrounded the 1800s, and Google Books had so many books from the 1800s scanned and on their site to read and download. Today, most of these books and many others that used to be open to public viewing like a library are no longer available to be read. Many have links attached to them now where someone can click and buy the book. That seems to defeat the purpose of what Google was originally doing with Google Books. Not happy about this at all. I don't want to purchase the books I use in my research, I want to read portions of them that pertain to my research like I would at a good physical library. Google Books is no longer useful. I hope they change back to what they used to be. The excuse for the change can't be due to older books having renewed copyrights, because other library sites on the internet, especially some at some large universities, allow free viewing of the books in their original copyright online.

Reviews (11)

• Respond as company

• Follow Susan S.

I bought myself a Christmas present and it was a full priced hardcover edition of Clanlands by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish. It was absolutely money well spent and this charming and quite funny book helped make my Christmas a wonderful one. Clanlands had it all as far as my tastes are concerned: excellent humor, history (sometimes enough to break your heart), the clear and sincere friendship and comradery between Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish and the sense of fun, and joy, emanating from the hit television show on which they both star, or starred in Graham's case (it was Sam who killed him, which causes much hilarity in the book). Each one of the authors is a joy in every way, and the book, in reflecting these two magical figures, in both their real lives and in their fictional characters we see in Outlander, proves to be an equal delight. I hope they both had as wonderful a Christmas as they provided me. Susan Smith

Tip for consumers: Buy and read Clanlands

Products used: Book

About the business

Search the world's information, including webpages, images, videos and more. Google has many special features to help you find exactly what you're looking for.

• Visit Website
• Mountain View, California, United States
• Edit business info

How do I know I can trust these reviews about Google Books?

• Sitejabber’s mission is to increase online transparency for buyers and businesses
• Sitejabber has helped over 200M buyers make better purchasing decisions online
• Suspicious reviews are flagged by our algorithms, moderators, and community members

Is this your business?

Claim your listing for free to respond to reviews, update your profile and manage your listing.

Advertisement

Supported by

editors’ choice

6 New Books We Recommend This Week

Suggested reading from critics and editors at The New York Times.

• Share full article

This week’s recommended books include two memoirs by writers recalling their parents: “The Whole Staggering Mystery,” by Sylvia Brownrigg, digs into her father’s secret history, and “Did I Ever Tell You?,” by Genevieve Kingston, aims to capture her lost mother on the page. We also recommend two books about Mexico (a history and a journalistic exposé), along with a look at the neurological effects of climate change and a novel that puts U.S. immigration policy front and center. Happy reading. — Gregory Cowles

THE WEIGHT OF NATURE: How a Changing Climate Changes Our Brains Clayton Page Aldern

Aldern, a science journalist, asks us to consider the impact of climate change on our brains: According to this alarming book, a warming planet and natural resource depletion will mean everything from angrier, more anxious people to dolphins with Alzheimer’s disease. The litany, he writes, is almost “comically apocalyptic.”

“Aldern is the rare writer who dares to ask how climate change has already changed us.”

From Nathaniel Rich’s review

Dutton | $30

THE WHOLE STAGGERING MYSTERY: A Story of Fathers Lost and Found Sylvia Brownrigg

When Brownrigg’s remote and enigmatic father, Nick, died, his children were left with a key to his past in the form of a mysterious scrapbook. What they found was wilder than they could have possibly guessed: This hippie dropout, seemingly without family, was in fact heir to a British title and had a complex history that included colonial postings, mysterious deaths, lost novels and unexplained estrangements. Brownrigg sets out to discover what, exactly, happened — and does so with style and sensitivity.

“Gets at … the way in which, over generations and in the face of good intentions, family bonds can loosen and die. It’s dreadfully sad, and yet through Brownrigg’s sleuthing, something touching is redeemed.”

From Emma Brockes’s review

Counterpoint | $34.99

AMERICAN ABDUCTIONS Mauro Javier Cárdenas

In his new novel, Cárdenas considers the devastating effects of U.S. immigration policy on Latin American families, using expansive, pages-long sentences full of references to art, mysticism and ominous technologies. The main narrative involves an ailing Colombian man, recently deported from Califorrnia, and the painful choices facing his American-born daughters.

“Cárdenas creates what I’ll call an art-polemic — a melding of play with political purpose. From it, the cruelty of American immigration policy emerges: How else to capture such surreal inhumanity?”

From Gina Apostol’s review

Dalkey Archive | Paperback, $17.95

HABSBURGS ON THE RIO GRANDE: The Rise and Fall of the Second Mexican Empire Raymond Jonas

Jonas vividly recounts the story of Maximilian I of Mexico, the delusional Austrian archduke who tried to establish an enlightened monarchy on America’s southern border in the midst of the U.S. Civil War. “May my blood end the misfortunes of my new country,” he said as he stood before a republican firing squad, in 1867. “Viva Mexico!”

“Vividly reconstructs how Maximilian’s power was forged and maintained by the sharp end of a French bayonet. … Jonas is astute and judicious in navigating the kaleidoscope of contradictory political ideologies that came together in the Second Mexican Empire.”

From Natasha Wheatley’s review

Harvard University Press | $35

THE WAY THAT LEADS AMONG THE LOST: Life, Death, and Hope Among Mexico City’s Anexos Angela Garcia

An investigation of Mexico’s makeshift drug rehab centers for the poor, Garcia’s book combines anthropological field work with personal history, delivering an unvarnished chronicle of desperate patients, brutal treatment regimes and her own struggles with depression and a traumatic past.

“Offers a view of the war on drugs that differs from the familiar one. … The characters who populate Garcia’s pages reside on the periphery of urban life, and of the conflict itself.”

From Azam Ahmed’s review

Farrar, Straus & Giroux | $29

DID I EVER TELL YOU? Genevieve Kingston

In this heartfelt memoir, Kingston reflects on her mother’s death, in her late 40s, from breast cancer and the carefully cataloged notes and gifts she left for her children to open when she was gone. Kingston opens each on schedule, while reflecting that “the person I needed … was not the smiling, gentle mother wrapping birthday gifts” but “all of my mother, not only the softest pieces.”

“Wrenching. … Helped Kingston see the rage and terror her mother had papered over, as well as the steely will she’d summoned to keep going.”

From Kim Hubbard’s review

Marysue Rucci Books | $28.99

Explore More in Books

Want to know about the best books to read and the latest news start here..

As book bans have surged in Florida, the novelist Lauren Groff has opened a bookstore called The Lynx, a hub for author readings, book club gatherings and workshops , where banned titles are prominently displayed.

Eighteen books were recognized as winners or finalists for the Pulitzer Prize, in the categories of history, memoir, poetry, general nonfiction, fiction and biography, which had two winners. Here’s a full list of the winners .

Montreal is a city as appealing for its beauty as for its shadows. Here, t he novelist Mona Awad recommends books  that are “both dreamy and uncompromising.”

The complicated, generous life  of Paul Auster, who died on April 30 , yielded a body of work of staggering scope and variety .

Each week, top authors and critics join the Book Review’s podcast to talk about the latest news in the literary world. Listen here .

Log in or sign up for Rotten Tomatoes

Trouble logging in?

By continuing, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes and to receive email from the Fandango Media Brands .

By creating an account, you agree to the Privacy Policy and the Terms and Policies , and to receive email from Rotten Tomatoes.

Email not verified

Let's keep in touch.

Sign up for the Rotten Tomatoes newsletter to get weekly updates on:

• Upcoming Movies and TV shows
• Trivia & Rotten Tomatoes Podcast
• Media News + More

By clicking "Sign Me Up," you are agreeing to receive occasional emails and communications from Fandango Media (Fandango, Vudu, and Rotten Tomatoes) and consenting to Fandango's Privacy Policy and Terms and Policies . Please allow 10 business days for your account to reflect your preferences.

OK, got it!

Movies / TV

No results found.

• What's the Tomatometer®?
• Login/signup

Movies in theaters

• Opening this week
• Top box office
• Coming soon to theaters
• Certified fresh movies

Movies at home

• Fandango at Home
• Netflix streaming
• Prime Video
• Most popular streaming movies
• What to Watch New

Certified fresh picks

• Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga Link to Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga
• Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes Link to Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes
• The Last Stop in Yuma County Link to The Last Stop in Yuma County

New TV Tonight

• Evil: Season 4
• Trying: Season 4
• Tires: Season 1
• Fairly OddParents: A New Wish: Season 1
• Stax: Soulsville, U.S.A.: Season 1
• Lolla: The Story of Lollapalooza: Season 1
• Jurassic World: Chaos Theory: Season 1
• Mulligan: Season 2
• The 1% Club: Season 1

Most Popular TV on RT

• Bridgerton: Season 3
• Dark Matter: Season 1
• Outer Range: Season 2
• Bodkin: Season 1
• X-Men '97: Season 1
• Fallout: Season 1
• Baby Reindeer: Season 1
• Doctor Who: Season 1
• Hacks: Season 3
• Best TV Shows
• Most Popular TV
• TV & Streaming News

Certified fresh pick

• Bridgerton: Season 3 Link to Bridgerton: Season 3
• All-Time Lists
• Binge Guide
• Comics on TV
• Five Favorite Films
• Video Interviews
• Weekend Box Office
• Weekly Ketchup
• What to Watch

Cannes Film Festival 2024: Movie Scorecard

The Best Movies of 1999

Asian-American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander Heritage

What to Watch: In Theaters and On Streaming

Hugh Jackman Knew “Deep in His Gut” That He Wanted to Play Wolverine Again

What’s Next For Marvel’s Merry Mutants In X-Men ’97 ?

• Trending on RT
• Furiosa First Reviews
• Most Anticipated 2025 Movies
• Cannes Film Festival Preview
• TV Premiere Dates

Season 1 – Dark Matter

Where to watch, dark matter — season 1.

Watch Dark Matter — Season 1 with a subscription on Apple TV+.

What to Know

Dark Matter 's intriguing ideas are spread a tad thin over its season-long runtime, but fans of foreboding sci-fi will find its residue addictively sticky.

Critics Reviews

Audience reviews, cast & crew.

Blake Crouch

Joel Edgerton

Jason Dessen

Jennifer Connelly

Daniela Dessen

Alice Braga

Amanda Lucas

Jimmi Simpson

Ryan Holder

Dayo Okeniyi

Leighton Vance

More Like This

Season info.