Details Written
up
In Computer Active's Excellant Webguide
Books
Unlimited
www.booksunlimited.co.uk |
|
| Books Unlimited is the work of the Guardian Newspaper group
and as a result many of the articles and reviews are pulled from both
The Guardian and The Observer. But don't hold this against the site;
the book reviews are thoughtful and well written and there's a good
selection of excellent background features and interviews with authors.
The Pass Notes could prove handy if you don't fancy having to work your
way through books such as Gormanghast, the top ten
lists also make interesting reading. And if you're feeling suitably
erudite
you could contribute to the online chat areas which discuss a variety
of
authors. |
Good Book
Guide
www.good-book-guide.com |
|
| This online book magazine is a comprehensive and impressive
guide to books and authors. The content includes interviews with top
authors and the latest news
on who's writing what and what books are expected out when. Every week
a
handful of books across different genres are selected as recommended
reading
and you can also search the archive of book reviews, some of which
include
online extracts from the books. The Author's Choice section of the site
makes
compulsive reading, here authors pick out their own favourite books and
explain
why they love them so much. |
Atlantic
Unbound
www.theatlantic.com/books |
|
| You'll find weighty and learned reviews of the latest books
at Atlantic Unbound; the online version of the high-brow US arts
magazine. So you'd better make sure you've read more than the latest
Maeve Binchy and Jeffrey Archer novels if you plan to take part in any
of the literary discussion forums on the site.
You'll find interviews with authors, book excerpts and thought
provoking features
on the site, which covers poetry as well as books. Just don't expect to
see
a review of the latest Jackie Collins' blockbuster. |
The New
York
Review of Books
www.nyrev.com |
|
| The complete 1963 first edition of this authoritative
literary journal is now online, complete with the original
illustrations and advertisements - make sure you visit that area of the
New York Review of Books site. This journal treats books very seriously
and has introduced lots of influential writers to an unsuspecting
world. You can search the archive of book reviews, author interviews
and features - the information stored there goes back to 1995. |
Penguin
Online
www.penguin.co.uk |
|
| You can't buy books online from the Penguin site but it's
still well worth a
visit to get more information on Penguin books and authors. Every
author gets
their own biography, along with an extract from their latest book. You
should
also peruse Penguin's online magazine, snappily titled read.me, which
includes
news on the latest Penguin titles, special offers and chooses a book
and
author of the month. And if you're so inspired by the website that you
fancy
working at Penguin just click on the Jobs button. |
International
Book Collectors' Association
www.rarebooks.org |
|
| This site is a treasure trove of information for anybody who
collects books. You'll
find all the resources you need to dig out those elusive rare tomes
including
links to literary search engines, a rare book classified ads section, a
directory
of rare book dealers and a guide to valuing your books. There are also
plenty
of useful background articles covering topics such as who are the most
collectible
authors and how to identify first editions. It's fascinating stuff and
could
be the start of a whole new hobby. |
Barnes
&
Noble
www.barnesandnoble.com |
|
| Barnes & Noble is a huge bookstore in the US but it's
yet to make it big in the
UK. However its Web site is still well worth a visit. There's an
enormous selection of books here including specialist books such as
academic tomes and there's a special Out of Print section for those
rare books. Barnes &
Noble also sell a good selection of Collector's Editions and signed
books. |
Salon Books
www.salon.com/books |
|
| Salon's literature coverage is a prime example of something
the Americans do extremely well: produce intelligent, insightful essay
writing, without lapsing into the crusty tones of many of their British
counterparts. The quality of the
site speaks for itself, with its spacious layout and easily navigable
menus.
No complaints can be lodged where the content is concerned either. It
is
updated daily and approaches the literary from a variety of different
angles:
lengthy reviews that rarely outstay their welcome, in-depth interviews
with
authors both young and old, polemics and opinion pieces from columnists
of
the calibre of Camille Paglia, amongst others. |
London
Review
of Books
www.lrb.co.uk |
|
| It's not just the US that takes the literary high ground -
if you want the UK version
of Atlantic Unbound or the New York Review of Books then check out the
online
version of the political/literary magazine the London Review of Books.
The
magazine was founded in 1979 and is published twice a month and it
specialises
in long essay-like articles from distinguished authors such as Alan
Bennett.
Many of these articles are available to read online along with an
archive
of book reviews and reader's letters. |
Dusty Books
www.dustybooks.co.uk |
|
If
you just can't find the book you're after in the conventional online
book
stores and think it might be out of print then you should check out the
range of second-hand books at the Dusty Books site. Dredge through the
online catalogue
or send off an email and ask them to dig out a specific book for you.
Dusty Books is a
member
of the International Book Dealers Association so you know you're
dealing
with a reputable company. |
The Title
Page
www.titlepage.com |
|
| If
you're looking for something a little unusual in the book line then
check
out this site and you'll find lots of signed first editions for sale.
The
authors represented include big names such as Isabel Allende and
Michael
Crichton, and the site also boasts online interviews with many popular
authors.
The only drawback is that the site is based in the US and so prices are
in dollars, however Title Page will ship to the UK. The condition of
the books is well described so you know exactly what you're getting. |
Waterstones
www.waterstones.co.uk |
|
| Somewhat surprisingly you'll find the prices are very
competitive at Waterstones online
store - some bestsellers were selling for half the RRP. This site looks
great
and has some nice touches - for example if you register and tell
Waterstones
what authors and type of books you like, they'll email out regular book
recommendations
to you. You can even create your own personal online library of the
books
you love or would like as gifts. |
Alphabetstreet
www.alphabetstreet.co.uk |
|
| Not only does this site sell books but it also dabbles in
CDs, DVDs and video games. The book prices are very competitive -
you're looking at 50 per cent
off the top ten list. Even better, delivery is free to any address in
the
UK. Books are reviewed by Alphabetstreet customers so you can check out
the
word on the street before you commit. An interesting feature of the
site
lets you match your mood to books; if you're feeling a bit weepy then
Alphabetstreet
will recommend a few good love stories or for the really depressed, a
Shakespearian
tragedy. |
WH Smith
Online
books.whsmithonline.co.uk |
|
| Unafraid of eating into its conventional sales WH Smith has
gone straight in and whacked
off up to 50 per cent on the RRP of some of the books it's selling
online.
As well as flogging books, you can also buy magazines, audio CDs,
videos
and computer games here. If you're not sure what you want to read then
check
out the Top Seller charts or the Read of the Week recommendation.
Orders
are sent out within 24-hours if the book is in stock. |
BOL
www.uk.bol.com |
|
| BOL stocks a whopping 1.5 million titles and has new reading
recommendations every
day if you're a real bookworm. You can browse the huge collection by
subject
or if it's a gift you're after head straight for the Gift Ideas
section.
Each book is well described and BOL also gets some big name authors in
for
online interviews. Most books are dispatched within 24 or 48 hours and
you
typically save around 30 per cent off the retail price. |
|
BOOKS
|
CONTACT US CLICK
The Informed
Investor 
