Need a new read? NoveList Plus can help you find the perfect book

Submitted by Durham Tech Library on
NoveList Plus: The secret to finding your next great read

NoveList Plus all about books and only books, all kinds of books for all ages, including fiction books, narrative non-fiction books, and audiobooks.  It works on the premise that if you know one book or author or series that you like, you can use NoveList Plus to enter criteria and then find books or with similar features. You can also browse lists created in the database to find your next read. 

Looking for a book to complete a Read Great Things 2020 category? Let NoveList help! Here's how: 

How to search for a new series to love, easy as 1-2-3:

1) In the NoveList search bar, type the name of a book you know and love, such as Harry Potter, and select the Title tab (you can also search for an Author or Series)

NoveList Plus title search: Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone

2)  Explore your results (these will include all title versions, like Illustrated or Original)

Search results for Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone, including the illustrated and un-illustrated editions

3) Get quick recommendations from the Title, Author, or Series Read-alikes columns. Or scroll down on the book page to see different keywords and create your own from a list of similar characteristics, such as fiction books about "Academies of magic" (topic: magic to eliminate a lot of vampire academies) for Adults or Teens published in 2020. 

Refined search results for Adult/Teen fiction books about "Academies of Magic" with a theme of magic, published in 2020: A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik and Master of Sorrows by Justin Travis Call

How do they do it?  NoveList Plus looks at things like these to find your perfect book:

  • Genre: the book’s literary type, such as mystery or romance or sci-fi/fantasy)
  • Subject: main ideas or topics (can be anything: marriage, capitalism, cats)
  • Appeal: the style and feeling of the book (such as action-packed, bittersweet, conversational) --this is a unique set of descriptions that NoveList Plus uses.

So many books, so many choices! No particular title in mind? No worries!  If you can imagine it, you can probably search for it. “Amusing and likeable” books for adults? Check! When you see a title that interests you, mouse over it to learn more about it.

I'm in the mood for books that are Amusing and Likeable Lighthearted Reads: Vanessa Yu's Magical Paris Tea Shop by Roselle Lim; Mr. Malcolm's List by Suzanne Allain; Siri, Who Am I? by Sam Tschida; The Other Family by Loretta Nyhan; and St. Francis Society for Wayward Pets by Annie England Noblin

You can even Make Your Own Appeal Mix to find titles, using terms such as:

Character-- Complex

Tone-- Darkly humorous Tone

Writing style—Gritty

Make Your Own Appeal Mix menu showing Complex Character; Darkly Humorous Tone; Gritty Writing Style

(In case you’re curious, this search found titles like Henry Miller’s Tropic of Cancer.)

To access NoveList, use the link from the Library’s Articles, Journals, and Databases box on the library homepage (N for NoveList) and log in off-campus using your Durham Tech username and password--the same one you would use for Sakai or Self-Service. Need help getting started? Check out this video.

Not affiliated with Durham Tech? Check with your local NC public library for access.

Find a book that you want to read?  Check our library catalog to see if we own it and request it via the Library To-Go process. If it’s not in the Durham Tech Libraries collection, you can request it via interlibrary loan.

Have questions?  Need help?  As always, your library is here for you—contact us!

Category
Database