MULTICULTURAL and DIVERSE FICTION

Multicultural and Diverse Fiction

ethnicity and race
religion
gender
marital status
sexuality
age
size
disability

ETHNICITY and RACE

For books in which geographical setting is important, see our Travel Fiction/Fiction of Place page.

The Immigrant Experience in America: Fiction (Madison Public Library, WI): "This list of novels includes books showing the two constant themes in stories about immigrants in the U. S.: the American dream of succeeding against the odds and protecting native cultures from being taken over by American values." Author, title, publication date, summary for about 50 books, from Diane Abu-Jaber's Arabian Jazz to Anzia Yezierska's Bread Givers.

The Immigrant Experience (Jennifer Phillips-Bacher, Skokie Public Library, IL): "Exploring themes of nostalgia, homesickness, and cultural identity." Author, title, pub. year, webcat link for about 35 books, most published from 1990-2005, from Monica Ali's Brick Lane to Irene Zabytko's When Luba Leaves Home: Stories.

The Immigrant Experience: Selected Fiction (Springfield Library, Springfield, MA): Author, title, summary for 15 novels, from How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez to The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. Updated April 2006.

Immigrants to America from 1850 to 1900 (Jasper County Public Library, IN): Author, title, pub. year, summary for about 20 novels on the topic, from Jeffrey Archer's Kane & Abel to Barbara Wood's Domina.

A Nation of Immigrants: Coming to America (Lake County Public Library, Merrillville, IN): Author and title only for about a dozen non-fiction titles, a dozen short story collections, and about 25 fiction titles, from Arabian Jazz by Diana Abu-Jaber to Face of a Stranger by Yoji Yamaguchi. Updated May 2006.

In Foreign Lands: Novels About Immigrants (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Author and title listed for about 20 novels. Compiled Oct. 2002.

In Search of Safe Haven: Refugees in Fiction (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Author and title listed for almost 20 novels, from The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty by Sebastian Barry to A Desert in Bohemia by Jill Paton Walsh. Compiled Oct. 2002.

Americans All (Lake County Public Library, Merrillville, IN): 'Books that reflect the multiculturalism of these United States.' Author and title only for about 10 short story collections and about 30 fiction titles. Updated Sept. 2002.

CARIBBEAN AUTHORS

Caribbean Authors (Johnson County Library, KS): Lists about 40 fiction titles by author, with webcat links and country of origin of author, from Michael Anthony's Green Days by the River to Ana Veciana-Suarez's The Chin Kiss King.

AFRICAN/AFRICAN AMERICAN

(Waterford Township Public Library, MI): Handy backgrounder listing and describing authors and titles (with webcat links) of popular black fiction, fiction on black women's issues and mixed race issues, and African-American mysteries and suspense novels. About 50 novels are mentioned. Last reviewed: July 2005.

African American Fiction, 1998-2006 (Overbooked): These books have received starred reviews from the major reviewing sources. Author, title, publication info, summaries for about 65 novels and story collections by African American authors, published from 1998-2006. Updated Feb. 2007.

Contemporary African-American Fiction (Johnson County Library, KS): Author, title, webcat link, one-line summary for about 40 novels, from Jenoyne Adams' Resurrecting Mingus to John A. Williams' Clifford's Blues, plus 12 mysteries, 3 romances, and a science fiction novel.

The Black Experience in Fiction (Irving Public Library, TX): "Not all of the authors listed here are black authors. Many works are listed due to their historical or literary significance." List is alphabetical by author's last name, with titles listed (no summaries). Continues on another page with Authors M-Z. About 175 authors listed, as well as anthologies.

African American Voices and Visions: A Selected Bibliography of Fiction (Chicago Public Library, IL): These are all titles published between 1990-1996 by African American writers. Author, title, publication info, note of genre, and summary for each of about 40 books.

African American Voices in Popular Fiction (Arrowhead Library System, Janesville WI): List of almost 40 works of popular fiction, alphabetically arranged by book title, with author, publication info, and brief summary.

African-American Fiction: Recent Releases (Seattle Public Library): Author, title, brief summary, webcat link for 30 novels, from Rochelle Alers' All My Tomorrows to John Edgar Wideman's God's Gym.

Fiction By African American Women (Chicago Public Library, IL): Long list (about 150 authors) of female AA authors and their works, with publication dates. No summaries.

African-American Fiction: Great Books You May Have Missed (Springfield Library, Springfield, MA): Author, title, publication year and summary for about 20 novels, from Big Girls Don't Cry by Connie Briscoe to Fed Up With the Fanny by Franklin White. Updated March 2005.

African-American Fiction (Harford County Public Library, MD): Author, title, and summary of 10 novels by African-American writers, from A Long Way From Home by Connie Briscoe to Black Coffee by Tracy Price-Thompson.

African American Authors (Kansas City Public Library): Lists a dozen African American authors, with webcat links to titles; another dozen novelists with webcat links and brief descriptions of what they write; another 15 or so mystery authors, with webcat links.

Contemporary African-American Fiction (Mary Corbett, Skokie Public Library, IL): 'Family, friendship, religion, racism, and the dealings of everyday life are explored in these novels.' Author, title, pub. year, webcat link for almost 55 novels, from Tina McElroy Ansa's You Know Better to Valerie Wilson Wesley's Playing My Mother's Blues.

African American Fiction (Madison Public Library, WI): Author, title, publication year, and webcat link for about 200 works of fiction from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's Half of a Yellow Sun to Zane's Afterburn: A Novel. Updated Jan. 2007.

The Black Detective: Leading Voices in Popular Fiction (St. Charles Public Library, IL): List of 9 black detectives, authors of series featuring that detective, and summary of series/sleuths' character. From Marti MacAlister, created by Eleanor Taylor Bland, to Darryl Billups, created by Blair S. Walker. Plus a list of 12 more authors of mysteries with black detectives. Compiled Feb. 2001.

If You Liked Sister Souljah's The Coldest Winter Ever ... (Gary Public Library, IN): Author, title, summary for about 20 similar novels. Also: If You Liked Eric Jerome Dickey's The Other Woman ... (20 books); If You Liked E. Lynn's Harris's A Love of My Own ... (10 books); If You Liked Delores Phillips' The Darkest Child ... (12 books); If You Liked Omar Tyree's Flyy Girl ... (8 books); If You Liked Zane's The Sex Chronicles ... (9 books).

If You Like E. Lynn Harris ... (Seattle Public Library): Author, title, brief summary, webcat link, and cover image for more than 15 novels, from Connie Briscoe's P.G. County to Jervey Tervalon's All the Trouble You Need.

Zane Readalikes (Mary Corbett, Skokie Public Library, IL): Author, title, pub. year, and webcat link for about 25 books, from Rochelle Alers' Secrets Never Told to Shay Youngblood's Soul Kiss.

ARABIC/ARAB AMERICAN

Literature of the Middle East (Evanston Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary for about 40 fiction works, as well as poetry and anthologies, about Arab-Americans, Moroccans, Iranians, Algerians, Turkish, Lebanese, Saudis, Iraqis, etc., some set in the middle east and some in other places. From Diana Abu-Jaber's Arabian Jazz to Bahaa Taher's Aunt Safiyya and the Monastery. Updated Aug. 2005.

Views from the Minaret: Fiction of the Muslim World (Johnson County Library, KS): Lists more than 40 fiction titles by author, with webcat links and summary, from Monica Ali's Brick Lane to Kemal Yasar's Memed, My Hawk.

The Islamic World in Fiction (Seattle Public Library): 'A selection of fiction reflecting various aspects of Islamic culture, faith, and history around the world.' Author, title, short summary for about 30 novels, from Leila Aboulela's Minaret to Ahdaf Soueif's The Map of Love.

Fiction, Memoirs & Culture of the Middle East (Fairfax County Public Library, VA): Author, author's homeland (includes Israel), title, summary, and webcat link for about 15 novels, memoirs, biographies, and books of poetry. Novels by Kavita Das, Mohsin Hamid, Daniel Horch, Khaled Hosseini, Betool Khedairi, Ruchama King, and Hayim Sabato. Updated Sept. 2004.

By the Pen: Modern Arabic Fiction (Boston Public Library): By author, with book(s) listed.

Discovering Arabic Fiction (Steve Infantino): Suggests a "starter" list of about 20 books, with author info, publication info, and very brief summaries for each.

Arabic Political Fiction in English (Middle East & Islamic Studies Collection, Cornell University Library): Eleven books, in alpha order by author, with publication info and summaries.

ASIAN/ASIAN AMERICAN

Asian American Fiction (Multnomah County Library, OR): Author, title, webcat link and publication year listed for anthologies, and fiction by Chinese Americans, Filipina and Filipino Americans, Japanese Americans, Korean Americans, Laotian Americans, Taiwanese Americans, Vietnamese Americans. About 120 titles altogether. Updated Jan. 2007.

Japanese Voices in Fiction (Multnomah County Library, OR): Author, title, publication year, summary for about a dozen books by Japanese writers, from Kobo Abe's The Face of Another to Banana Yoshimoto's Goodbye, Tsugumi: A Novel. Updated Jan. 2007.

Reading Across the Map: Asian American Fiction (Seattle Public Library): Author, title, brief summary of 30 books, from Peter Bacho's Cebu to Tilting the Continent: Southeast Asian American Writing by Shirley Geok-lin Lim and Cheng Lok Chua (eds.).

Selected Novels Featuring Chinese Culture (Fairfax County Public Library, VA): Author, title, summary, and webcat link for about 25 novels, from Red Poppies by Alai to Nanjing 1937: A Love Story by Zhaoyan Ye. Updated Feb. 2006.

Asian-American Fiction (Madison Public Library, WI): Author, title, and publication year listed for Chinese, Filipino, Indian, Japanese, Korean, and South Asian fiction. Over 50 books listed. Compiled 1999.

Asian American Fiction (Multnomah County Library, OR): Author, title, and publication year (no summaries) for novels by Asian Americans, listed by nationality: Burmese American (1), Chinese American (48), Filipina & Filipino American (11), Japanese American (24), Korean American (12), Laotian American (3), Taiwanese American (2), and Vietnamese American (3).

Asian Pacific American Authors & Titles (Johnson County Library, KS): Lists over 35 fiction titles by Asian-American authors.

Indian Literature (Evanston Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary, webcat link for over 100 fiction works, as well as poetry, anthologies, non-fiction titles, and videos, about India and Indians. From Ahmed Ali's Twilight in Delhi to Vineeta Vijayaraghavan's Motherland. Updated Aug. 2005.

Fiction from India (Madison Public Library, WI): Author, title, publication year listed for over 50 books. Compiled 2001.

East Indian Novels (Johnson County Library, KS): Lists over 40 fiction titles by Indian authors, with webcat links.

Asian and Asian-American Authors: A Selection (Montgomery County Library, MD): Subdivided into lists for Chinese and Chinese-American, Japanese and Japanese-American, and Korean and Korean-American. Author, title, publication year, brief summary, webcat link for about 40 fiction and non-fiction titles by Asian and Asian-American writers.

FRENCH

IRISH/IRISH AMERICAN

Irish Voices in Fiction (Multnomah County Library, OR): Author, title, publication year, summary for over 25 books by Irish authors, from Geoffrey Beattie's The Corner Boys to Dick Wimmer's Irish Wine. Also two anthologies.

ITALIAN/ITALIAN AMERICAN

That's Italian! (Elmhurst Public Library, IL): Extensive booklist of all things Italian. Lists almost 40 works of fiction and 9 mysteries that involve Italians, Italian-Americans, or take place in Italy, all with summaries; 33 biographies or autobiographies of Italians; 26 books on the arts and culture of Italy; and more non-fiction.

JEWISH

Great Jewish Fiction (National Yiddish Book Center): Author, title, and publication year for the '100 best' Jewish books, from Tales of Mendele the Book Peddler (1869) by S.Y. Abramovitch to Selected Poetry by Natan Zakh. Includes books from the 1990s and this century as well (such as The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon).

Jewish Interest (Northbrook Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary for over 80 fiction titles and a dozen mysteries.

The Jewish World in Fiction (Seattle Public Library): Author, title, short summary for about 30 fiction titles, from Pearl Abraham's The Romance Reader to Paul Zakrzerski's (ed.) Lost Tribe: Jewish Fiction from the Edge.

LATIN AMERICAN/HISPANIC

Hispanic-American Fiction (Madison Public Library, WI): Author, title, publication year listed for Mexican-American, Colombian-American, Cuban-American, Dominican-American, El Salvadoran-American, Guatemalan-American, Puerto Rican, and South American books. Over 100 titles listed. Compiled 1999.

Latin American Voices in Fiction (Multnomah County Library, OR): Author, title, publication year, summary for about 30 novels by Latin American writers, from Jose Martiniano de Alencar's Iracema: A Novel to Mario Vargas Llosa's The Notebooks of Don Rigoberto. Also lists six anthologies.

Hispanic Voices in Fiction (Multnomah County Library, OR): Author, title, publication year, summary for more than 30 novels by Hispanic writers, from Alex Abella's Final Acts: A Novel to Jose Yglesias's Double, Double.

Reading Across the Map: Latino Fiction (Seattle Public Library): Author, author's ethnicity, title, brief summary of 30 books, from Kathleen Alcalá's Treasures in Heaven to Jose Yglesias's A Wake in Ybor City.

Hispanic Fiction (Denver Public Library, CO): Author, title, summary, webcat link for about 10 books, from Final Acts by Alex Abella to Moony's Road To Hell by Manuel Ramos. Updated Jan. 2006.

Latin American Fiction: A Selected Reading List (Boston Public Library): Titles listed by author. From Julia Alvarez's In the Time of the Butterflies to Mario Vargas Llosa's Captain Pantoja and the Special Service. Compiled 1997.

Hispanic American Fiction (Des Plaines Public Library, IL): List of 15 books, with author and summary of each. From Julia Alvarez's ¡Yo! to Helena María Viramontes' Under the Feet of Jesus.

Feeling' Hot Hot Hot (Wolfner Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Jefferson City, MO): One of Wolfner's mini-bibliographies, a list of 10 titles, with author and detailed summaries of each title. These are novels by well-known Hispanic and Latin American authors.

Hispanic Writers Move to a Different Beat (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Author, title, and country of origin of author for about 20 novels by Hispanic authors. Compiled Sept. 1999.

Hispanic Writers and Stories (Johnson County Library, KS): Lists fiction titles by about 35 Hispanic authors with webcat links. From Isabel Allende's Daughter of Fortune to Helena Maria Viramontes' Under the Feet of Jesus.

Latin American Authors (Kansas City Public Library): Lists about 15 authors, with country of origin and webcat links for each, from Isabel Allende to Mario Vargas Llosa.

NATIVE AMERICAN

Selected Bibliography of Native American Writers and Their Writings ( Institute of Technology): Extensive bibliography of PRINT resources only, for oral and written Native American Literature.

Native American Fiction (B. J. Seitzer, Durham County Library, NC): Author, title, summary for each of the 25 books. From Jim Harrison's The Road Home (memoir) to David Seals' Sweet Medicine. Compiled July 1999.

Reading Across the Map: American Indian Fiction (Seattle Public Library): Author, author's tribe, title, brief summary of 30 books, from Sherman Alexie's Ten Little Indians to Ray Young Bear's Remnants of the First Earth.

Native American Fiction (Des Plaines Public Library, IL): Title, author, summary for about 15 novels (genres noted) featuring native Americans, by authors such as Alexie Sherman, Margaret Coel, Dana Stabenow, Tony Hillerman, Linda Hogan, and others.

Native American Novels and Short Stories (Harris County Public Library, Houston, TX): Author, titles, brief summaries, webcat links, for about a dozen story collections and novels exploring the lives of historic and contemporary Native Americans, from Sherman Alexie's Ten Little Indians: Stories to James Welch's Fools Crow.

Native American Fiction (Addison Public Library, IL): Title, author, tribe, and webcat link for 14 books, by authors including Ella Cara Deloria, Peter Bowen, Margaret Coel, Louise Erdrich, W. Michael Gear, Diane Glancy, Ernest Hebert, Tony Hillerman, Linda Hogan, and others. Compiled Nov. 2001

Native American Fiction (Marin County Free Library, CA): Author, title, summary, and webcat link for 10 books, from Sherman Alexie's The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven to Ray Young Bear's Remnants of the First Earth.

Native American Women (AART, Rolling Meadows Library, IL): Author, title, publication year, and page count for 14 novels, from Robert J. Conley's Mountain Windsong: A Novel of the Trail of Tears to Clark Spurlock's Walks Far Woman.

Recent Native American Authors (Kansas City Public Library): Lists about a dozen authors, with tribe, sample titles, and webcat link for each, from Sherman Alexie to James Welch.

Native American Novelists (Fairfax County Public Library, VA): Native American authors listed (with tribe and small bit of background info), with about 50 titles listed in all.

Native American Mysteries (Santa Fe Public Library): By author, lists title(s), publication years, and sleuth. Books by 45 authors listed.

Native American Authors, Characters or Settings (Johnson County Library, KS): Lists about 30 titles with webcat links and notation if the book is a mystery, from Sherman Alexie's Indian Killer to Robert Westbrook's Warrior Circle.

Abenaki Indians: Stories & Legends Bibliography (Ne-Do-Ba): Title, author, publisher, and ISBN listed for over 15 books on Abenakis and other New England tribes.

Native Lore: What To Read After Tony Hillerman (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Author, title, and tribe only (no summaries) for 21 novels by or about Native Americans. Compiled Sept. 1999.

RELIGION

See also our Inspirational Fiction section for Christian fiction.

The Clergy: An Ecumenical Booklist (AART, Rolling Meadows Library, IL): Author, title, publication year, and page count for 12 novels, from William E. Barrett's Lillies of the Field to AN Wilson's Vicar of Sorrows.

Bibliography of Books & Plays Written By And About Mormon Women: Bibliography of works, alphabetically by author. From Dorothy Allred's In My Father's House to Ann Eliza (Webb) Young's Wife No.19. Extensive list, no links.

Mormon Mysteries: Mainstream Mystery Novels Featuring Mormons (Adherents.com Religion in Literature Database): "The novels on this list feature Mormons as the protagonist (the detective), as the antagonist (or possible suspects), or as both." Lists authors of Mormon mystery and detective novels, and lists fictional detectives in Mormon mystery novels, as well as summaries and details on some series.

Mainstream Science Fiction and Fantasy with Mormon Characters and References (Adherents.com Religion in Literature Database): "Lists mainstream science fiction and fantasy novels, short stories and movies (speculative fiction) which contain references specifically to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and to Mormonism in general." Noted that most of the authors of works on this list are not Mormons. Over 230 books or movie listed, with author, title, attitude toward Mormons, approx. year in which work takes place, and sample quote and/or description of each work.

Bibliography of Mormon Speculative Fiction (Marny K. Parkin): Author, title, publication info listed only for hundreds of titles.

Mormons In Popular Literature Bibliography: 1979-2000 (Michael Austin): Author, title, publication info for over 100 novels in categories of Westerns, Historical Romances, Science Fiction/Fantasy/Horror, True Crime Novels, and Mystery Novels.

Adult Fiction on Biblical Themes (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends): List from the Quakers of many unusual works that draw from Biblical themes and stories, including Robert A. Heinlein's Job: A Comedy of Justice (science-fiction satire), Daniel Berrigan's A Book of Parables, Old Testament stories retold from the perspective of America of the 1970s, and Elizabeth Hollister Frost's Mary and the Spinners, which views the birth of Christ obliquely through the eyes of Mary's childhood friends. Author, title, publication information, and short summary.

Quaker Fiction: Anecdotes and Folk Tales (Philadelphia Yearly Meeting of the Religious Society of Friends): List from the Quakers of about 90 novels featuring Quaker characters or the Quaker faith, from Marjorie Hill Allee's Judith Lankester to Kathryn Worth's They Loved to Laugh. Author, title, publication info, and short summary.

Pagan-Friendly Fiction (Covenant of Unitarian Universalist Pagans): Lists favourite authors, with info about their books and links to Amazon. Includes books by Marian Zimmer Bradley, Dion Fortune, Katherine Kurtz, Mercedes Lackey, Ursula LeGuin, Terry Pratchett, Elizabeth Ann Scarborough, Starhawk, Sheri S. Tepper, Rosemary Edghill, Elizabeth Goudge.

Pagan Fiction (Beth's Pagan Stuff): Author, title, and summary for more than 75 books in these categories: Pagan-Themed and Mythological Fiction; Society and Community; Arthurian Fiction; and Faery Fiction. Some YA books mixed in. Also: Pagan Non-Fiction.

GENDER

WOMEN

Stories of Strong Women (The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH): Author and title only for genre novels featuring a wide range of female characters: Mystery and Suspense, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Supernatural, Historical, and Adventure. Over 50 titles in all.

Bibliography of Works By and About Women Writers of the Middle Ages (Paul Halsall, Fordham Univ., Internet History Sourcebook Project): Extensive, non-linked list of primary and secondary texts, listed by author, from Angela of Foligno (Italy) 1248-1309 to Trotula of Salerno (Italy) 1040-1090.

Women Mystery Novelists: A Selected Annotated List (Helene Androski, Univ. of Wisconsin Women's Studies Librarian's Office): Three-part, annotated, text bibliography. Three sections are Mean Streets (gritty realism - 27 writers), Tea at the Vicarage (feature a minimum of violence - 30 writers), and Making a Statement (mystery fiction used to comment about social or environmental issues as well as to entertain - 27 writers). Author and nationality, series character, setting, time period, title/year of first book in series.

Women's Lives, Women's Thoughts (Fairfax County Public Library, VA): Author, title, summary, and webcat link for about 45 novels, memoirs, books of poetry, and other works of non-fiction. Includes books by Kate Chopin, Emily Bronte, Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Jane Addams, Angela Davis, Natalie Angier, Rachel Carson, Virginia Woolf, Kamala Markandaya, Marin Zimmer Bradley, Wilma Mankiller, Alice Walker, Carol Gilligan, Octavia Butler, and many others. Updated Nov. 2003.

Adventurous Women: Explorers and Travellers (Boston Public Library): Over 35 books listed, with author, title, publication year. Compiled 2000.

Women's Fiction (Enoch Pratt Public Library): Compiled 2003. Over 20 books listed, with titles, authors, summaries. From Elizabeth Buchan's Revenge of the Middle-Aged Woman to Susan Wiggs's Home Before Dark.

Dixie Chicks (Public Library of Charlotte & Mecklenburg County): Summaries, reviews, webcat links, publication years for 17 novels that feature strong southern female characters.

Sustaining the American Spirit: Courage and Conviction in Novels by American Women (Newark Public Library, NJ): Author, title, summary for 30 novels by women 'demonstrating myriad models of female courage and conviction,' listed alphabetically by title. Compiled 2002.

Bibliography of Books & Plays Written By And About Mormon Women: Bibliography of works, alphabetically by author. From Dorothy Allred's In My Father's House to Ann Eliza (Webb) Young's Wife No.19. Extensive list, no links.

Sister, Sister: Novels Featuring Sisters (Lynne M. Kennedy, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY): 47 titles, with author, publication info, and summary for each. Typography is little hard on the eyes. From Charlotte Vale Allen's Leftover Dreams to Nancy Wagner's Two Sisters.

Sisters: Friends or Foes (Des Plaines Public Library, IL): List of 18 books, with author and summary of each. From Julia Alvarez's How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents to Helen Yglesias's The Girls.

Rugged Ladies: Women of the Frontier (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Author and title only (no summaries) for about 30 novels about pioneer women, from Jessie by Judy Alter The Wedding Dress by Carrie Young, plus some non-fiction books. Compiled Feb. 2001.

Notable/Notorious Women in Historical Fiction (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Author and titles listed for books about various famous women, including Amelia Earhart, Dolley Madison, Sally Hemings, Tituba, Eliza Huston, Zerelda James, Maria Callas, Emily Dickinson, Kezia Coffin, Martha Washington, Marilyn Monrie, Lizzie Borden, Eleanor Roosevelt, Tamsen Donner, Judy Garland, Sarah Bernhardt, Lucy Marsden, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Emmeline Mosher, Belle Starr, Euphemia King, Ethel Rosenberg, Ashana, Mary Todd Lincoln, Clara Rathbone, and Abigail Adams.

Women in Politics (Carole Elmore, Fiction-L): Author, title, some annotation for books featuring women in politics. About 15 fiction titles and two non-fiction titles. From Jorge Amado's Pen, Sword, Camisole to Ellen Emerson White's President's Daughter series.

Women Aging Gracefully (Susanne Clower, Fiction-L): Author and title of about 45 books or series, including novels, anthologies, non-fiction, biography, and autobiography, about women who age or have aged gracefully. From Isabel Allende's My Invented Country to Over What Hill: Notes From the Pasture by Effie Lelnad Wilder.

MEN

Manly Fiction (Mary Corbett, Skokie Public Library, IL): Not just adventure stories. Author, title, pub. year, webcat link for almost 50 books, from Isabel Allende's Zorro to Larry Watson's Montana 1948. Also titles by Annie Proulx, Steven Milhauser, Graham Greene, Pat Conroy, Andrew Greeley, Siri Hustvedt, Kazuo Ishiguro, etc. Updated Feb. 2006.

Biography for Men (Marika Zemke, Fiction-L): Author and title of about 35 biographies that may appeal to men, from Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow to Yeager: An Autobiography by Chuck Yeager.

Menstuff (Vancouver Public Library): Author, title, publication year, summary, and webcat link for about 15 books about men, from Steve Almond's My life in heavy metal: stories to Matt Thorne's Child star. Based on the summaries, most of these are male versions of chick lit. Compiled Oct. 2003.

MARITAL STATUS

Beyond Bridget Jones (Des Plaines Public Library, IL): Combines 3 lists: Calling all Singletons!, Return of the Singletons, Even More Singletons. Title, author, summary for about 60 novels about the single life. Compiled 2001 and 2002.

Singles -- If you liked Bridget Jones's Diary try... (Northbrook Public Library, IL): Author, title, summary for over 35 book about the single life, from Karl Ackerman's The Patron Saint of Unmarried Women to Laura Zigman's Dating Big Bird, plus a list of 12 videos on the same theme.

If You Liked Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary... (Multnomah County Library, OR): Author, title, publication year, and summary for about 45 similar books, from Juliann Baggott's Girl Talk to Laura Zigman's Dating Big Bird.

Sassy, Smart, Female, and Funny: Contemporary Fiction ... otherwise known as Chick Lit (Harris County Public Library, Houston, TX): Author, titles, summaries, webcat links, for about 20 chick lit novels, from Rita Ciresi's Remind Me Again Why I Married You to Laura Wolf's Diary of a Mad Bride.

Chick Lit (Enoch Pratt Free Library - Baltimore): More than 20 books listed, with author, title, and summary, from Emily Barr's Backpack to Laura Zigman's Her. Compiled 2002. Also: Chick Lit 2004, with another 23 titles published in 2003 and 2004.

If You Like Bridget Jones... (Portland Public Library, ME): Author, title, and webcat summary for about 20 titles similar to Bridget Jones's Diary, including books by Marian Keyes, Elinor Lipman, Anna Maxted, Elliot Perlman, Caroline Preston, Amy Sohn, and others.

Chick Lit (Vancouver Public Library): Author, title, publication year, summary, and webcat link for about 15 books, from Catherine Alliott's A married man to Laura Zigman's Her. Compiled Sept. 2003.

Desperate Housewives (Kathie Corrigan, Wolfner Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Jefferson City, MO): One of Wolfner's mini-bibliographies, this one features novels about "women and their angst." Lists about 35 titles, with author and detailed summary of each book. Compiled July 2005.

If You Like Sex In the City ... (Winfield Public Library, IL): Books similar to the 'fun and flirty' feel of the TV show "Sex in the City." Author, title, summary, and webcat link for about a dozen fiction and 3 non-fiction titles. Fiction from Sheryl J. Anderson's Killer Heels to Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada.

Spotlight On Bridget Jones's Clones (Montgomery County Public Libraries, MD): Author, title, summary for about 10 books "that explore the shallows of modern life -- with style." From Karen Brichoux's Coffee and Kung Fu to Jennifer Weiner's In Her Shoes, published from 2001-2003.

Beyond Bridget Jones (Park Ridge Public Library, IL): Author, title, publication year, and summary for about 10 novels, by Melissa Bank, Christina Bartolomeo, Mike Gayle, Jane Green, Jane Heller, Wendi Holden, Judy Mackey, Sophie Kinsella, Robyn Sisman, and Laura Zigman.

What Should I Read Now? Chick Lit: If you like Bridget Jones' Diary and watch Sex in the City (Tulsa City-County Library, OK): Provides authors, titles and webcat links for over 12 books similar to Fielding's book and the popular TV show, including books by Marian Keyes, Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees, Sue Townsend, Diane Johnson, Sarah Bird, Jill Conner Browne, etc.

If You Like Chick Lit ... (Hennepin County Library, MN): Author and title of over 30 more singleton novels, from Melissa Bank's Girl's Guide to Hunting and Fishing to Laura Zigman's Dating Big Bird.

Fiction for Singletons, or, If You Liked Bridget Jones's Diary (Kansas City Public Library): Lists author, title, and webcatalog link for 15 similar books, from Amanda�s Wedding by Jenny Colga to Run, Catch, Kiss by Amy Sohn.

If You Like Bridget Jones' Diary... (Kitchener Public Library, Ontario, Canada): Author, title, summary for over 15 similar books, including books by Gail Storey, Amy Sohn, and Marian Keyes.

Chick Lit That Rocks (Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh): "Fun to read, but with some extra substance ... Books about strong women who overcome difficulties and learn something." Author, title, webcat link, and summary for 10 novels by authors including Marian Keyes, Jane Green, Ann Maxted, Jennifer Weiner, Laura Zigman, and Laura Caldwell.

If you liked ... I Don't Know How She Does It by Allison Pearson (Hennepin County Library, MN): Author, title, publication year, cover image, summary, and webcat link for 15 books in the "Mum Lit"' subgenre: "Humorous, contemporary books about mothers by British and American authors." From Catherine Alliott's A Married Man to Laura Wolf's Diary of a Mad Mom-to-be. Updated Sept. 2004.

Desperate Housewives (Westmount Public Library, Quebec): 2-page PDF file. Author, title, and summary for about 35 fiction titles (some in English and some in French) and a dozen or so nonfiction and audiovisual titles. Compiled March 2006.

SEXUALITY

The 100 Best Lesbian and Gay Novels (Publishing Triangle): Title, author, Amazon link for these novels, beginning with #1, Death in Venice by Thomas Mann. List was published in The Advocate in June 1999.

Gay and Lesbian Fiction (Seattle Public Library): Author, title, brief summary of 30 recent fiction titles on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender themes, from Carol Anshaw's Lucky in the Corner to Rachel York's Chasing Lightning.

Gay & Lesbian Fiction: A Selected List (Chicago Public Library, IL): Author, title(s), publication date only for hundreds of books.

Selected Works of Gay Fiction (University of Kansas Libraries): Most of the titles are written by openly gay men and have significant gay content; some titles have significant gay content but are by women, heterosexual male writers, or writers who were not openly gay during their lifetimes. About 1,400 titles listed, including novels and stories, as well as some anthologies. Author, title, publication info only.

Selected Works of Lesbian Fiction (University of Kansas Libraries): About 300 titles listed, including novels and stories, as well as some anthologies. Also another 75 or so lesbian mystery and detective fiction titles. Author, title, publication info only.

Stories About Us: Queer fiction in the Christchurch City Libraries for adults (Christchurch City Libraries, New Zealand): Information about the books and characters of 60 writers of gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgendered fiction and another dozen mystery writers.

Gay & Lesbian Fiction (San Antonio Public Library, TX): Author, titles, summaries, and publication years (from 1995-1997) for about 15 books, from Carol Anshaw's Seven Moves to Jacqueline Woodson's From the Notebooks of Melanin Sun.

Gay and Lesbian Fiction 2000-2002 (Multnomah County Library, OR): Author, title, and publication year (no summaries) for almost 20 short story anthologies and about 160 novels with gay and lesbian characters.

Fiction By Gay and Lesbian Authors (Enoch Pratt Free Library - Baltimore): Twenty books listed, with author, title, and summary. All books published between 1995-1997.

Queer Eye for a Fiction Fan: A Selection of Gay and Lesbian Novels (Enoch Pratt Free Library - Baltimore): Author, title, summary of over 20 books published from 2001-2003; from Carol Anshaw's Lucky in the Corner to Mark Richard Zubro's Dead Egotistical Morons.

Sisters & Brothers: Lesbian and Gay Books for the Nineties: Lesbian Fiction (Boston Public Library): Author, title, summary for almost 25 fiction titles, including novels and anthologies, from Marusya Bociurkiw's The Woman Who Loved Airports: Short Narratives to Jeanette Winterson's Written on the Body. Compiled 1995.

Sisters & Brothers: Lesbian and Gay Books for the Nineties: Gay Fiction (Boston Public Library): Author, title, summary for about 20 fiction titles, including novels and anthologies, from Clive Barker's Imajica to Norman Wong's Cultural Revolution: Stories.

Gay and Lesbian Fiction (Tompkins County Public Library, Ithaca, NY): Separate lists for lesbian fiction (about 20 books), gay fiction (about 30 titles), bisexual characters (7 titles), and gay & lesbian fiction anthologies (12 titles). Author, title, and webcat link only (no summaries) in most cases. Compiled 2003.

Gay and Lesbian Fiction (Hennepin County Library, MN): Lists over 40 gay/lesbian authors who write books about gay/lesbian characters or themes. Some titles listed, some genres noted.

Current Gay/Lesbian Fiction (Kansas City Public Library): Lists 10 gay novelists, 8 lesbian novelists, 3 gay mystery writers, and 4 lesbian mystery writers, each with a webcat link to titles.

Lesbian Pulp Fiction Collection (Sally Bingham Center for Women's History and Culture, Duke Univ.): Fascinating site, lots of background on lesbian pulp fiction of the 1950s and thereabouts, with lurid book covers, and a bibliiography of these works by various writers, listed alphabetically by author.

Recent Lesbian Reads (Vancouver Public Library): Author, title, publication year, summary, and webcat link for about 15 books, from Sylvia Brownrigg's Pages for you to Summer Wood's Arroyo. Compiled July 2002.

Recent Lesbian Reads (Vancouver Public Library): Author, title, publication year, summary, and webcat link for about 15 books, from Timothy James Beck's It had to be you to David Stukas's Someone killed his boyfriend. Compiled July 2002.

AGE

Of A Certain Age: Fiction featuring older adults (Johnson County Library, KS): Lists about 30 fiction titles by author, with webcat links, from Thea Astley's Coda to Fay Weldon's Rhode Island Blues.

Books to Retire With: Fiction For and About Seniors (Vancouver Public Library): Author, title, publication year, summary, and webcat link for about 15 books, from Ronald Anthony's The forever year to John Updike's Seek my face. Compiled July 2004.

Of A Certain Age: Fiction Featuring Older Adults (Morton Grove Public Library, Morton Grove, IL): Over 80 titles listed, with authors.

Of A Certain Age: Books Whose Characters Celebrate Age (St. Charles Public Library, IL): [Different from list above.] Author, title, and short summary of about 15 books, from The Last Blossom on the Plum Tree by Brooke Astor to School for the Blind by Dennis McFarland. Compiled May 1995.

At Long Last Love: Novels About Love Later in Life 2003 (Enoch Pratt Public Library): Compiled 2003. Over 20 books listed, with titles, authors, webcat links, publication years, summaries. From Saul Bellow's The Actual to Bailey White's Quite a Year For Plums.

Senior Fiction (State Library of Tasmania): Author and title (most with summaries) for about 40 novels featuring older characters.

Grandma Gumshoes (St. Charles Public Library, IL): Senior sisters who solve mysteries. Lists author and title of 25 mysteries.

Sisterhood of Senior Sleuths (Wolfner Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped, Jefferson City, MO): One of Wolfner's mini-bibliographies, a list of 6 series featuring older female sleuths: the Agatha Raisin series by M. C. Beaton; Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie; the Alvirah Meehan series by Mary Higgins Clark; the Mrs. Pollifax series by Dorothy Gilman; the Amelia Peabody series by Elizabeth Peters; and the Angela Benbow and Caledonia Wingate series by Corinne Holt Sawyer.

Geriatric Gumshoes (AART, Rolling Meadows Library, IL): Author, title, publication year, and page count for 13 mysteries, from Margot Arnold's Cape Cod Caper to Kate Wilhelm's The Hamlet Trap.

The Second Time Around (Lynne M. Kennedy, Sachem Public Library, Holbrook, NY): Over 20 "novels about widows and widowers learning to live and love again." With author, publication info, and summary of each. All published since 1990.

If You Like Fiction About Seniors (Hennepin County Library, MN): Author and title listed only for over 25 books featuring older people, from Anita Brookner's Visitors to EL Swann's Night Gardening.

Older Women, Younger Men (Omaha Public Library, NE): Lists author and title for about 30 novels featuring older women paired with younger men, from Brooke Astor's The Last Blossom on the Plum Tree to William Wharton's Last Lovers.

Fiction About Aging and Death (Kingston Frontenac Public Library, Ontario): Author and title for about 30 books and story collections about aging and death.

I May Be Old, But There's Life In Me Yet (Jasper County Public Library, IN): 'Novels with a theme of Aging or Featuring Senior Citizens.' Author and title only (no summaries) for over 100 novels, from Dream Train by Charlotte Vale Allen to Balyet by Patricia Wrightson.

Women Aging Gracefully (Susanne Clower, Fiction-L): Author and title of about 45 books or series, including novels, anthologies, non-fiction, biography, and autobiography, about women who age or have aged gracefully. From Isabel Allende's My Invented Country to Over What Hill: Notes From the Pasture by Effie Lelnad Wilder.

SIZE

Living Large: Stories About People of Substance (Johnson County Library, KS): Lists almost 50 fiction titles (including mysteries) by author, with webcat links, from Kingsley Amis's One Fat Englishman to Van Whitfield's Something's Wrong With Your Scale.

DISABILITIES

Fiction Portraying People with Disabilities (Johnson County Library, KS): Lists about 55 fiction titles (including mysteries) by author, with webcat links, from Karen Bender's Like Normal People to William Wharton's Last Lovers,

Imperfect "Perfect" Heroes (Romantic Times magazine): Extensive list of recommended romance novels, by genre, featuring disabled characters. Lists title, author, publisher, and disability(ies). Compiled June 1996.

Disabilities in Fiction (Seattle Public Library): Author, title, brief summary, webcat link for about 30 fiction books featuring disabled individuals, from Karen E. Bender's Like Normal People to David Walton's Ride.

If you liked ... The Curious Incident of the Dog in The Night-Time by Mark Haddon (Hennepin County Library, MN): Author, title, publication year, cover image, summary, and webcat link for more than 15 books that are about autism or are "personal accounts featuring people with disabilities." From Howard Buten's When I Was Five I Killed Myself to Terry Trueman's Stuck in Neutral. Updated Sept. 2004.

Deaf Characters in Fiction (MyShelf): Lists author and title of books with deaf characters, in these categories: Children; Young Adult; Adult Miscellaneous Fiction; Mystery (over 30); and Romance (about 25). Many summaries and/or descriptions of the deaf character.

Autism-Asperger Syndrome Titles (Patty Slezak, Fiction-L): Compiled June 2006. Author and title for about 20 fiction titles and a dozen non-fiction books on Asperger's or autism.