| Categories | Book reviews |
|---|---|
| Frequency | Semimonthly |
| Publisher | Kirkus Media |
| First issue | 1933 |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Website | kirkusreviews.com |
| ISSN | 0042-6598 |
Kirkus Reviews (or Kirkus Media) is an American book review magazine founded in 1933[1] by Virginia Kirkus (1893–1980). Kirkus serves the book and literary trade sector, including libraries, publishers, literary and film agents, film and TV producers and booksellers. Kirkus Reviews is published on the first and 15th of each month. Reviews appear two to four months prior to a book's publication; the periodical features approximately 4,500 titles per year: fiction, mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, translations, nonfiction and children's and young-adult (YA) books.
Initially titled the Bulletin, the title was changed to Bulletin from Virginia Kirkus' Service with the January 1, 1955, issue and successively shortened to Virginia Kirkus' Service with the December 15, 1964, issue and Kirkus Service in 1967 before attaining its definitive title of Kirkus Reviews with the January 1, 1969, issue. During the period April 15, 1985-July 15, 1991, it was known as Jim Kobak's Kirkus Reviews.
Kirkus was published by Kirkus' (Virginia) Bookshop Service from 1933 to 1954, Virginia Kirkus' Service from 1955 to 1966, and Kirkus Service starting in 1967. BPI Communications, owned by Dutch publisher VNU, bought Kirkus from longtime owner David LeBreton in 1999. VNU was renamed the Nielsen Company in 2006. At the end of 2009, the company announced the end of operations for Kirkus.[1] The journal was purchased from the Nielsen Company on February 10, 2010 by businessman Herbert Simon. Simon is the owner of the NBA's Indiana Pacers, co-owner of independent bookstore Telecote Books in Montecito, California, US, and a shopping mall developer. Terms were not disclosed.[2] Since then it has been operated by Kirkus Media, an affiliate of Calendar Holdings, which has retail operations throughout the English-speaking world. Kirkus Media is led by Marc Winkelman, a book-industry veteran who is CEO of Calendar Holdings.[3]