Book Bloggers vs Newspaper Critics

I don't know if it's just me, but I've been looking around the blogs lately and reading more and more on books and authors here on the net than I would in newspapers.  However, I do collect a monthly magazine - 'Good Reading' Magazine - which is invaluable and chock full of information on authors and books as well as competitions and events.  This magazine is also online for those who don't wish to purchase the RL magazine.  However, I'd rather hunt down my copy each month so I can sit anywhere and read it at my leisure and enjoy it.

I have found that my blog roll on this book blog has begun to become longer recently; as I have gotten rid of those blogs that have become inactive, or have shut down for one reason or another.  However, finding those new blogs hasn't been all that hard.  In fact, it's like shooting fish in a barrel.  There are so many book review blogs out there talking about this very subject, it's just a matter of making sure I pick the right one to suit my audience - and me as well - and to let the managers of that blog know I've added them on, because it's really free advertising for them; and that's very cool.

But allow me to get back to the subject I'm hoping to talk about, and that's the difference between a blog review and a newspaper book critic.  Now, I do glance at the newspaper critic - and I have a certain respect for them as they get paid for their opinion in what's great to read and what's not.  However, I find that for a completely honest, no holds barred opinion - and yes, nobody being paid to hype up the book you're reading - a blog is always the way to go.  Even if you're a newspaper critic and you don't like the book, there are times you must see both sides of the equation to make it sell.  But with blogging, if you don't like the book you've read - or tried to read - you just plainly say you don't like it and explain why.  

So, now you know which one I read the most - and value the opinion of, no matter if you are paid or not - which type of review do you go for first?  Is it the newspaper review (whether that's online or not, it doesn't matter) or the bloggers who review books for nothing and the sheer joy of it?  Until my next post, happy reading!