Tuesday, March 06, 2007
According to the Wall Street Journal, book publishers are cutting back on newspaper advertising, leading papers to shrink their book sections. Many, like the Post-Gazette here in Pittsburgh, are wrapping them into other sections.
So where are the best places to read good book reviews? The New Yorker does a great job, although its reviews often tend to be as much about the subject of the books as the books themselves. (Which is fine. Book reviews should be discussions of ideas, not just recommendations.) Esquire does some decent short reviews, and Slate now has an online book club. I have to admit I don't check out the New York Times book section all that often, nor the other major newspapers. I know from some freelance work I've done for Bookmarks Magazine, writing capsule summaries of newspaper reviews, that a lot of mid-size papers offer mediocre reviews.
So where are the best places to read good book reviews? The New Yorker does a great job, although its reviews often tend to be as much about the subject of the books as the books themselves. (Which is fine. Book reviews should be discussions of ideas, not just recommendations.) Esquire does some decent short reviews, and Slate now has an online book club. I have to admit I don't check out the New York Times book section all that often, nor the other major newspapers. I know from some freelance work I've done for Bookmarks Magazine, writing capsule summaries of newspaper reviews, that a lot of mid-size papers offer mediocre reviews.
Labels: book reviews, Newspapers
