If you’re looking for a great review blog that gives you thoughtful, cogent summaries of books you probably want to read, check out Men Reading Books.
MRB does a nice job of giving a quick overview with a succinct, honest critique…sometimes with a little advice (like which book to start in a series or how to get to know an author with multiple books out) thrown in for free.
Another refreshing angle: MRB doesn’t appear to participate in affiliate programs, so they’re not “chasing” only the popular titles in order to generate the greatest click-income. So there are plenty of older titles in the mix along with new books they just happen to like…the best kind of review blog.
The site goes back to 2009, too, so if your TBR pile is getting low (and you’ve read the latest Marty Singer book, of course!), then this is a great way to get a lead on a new reading obsession.
I feel reasonably well-informed about the recent Hachette-Amazon fracas, as I should be—my sales through Amazon represent a substantial portion of my income as a writer and any event that might adversely affect the ‘Zon affects me. I peruse the Gaughrans, Howeys, and Konraths of the indie world with enthusiasm and often break into a rendition of “Do You Hear the People Sing” while sitting at my desk after reading one of their blog posts.
Originally posted on 
My wife recently received a call from someone from Bookwhirl.com asking for me. They wanted to talk about my “book” and marketing plans they could offer. My wife said she’d take their number, pass it on to me, and get back to them if we were interested. The caller was polite, spoke decent English, and didn’t push.
