My favorite review on Amazon are actually the ones from Library Journal and the Washington Post.

A great book review:
1) Explains why exactly the book speaks (or doesn't speak) to this particualr moment in time.
2) Puts the book in the context of other books on the same topic (better/worse, similar/different), or written in a similar style if fiction.
3) If it's a well-known author, it explains how the book reflects (or fails to reflect) the author's overall path as an artist.
4) Gives you enough information that you get a real sense of what the book is about, but does not give away the best stuff (hinting about it is fine, if it's not too easy to guess).
5) Most important: the review - whether praise of great books or criticism of bad ones -- should come from a love of books, and reflect the reviewer's beliefs about WHY we love books.
Source(s):
I pick my books by reading reviews and asking friends.


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