If you want to write, you have to read. That’s an old piece of advice, but it’s been around so long precisely because it works: if you want to become a writer, you have to read everything you can get your hands on. It’s like filling up a gas tank. In the same vein, it’s wise to read the kind of writing you want to do. If you want to be a novelist, read novels; a historian, volumes of history; a critic, the best critics you can find. For book critics, the blogs on this list offer some of the best criticism on the web, and they make for indispensable reading for writers looking to sharpen their critical thinking and composition skills. Reading these will help you become a better critic, and you’ll go from just having an opinion to making yourself heard.

1. Critical Mass: The official blog from the National Book Critics Circle Board of Directors is a great way to keep up with what’s happening in critical circles, from book releases and news to writings about critics themselves. Authors and critics do regular interviews and blog posts, and NBCC members write about what they’re reading and what they think of it. It also has info about critical award winners and membership in the group. One of their awesome ongoing series is Critical Library, in which critics talk about volumes that every critic should own. You’ll get tons of ideas for your bookshelf.




2. Paper Cuts: Although The New York Times has been slow to join the blog world (and they hide the links so well on their home page that you’d be forgiven for thinking they don’t have any), their book blog is becoming one of the best resources for readers and critics. With links to their podcast, author spotlights, and interesting posts about the life of a writer (like this one about the Chicago Manual of Style), this blog is a great way to keep tabs on what the major writers and authors of multiple genres are doing.




3. Bookslut Blog: Bookslut is an awesome site full of sharp reviews and columns by informed critics and authors. They also feature regular interviews with published writers. The blog is an informal, quick-shot approach to news and reviews, usually with nothing more than brief links and write-ups to other literary happenings. After a while, the site will become one of your default destinations.




4. Guardian Books Blog: The British newspaper’s book blog has the level of discourse and variety you’d expect from the solid news organization. Posts cover everything from the writing life to the lives of famous authors. A great place to get informed and join in the discussion on a host of issues.




5. L.A. Weekly Books: Part of Village Voice Media, LA Weekly is one of the stronger alt-weeklies still running, and their book blog makes for consistently entertaining and enlightening reading. Posts include looks at current authors as well as reviews and analyses of major works and themes in publishing. One of the best ways to become a critic is to see what other critics think and how it differentiates from your own beliefs, and this blog has a wealth of resources.




6. Bookgasm: Another fun book blog playing on a sexualized name, Bookgasm offers “reading material to get excited about.” Their contributors are some of the best in the business and crafting smart, focused reviews for easily digestible reading, which is an absolutely necessary skill for critics to have, especially online.




7. Book Soup: The Blog: Book Soup is a book store in Los Angeles, which means it’s as much a place to be seen trying to look nonchalant as it is a place to go and buy a book you actually want to read. Still, their blog is a great way to keep up with new releases and critical opinions on an eclectic body of offerings. You won’t come away empty-handed.




8. Powell’s Books Blog: This classic Oregon chain has a great website and wonderful blog, full of reviews, interviews, and stories by and for writers and critics. The blog is great for cycling through authors as guest bloggers, giving readers a look at the art of writing from new angles.




9. Jacket Copy: Not one to let a good pun go to waste, the Jacket Copy blog from the Los Angeles Times is a solid resource for aspiring critics thanks largely to its compelling mix of straight news and bloggy opinion. Locals will dig the posts about L.A. libraries, but everyone can get into the entries about authors like Jonathan Franzen and Chuck Klosterman.




10. Becky’s Book Reviews: One of the more popular amateur critics in the blog world, Becky’s Book Reviews offers a wealth of fun posts and reviews from a book fan. It’s an inspiration for all aspiring critics that with devotion and passion, you can start publishing your work and establishing your reputation. What else are you waiting for?