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Generally, I try to find reviewers whose taste's accord with mine. This takes a little bit of work, however. I do this by making a list of five or ten books that I really enjoy, and then skimming over the five star reviews of those books. If I see the same reviewer pop up several times, I'll read their review to see if they are able to articulate the redeeming qualities of the novel. They don't have to like the book for the same reasons that I do, but they do have to be able to thoroughly evaluate the book without sounding like they are blurbing it. If they meet this test, they become one of my trusted reviewers.
I don't need reviews most of the time, however, because most of the fiction that I read are classics. Any book that is continued to be read after many generations must have some transcendent redeeming qualities; all I have to do is find those nuggets. If I fail to get any value out of the book, the fault lies with myself, not the book.
Most of the modern books that I read are idea books, like the works of Neal Stephenson or Cory Doctorow. I occasionally read other kinds of books, but not usually because of reviews. For instance, I recently read The English Patient because I saw and loved the movie.
Most of the modern books I read are nonfiction, and if I am considering a nonfic book I'll try to find reviews of it in academic journals.
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