Oh me, oh my. Things have been feeling apocalyptic of late, haven’t they? Flash mobs burn down London. Flash traders melt down the stock market. And then there’s the book biz–which, as everyone knows, is having its own problems.

In the wake of last week’s news about Borders going under, the LA Times announced that it is laying off a large percentage of its book review staff, including all of its freelancers.

Book reviews will continue to be done by in-house staff, but the trend is clear: In the Old Media world, book sections are becoming a thing of the past.

But what about the New Media? Is it picking up the slack? Over at the Huffington Post, under “Culture,” I did find a book section. It looks very un-LA Times-ish.

Here are some of the recent posts:

“Sexy Book” Editor Offers Her Top Picks (along with, I might add, some very sexy pictures),

Was Albert Camus Killed By The KGB?

Burning Books: The Hottest Scenes in Literature

Gay ‘Archie Comics’ Character Scores Monthly Spin-off

Writers We Loved in the ’90s: Where Are They Now?

Yuppie Lit: Books About The Filthy Rich

And here was one by our buddy Jason Pinter: You Should Date an Illiterate Guy

I’m sure there are serious book reviews tucked in here and there, but the tone of most of the posts is breezy and gossipy. They read a bit like Us Magazine for books.

Do I mind? Hell no, I love this stuff! Who needs stuffy, “serious” book sections? Trust me, authors and publishers need every bit of glitz and glamor we can get. Go to any writer’s conference, and you will be surrounded by MVPs (Middle-aged, Very Pleasant people). Few of us are ever confused with models for the cover of the next “Sexy Book.”

Maybe this new type of media coverage will change our image. Maybe someday we’ll have to duck behind palm trees to hide from paparazzi, or “wear someone” on the red carpet.

Heck, I’m ready. So are my Jacki-O sunglasses. 

How about you? Do you like HuffPo’s book section? Do you lament the decline of book sections in mainstream newspapers?