CHRISTIANITY TODAY MAGAZINE
has had some excellent articles comparing translations. I think Charisma Magazine has had one. I don't have links but they might be searchable at their sites.
Personally, I think the New Living Translation is excellent. I prefer the NIV and MESSAGE versions myself--but if the MESSAGE were not available, I'd probably use the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION.
The original Living was, to my mind, rather unfairly critisized as being 'just a paraphrase.' As though every 'worthy' translation was devoid of paraphrase. Paraphrase is absolutely necessary in many cases in translating from one language, culture, etc. to another. In any case, I think the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION is a good balance between paraphrase and literal translation practices.
I'm not a scholar but I have typically had a lot of translations that I've used--including the Amplified. And, I use the Bible Gateway translations liberally. I was reared on KJV but find it's language--while beautiful and what my memory work was done in--I find it's language almost totally dysfunctional in working with unchurched, and particularly unread modern era people. All the more so if their second language is English.
The whole KJV thing is another hideous phenomenon in Christianity, to my mind. It's as though people didn't have enough to be narrow, rigid, pharisaical on, they had to set up as an idol some ink on pages with KING JAMES ENGLISH as though God has always spoken that way along with Moses, Adam and Eve et al. GRRRR. SILLINESS TO EXCESS. And at the expense of sending souls to hell because they cannot and will not plow through the mystifying KJV English. Sorry--got off on a tangent rant.
I'll shut up. I trust your new Bible will draw you closer to our Lord. Read it in confidence. When in doubt or instudy--consult several translations for a more robust understanding of a passage.