Top o’ the morning

The Telegraph does its regular later-than-usual update of its Sunday content, including a review of Natsuo Kirino’s OUT, another of Alan Furst’s DARK VOYAGE (claiming that he writes sex scenes very well) and an interview with Nicola Barker about her new novel, which deals with the David Blaine “suspension in a box” business of last year.

Oh goody, now it’s science fiction that’s allegedly heading towards a certain death. Repeat after me: it’s cyclical. It’s cyclical. It’s….

Jodi Picoult is profiled in the Hampton (NH) Union as she prepares to speak at the newly renovated library in town.

Hunter Davies to ghost Sean Connery’s autobiography? He says he’s been approached, but no contracts have been signed yet.

Brian Chikwawa presents his top ten books that have some kind of issue to put at rest or score to settle.

Noddy’s crossing the pond–thanks to a new deal with PBS, the beloved kid’s series will air in the US sometime next year. There are some real obssessive Noddy-ites, at least based on the friend’s place I visited where an entire room was set up for his Noddy collection.

Liverpool is the latest city to adopt an across-board reading program, beginning with Louis Sachar’s HOLES.

Oh boy, looks like the NY Observer’s Adam Begley got into a bit of a snit over Art Spiegelman’s ⁹⁄₁₁-based graphic novel, saying essentially that the book is all about Art, Art, Art and that’s about it. Ouch.

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Bookslut’s]11 new issue is up, including interviews of Poppy Z. Brite and , Dennis Loy Johnson (of Melville House and MobyLives fame) Cintra Wilson.

And finally, when a writer finishes the first draft of a book, there are many ways to celebrate, and this is one of them. After which, we expect, he’ll probably crash for a good long while.