The weekend update is upon us once again

And considering all the backlash and brouhaha about the National Book Award nominees, it’s only fitting to start with the NYTBR, which features a long essay from Laura Miller about the alleged sameness of the nominees and their work. Oh, it’s so much fun when women gang up on other women….otherwise in the Paper of Record, J-Franz waxes truly rhapsodic about the storytelling gifts of Alice Munro, Camille Paglia puts Frank Zappa in his place, and Leslie Singer looks at the curious phenomenon of getting Ettlingered.

In Book World, there’s a double dose, fiction and non-fiction, of Alexander the Great, Michael Getler explains why a new book about the troubles of the NYT is important for American media as a whole, and Imre Kertesz is compared (!) to Michael Chabon and the latter comes up seriously wanting.

Over at the Globe & Mail, Margaret Cannon rounds up new crime fiction releases by T Jefferson Parker, David Baldacci, Janet Evanovich, and Mark Zuehlke. Otherwise, the Cary Grant biography gets more due, Martin Levin turns to humor to get him out of his election-induced funk, while Peter C. Newman’s new book tackles the Canadian Establishmen and wins.

At the Guardian Review, they love, and I mean looooove James Ellroy, although this cover profile scores extra points for talking to John Williams and Ian Rankin about the LA Noir man. Otherwise, a new book chronicles Ireland’s growth into an economically viable country, Richard Ford is still depressed about the election, and why do I get the feeling this review of Mark Mills’ AMAGANSETT was written ages ago but held over till he won the Creasey last week? Because the book was released in the UK in what, May? Yeesh…holy timing Batman.

While at the Observer, Peter Guttridge takes the opportunity to reference the cliche panel at BCon in rounding up new releases by Sir Rankin, Jeff Deaver, Ruth Rendell and Natsuo Kirino.  Otherwise, Robert McCrum goes in search of Desmond Hogan, then sounds the oft-heard cry about the dearth of short fiction markets (dude, go online! I mean, how hard is it…)

At Tartan City, Hans Christian Andersen turns out to be a rather tortured, conflicted figure; Anglo-Irish writer Olivia Manning gets her due and Elizabeth Gaskell may be close to getting hers, and Michel Faber talks to the animals.

And as for the rest of your news?

The San Francisco Mystery Bookshop turns 30 this year, and a number of crime fiction luminaries have plenty to say about the bookstore and independents in general.

Speaking of mystery and the SF Chronicle, David Lazarus offers up his best-of list as a holiday guide, urging readers to get books by area authors like Nichelle Tramble, Naomi Hirahara and T Jefferson Parker along with personal faves like Jenny Siler and George Pelecanos. Definitely a more interesting list than some of those other ones….

Laura Lippman takes a look at Michael Chabon’s Holmesian novella, THE FINAL SOLUTION, for the Baltimore Sun and picks apart what makes it work and what doesn’t.

Oline Cogdill gives a thumbs-up to Sarasota writer Claire Matturro for her debut mystery SKINNY-DIPPING, which I thought was a fun piece of fluff that kind of fell apart at the end.

Dick Adler, who seemingly writes a mystery column for the Trib every week, is back again, giving good notices to Kate Atkinson, Martin Cruz Smith, Sharon Fiffer, Michael Pearce, Kirk Mitchell and M.G. Kincaid.

Jane Jakeman reviews two new releases by Andrew Taylor and Ben Elton for the Independent. She’s mad about the first…not so much about the second.

Also in the Sun-Sentinel is an interview with Mark Weingardner, the man entrusted by the Mario Puzo estate to continue the GODFATHER books ad infinitum–at least, if this new sequel sells at all….

NaNoWriMo gets major league coverage over at the Washington Post’s news section. 40,000 people signed up? Never mind all those working on novels who aren’t….

Sigla Magazine interviews John Connolly for their latest issue, and the Irish writer talks about his new collection, being influenced by MR James, and why cancer scares the hell out of him.

Carlos Ruiz Zafon’s THE SHADOW OF THE WIND is set to take the UK by storm, at least, if this article in the Independent is to be believed. (link from Fiona at the Dossier.)

Memo to Jim Winter–one of your former local newspaper columnist is writing a mystery based in your town. Evidently that’s what she’s been doing for the last year….

The news that Barbara Cartland left behind 160 unpublished novels isn’t the scary part–this accompanying picture is. Gak! The eyes, the eyes!

The Age’s Juliette Hughes looks at female heroines throughout literature that have–dare I say it?–a bit of moxie, and aren’t likely to get the vapors or die at the end of the book.

Kenneth Oppel, one of the young adult writers up for the Governor-General’s Award, is interviewed by the Toronto Star about his long career (he’s been published since he was a teenager!) and what lies ahead.

And finally, somehow, it’s not suprising at all that a certain Cabana Boy would be responsible for digging up this choice link. And I’m equally amused by what Dave is as well.