The Thanksgiving weekend update

Now that the turkey hangover has subsided somewhat, it’s time to catch up on your regular Sunday book reading. But before that, a stray movie recommendation for the SpongeBob SquarePants movie, which I saw last night and cheered me up so thoroughly (though I was also hopped up on caffeine at the time)  that the mood should likely carry me through what looks to be a rather interesting week. Onward:

NYTBR: OK folks, you know I have to, but I’ll keep it brief: i.e. [insert requisite bitching about La Stasio’s column here]. Tony Hillerman, Richard Stark, John Mortimer–when the column appears less frequently, with fewer reviews, and this time it’s all relatively big names in the genre? Oh wait, I wasn’t going to bitch. Truly. Otherwise in the Book Review, Terry Teachout and Robert Gottlieb’s Balanchine biographies are critiqued together by Benedict Nightingale, James Wood examines Marilynne Robinson’s new novel for religious and thoughtful overtones, and Rachel Donadio looks at the rise of Christian publishers and the success they have wrought.

WaPo Book World: Laura Jacobs, doing her version of the Balanchine double act, is far less kind to one over the other; John Burdett finds flaws in Martin Cruz Smith’s latest Arkady Renko novel; and Jonathan Yardley is very taken with a Chinese novel that reaches for big themes and generally succeeds.

G&M: Peter Robinson is charmed by the newest (and longest) Rumpole adventure; Margaret Cannon presents her top 10 crime novels of the year (and many of them are welcome surprises, if you ask me); Martin Levin looks at books that talk about, well, books; and test your knowledge in the paper’s ninth annual Great Canadian Literary Quiz.

Guardian Review: Stephen Poole is rather puzzled by Natsuo Kirino’s OUT and its almost hyper-realistic look at female relationships in all their nasty glory; Peter Carey goes to Japan so his 12 year old son can meet his manga-reading friends and gets an entire book out of it; famed Chicagoan raconteur Studs Terkel is profiled about his latest project; and Michele Roberts explains her passionate love of books–and the bookcases that hold them.

Observer: The focus this week is on rounding up the best books of the year (and now I really have to pick up the Jonathan Smith novel that I’ve been eyeing in the bookshops for weeks now); otherwise, Stephanie Merritt gets all Nobel on us and Robert McCrum uncovers the real reason for the new Godfather book–to sell the old one.

Scotsman et al.: Annie Proulx returns with a new novel that John Freeman (god, does he freelance for everybody?) seems to like; Amelie Nothomb continues her domination of publishing in English translation; and Richard Holloway explains how Nieztsche changed his life.

Tout le reste:

Are you, like I am, eagerly awaiting Ian McEwan’s next novel? Then feast on this sneak preview he offers to the Bookseller about it and why it’s such a departure from ATONEMENT.

Even though Richard Marinick isn’t yet published in the UK, his former status as a bank robber serving ten years in prison piqued the Telegraph’s interest just enough that he merited an interview with the paper.

Madame Cogdill looks at two drastically different books in her latest column: she isn’t so enthusiastic about Nancy Cohen’s latest PBO, but is most effusive about Jim Fusilli’s HARD, HARD CITY.

Hallie Ephron returns with her mystery column for the Boston Globe, looking at books by Carol O’Connell, Claire Matturro and Jeffrey Cruikshank.

Dick Adler’s column for the Chicago Tribune looks at releases by Sandy Balzo, Richard Stark, Deborah Grabien, Bill Crider, Richard Marinick, as well as the collected stories of George V. Higgins.

Miyuki Miyabe, one of Japan’s most popular mystery writers, will be published for the second time in English early next year. Japan Today’s review of SHADOW FAMILY gives an indication of what to expect.

As if you needed yet another reason to race out and buy Kate Atkinson’s CASE HISTORY, Leslie McGill at the Kansas City Star further adds grist to the mill by rhapsodizing over the book.

Claire McHugh’s review of Jennifer Weiner’s LITTLE EARTHQUAKES is one of the more interesting critical takes I’ve seen on the book, making me think the reviewer might be looking forward to JEZEBEL BRIGHT (aka Weiner’s “novel in the drawer”)

Rick Koster at The Day (CT) grumbles about a lot of books, but he’s especially thankful to have read S.J. Rozan’s ABSENT FRIENDS, a “wonderful book,” in his estimation.

James Sallis pens an ode to Percival Everett in the Boston Globe, just as the author’s latest book is about to be released.

Marc Acito’s debut nove HOW I PAID FOR COLLEGE is striking a chord with many readers–and garnered him a movie deal, as he explains to the Seattle Times.

Until I read this interview at Bookmunch, I had no idea Toby Litt’s novels were written in alphabetical order (the latest, and his seventh, is GHOST STORY.)

Hurricanes wreak all sorts of devastations, but for the bibliophile, the news that 10,000 books were destroyed in the Cayman Island’s main library is rather difficult to take.

Who will be my generation’s ultimate chronicler or social diarist? Now that Sue Townsend’s retiring Adrian Mole, the Melbourne Age wonders who’s the heir apparent.

And finally, that’s a hell of a long way to go to die. I just hope he gets identified soon.