The fantabulous weekend update

NYTBR: And of course, 10 Best books notwithstanding, it’s best to begin with Marilyn Stasio, adopting an international tone for her column this week as she reviews books by Ruth Rendell, Batya Gur and Quintin Jardine.  Otherwise, Erica Jong talks about Sylvia Plath, Leisl Schillinger still can’t get a decent book to review (I mean, really. WTF?) and Christina Nehring examines France’s adoration of its writers–at a price.

WaPo Book World: Patricia MacLachlan, briefly interviewed by Marie Arana,  explains how an innocuous childhood incident led to the her success as a writer, including SARAH, PLAIN & TALL (a book I loved back in the day.) Otherwise, the suggestions pour in for what books highschoolers should read; Yann Martel’s early short story collection bears resemblance to a high-wire act; and Nicholas Delbanco’s new novel is an elegant interweaving of contemporary and historical times.

G&M: It’s about time the Canadian blogger contingent tackled more book reviews, and now it’s happening with  Bookninja George Murray’s take on Jan Zwicky’s new volume of poetry. Otherwise, Rebecca Caldwell catches up with Godfather sequel-bearer Mark Weingardner, Martin Levin ponders the blurring line between children’s and adult fiction, and Adrian Mole returns–and the news isn’t necessarily welcome.

Guardian Review:  Caryl Phillips spent years travelling throughout Europe in search of enlightenment and writes up his results; Stephen Poole is rather flummoxed by Elliot Perlman’s penchant for moralizing; and Bewley’s in Dublin is gone? Noooo!

Observer: Hepzibah Anderson looks at two new debuts, including Robert McGill’s THE MYSTERIES (which, sadly, I doubt I’ll get to before next year); Geraldine Bedell digs Annie Proulx’s new short story collection; and Robert McCrum wonders which book will be the big hit of Christmas 2004.

Scotsman, etc.: Notable artistically inclined Scots confide their wish lists for the holidays; Emma Richler delves into the deeply dysfunction for her sophomore novel; and if you’re looking for that particular Gaelic expression, this book might do the trick.
 

The rest:

As already widely reported, Richard & Judy have made their 10 choices of books that will vie for their prize early next year. It’s eclectic, interesting, and most of all, smart.

Anje Seierstad went to Kabul, met a bookseller, and after she wrote a book about him, all hell broke loose. She speaks to the Independent about the aftermath of this most infamous path to publication.

So what are publishers reading when they aren’t swamped by the obligatory manuscripts? Those in Australia reveal all to the Age.

The Times’ John Dugdale rounds up the year’s best thrillers, including two of my very favorites by Dan Fesperman and Jean-Christophe Grange (no doubt you’ll be hearing me rave about this when it’s released in the US next month.)

David Montgomery’s latest column for the Chicago Sun-Times looks at the latest by Dean Koontz, Janet Evanovich, Jeffery Deaver, Richard Aleas, Richard Stark and Max Allan Collins.

Oline Cogdill examines two recent releases as well, giving a rave review to Michael Blaine for his second book and to Leslie Klinger for the Annotated Sherlock Holmes.

Bookends interviews Meg Cabot about her phenomenal success with THE PRINCESS DIARIES, why she’s only using one name now, and what prompted her to pull up stakes and move down to Key West.

The San Jose Mercury News interviews Jennifer Weiner about the new book, her next one, and her “mission as an author.” Standard stuff, really.

Michael Crichton is being interviewed in a zillion places to promote his latest book STATE OF FEAR–like Bismark, North Dakota?!

Jeffrey Cruikshank is a professor at Harvard Business School, and as such has written 20 books. But never a novel, until now, as the Boston Globe finds out.

The Staten Island Advance reviews ABSENT FRIENDS (took a while, but people review in their own time) and very much likes it, which is good since a chunk of the book is set in that borough.

Similarly, the Albuquerque Journal is very positive about their man Tony Hillerman and his latest novel SKELETON MAN.

The Seattle Times’ Adam Woog rounds up his 12 best books of this past year, with some notables and some surprises.  Also, the paper’s book editor, Mary Ann Gwinn, and book critic Michael Upchurch list their favorite books as well.

And finally, seeing as both Marilyn Stasio and myself reviewed Ruth Rendell’s latest US release this week, it seems appropriate to mention a new documentary about her that will air tonight in Britain in “the graveyard slot.”