Tinker, Tailor, Weekend Update

So as some of you fine folks have pointed out, publicly and privately, I’ve been messing around with the templates around here a little bit. Hope you like this version, and that it’s easier to read — much as the pale palette thing was cool, I could not for the life of me figure out how to get the fonts bigger and edit the template — and I use these guys because I’d rather spend my time writing, not coding…

But enough technical jargon, and on with the update:

NYTBR: As time goes on, I really wonder if the name’s appropriate, considering there’s more space devoted to “other stuff” and less to book reviews, although Rachel Donadio’s piece on shrinking fiction markets is kinda OK. I mean, when they do get around to reviewing books, they pick some — like Clare Sambrook’s HIDE AND SEEK, granted one of my favorites of the year — that have been out for like 2 months! Sheesh. Otherwise, V.S Naipaul keeps claiming he’ll never write novels again, and he might even stick to it; and Bret Easton Ellis blurs the line between fact and fiction, yet again (and while I realize he has a point in believing that people write the same book over and over again, could he be a little less obvious about it? Please?)

WaPo Book World: It’s definitely Other Cultures Week, as Lorraine Adams examines the controversial anonymous sex novel THE ALMOND, Diana Abu-Jaber looks at a new anthology of Modern Arabic fiction, and two novels of Baghdad get their due. Otherwise, Merle Rubin finds Elie Wiesel’s new novel doesn’t measure up to his non-fiction, and James Rosen tries to understand just how influential the Beatles were on popular culture.

G&M: Margaret Cannon’s oversized crime column looks at new releases by Alafair Burke, Marcia Muller, Thomas Rendell Curran, J.D. Robb, M.C. Beaton, Lindsey Davis, Marie Jakober, J.S. Cook, A.C. Baantjer, Tori Carrington, Chelsea Cain & Charles McCarry. Otherwise, Andrew Pyper is wowed by Chris Cleave’s INCENDIARY; Martin Levin is all about not worrying and being happy; and Lydia Millet considers a new take on Hiroshima history on the 60th anniversary of the A-bomb.

Guardian Review: Matthew Lewin looks at new thrillers from Steve Mosby, Alafair Burke & David Hosp; Michelle Paver explains how living in a forest led to her writing her bestselling books for teens; Marina Warner wishes libraries would devote more energy to — oh! — being about books; and oh yay, another article about editors not editing? Well yes, but Blake Morrison at least tries to be even-handed about the whole business.

Observer: Jason Cowley argues that British novelists have stepped up to the plate this year in larger droves for the first time in years; Polly Vernon wonders if Bridget Jones is still relevant 10 years after the columns first appeared in print; and Carl Wilkinson extols the virtues of browsing in an age of 3-for-2s.

The Times: Laura Hillebrand prepares to write her next book after SEABISCUIT, battling Chronic Fatigue Syndrome all the while; Tim Teeman thoroughly debunks the notion that Richard Gwyn’s novel is the next DA VINCI CODE; and Giles Whittell hangs out with Boris Akunin, discussing his amazing international success and rumors of Patterson-like monkeys lurking in the shadows.

The Scotsman: Is Catriona McPherson the 21st century Dorothy Sayers? Samantha Boyce seems to think so; Allan Massie wishes someone had fact-checked Caleb Carr’s foray into Holmes pastiche; and Zane Radcliffe asserts that he’d be a much better hand at deciphering puzzles than that Robert Langdon fellow.

The Rest:

Oline Cogdill was a big fan of Denise Mina and Jeff Lindsay before, but their new books make a stronger advocate yet.

Dick Adler’s back in the Chicago Tribune with his mystery roundup, reviewing new releases by Libby Fischer Hellman, Barbara Cleverly, Stuart MacBride, Lily Prior, Colin Cotterill, Victoria Blake, Lee Goldberg, Max Allan Collins and Thomas Greanias.

Regis Behe chats with Kate White about her Bailey Weggins mysteries, and there’s nary a mention of a cobra at all!

Les Roberts seems a natural fit to review Elizabeth Becka’s debut novel — both reviewer and book are set in Cleveland, after all. Unfortunately, the book doesn’t really work for him.

The SF Chronicle’s David Lazarus couldn’t be reviewing more disparate books, but gives the same overall reaction to what Jacqueline Winspear and Christopher Reichs have just offered.

Sherryl Connelly and Celia McGee look at “a mixed bag of thrillers” over at the NY Daily News by the likes of Denise Mina, Michael Baden & Linda Kenney, Joel Ross, Reggie Nadelson, Christopher Whitcomb & Elizabeth Benedict.

The Toronto Star’s Jack Batten looks at Colin Bateman’s new book in the context of his career — one that repeats many themes over and over again.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune profiles one of the city’s best loved crime writers, Julie Smith, whose new novel does the city justice.

Frederick Rassmussen writes about the sad saga that was the life of James M. Cain for the Baltimore Sun.

Is Gregory David Roberts the bad boy of Australia Fiction? The Hindu Literary Review finds out, and then disposes of the question by actually talking of his novel, SHANTARAM.

Amanda Matesky tells the Asbury Park Press why watching What’s My Line reruns served as research for her newest book, HOW TO MARRY A MURDERER.