Listing the links

For some bizarre reason I have been remiss in linking to the growing disaster that is HMV’s imminent buyout of Ottakar’s, which would unite that bookshop chain with Waterstone’s and make life miserable for pretty much everybody. Well, except for Alan Giles, Chief Executive of HMV, who doesn’t like all that criticism levelled on him because it makes him feel indignant or something.

With all the attention that Chris Lawford is getting for his memoir of growing up with the Kennedys, addiction and whatnot, why do I think the following things: one, maaaaaaaan, has he aged badly, and two, Charlie!

The Frank O’Connor International Short Story Award has been given to Yiyun Li for her debut collection, A THOUSAND YEARS OF GOOD PRAYERS.

The Independent serves up a chock of crime fiction reviews, with Jane Jakeman raving about Reginald Hill’s new standalone and Mark Timlin looking at new releases by David Morrell, Elmore Leonard and Mike Ripley.

Patrick Anderson is more or less impressed with both Sean Rowe’s backstory and debut novel.

Over at the Litblog Co-Op, the first in a series of dialogues have begun about the winner and later, the four other nominees. We get started with THE ANGEL OF FORGETFULNESS, dissected by Derik Badman and Daniel Green.

What is plagiarism, and can you really use the same definition that was used 100 years ago? A recent conference on the subject was held in Michigan, leading to some surprising conclusions.

I haven’t decided if this is demented or brilliant. Probably a bit of both.

And finally, I should have known this would happen. But no matter whose name is above the marquee, this musical is still going to suck (when the GFB takes twice as long as that from any other show, you know it’s trouble…)