The Gloriously Sunny Weekend Update

NYTBR: First up, Marilyn Stasio looks at a wide variety of mysteries by Donna Leon, Helene Tursten, Asa Larsson, James Swain & Pete Hautman (and is it me, or has she been reviewing more paperback originals of late?); Henry Alford hand-sells in the most pure manner – on a streetcorner in the Village; Nadine Gordimer takes on Philip Roth’s much buzzed about EVERYMAN; and Charles Taylor examines the pros and cons of Michael Connelly’s collection of journalism.

WaPo Book World: Jonathan Yardley appreciates a book that demythologizes the Mayflower; Gary Shteyngart’s ABSURDISTAN makes Josip Novakovich laugh a hell of a lot; and Ron Charles is captivated by Peter Carey’s latest example of truth-stretching.

G&M: Zsuzsi Gartner appreciates Eric Schlosser’s latest effort in re-educating kids about nutrition; John Lukacs comes up with another brilliant short history, this time about Hitler & Stalin in June 1941; Richard Parker remembers John Kenneth Galbraith; and Carol Bruneau is convinced by Anne Tyler’s latest effort, DIGGING TO AMERICA.

Guardian Review: Maya Jaggi talks to Tahar Ben Jalloun, probably Morocco’s most notable writer at the moment; James Fleming’s novel of the Russian Revolution meets with Sam Thompson’s favor; and Jeremy Lewis bemoans how deadlines meant he couldn’t include his biographical subject’s diaries – too late!

Observer: A new biography of Robespierre makes for depressing reading, says Rafael Behr; Viv Groskop is enthralled with an earlier work of Lionel Shriver’s, DOUBLE FAULT; and there’s no real reason for Jill Dawson to set WATCH ME DISAPPEAR in the same town as the Soham Murders, says Alex Heminsley.

The Times: Jane Wheatley meets Shirley Hughes, the author and illustrator of the bestselling ALFIE books for kids; Reggie Nadelson takes on Sebastian Junger’s new book and the line between fact and fiction; Marcel Berlins takes a time warp back a hundred years to review the latest by Boris Akunin and Frank Tallis; Stuart MacBride talks about where he garners his inspiration from; and OMG, getting Maeve Binchy to review the new Myron Bolitar book? Brilliant!

The Scotsman: Allan Massie finds himself moved by Andrei Makine’s slim but effective novel; Guatam Malkani’s much-hyped LONDONSTANI is more outrageous than inventive, according to Chitra Ramaswamy; new crime fiction by Joyce Carol Oates, Boris Akunin and Frank Tallis gets rounded up; and was Bill Hicks overrated as a comedian? Colin Somerville finds a way to argue the point.
 

The Rest:

Oline Cogdill appreciates Ace Atkins’ sprawling standalone noir effort, WHITE SHADOW; also in the same paper, Christina Wood talks to Elaine Viets about the latest in her Dead-End Job mystery series.

The SF Chronicle’s David Lazarus looks at new crime novels by Domenic Stansberry and Lisa Unger.

Tom & Enid Schantz’s new mystery column for the Denver Post looks at new releases by Boris Akunin, Donna Leon, and Nancy Pickard (which I just finished and absolutely, utterly adored.)

Newsday’s Aileen Jacobson looks at two debuts by women with Long Island roots, Cornelia Read and Alison Pace.

The Vancouver Sun catches up with Peter Robinson, who’s currently on tour in Canada to promote his newest Inspector Banks novel, PIECE OF MY HEART.

John Banville clues in the Sydney Morning Herald about life post-Booker and his next book – a crime novel, under a new name.

The same paper also profiles Marcus Zusak, whose THE BOOK THIEF was an unexpected bestseller in America and beyond.

Philip Roth sure seems to be doing the publicity junket in force, and the latest example is John Freeman’s interview of him for the Independent.

The Telegraph has its own piece on the task of translators, and why they can often be the silent and unsung heroes of notable literary works.

Beverly Cleary, the beloved author of the Ramona books, is 90 years old – and commemorates this birthday by talking to the SF Chronicle about her life and work.

The LA Times asked Michael Connelly to reflect on his years as a reporter just as his collection of journalism, CRIME BEAT, goes on sale. Meanwhile, Chicago Sun-Times’ Stephen Lyons isn’t quite that keen on the whole book.

And finally, it looks like there’s a good chance we know the ID of “Lord Christopher Buckingham”.