Weekend Updates are for Kids…of all ages

Gosh, it has been a while since I’ve done one of this, hasn’t it? But before getting to all those choice links, Elaine Flinn has me On the Bubble over at Murderati, where I manage to talk about books, my not-so-secret ambition, 70% dark chocolate and No 1. Pimms. Enjoy…

NYTBR: And strangely enough, the front page of the Book Review this week manages to be All About Me as well. OK, not really, and Ron, Mark, Tribe and Ed have already said plenty on this particular review but…Liesl, oh Liesl, I’ve always been so nice to you. Getting people to read your reviews, complimenting you on your performance at the BEA panel…and this is the thanks I get? Ah well, I guess that “humor-impaired” disclaimer should have been at the top, not the bottom of the post…

Otherwise in the TBR, Maureen Freely speaks out about the growing number of Turkish writers on trial for speaking their minds; Seth Mnookin gets inside the Boston Red Sox’s winning management tactics; and conjoined twins seem to be everywhere in fiction these days, doesn’t it?

WaPo Book World: I see I am going to have to pick up a copy of William Rhoden’s examination of black athletes in American sport; Kevin Allman wishes Gordon Dahlquist’s much-hyped debut doorstopper had been half the size so its story could shine through that much better; and the Russian bestseller NIGHT WATCH is finally available here – and Ron Charles finds much to like.

G&M: Kathleen Byrne admires but is completely exhausted by Marisha Pessl’s debut; Robert Wright puts Fidel Castro in necessary perspective; and Michelle Berry praises Alexander McCall Smith for his profundities in a moral world.

Guardian Review: Margaret Drabble pays tribute to the work of John Cowper Powys; Louise Welsh skirts the classification issue and talks of her newest novel, THE BULLET TRICK; and Maxim Jakubowski reviews new crime novels by Boris Starling, George Pelecanos, James Grady, Scott Smith & Jed Rubenfeld.

Observer: Chimimanda Adichie’s new novel is, according to Kate Kellaway, simply stunning; Noel Edmonds finds cosmic ways to change people’s lives; and Rachel Cooke confesses her love of YES’s “Owner of a Lonely Heart.”

The Times: Bernard Cornwell is enchanted by Carolyne Larrington’s examination of King Arthur’s women; Michael Holroyd recalls the best of the Booker battles; Helen Rumbelow takes pleasure in Kate Atkinson’s newest novel; Was Taggart based on William McIllvaney’s novels? It’s a good bet that’s precisely what happened; and Peter Millar takes the brisk plotting and timely subject matter of Stella Rimington’s new spy thriller in stride.

The Scotsman: Kate Atkinson isn’t much for interviews, but reveals much regardless to David Robinson; Lucinda Rosenfeld praises Faiza Guene for her dry wit and excellent observations; Catherine Lockerbie wonders what effect terrorist threats will have on the Edinburgh Book Festival; and Gerald Kaufman rounds up new mysteries by Ann Granger, Nick Drake, Mark Giminez and Karen Robards.

The Rest:

Who will be ITW’s “ThrillerMaster” Lifetime Achievement Award winner for 2007? Why, it’s James Patterson, whose name graces the cover as editor of THRILLER, that’s who!

Oline Cogdill does what many simply could not – read Gordon Dahlquist’s THE GLASS BOOK OF THE DREAM EATERS and offer up a comprehensive review that praises and criticizes.

David Montgomery’s latest Chicago Sun-Times column reviews new releases by George Pelecanos, Karin Slaughter, James Rollins, Ken Bruen and P.J. Tracy.

Adam Woog reviews the latest in mysteries and thrillers by G.M. Ford, John Harvey, George Pelecanos, Jasper Fforde and Dan Fesperman.

Mark Timlin at the Independent also reviews the new Pelecanos book, as well as that by Andrew Klavan and Scott Frost.

Les Roberts reviews new crime fiction outings by Karin Slaughter, Jeff Abbott and Margaret Maron for the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

Jack Batten’s Whodunit column has a distinctly Swedish air, as he reviews new books by Ake Edwardson and Hakan Nesser.

At the Madison Capital Times, Rob Thomas gives good notice to Stuart MacBride and talks to Jasper Fforde about his latest fantastical mystery, THE FOURTH BEAR.

Need more reasons to read Daniel Woodrell and his latest novel, WINTER’S BONE? Then Craig McDonald’s interview of the man at Columbus This Week should push you over.

Karin Slaughter’s first standalone, TRIPTYCH, is just about to be released, and the Deseret News asks her about her change of direction from the series, her favorite writers, and why realistic language is important, no matter what.

Dennis Lehane talks up the Kenzie/Gennaro movie, his new story collection and the latest on his next epic project with the Medford Transcript.

Peter Pavia chats with Andrew Vachss about his long-running Burke series and his continued advocacy for children.

Lila Shaara follows in the family footsteps by taking up the pen and writing a novel, as the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s John Young finds out.

Regis Behe talks with Nell Freudenberger about her first novel, THE DISSIDENT, and its roots in her high school fascination with China.

Rodman Philbrick is incredibly prolific, writing for adults and kids. His latest book is a thriller written as Chris Jordan, and he explains to the Nashua Telegraph why he can switch-hit between age groups.

And finally, this is for the Eurovision fans. I’m thinking of this guy in particular.