The Rollercoaster Weekend Update
So before I get to the links, some one-line reviews:
SNAKES ON A PLANE: So, so gloriously stoopid. I almost wished I’d seen it with a packed house…but then again, it worked in a smaller crowd, too.
Coney Island: Absolutely fantastic, no bullshit kind of place. What more can you ask for?
And since various people are reporting on their Bouchercon panel selections (the full grid will be out soon) I will be moderating a panel entitled REVIEWER ETHICS on Friday, September 29 at 2:30. Joining me for this discussion will be Oline Cogdill, Larry Gandle, Jennifer Jordan and Sarah Byrne. Even if no one shows up, this is still a panel I’m very excited about moderating.
Onward:
NYTBR: Rachel Donadio shines a light on the rampant goings-on at writer colonies; Poppy Z. Brite’s marvelous SOUL KITCHEN gets its due from Field Maloney; and Dave Itzkoff looks at Alice Sheldon’s writerly mask as the famed SF author James Tiptree.
WaPo Book World: Deborah Tannen examines a controversial new book about the female brain; Joe Heim reviews two new Elvis biographies just after the 29th anniversary of his death; Lolly Winston corners the market on heart-warming, low key novels with HAPPINESS SOLD SEPARATELY; and Richard Lipez reviews new mysteries by John Case, Andrea Camilleri, Carlo Lucarelli, Poppy Z. Brite and Andrew Vachss.
G&M: Margaret Cannon’s crime column reviews the latest by Laura Lippman, Nora Roberts, Ron Base, Robert B. Parker, Al McLachlan, Chris Knopf and Stephen Coonts; Robert Calderisi reports on the International AIDS conference and reviews related books; and Todd Babiak tries to give Edmonton a good name (though in that particular city war, I’m firmly on the Calgary side.)
Guardian Review: Jane Stevenson pays tribute to one of the genre’s classic writers, Margery Allingham; Chris Petit enjoys David Peace’s novelised life of Leeds football manager Brian Clough; and Maya Jaggi gives yet more reasons to read Chimamanda Adichie’s new novel (could someone please get me a copy???)
Observer: Maggie O’Farrell loves her Edinburgh Book Festival, but also wishes for a more normal state of city mind; Claire Messud reveals how she managed to write after 9⁄11 – and get on the Booker Prize longlist; Emily Stokes isn’t that thrilled with Stella Rimington’s new spy novel, but Adam Mars-Jones considers Vikram Chandra’s much-hyped thriller SACRED GAMES to be time well spent.
The Times: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie gives the real-life impetus for her second novel, HALF OF A YELLOW SUN; Mark Hodkinson has some quibbles with David Peace’s portrayal of realized events in fiction; Peter Kemp finds C.J. Sansom’s newest historical mystery impossible to put down; and Marcel Berlins reviews new crime offerings from Karin Slaughter, reissued ones from Sojwal & Wahloo, and anthologized ones in LONDON NOIR.
The Scotsman: David Robinson talks to David Peace about “the best football novel ever” in the reviewer’s estimation; Robinson also wonders about internet marketing in the face of Chris Anderson’s recent talk at the Edinburgh Book Festival; John Sutherland wonders if the best books made the Booker longlist; and Michel Houellebecq loves Scotland, but isn’t so wild about theater.
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The Rest**:
It’s Sisters in Crime’s 20th Anniversary! And the Christian Science Monitor talks to various folk, including outgoing president Libby Fischer Hellmann, about women in mystery, what’s changed and what’s still to be changed.
In more “state of crime fiction” news, the Melbourne Age has a great piece looking at the best of Australia’s genre offerings as the Ned Kelly award nominations are announced.
Oline Cogdill has many good things to say about Karin Slaughter’s TRIPTYCH and Jeff Abbott’s FEAR.
Dick Adler reviews the latest crime novels by Olen Steinhauer, Jacqueline Winspear, Stuart MacBride, Louise Welsh, as well as the LONDON NOIR & DAMN NEAR DEAD anthologies.
Something missed from last week’s update: Keith Raffel chats with the Silicon Valley Business Central about his debut novel, DOT DEAD.
Reed University catches up with alumnus Alafair Burke on teaching law, moving to New York City and her Samantha Kincaid novels.
Regis Behe talks to Tom Franklin about his long-awaited new novel, the wonderfully profane historical SMONK.
James Sallis implores readers not to forget about writers of decades past, and uses three examples of forgotten writers to illustrate the point.
The Independent talks to Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie about HALF OF A YELLOW SUN, writing about Nigeria and her next project: studying at Yale.