Smatterings

Today marks the last publishing event of 2006 – HANNIBAL RISING’s pub date. The first review, courtesy the LA Times, is up already, and Maxim Jakubowski describes what Murder One was like for the launch of HANNIBAL. Me, I guess I’m perpetually perplexed that a once unknowable serial killer has devolved into the psychopathic equivalent of a Mary Sue…

Patrick Anderson mostly enjoys Pierre Frei’s BERLIN, especially since it’s a debut novel by someone in his mid-70s. There will be lots more critical acumen on the state of the thriller in his upcoming book, which Publishers Weekly excerpts in this week’s issue.

Lisa Gardner has a new spin on the Tuckerization scheme, offering a contest to “Kill a Friend, Maim a Buddy.”

For lots of literary goodness, you can’t go wrong with the Quarterly Conversation.

The Globe and Mail talks with Claire Messud, who spent some of her formative years growing up in Toronto. 

Part one of Jewcy’s Book Klatch with Elisa Albert, Karen Russell, Aaron Hamburger, Angela Pneuman and Stacy Richter is now up, and they talk about POV shifts and J.M. Coetzee’s DISGRACE.

There’s been a shakeup at Murderati, and let’s see if I can keep track – Elaine Flinn’s ON THE BUBBLE interview series is now on Wednesdays. Louise Ure & Paul Guyot split Tuesdays and newcomers Alexandra Sokoloff and Mike Maclean are in the hot seat every Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

And finally, I know I watched too many of these as a kid. (via.)