The Weekend Update in Earnest

NYTBR: David Margolick finds Jeffrey Toobin’s examination of the nine who comprise America’s Supreme Court to be a much-needed tome; Liesl Schillinger (who is waaaaaaaaaay better looking than that caricature, if this is the best the NYTBR can do on the pictorial front, well, let’s say I am not impressed) is caught up in the lively tale that Nancy Horan spins in LOVING FRANK; Dale Peck remains haunted by THE OUTSIDERS, 40 years after its first publication; and Marilyn Stasio reviews new crime books by Dick Francis, Jennifer Lee Carrell, Jeff Lindsay and Parnell Hall.

WaPo Book World: The Section gives us a taste of what’s coming up at the National Book Festival next weekend; Jonathan Yardley is moved by Ann Patchett’s latest novel RUN; and Ron Charles totally convinces me to read Millard Kaufman’s debut novel – published at the age of ninety.

LA Times: Francisco Goldman reveals the pain hidden underneath his writerly guise; a new Michener novel appears 10 years after the author’s death; and Heller McAlpin finds herself strangely engaged by another recently discovered Nemirovsky masterwork.

G&M: Candice Fertile is impressed with TURTLE VALLEY, the Giller-longlisted novel from Gail Anderson-Dargatz; Michael Smith maps out a few good books on all things genetic code-related; and Margaret Cannon’s crime column focuses on new books by Chelsea Cain, Michael Harvey, Ake Edwardson, Mark Billingham, Jeffrey Miller, Barbara Fradkin, Charlie Huston and Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child. And since she’s correcting the previous column, here’s one for the next: Cain’s book ain’t no debut.

Guardian Review: David Margolick explains the global appeal of Boris Akunin; Val McDermid explains her approach to writing; Oliver Burkeman sits down with Steven Pinker, the enfant terrible of cognitive neuroscience; and Matthew Lewin has his say on recent thrillers by Elmore Leonard, Gianrico Carofiglio, Robert B. Parker and James Barrington.

Observer: After reading a biography about Rudolf Nureyev, Peter Conrad finds the dancer to be “a deeply unattractive man”; Francesca Segal is taken with David Thewlis’s first crack at novel-writing; and Peter Guttridge reviews the latest in crime by Ian Rankin, Val McDermid, Nick Stone, Alex Scarrow and Kolton Lee.

The Times: Stephen Amidon presents a comprehensive guide to all things Philip Roth; Helena Frith Powell gets a voyeuristic thrill from reading proto-supermodel Marie Helvin’s autobiography; and Marcel Berlins takes on new crime efforts from Minette Walters, Henning Mankell, Chelsea Cain and Kathy Reichs.

The Scotsman: Claire Black reads through a cultural history of virginity; Yann Martel offers Jackie McGlone a preview of his next novel; and Samuel Fuller wrote a thriller? Oh, I so have to read this.

The Rest:

Oline Cogdill finds hidden depths in Jeff Lindsay’s latest outing with his peculiar serial killing creation.

David Montgomery has good things to say about William Lashner’s A KILLER’S KISS at the Philadelphia Inquirer.

Susanna Yager reviews the latest crime novels from Peter Robinson and Jon Talton.

Tom & Enid Schantz review new mystery offerings from Marcia Muller, James R. Benn and R.T. Raichev.

Anthony Rainone raves about Megan Abbott’s QUEENPIN in the Lincoln Journal-Star.

Boyd Tonkin profiles Tom McCarthy, whose work will probably outlast and be read by more folk than most of the usual contemporary literary suspects, I reckon.

Danuta Kean wonders why Lynda LaPlante is so angry, as evident by the profile piece that follows in the Independent on Sunday.

And finally, two different RIPs to two men in France: Marcel Marceau and Marc Behm.