The Windy Weekend Update

Travel day today, so the Update may be somewhat truncated.

NYTBR: Marilyn Stasio reviews the newest crime novels by Jason Goodwin, Miyuki Miyabe, Robert B. Parker, Archer Mayor and I.J. Parker; it figures that Jonathan Freedland would review THE GHOST, and he does a good job explaining the book’s merits and faults; Ed Park makes his NYTBR debut (I think?) with his take on Alan Lightman’s GHOST; and Rachel Donadio surveys the state of living author biography, finding many writers simply aren’t stepping up to the plate. I am puzzled as to why she didn’t get in touch with Charles Shields, whose biography of Harper Lee caused enough of a sensation and got Kurt Vonnegut to sign off on the next project before his death…

WaPo Book World: As part of their international issue, Julie Phillips chats with Michael Chabon about GENTLEMEN OF THE ROAD; Keith Donohue has his say on Peter Hoeg’s long awaited new novel THE QUIET GIRL; and Jonathan Yardley thanks his lucky stars for Joseph Ellis’s treatment of the founding fathers.

LA Times: Ed Park concludes his two-part assessment of John Crowley’s work; Richard Rayner considers Judith Freeman’s take on the relationship between Raymond & Cissy Chandler; Sara Lippincott enjoys James Watson’s reflections on a long-ranging scientific career; and David Ulin hears the echoes in Roy Kesey’s collected stories.

G&M: James Adams, Sandra Martin and Andrew Gorham handicap the Giller Prize; Keith Garebian scrutinizes a new biography of beloved photographer Yousuf Karsh; Martin Levin tries to follow Pierre Bayard’s non-reading dictum; and Margaret Cannon reviews new crime novels by Caro Ramsay, Tess Gerritsen, Jasper Fforde, Arnaldur Indridason, Paul Sussman, Barbara Cleverly, Michelle Butler Hallett, Rick Riordan and that single-named wonder, Bateman.

Guardian Review: Nicholas Wroe talks with violin impresario Itzhak Perlman; Jane Housham evokes the genre wars in reviewing Kate Mosse’s new certain-to-be-a-bestseller; and Philip Collins argues that bad politics and good writing never mixes very well.

Observer: Will Buckley has some fun with Gilbert Adair’s latest send-up of Agatha Christie; getting Hilary Spurling to review John Richardson’s latest volume in his Picasso biography is a great idea; and Adam Mars-Jones wishes Adam Thirlwell hadn’t been so in debt to Madame Bovary for his new novel.

The Times: David Baddiel wonders why it took so long for J.K. Rowling to decide Dumbledore was gay; Erica Wagner rediscovers GONE WITH THE WIND just in time for another authorized sequel; and Sting talks with Richard Randall about lyrics, libel suits and other matters.

The Scotsman: Jennifer Johnston talks to Jackie McGlone about the inspiration for her many novels; Franklin Coughlan examines Isabel Dalhousie, “goddess of small dilemmas”; and Santa Montefiore is the sister of Tara Parker-Tomlinson? WTF? How did I not know this?

The Rest:

Eddie Muller reveals himself to be a non-fan of current internet activities as he also reviews new books by Walter Mosley, Archer Mayor and Alison Gaylin.

The Telegraph’s Susanna Yager gives her opinion on new thrillers by Michael Dobbs & Thomas Perry.

From last week’s Chicago Tribune: Paul Goat Allen rounds up new mysteries by Laura Benedict, Jon Loomis, Craig McDonald, Chelsea Cain & Steve Hamilton, while Dick Adler makes a welcome return to review the anthology CHICAGO BLUES.

At the Rap Sheet, Anthony Rainone interviews many of the principals involved in the audiobook-only serial thriller THE CHOPIN MANUSCRIPT.