An Honest-to-Goodness Weekend Update

NYTBR: Marilyn Stasio reviews new crime offerings by Karin Fossum, James Lee Burke, Will Thomas and Jincy Willett; Rachel Donadio on the author lecture circuit; and Tomi Ungerer is back in print! O Frabjous day!

And in the Region section, Karen Olson talks about her New Haven-set mystery novels, previewing the November release of SHOT GIRL.

WaPo Book World: Jonathan Yardley examines a cultural history of alcohol; Ron Charles is strangely compelled by Brunonia Barry’s Salem-set novel; and Christopher Tilghman looks at how James Wood says fiction works.

LA Times: I’m probably the only one who thinks it is unbearably cool that Kenneth Turan reviewed the YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe; Scott Timberg chats with Michael Chabon about MAPS AND LEGENDS; Sonja Bolle revisits the unjustly neglected children’s work of James Thurber; and David Ulin notes the new direction of books coverage in the paper.

G&M: Andre Alexis ponders the concept of idealism grown-up; Nigel Beale takes issue with a report on culture’s afterlife; and Margaret Cannon has her say on crime fiction by Andrew Taylor, Karin Slaughter, Karin Fossum, Jesse Kellerman, Janet Evanovich and Michael Slade.

Guardian Review: Julian Barnes pays tribute to Penelope Fitzgerald; Adam Thirlwell examines the novel through the prism of the reader’s anxiety; and Dominic Dromgoogle went looking for an original Shakespeare folio and reports back.

Observer: Naomi Alderman argues that ebooks mark “the creation of a new art form”; John Sutherland, Binky Urban and Toby Young all swear by their new e-reading devices while Lynn Truss, Amanda Ross and Will Self play contrarian; and Amy Raphael talks shop and crime with George Pelecanos.

The Times: Juliet Gardiner praises British historians, possibly an endangered species; Carl Hiaasen wonders how a theatrical adaptation of LUCKY YOU will play on the English stage; and a previously unpublished Janet Frame novel is finally available.

The Scotsman: Stuart Kelly has a whale of a time with Ken McLeod’s robot-tinged thriller; David Robinson catches up with the ever-prolific Alexander McCall Smith; and an attempt is made to understand the appeal of Kerry Katona, though I think such attempts are wasted.

The Rest:

The Sydney Morning Herald engages in a rather delightful interview with Kate Atkinson on a whole host of subjects, one of which is the last (!) Jackson Brodie novel WHEN WILL THERE BE GOOD NEWS?

Oline Cogdill is impressed with P.J. Parrish and their new novel SOUTH OF HELL.

Hallie Ephron reviews new mysteries by Nicola Upson, Tana French and Deborah Crombie for the Boston Globe.

In the Telegraph, Susanna Yager is wowed by crime novels by Paulus Hochgatterer and Peter Temple, while David Robson wishes Jason Goodwin was as up to snuff on plotting as he is on setting and history.

Randy Michael Signor applauds George Pelecanos for telling the truth in THE TURNAROUND.

Chris Adrian talks about short stories, divinity school and the writing life to the WSJ’s Lauren Mechling, while Jeff Trachtenberg goes on virtual travel with Kira Salak.

The Huntington Herald-Dispatch catches up with Zoe Ferraris, back at her alma mater while touring for her debut novel FINDING NOUF.

David Hewson explains the genesis and continuation of the Nic Costa thrillers to the Malaysia Star.

The Lustbaders, Eric and Victoria, share their married writing life with Aileen Jacobson at Newsday.

The readers have spoken, and the Chicago Tribune tallies up some choice responses to its survey on what people want from its Books section.

Hmm, did Eric Miles Williamson like WHAT WAS LOST or not? I suspect not, but it’s so hard to tell. And if not, then I have to beg to differ.

And finally, one last UPS delivery.