Literary minded

So silly me — I thought that pairing Jonathan Yardley and Michael Connelly’s THE CLOSERS seemed rather odd. But what do you know? He loves the books, and especially this one.

Larry …

Over the last little while David Montgomery has devoted much energy at the Crime Fiction Dossier on the inner workings of book reviewing, all of which is required reading. But one thing he …

I’m not sure what was bugging David Joyner when he wrote this, but man, he’s got a wonderfully shiny happy take on the curious state known as writing:

More people are writing than ever …

So what is it, you may ask? Just mosey on over and see for yourselves. But I must say, I am very, very pleased that this particular book was chosen. I’ll have more to say over at the LBC site in …

But first, my latest review, where I manage to shock longtime blog readers and especially myself by liking an Elmore Leonard novel. Is the Apocalypse approaching? Do I spot a bunch of horsemen riding …

So the New York Times pulled Joyce Wadler off the Boldface beat so she could do things like, oh, feature Caleb Carr’s house. Somehow her descriptions just aren’t up to her loopy …

Martha O’Connor’s debut novel THE BITCH POSSE, just out now, is one of the most eye-opening, gut-wrenching first efforts I’ve come across in quite some time. It’s the kind of …

NYTBR: Well look at this, it’s a crime fiction kind of week over at the Book Review. There’s Marilyn Stasio with her column, looking at the latest by Michael Connelly, Don Bredes, C.J. …

First, I’ve noticed a spike in the hit count, and since I suspect it’s due to this nice piece in the Boston Globe the other day by Jessica Keener, thanks for stopping by, and hope you …

You know, just because I can…

The Long Beach U-Press Telegram has a very long and quite nice feature on Naomi Hirahara and her series featuring 70 year old gardener detective Mas Arai. …

NYTBR: Aside from the fact that I suspect Sam Tanenhaus ain’t gettin’ a brownie this week, the TBR’s kind of…I dunno…not so newsworthy? Or maybe it’s just me …

Mark Farley is a self-proclaimed “Bookseller to the Stars” and runs a blog by the same name. Working at a major chain UK bookshop, he gets to meet many an author. But sometimes, it …

Over the weekend Denise Hamilton (whose latest novel, SAVAGE GARDEN, continues a series undergoing steady improvement with each installment) wrote about journalism scandals and how she, as a former …

The Philadelphia Inquirer’s David Hiltbrand sits down with Edward Conlon, the author of the highly acclaimed police memoir BLUE BLOOD.

Patrick Anderson’s latest thriller column looks at …

First up, the Awards were handed out late Friday night and no doubt the mystery world will want to catch up with Kem Nunn’s TIJUANA STRAITS, which took the mystery/thriller prize. All the other …

Things have been awfully crazy over at Idiosyncratic HQ — the cleaning is over, and now Passover is in full swing (for those who care: whole wheat matzah is soooooo much better.) Never mind that …

A couple of months ago, Akashic Books publisher Johnny Temple wrote a very thoughtful piece for Poets & Writers about what authors can do with book promotion and how independents can serve them …

By a quirk of the calendar, Passover prep has to be finished by the end of today — even though the first Seder doesn’t begin until tomorrow night. Which really means an extra day of the …

I’ve been gently nudged to post about this, and for good reason: the LA Times Festival of Books, which will be held this weekend (April 23 and 24) is one that I’ve long wanted to attend …

Lisa Rogak, Shel Silverstein’s soon-to-be-unauthorized-biographer, has written a nice overview of his body of work and how he always managed to do everything on his own terms, even if others may …

Maybe I’m still recovering from last night’s bizarre foray into the TV market research world, where I was forced to sit through perhaps the worst pilot ever produced, followed by one that …

And first up, the Orange Prize Shortlist. Wow, what an interesting list this is as a lot of surprises move past the prelim stage along with several expected names. The shortlistees are Joolz Denby, …

Mmm, Passover cleaning. A fine way to spend the weekend, I tell you. Empty out cupboards, clean them, put the pots and pans back. Rinse, repeat with utensils and plates. Restrict eating area to …

The CBC’s revamped arts section has allowed many new (and sometimes controversial) articles of a literary bent to be seen all over the place, and no doubt Andre Mayer’s ruminations on …

You know what I’d really like to see? Janet Maslin get super-enthusiastic about a notable female crime novelist. But until that impossible day happens, I guess we’ll just have to content …

A couple of nights ago I sang the national anthem at a concert given by my local community center. Which wasn’t a terribly big deal, even though it had been the first time I’d sung in …

So we all know that too many blurbs are considered suspect for a number of reasons — logrolling, sharing editors and agents, people not reading the book. But now, Mitch Cullin has taken blurbing …

Joan Brady’s new novel BLEEDOUT — a damn good one, btw — was borne of very peculiar and harrowing circumstances, as she details to the Independent:

Brady had been living in the …

Guess who’s back? Flashman! D.J. Taylor can’t be more excited as he is in this lengthy essay about everyone’s favorite fictional rogue in the Independent on Sunday.

After 200 years, …

Just to clarify for those that wondered: this was the “major announcement” I spoke of, and now it’s getting some serious press, with more to come. Of course, if others want to invent …

What happens when a group of some of the finest literary bloggers get their heads together to pick overlooked, underappreciated books?

The answer, my friends, is this. Check it out.

First, a huge round of applause to Cornelia for subbing for me and keeping the blog afloat the last couple of days. As it happens I’m still doing the road warrior thing for a little while so …

Sacramento’s Daily Democrat reports that the graduate writing program at U.C. Davis “will help launch the next generation of fiction writers thanks to a $50,000 gift from New York Times …

Rosalie Stafford alerts me that the new issue of Web Mystery Magazine is now up, and for the first time, they include short fiction as well (from Christopher Gooch, B.J. Bourg, Jan Christensen, …

And first up is the continuing popularity of Boris Akunin around the world — so much so that his latest novel in English, TURKISH GAMBIT, is now a movie and is expected to “save the …

When Ayelet Waldman had her short-lived blog a few months ago, I checked in at least once a day. She seemed candid and honest about the difficulties of balancing motherhood, her bipolar disorder and …

I should confess that I had a very curious reaction to Charles Webb’s THE GRADUATE: I hated it. Nay, I despised that book. Odd, because I had a fairly neutral reaction to the movie, but somehow …

I’m always looking to find in-depth interviews with authors because those are the ones I like best: they go deep into the craft of writing, into topics that most people don’t bother with …

And let’s begin with Ms. Maslin’s review of Maritta Wolff”s long unpublished final novel, SUDDEN RAIN, which seems to bring out some sharp angles in the reviewer — no wonder, …

(11:30 EDT): Apologies for the incomplete update that went up at 10:00 EDT — technical difficulties in the form of a temperamental modem knocked me offline for a good 16 hours, and I’m …

After yesterday’s shitstorm in the Guardian, things appear to be somewhat more tempered today, thanks to letters written by a variety of authors, including Michele Roberts, Julie Myerson and …

Mostly because as I read this brilliant analysis by Emma Garman, I kept wondering why the hell no one has picked up on this publicly yet:

Take a tragically dead father, a good-hearted but …

The latest edition of the NEW WRITING anthology series sponsored by the British Council was co-edited by Toby Litt and Ali Smith, and as reported by the Guardian, their introduction to the collection …

Except that The Sum of Me, in what has to be one of the most hilarious posts I have read in some time, dissects precisely why I gave them up years ago: the incredibly over-the-top manner in which sex …

Not surprisingly, my link to Guy Johnson’s review of George Pelecanos’s new novel stirred some folks to comment about it. David Montgomery brought up a more general point related to the …

Is the Washington Post trying to raise my blood pressure here? Because here’s another review where it seems the writer has a soapbox and will step on it considerably, even if it actually misses …

I freely admit I am totally, utterly fascinated with the story behind Sam Apple’s new book Schlepping Through the Alps — mostly because I met Hans Breuer, the Yiddish-singing shepherd, …

NYTBR: And the blitz is on! Zoe Heller is out of the gate with one of many, many reviews of Ian McEwan’s fabulous new novel SATURDAY. But hers, you see, is almost NYRB in terms of scope and …

The Telegraph’s Helen Brown looks at the burgeoning field of “high school massacre lit”, talking to Lionel Shriver, the author of WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT KEVIN (which is brilliant and …

Looking to attend a book festival this weekend? You can’t do better than the Virginia Festival of the Book, whose lineup is nothing short of staggering.

Craig McDonald returns with a couple of …

The preliminary list of notable names has been released by the Prize dedicated to the best of British fiction by women:

Kate Atkinson – Case Histories (British, 4th novel)

Clare Clark – The Great …

NYTBR: Marilyn Stasio, in her latest column,  is a bit less than charitable towards Robert B. Parker’s latest Spenser novel (while the next, interestingly enough, will be out this fall, as …

The UK-based author of three historical crime novels died last month. Her agent, Christine Green, remembers her fondly:

Sylvian Hamilton died on 28th February 2005. She left behind three …

The British Book Awards — better known, for whatever reason, as the Nibbies — have been announced, and The Times is all over this, as Dalya Alberge rounds up the reaction and the …

The shortlist for the Ireland-based IMPAC award has been announced:

Gardening at Night by Diane Awerbuck

The Half Brother by Lars Saabye Christensen (translated from the Norwegian by Kenneth …

…while mine begins with — sigh — getting back into the swing of job hunting again. Sympathy’s great, but leads are even better. Anyway:

First up, what’s going on with …

NYTBR: You know, this Franklin Foer essay on federalism (or whatever) is all very nice, but what the hell does it have to do with books? Something tells me Mr. Tanenhaus won’t be earning his …

One of the things about moving back home is that it gets you in close proximity to childhood memories, mementos and other items. Recently, as I was cleaning up my room, I dug up several file folders …

Ever since Deborah Solomon’s insanely gushy profile of Jonathan Safran Foer hit the stands last weekend, there have been several notable reactions. Ed’s was the funniest, and …

One person who’s really benefiting from the multiple Oscars of MILLION DOLLAR BABY is Nat Sobel — the agent for the late F.X. Toole, who wrote the story the movie was based on. And it …

Tod Goldberg was recently asked by one of his former writing students to sit in on a class she taught. It was test day, and the open book in question was his first novel, FAKE LIAR CHEAT:

She …

Edinburgh-based literary agent Jenny Brown would like to see a few changes to the kind of books written by Scottish writers:

THE row over whether Scotland is a country populated by …

I’m still kind of in a BTK-obsessed place right now (with a long essay to come possibly later this afternoon, or tomorrow) but that doesn’t mean I can’t link to my new column, …

I’m stuck in meetings most of the day so this will be it till the afternoon. But there’s lots of stuff to catch up on, including these links:

Another day, another piece on Curtis …

The online lit journal’s editor Jason Sanford assembled a crack team of judges (including these fine folks) and whittled down a whopping 1200 nominations to about 150 to create the Notable List, …

And of course, how can I not lead off with the suicide of Hunter S. Thompson. I don’t know why I’m so shocked. In a way, what other way would he go other than to decide for himself? The …

Before I get to the wide-ranging, free-swinging update, I might as well point you all to my latest review, which marks my return to the pages of the Washington Post Book World. I had a great time …

Over at Lizzie’s, there’s a rather enthusiastic discussion of great YA novels from the past. Some of the usual suspects, of course — Danziger, Zindel, Duncan, M.E. Kerr — but …

I’ve been sorely negligent in not linking to The Morning News’ fabulous Tournament of Books competition, which launched earlier this month. The first round is nearly over, and those …

And let’s begin with Wendy Shalit, who wasn’t content to let her essay for the NYTBR stand on its own merits — she had to respond to vociferous critics with a piece in the Jewish …

Janet Maslin continues to expose the world to her unrequited crushes on Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson — or maybe it’s on their alter egos Rebus and Banks. Who really knows anymore? …

I think it’s official: the New York Times is obsessed with Orthodox Judaism. The latest proof? Their piece on the revision of the Schottenstein edition of the Talmud, the first such revision in …

And first, it seems appropriate to begin with reflections on Dashiell Hammett, considering this year — and this month — marks the 75th anniversary of the publication of THE MALTESE FALCON. …

NYTBR: This actually ran in the daily on Friday, but it would be a massive oversight not to link to Margo Jefferson’s piece on “the New Noir” which, well, struck me as a kind of …

The Scotsman peppered award-winning author Louise Welsh with all sorts of questions about what she liked about school, what she disliked, and her earliest ambition:

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO DO?


For a …

So who is Rex Pickett, and why does everyone love the movie based on his book SIDEWAYS? He speaks to the Guardian about his unexpected success and how cool it is that a publisher’s paying him …

I missed this in yesterday’s roundup but the Paper of Record had a whole long article about this whole mommy blog trend, interviewing writers (and mothers) like Jennifer Weiner and Ayelet …

I dig Lauren Henderson for a lot of reasons: she writes incredibly witty books, be they her Sam Jones crime novels or her romantic comedies (the latest, EXES ANONYMOUS, will be out in the UK in …

Although it’s still too early to tell whether Tuesday’s short story extravaganza was a success or not, one thing it garnered was my first public lukewarm review. To be fair to Tania, she …

Because a severe lack of sleep, extra work this morning and Typepad’s bugginess delayed this by several hours….

First up: the National Book Critics Circle nominations. Galleycat …

Before I turn to the usual mix of news, reviews and interviews, the latest example of my own  freelancing endeavors is now available for viewing.

NYTBR: La Stasio turns her jaundiced eye towards …

The literary awards circuit seems to have just ended, but it’s getting a fresh start on the merry go round as Jenni Murray is announced as the overall chair of the Orange Prize judging …

CAAF, who finally reached the end of her longrunning saga involving a library, a parking lot, and a dented leg,  links to Wendy McClure’s tongue-in-cheek idea about how to handle book …

And might as well start with the granddaddy of children’s book awards: the Newberry and the Caldecott. Cynthia Kadohata took home the Newberry for KIRA-KIRA, and the Caldecott went to Kevin …

Emma Garman (known to some as the proprietress of the blog-on-hiatus The Fold Drop) conducted an interview with Fordham university professor Mary Bly for New York Magazine. Bly, the daughter of …

NYTBR:  In what’s either a ripoff of an earlier feature of of Granta’s “Under 40” list, the Book Review turns to several big names in young writing to ask about their …

Normally, of course, I take Fridays off, but since I’m holing up elsewhere for the weekend, the massive update will be delayed–possibly till Monday morning–so to tide you all over …

Granted, it is what he does best, but John Rickards really lets one loose about some of the things he simply doesn’t get: Black & White films, Tom Waits, and the classics.  I was going …

(Typepad’s misbehaving this morning, so apologies for this post appearing later than it ought to.)

So yesterday’s tentative exercise into NSFW (everybody got that now?) territory was met …

Tod Goldberg, who after many stints of guest blogging for other fine folks and much poking and prodding by others has finally caved in and started his own, speaks of what the new year means for him …

The results are in, and for the big retailers in London, this past Christmas season, well, sucked bigtime, dubbed “the worst in years.”

The Guardian has way more on yesterday’s big …

If anyone asks me what the most important part of a novel is, I almost always reply that it’s voice. Granted, for most people it’s a somewhat amorphous concept, that elements of …

If there’s anything I’ve learned in the year-plus I’ve been blogging, it’s that I love it when people I really like get book deals. Because it affirms, at least in my mind, …

I spent a good portion of my evening yesterday taking part in a chat run by Gerald So (who was wearing his DetecToday moderator hat) and the transcript is now available for everyone to read. In the …

NYTBR: My god, someone’s actually listening to me, really–for Marilyn Stasio continues the “new” trend of reviewing four books in her crime column. She marvels at Ed …

…for the most part, rather surprising, as the Guardian finds out. Andrea Levy took the fiction prize, holding off Alan Hollinghurst’s Booker-winning LINE OF BEAUTY and Kate …

Jason Sandford, proprietor of StorySouth, has brought back the popular award, designed to “honor and promote the best fiction published in online literary journals and magazines during the past …

(I’ll be adding to this throughout the day as meetings pretty much wipe out my morning. So check back a little later on and there’ll be even more here…)

So let’s open with the …

David Milofsky of the Denver Post expounds on the joys of litblogs, and naturally includes some of my friends, favorites and other cool customers.

Patrick Anderson’s latest column looks at …

NYTBR: As editor Sam Tanenhaus introduces a new column for the New Year, the rest of the Review’s rather sparse. Highlights include a new essay by Cynthia Ozick, John Simon talking up …

The Telegraph is chock-a-block with mystery-related reviews today. There’s Susanna Yager’s regular column, featuring new releases by John Connor, Paul Adam, C.J. Sansom, Michael Crichton, …

In a long feature for the Sunday Times, Ian Rankin turns candid, explaining how his youngest son’s  disability (he suffers from Angelman’s Syndrome) may have made the bestselling …

It may well be the simplest question to ask a writer, and yet, if it elicits a response at all, usually it’s vague, amorphous and rather unformed. Mostly because there are a great many reasons …

Matthew Cox studied art at the University of South Florida, went into insurance, and wrote a novel called THE ASSOCIATES. The problem is, as federal agents are finding out, the manuscript served as a …

Because next week is Christmas, and there won’t be that much going on anyway, so indeed, this will be the last Massively Huge Roundup of Reviews and Links of this year. Enjoy.

NYTBR: OK first …

I’ve been thinking a lot about potential lately. Unfortunately, it does bring to mind those late, not-so-lamented high school teachers of old who would fix their gazes upon me and opine that my …

As I’ve said many times (over and over again) Emily Maguire’s debut novel TAMING THE BEAST is one that made an indelible impression upon me when I read it this past summer. But for the …

I had it all planned–I was tired, I went to bed early, I’d be a good little keener and get to the office early and have everything–bloglinks included–by the time most of you …

First, Carmen Reid writes in Scotland on Sunday about what may be the worst form of writer humiliation:

As a writer, I’ve heard some truly awful tales of author humiliation. Let’s see: books that …

Ah, the holidays. For some, a time of giving, frantically shopping for presents, and spending time with loved ones, For others, it’s a struggle not to overeat, overimbibe and overembarass …

NYTBR: And of course, 10 Best books notwithstanding, it’s best to begin with Marilyn Stasio, adopting an international tone for her column this week as she reviews books by Ruth Rendell, Batya …

I could have sworn I read this article already, but a new piece in Legal Week wonders why UK lawyers aren’t writing novels in the same quantity as do US-based ones.

Dan Brown–the New …

Julie Burchill, fresh from penning a book for teen girls, picks her top ten books for teens.

And she gives special props to one of my favorites, the Sadler’s Wells

novels. I cannot count how …

Washington University in St. Louis has a fairly active student newspaper, and its staff rounds up some of their favorite young adult writers in a sort of mock “where are they now?” …

It’s all about the “Best of” Lists this week, most of which, btw, can be found at this incredibly handy link. But for those who want to scour the papers like I do, let’s go: …

Yeah, yeah I’m posting on a Friday, but that’s because I was running around like a crazed banshee yesterday, the reason for such to be explained on the weekend.

Anyway, January Magazine …

Pierre Berton was one of those writers whose name was an inextricable part of the CanLit landscape. I just sort of assumed he’d always be there, but of course, that’s never the case. He …

As the “Best of” lists pile up in the papers and around the Internet, some people are getting cranky, like the Guardian’s “embittered former literary editor,” Stephen …

I’m not sure how I managed to miss this in yesterday’s roundup–bad me–but the lovely Maud has spread her reviewing wings to Newsday, where she looks at Turkish author Elif …

The thanksgiving hiatus made me lose track of some things, and alarmingly, a lot of good and important writers passed on during the last week. A brief note for each to remember them for their work: …

Now that the turkey hangover has subsided somewhat, it’s time to catch up on your regular Sunday book reading. But before that, a stray movie recommendation for the SpongeBob SquarePants movie, …

Nelson DeMille is interviewed in Newsday about his new novel, a fictional examination of the TWA Flight 800 crash and what might have caused the disaster to happen.

Christopher Rice reviews Peter …

NYTBR (and additional daily stuff): It’s the poetry issue, which means I’ll link to this overall symposium, but since I’m more of a fiction/non-fic kind of girl, it also means …

Hey, hey, wait a minute–wasn’t the IMPAC Literary Prize longlist just announced for this year? God, time flies..anyway, 140 books are on the longlist for next year, and the winner will be …

Just when I wondered if Kate Atkinson’s CASE HISTORIES would be completely ignored in the newspapers (no reviews over the weekend? Huh?!) Janet Maslin comes along and well, likes it but seems to …

And considering all the backlash and brouhaha about the National Book Award nominees, it’s only fitting to start with the NYTBR, which features a long essay from Laura Miller about the alleged …

As mentioned in the backblogs by Naomi Hirahara, the San Francisco Chronicle has further details on the tragic suicide of Iris Chang, who appears to have been deeply affected by her current project …

Thanks to all who sent in well-wishes–feeling much better this morning, but still more on the tortoise side rather than hare-like in terms of speed. Anyway:

What the hell got Caryn James so …

Thanks to a rather nasty bout of food poisoning that managed to mess up my evening and early morning, things might be rather sluggish, off or light today. Or all of the above. In any case:

The …

I’d been looking for information about this for a whie, but finally, it’s forthcoming: the 2004 Pendleton May Award for best first novel published in the UK was awarded to Panos Karnezis …

David Montgomery’s new Sun-Times Column ran yesterday, and features reviews of new books by Raelynn Hillhouse, Sam Hill, Steve Brewer, Jeffrey Cruikshank, and Lisa Reardon, plus the reissue of …

NYTBR:  I guess I might as well accept it–under the new system, fewer crime fiction releases will be reviewed per column by Marilyn Stasio. Maybe she just doesn’t want to read as fast …

We’ve either all seen this before, or been there: it’s the latest book event by favorite author x, and you loved the book and can’t wait to see him or her read. And then, alas, the …

So when did quoting Amazon.com become de rigeur for Grey Lady reviews? You have to wait till the very end of Janet Maslin’s double review of Janet Evanovich and Stuart Woods but believe …

So when did quoting Amazon.com become de rigeur for Grey Lady reviews? You have to wait till the very end of Janet Maslin’s double review of Janet Evanovich and Stuart Woods but believe …

Normally, I don’t get political on this site, nor do I much want to. (There’s a damn good reason this is a literary-themed blog about crime fiction, after all: that’s what I’d …

On a day where staying inside was a smart thing to do, what with the torrential downpour that occurred off and on throughout, I ventured back to the Harbourfront Centre for the last day of the …

In some ways, this event, held Friday, October 29, was the coup of the Festival. Even though I have absolutely no doubt that the organizers suspected both authors would be hot tickets because the …

Who’s the most popular author in Japan at the moment? A good argument could be made for Koji Suzuki, the man responsible for RING and its equally popular sequel, SPIRAL.

The International …

Happy Halloween, everybody. Though honestly, it’s not a holiday I celebrate very much (probably because of the whole being Jewish thing. Or that’s what I tell myself) and more often than …

Janet Maslin takes on T Jefferson Parker’s CALIFORNIA GIRL, and the result’s a head-scratcher. I mean, is she really as condescending about the book as I think she is? Bizarre….

The …

So now that I live in Toronto, I’m slowly trying to ingratiate myself into the so-called literary community here. Which essentially means crashing book launches and drinking heavily. But these …

The shortlist for Canada’s Governor General Prize has been announced, including big names like Alice Munro and Miriam Toews, and newcomers like David Bezmozgis, Trevor Cole and Colin McAdam. …

Andrew Klavan, the novelist and screenwriter, wonders when and why the arts in America got more narrow-minded over the last few years, and why the stories told in books, movies and TV only uses a …

It was of special interest to read Terry Teachout’s answer to one of his readers, who’d asked how long it took to read a book:

I don’t know how fast I read, but I can polish off a book …

If Edinburgh is such a World City of Literature, why do its tourist attractions only stock schlocky books like tartan guides and ghost stories? The Herald goes on a tear about the so-called lack of …

NYTBR: All right, I throw up my hands. So I take it the revamped TBR version of La Stasio’s column means there are a) fewer releases and b) it appears less frequently. So confused, am I! Anyway, …

So Hunter S. Thompson signed books at Book Soup on Monday night. Granted, he’s an unpredictable fellow, but as these three accounts of the event attest, even he went a little overboard:

I was …

And the big shiny prize goes to Alan Hollinghurst for his much-acclaimed novel LINE OF BEAUTY. Although this seems to be considered an upset, really the prize was between David Mitchell, Hollinghurst …

It’s been a fairly productive weekend at Weinman HQ–one interview transcribed (look for it here later this week), one column turned in, two articles started, and the rough draft of a new …

Gosh, it’s been ages since I did a proper turn around the weekend book sections of major newspapers. Kind of like exercising for the first time in weeks and realizing that there are muscles I …

One of Canada’s coldest, flattest cities has obviously decided it needs to get more attention, and if this sticks around, then the city certainly will get more notice:

Going to The Library …

The National Book Award nominees were announced yesterday, and the big surprises are that the fiction list is all female (naturally, I haven’t read any of the nominees, though MADELINE IS …

Sir Anthony Sher, a Shakespearean actor and the author of four novels over a two-decade period, is fed up and plans to quit writing. Why? Because of an “exclusive literary club” that is …

While the crime fiction world at large was at Bouchercon, the rest of the world still carried on with reviews, interviews, and other choice bits. Here’s a select few:

David Montgomery’s …

Especially as they’ve piled up over the week, so the concentration will skew towards the crime side this time around:

Although I’ve got plenty to say about the newly revamped NYTBR, …

By the time you read this, I’ll be taking the slow route to the airport in preparation for a weeklong stint in New York. Though there’s a fair amount of pre-posted stuff due today (mostly …

Oh ho! La Maslin gets her hands on Alexander McCall Smith’s new book, and the end result? Well, she’s of mixed minds, spending more time assuring readers that they’ll come back for …

So this Thursday, the first ever Descant Book Ball will take place in Toronto, where you can get really up close and personal with your favorite authors–by booking a private peep-show booth to …

NYTBR: With only weeks until the revamp, change is already well afoot this week, with Jonathan Mahler’s in-depth essay about how some writers never quite manage the whole deadline business and …

Normalcy, it seems, is the order once again. Good thing, as being somewhat unbalanced, hung over, or otherwise cloudy may not be the best way to approach a seriously Major Fast that begins tonight. …

Now that Arthur Phillips’ sophomore effort THE EGYPTOLOGIST is getting, shall we say, rather mixed reviews, this allows expat Erik D’Amato to speak on behalf of Hungarian-based writers …

Yeah, I’m late on this, so I’ll just direct to you to Fiona’s post about it. It seems fairly obvious to me that the judges had Toibin, Hollingshurst and Mitchell in mind, and the …

The Scotsman asked Alexander McCall Smith to write an autobiographical essay for the paper, which is being run in three parts. Part one describes his childhood; part two explains how his original …

Michiko met THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA and they didn’t really get along. “Provocative, but lumpy.” Somehow I doubt that’ll be a blurb anytime soon….

Another day, another …

NYTBR: You know, I can’t really get so upset that La Stasio devoted most of her column space to Patricia Cornwell this week. Because she does, kinda, explain why TRACE is better than the last …

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Virginia (AP) — Authorities are investigating a suspicious mailing — initially thought to be a bomb — that was sent to bestselling author John Grisham at his farm …

Judy Blume has been named as a distinguished author of letters by the National Book Foundation. As she was a fairly strong influence upon our childhood reading, this is very cool. (Her books for …

Happy Anniversary, Faber & Faber! The venerable UK publisher turns 75 and the Independent traces its illustrious history and the many fine authors it has published.

Irshad Manji has made it to …

We’re kind of running behind today–way behind. Blame the Film Festival, visiting friends, and the all-too-close proximity to some seriously unhealthy obsessions (this time, not ours). So …

(ed. note: the original edition got mysteriously lost in transit, so if this seems rushed, well, that’s because it kind of is.)

NYTBR: Art Spiegelman’s ⁹⁄₁₁-centric graphic novel is …

We’re not ignoring the current talk of the litblogosphere, it’s just that there’s not a hell of a lot to add after reading the reactions from Terry, OGIC, and Jenny D.

Having said …

The Telegraph does its regular later-than-usual update of its Sunday content, including a review of Natsuo Kirino’s OUT, another of Alan Furst’s DARK VOYAGE (claiming that he writes sex …

The erotica writer Zane is finally going public, and the Boston Globe presents a very long profile of the pseudonymous author. OK, I thought her name was outed some time ago…Erika something? Was …

Pity Patrick Anderson. He’d never read Patricia Cornwell before now (really? Not even the first book, POST-MORTEM?) and thanks to TRACE, won’t be doing so again. In fact, you …

I couldn’t even begin to catch up on the news of the past week but at least this weekend’s got a heavy dose of mystery, which makes things a little easier for me. Onward:

NYTBR: La …

Something my editor said to me yesterday has been bothering me, and I‘d like to hear your thoughts on it. She said that when the real world is in a mess and the future looks bleak, (i.e. now) people …

Considering less than 150 Australian adult fiction books are published here each year, there’s actually a great deal of good stuff, no matter what the critics claim . Since most of the better known …

Whenever Australia signs an international trade deal, invades a sovereign nation or wins lots of medals commentators boast that although small, ‘Australian punches above its weight’. The Oscars bring …

The Australian book market is much like its foreign counterparts in that the books that sell are usually not the books receiving critical acclaim and international prizes. Typical also is the …

First of all, a big hearty thanks to Mr. Starr for keeping the joint jumping this week. It was so much fun to be hanging out in the backblogs.

As for me, I’ll dip my toe a little bit in the …

I’ve created and maintained my own website for years (although my wife created the latest design). I had someone else do it for a while, and while I loved what that person did, I started doing …

I thought I’d rant a little bit about Amazon.com. I don’t know why I’m picking on Amazon, because I have the same problem with BN.com, but Amazon in my mind is the main villain, …

Hey, thanks for all the responses…My own response to this was getting so long that I decided to make it into another post!….Basically, I think Kevin, Charlie, and Olen have excellent …

The issue came up the other day on this blog about publicists, and writers who hire their own publicists versus those who rely solely on in-house publicity. I’ve never hired my own publicist and …

….I was in France in June for the Roman Noir Festival. It’s a great event in Frontignan near Sete in the South of France. Because I was going to be relatively close to Switzerland, I …

Hey, Jason Starr here, Bodysnatching Sarah for few days. I discovered this blog last year, through a link from the fine Mystery Ink site, and have been hooked ever since. Sarah’s is one of the …

And we start with the disappearance of Italian terrorist-turned-thriller writer (now that’s what I call cred) Cesare Bassati, who was supposed to check in once a week with French cops but …

The Age’s literary editor, Jason Steger, reports on the goings-on at the Melbourne Writer’s festival, where many authors, including crime types like Harlan Coben, Michael Connelly, Mark …

Ron Bernas of the Freep wishes Frank Devlin (really Tim Farringon, literary fic writer) would stop making character digressions and get on with the plot with his new book LOVE IN THE WRONG PLACES. I …

Louis de Bernieres was having a great time at the Edinburgh Festival. He was even getting some writing done as well–that is, till thieves stole his laptop from his home–containing the only …

Although the reason for this news will be divulged at a slightly later date. But have no fear, there’s lots to chew on this weekend:

NYT: Even though Sam doesn’t get his brownie point …

Before I get to a bunch of links that have piled up over the week, I’d like to thank Alina for really stirring things up and getting people talking–especially in the Thread That …

So Edinburgh, which is hosting the annual Book Festival this week and next, wants very much to be declared a World City of Literature. Is that claim justified? Alan Taylor, writing for the Sunday …

This weekend’s update may not be quite as comprehensive as usual because I’m out of town all day, which will be explained a little later this morning. But before we get into the usual link …

I had some time to kill yesterday afternoon and found myself at Chapters browsing books. Lo and behold, sitting in the “New Books” stack what is no doubt the most talked-about novel right now: …

We’re kind of in a strange mood today, which will be evident in content that appears later on, after which we cut out early for a “non-interview.” The brain is fully engaged and …

So you all thought that Willy Wonka chap was fictional, right? So did Roald Dahl–until postal worker Will Wonka sent him a letter explaining otherwise, launching a long and surprising …

First, I’d like to thank Robert for blogging from the road and getting people talking, especially about characters and how they get integrated in their fiction. Lots of food for thought can be …

And we’ll start with the plight of Jane Hardy, a freelance writer with several steady gigs–until an illness felled her. She explains to the Observer how being ill totally changed her life, …

Remember a few months back when it seemed like every paper under the sun profiled or interviewed Mark Haddon? Well guess what, there’s room for one more, as the New York Times, yet again, does …

So….first day of unemployment. Well, not exactly, because here it is some kind of bank holiday that no one really knows why it exists, except for the real reason, of course–an obligatory …

So for whatever reason, there are lots of goodies at the Paper of Record this weekend, starting with a lengthy overview of a new biography of Broadway and ballet choreographer extraordinaire Jerome …

If you look over at the right hand side, the most recent Picks of the Week include Jonathan Lethem’s MOTHERLESS BROOKLYN and Penn Jillette’sSOCK. Both books made a significant …

If you want to meet someone who’s gone through the ringer over the last decade or so, then Joe McGinniss is your man. But the true-crime guru is back….with a book about horse racing? Yes, …

First, a big round of applause to M.J. Rose–it’s not often that someone can be seen in several places at once, but she managed it expertly thanks to the efforts of the Virtual Book Tour. …

Although it’s a tad surprising they hadn’t gotten around to doing something like this before, Scotland on Sunday profiles award-winning Glaswegian writer Louise Welsh, and somehow manages …

I concur with Ms. Shaken and Stirred that the Sydney Morning Herald’s piece on writerly couples and the difficulties of such unions is one of the best pieces on such a subject. They speak to …

Now, I don’t know about you all, but I really like the Tanenhaus edition of Marilyn Stasio’s column. Less coy, less vague, more likely to give a good–or bad–opinion as it ought …

And we begin with a li’l bit of piracy, Chinese-style. Those rogues have taken Bill Clinton’s MY LIFE and completely rewritten it. Gee, I never knew Bill espoused Mao’s beliefs and …

Although to be honest, there aren’t a whole lot of them this morning. Just recaps of literary brouhahas and ‘sphere dust-ups that have proven to be mighty interesting thus far.

Russian …

For those people wondering what Dennis Lehane is up to–and believe me, there are a great many–it might be of interest to note where he was, though not where he is at the moment. For the …

All right, we know Hemingway loved to brawl during his life, but did the same sensibility have to carry over to a couple of bars vying for the right to claim that it was where the late author bought …

Azir Nafisi’s READING LOLITA IN TEHRAN has been a huge hit in North America and Britain. Unfortunately, the book hasn’t been translated into Persian, so hardly any Iranians have read the …

And not just delayed, but rather abbreviated, because, well, we’re just busy here, what with the brother unit home for the weekend, the tail end of a major festival, and other assorted social …

So I read Janet Maslin’s review of newbie author Jeff Lindsay’s DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER and you know, I’m still not exactly certain if she liked the book or not. I’m leaning …

While most of us were content to sit back and throw peanuts into the proverbial gallery, Ed chose a different tack–he went fishing, and got corroboration in the form of Peck’s lunch …

Now I feel that summer is here. The evenings are gorgeous, the rain held off last night so I could hear the bluesy rock guitar strains of Colin James and the giddy fervor that Wyclef invoked in a …

Interviewer par excellence Robert Birnbaum takes on James Wood, the noted critic whose new book of essays, THE IRRESPONSIBLE SELF, has been widely chattered about around the ‘sphere. They …

It’s kind of a slow day, and my brain’s equally sluggish this morning (that’s what happens when you spend too much weekend time in front of the television.) But anyway:

So the …

And you know, I kinda like the way I organized last week’s pre-posted update, so I think I’ll do it again:

NYTBR: First of all, I think Marilyn Stasio has to stop using the word …

It’s become quite the adage that, when deciding upon a book to read or a manuscript to buy, if the first line doesn’t grab you, out it goes. David Knopf, writing for the Kansas Dispatch …

No doubt the entire ‘sphere will be talking about this survey today, but the National Endowment of the Arts’ findings about literacy in the United States are certainly interesting, …

Normally, I don’t do full-fledged book reviews on the blog–if I like a book, I mention it in passing or I give it a quasi-blurb as one of the right-hand “Picks of the Week.” …

And we start with the Independent where Philip Hensher presents a rapturous ode to indexes. What happens if you read a biography and your name is mentioned, only to flip to the back of the book and oh …

And before I get to it, I should say that there’s very little that beats sitting in a trendy restaurant with your friends in the heart of downtown Montreal watching revellers honk their horns, …

Not going to do the usual long-winded massive roundup of the Weekend that Still Is. Instead, some random link smatterings:

First, the Old Grey Lady: Gary Shteyngart takes an amusing look at a new …

Happy holiday to all, especially the zillions of people who aren’t celebrating it by virtue of, well, not living in Canada. But I get the day off and weather permitting, will head down to …

So according to a study in Scotland, ²⁄₃ of the countryfolk are more likely to pick up a book to read than they were 25 years ago. Thank Harry Potter and television. But what the study …

Too much to do today so posting will be on the light side.

Whoa, did Patrick Anderson just call Rob Reuland’s SEMIAUTOMATIC “the best legal thriller [he’s] ever read?” …

I was just a teensy weensy bit surprised that McNamee’s THE ULTRAS didn’t get the review coverage that other, less worthy books, did–but no matter, since the lads at Bookmunch …

It always happens this way. Last week, hardly anything from the crime fiction world. This time? It’s bloody everywhere. So, onward:

The more I read the newly revamped Times Book …

Now that his new novel, the Wodehouse-inspired WAKE UP, SIR! will be in stores imminently, it’s hard to find a place that isn’t featuring an interview with the Jonathan Ames. But Sarah …

But instead of stewing over it I’ll just point all of you fine folk to Maud Newton’s brand-new story at the online edition of Swink Magazine.

And honestly and truly, I was going to go cold turkey on this Clinton business (best summed up by Booksquare: “Bill Clinton wrote a book, and it’s selling. A lot.”) but Larry …

I’m trying really hard to avoid the Clinton Orgy of Coverage because, well, it’s kind of boring. So instead I offer the following:

Ray Conlogue seems to be the Globe & Mail’s …

So remember back when Peter Finlay (aka Mr Pierre) won the Booker Prize last year for VERNON GOD LITTLE? Yes it seems like a million years ago to you as well, but anyway, it turned out he had a rather …

It seems almost too timely to talk about the ability to speak publicly as a means of promoting one’s book in light of all the publishing doom-and-gloom that’s taken over the site of late. …

And hell, I just hope this week is better than last week…but I suspect it likely will.

Anyway, Bill Clinton gets a hearty smackdown from Michiko. “Hopelessly dull”? Hey, I just want …

And it seems like the crime fiction crowd took the weekend off, or I’m just not finding them as easily as I usually do. No matter, there’s still tons of good stuff to sift through on this …

To CAAF , who has finally joined the ‘sphere. Maud’s occasional guest blogger has been threatening to start up shop for a while, and boy are we glad she did.

Yes! Yes! It’s the latest installment in what is fast proving to be my new favorite contact sport: the gloriously nasty infighting amongst Yiddish intelligentsia. Because lord knows they do it …

Not a lot of news this morning, although we’re waiting on the official announcement of the Shamus Awards by the PWA–the authors have been notified and individual nominations are trickling …

Ron Rosenbaum’s rather breathless essay about reading Philip Roth’s upcoming novel, THE PLOT AGAINST AMERICA, in this week’s New York Observer interests me on several levels. The …

The Scotsman asked a whole host of authors what their ideal milieu was for creating words on a page and for the “right way to write a novel” Among those interviewed were Alexander McCall …

So as people gear up to party like it’s 1904, I figure I’d focus on the book news that has nothing to do whatsoever with James Joyce, Dublin, or Ulysses. Lord knows that’ll be …

And we start with confusion, because I swear to god, Mel Gussow’s “gee whiz, look how many people are novelizing Henry James!” piece seems suspiciously similar to earlier ones in the …

And oh, let’s start with the Grey Lady, because we can. Karen Joy Fowler’s THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB is a huge (and surprise) success this summer, and Dinitia Smith catches up with the …

Good god, did every major paper decide to devote their energies to crime fiction this week? It sure seems that way–not that you’ll get any complaints from me. All your favorite links and …

Where has the time gone? It seems that it was just a second ago that Alexander McCall Smith launched his daily serial novel, 44 SCOTLAND STREET. But on June 25th, the last installment will be …

One of the mystery mailing lists that I’m subscribed to runs three discussions a month on crime fiction releases, and the answers submitted by list subscribers often yield a lot of food for thought. …

Stella Rimington is best known as the former boss of the MI5 (or, for those in the UK who like to watch tv, “Spooks.”) Now that she’s retired, she’s gone and written a novel, …

And we start off with a rather bizarre profile of Walter Mosley in the Telegraph, which spends an inordinate amount of time on the fact that he writes his books in the nude, even going so far as to …

Andrea Levy was awarded the 2004 Orange Prize in a ceremony held earlier tonight for her novel SMALL ISLAND. Congratulations to her as well as to all those on the shortlist.

And lamenting, just a little bit, that the Flames couldn’t deliver in the end. Tampa Bay played amazingly well and are deserving of the Cup–but who in their right minds, 5 years or so ago, …

And there are fresh Picks and links aplenty….

First, to Patrick Anderson, who presents a double dose of thriller in his weekly column for the WaPo. He gives a thumbs-up to Norman Green’s …

So, how’s your weekend? Mine’s been spent in front of the television, rooting madly for my now-beloved Calgary Flames, only to see them lose in Double OT. It was a great game, so hard to …

And it’s all BEA, all the time–I’m hoping that at some point, my designated spies will check in and feed me information that might be of use (or gossip that might not be of use but …

Ooh, this moveable type stuff is rather fun–so nice and clean, certainly. To wit:

There’s this Hay-on-Wye festival happening. It’s really big over in Britain, especially since they …

Proving the rumors true, the Booker Prize committee has established a new prize that will–gasp!–be open to Americans:

The debate over the future of the Booker was opened in spring 2002 …

And what else to lead off with but Book Expo, since it will dominate the book landscape for the rest of the week? Of course, giving the keynote address (in true hit-and-run style as he’s flying …

I’ve loved Jonathan Yardley’s reviews for quite some time, but his latest offers up a whole host of cheap shots, er, biting gems. Taking on Rachel Pastan’s THIS SIDE OF MARRIED, …

Yankee Pot Roast, who manage to up the humor quotient on a regular basis, continue their “Interviews with Interviewers” series with blog favorite Robert Birnbaum, whose style I someday …

Yes folks, today’s a holiday that’s unique to my fair country, but because I’m a) a dork b) taking off way too much time lately or c) a lazy girl who’s taken off much time …

I’m officially convinced: bloggers are taking over the book reviews. For, you see, Lizzie’s not the only one whose byline appears in a newspaper this week. It’s a bit of a change of …