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I love Henning Mankell, but…
I just couldn't love "The Man from Beijing," (as I say in my Boston Phoenix review). Too many things kept throwing me out of the book, mostly a sense of heavy handed message. Mankell is – as are most crime writers – highly moral. Usually, he lets his characters do the...
Not kicked too hard
"Sure to provide cat fanciers with a relaxing couple of hours." – Kirkus Reviews on Grey Matters.Not bad, right? Well, coming from Kirkus, this is probably meant to be snarky - the infamous "Kirkus kick." But I'll take it. I mean, I write to entertain and those who...
Congrats to Lesa – and The Conscious Cat
One of my favorite blogs, combining pet news and advice and book reviews, is The Conscious Cat. This week, TCC awarded an "Over the Top" award to longtime librarian and indefatigable book blogger Lesa Holstine and her Lesa's Book Critiques blog. The award is most apt...
Thank you, Booklist!
My Grey Matters officially pubs in March – here's my first pre-pub review: Grey Matters, Simon, Clea (Author), Mar 2010. 240 p. Severn, hardcover, $28.95. (9780727868404).Simon’s second Dulcie Schwartz mystery picks up a few months after the end of Shades of Grey...
James Patterson, not so much
Why does James Patterson bother? From reading the New York Times profile, I've learned that he has five "co-authors" who actually writethe books he drafts. He skews his plots for marketing purposes. He's abandoned his early literary potential to write sadomasochistic...
Getting ready for GREY MATTERS!
Coming soon! Officially, a March 1, 2010, book. But, because it was published in Dec. in the UK and, I guess, copies shipped, it's already available at a few places (primarily online.)
Robert B. Parker, RIP
A few years ago, I had the honor of being on a panel at the Concord Literary Festival with Robert B. Parker. I'd seen the local luminary - the creator of the Spenser mysteries, and arguably the reviver of hard-boiled crime fiction - before, often. When Jon and I would...
Nora in concerto!
Words do not do this Lithuanian composer's orchestration of Nora the Piano-Playing Cat's music justice. Just watch.
Yup, I need new photos
Musetta is still sporting this classic look, but I've replaced this old iMac with a sleek flat-screen model. Sadly, the mess on the desk remains pretty much the same! Anyway, Musetta once again takes her place among literary fat cats in today's Galleycat.
“Cambridge Voices” anthology is out!
Cambridge Voices: A Literary Celebration of Libraries and the Joy of Reading is out! I have five copies in my hot little hands (well, ok, on my bookshelf) and I cannot wait to read the contributions by such luminaries as Jill Lepore, Matthew Pearl, Robert Pinsky, Gail...