Blog
Bragging on my buddy (Boston rock)
OK, full disclosure: Brett Milano is a friend. But I'm still wowed and impressed by his new book, The Sound of Our Town, a history of Boston rock. Through lively anecdotes, interviews, and lots of fun facts, he re-creates the history of our little scene, from its...
Cats on wheels!
One of our great local shelters here in Boston, Animal Rescue League, has launched a mobile pet adoption van. When I had lunch with two of ARL's guys last week, we talked about this and I asked about screening. After all, for someone to take an animal in while it's...
I’ve been tagged
Cyrus, our eminence grisé:Well, thanks to Caroline Leavitt, I've been tagged.What is tagging? Well, it seems to be a form of blog chain letter. According to the rules, I'm supposed to list 7 random facts/habits about myself, here, on my blog. Then tag 7 other bloggers...
Not exactly crime fiction…
although there are several murders in this collection. But for once, considering the author's tendencies, I am truly grateful there are no cats among these 16 short stories! In case you can't tell from my Boston Globe review, I preferred Faber's novel, "The Crimson...
World Literary Day!
Thanks to Oline Cogdill, who used her great books blog to alert us to World Literary Day – Today! Oline is the crime fiction critic for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, and she shares the blog with fellow critic Chauncey Mabe, chatting on a variety of topics about...
Madeleine L’Engle
First and foremost, she believed that even young readers could think, could reason, and wanted to explore. She'll be missed.From the New York Times: Madeleine L'Engle has died at 88.(Photo by George M. Gutierrez for the New York Times)
Crime and communists… and no rock ‘n’ roll
When I was asked to review "Anarchy and Old Dogs," the latest Dr. Siri Investigates mystery from Colin Cotterill, I was thrilled. That glow faded a bit once I read the book; it doesn't seem quite as much fun as its three predecessors. That said, it's still better than...
Criminal acts (by publishers)
Thoughtful blog by Carmel, Indiana bookstore owner Jim Huang (The Mystery Company) and small publisher in which he discusses the current state of mystery publishing (and bookselling), the ridiculous pressure from NY publishers to break out big from the start with a...
Rembering Katrina
Hi folks,It's a gorgeous, sunny, not-too-hot day here. But I'm listening to the New Orleans community radio station WWOZ online, and with the wonderful music they are playing, they are commemorating the hurricane and subsequent flood of two years ago. As a New...
No cats at all…
Just my latest review covering a different area of interest, mental illness and memoir: my San Francisco Chronicle review of Elyn Sach's memoir, "The Center Cannot Hold."