This just in (again): the New York Times has discovered that authors are writing about 9/11 and their reactions to said tragedy. We realize that it’s a lot to ask, but it would be great if such a major newspaper looked back at its previous coverage of this issue and found a different way to tackle reviews of related books. Especially since offering a high-level overview of books tackling this subject matter doesn’t really offer the opportunity for depth and analysis. Though, more time and space would surely eliminate statements of the obvious (yes, it is a cranky day, thank […]

Someone wise once told us that character growth is important. If characters don’t learn from their actions, then they’re boring. The trend of sequels to successful chicklit novels highlights this truism: the Shopaholic remains in eternal debt and Bridget Jones… Well, Bridget hasn’t exactly returned to the novel, but she’s returned. Actually, she’s right back where she started: a newspaper column. Whose idea was that? It turns out that she’s still single, still dithering between the same men, and just barely more settled in her life. And, if we may be honest, Bridget wasn’t exactly a spring chicken. This has

Carl Jung is dead. That everyone can agree on that point is a major milestone. Jung’s biographer and Jung’s heirs have been warring over a new look at the man. Traditionally, biographies are written, reviewed, and consigned to shelves after being read by those who find themselves interested. Additional readings may happen if another biographer uses the book as source material. Though other publishers of the Jung biography have opted against inserting “corrections” into the book, the German publisher, a division of Random House, has weighed one potential lawsuit against another and decided to try to compromise. Which leads us

If one needs a good sense of our priorities, consider this: we read MediaBistro’s interview with editors Megan Lynch and Sean McDonald…and our big takeaway was that we really need to get the new George Saunders novella. Don’t blame the editors — they were as interesting and candid as possible — but we have a one-track mind some days. However, this isn’t about our needs, it’s about yours, and you want to know how Lynch and McDonald (of Riverhead, part of the Penguin family, which reminds us that we really want to see that movie about penguins) approach editing and

Our bookclub has supplemented* our collective reading list with something the husband likes to call the “Ayn Rand/L. Ron Hubbard List”. Ostensibly, this is a list of classic titles as chosen by readers. In reality, there was a small war between the Objectivists and the Scientologists, and the top ten slots are weighted heavily in the direction of two authors who really should have counted themselves lucky if they placed one title each. In defense of the readers’ list, it also includes The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy. We mention this because, when it comes to lists of classic books,