The New Zealand Herald thinks Peter Rose’s, RODDY PARR, might have narrowed its target a little too much by gaming with the names and nuances of mostly Australian lierati.

Swedish crime thrillers are all the rage, but Ake Edwardson’s, THE SHADOW WOMAN, may have suffered in translation.

I just hope Elle’s, HUNTING SEASON: A FIELD GUIDE TO TARGETING AND CAPTURING THE PERFECT MAN, is more lighthearted than it sounds here.  Yikes!

And Seamus Heaney’s latest book of poetry, HUMAN CHAIN, earns an Editor’s Pick over at the Guardian.

From the torforge YouTube description:

When New York City jewelry designer Garet James stumbles into a strange antiques shop in her neighborhood, her life is about to be turned upside down. John Dee, the enigmatic shopkeeper, commissions her to open a vintage silver box for a generous sum of money. Oddly, the symbol of a swan on the box exactly matches the ring given to her by her deceased mother. Garet can’t believe her luck and this eerie coincidence until she opens the box and otherworldly things start happening. . . .

That evening, the precious silver box is stolen. When Garet begins to investigate, she learns that she has been pulled into a prophecy that is hundreds of years old, and opening the box has unleashed an evil force onto the streets of Manhattan and the world at large. Gradually, Garet pieces together her true identity—one that her deceased mother desperately tried to protect her from. Generations of women in Garet’s family, including her beloved mother, suffered and died at the hands of this prevailing evil. Does Garet possess the power to reclaim the box and defeat this devastating force?

On her journey, she will meet the fey folk who walk unnoticed among humans and a sexy vampire who also happens to be a hedge fund manager that she can’t stop thinking about. But the fairies reveal a desire to overpower mere humans and the seductive vampire has the power to steal the life from her body. Whom can Garet trust to guide her? Using her newfound powers and sharp wit, Garet will muster everything she’s got to shut down the evil taking over her friends, family, New York City, and the world.

Pregnancy, childbirth, and parental attachment metaphors abound in this business. Strain at the plot arc and grind your teeth through the editing pains and you’ve given birth (or at least served as midwife) to a new thing, a wobbly creature you christen with a title, then swaddle in cover art. Endure criticism and it stings like having your baby defamed as hard-on-the-eyes. Ask many a writer and you’ll hear that the task of peddling a manuscript is nothing short of turning out your very flesh and blood into the cold, cruel world.

Life is hard, but literature is a nursery of horrors.

Or is it?

AuthorScoop has invited authors of every stripe to weigh in on Thursdays, on one question:

Is your book your baby?

(view the entire essay collection here)

……………………………………….

Insofar as a book is a complex, separate, unwieldy, difficult, beloved, independent creature, then yes, my book was my baby. But now that my children are in their twenties, I find it more relevant to compare the process of completing a book to the entire scope of parenting, which for me began when those tiny individuals popped out and I instantly knew  two things: I was hopelessly in love, and they were going to require more resources from me than I possessed at the time. That disquiet and passion also pretty much sums up the beginning of writing My Name is Mary Sutter. I can never say that I was certain, at any given moment of parenting or writing, what the right choice might be for any given problem. Sometimes I guessed, sometimes I followed a primal, maternal or literary instinct, sometimes I floundered, and on the good days—which I hope were more frequent, not less—I tried to make intelligent choices based on that underlying, enduring love. What I learned over time was that my characters, like my children, had their own truths, their own lives, and it was my job to discover who they were, what they wanted, what they needed from me, and then at moments of intense pressure, summon spontaneous wisdom to figure out how to equip them so that they ultimately could become their best selves. And after I had given each of them every chance, every attention, every ounce of love I could squeeze from my exhausted soul, I sent them all out into the world. It was then that I knew what a folly the concept of “finished” was, because my worries for my book, like those for my children, including whether they will flounder and sink far from my the reaches of my arms or whether anyone will ever love them as much as I do, are never-ending, and that in choosing to write a book, I have risked my heart once again, fool that I am.

-Robin Oliveira, author of MY NAME IS MARY SUTTER

***

I do feel that my books are indeed, very much my babies. As far as gestation goes, not really. I wish I had only carried my kids for around a month. After that though, very much so. I am always very protective of my work and will only give it out to a limited number of eyes, like trusting your kids to only the best babysitters. I have nightmares about dying before I get to see their full potential. ie: published vs graduation, great jobs & grandkids. I drive with my laptop in my passenger seat, protecting my novels within and use the “mom arm” with it if I have to hit the brakes fast. I love each one for it’s own differences and try not to love one more than another. * grins * After receiving the news that I was going to be published, I did refer to it as “my baby” because it was going to take nine months for anyone else to be able to see it.

So yes, freakazoid sounding as it may be, my books are my babies. * throws cover art over shoulder and burps it *

-June Donaghy Kramin, author of the just-released paranormal romance, DUSTIN TIME

Seth Godin expands on his reasons for bypassing traditional publishing. (mediabistro.com)

Ramy Habeeb chats it up with “digital innovator” Peter Collingridge of Enhanced Editions, who produces enhanced eBooks in the UK. (Publishing Perspectives)

Rachel Deahl has some new details on the Andrew Wylie / Random House truce. (Publishers Weekly)

Charlotte Higgins talks to AS Byatt about her new novel, in addition to “religion, reality, her hatred of diaries and why she is eager for someone to write a novel about the discourse of Facebook and Twitter”. (The Guardian)

Free eBooks for college students… get em while they’re hot. (GalleyCat)

Rick Gekoski muses on what it means to be good literary loser. (Guardian Books Blog)

David Pogue takes the new Kindle for a test drive. (NYTimes)

MI5 thought James Bond screenwriter Cyril Wolf Mankowitz was a spy. (Herald Scotland)

In other “weird spy” news, the author who claimed he was a CIA assassin killed himself on accident… (AP)

“On this day in 1875, the lawyer-politician-writer John Buchan was born, in Perth, Scotland. Buchan wrote prolifically and in almost all genres, but he is best known for his spy-adventure novels, particularly the first “Richard Hannay” book, The Thirty-Nine Steps. Most give Buchan credit for the kind of espionage thriller — he called them “shockers” — that would eventually arrive at James Bond.” (Today in Literature)

“Consciousness is much more than the thorn, it is the dagger in the flesh.”

-Emile M. Cioran

.

.

.

The Christian Science Monitor appreciates Sue Diaz’s memoir, MINEFIELDS OF THE HEART: A MOTHER’S STORIES OF AN SON AT WAR.

Kirkus stars a pirate graphic novel, THE UNSINKABLE WALKER BEAN, by Aaron Renier.

EMPIRE OF DREAMS: THE EPIC LIFE OF CECIL B. DEMILLE, by Scott Eyman, satisfies the critics at The Los Angeles Times.

The Wall Street Journal looks at INTERSTATE 69: THE UNFINISHED HISTORY OF THE LAST GREAT AMERICAN HIGHWAY, by Matt Dellinger.

From the YouTube description:

Young adult author Larry Mike Garmon interviewed for KWTV-4’s “Is This a Great State or What?” segment at Altus High School, Altus, OK:

Random House / Andrew Wylie Saga Resolved

Random House Strikes Truce with Wylie Agency (GalleyCat)
Wylie and Random House make e-peace (The Literary Saloon)
Amazon Loses E-Book Deal (Wall Street Journal)

In other news:

Chris Power continues his “brief survey of the short story” with a look at the work of Vladimir Nabokov. (Guardian Books Blog)

Why aren’t Britons visiting libraries anymore? (Telegraph)

Poet Liz Lochhead will read at the funeral of Edwin Morgan tomorrow. (Herald Scotland)

Will Gompertz comments (briefly) on the “Franzen media roadshow”. (BBC)

Sean Di Lizio chronicles his experiences in attempting a novel in three days. (The Millions)

Joseph Berger details the woes of New York City’s sole Yiddish bookstore. (NYTimes)

Sabina Dana Plasse explores what makes US Poet Laureate WS Merwin tick. (Idaho Mountain Express)

Kayla Webley looks at what the prisoners at Guantánamo Bay are reading. (TIME)

R.I.P. Edward Kean, TV writer. (NYTimes)

R.I.P. Gerald Rosen, novelist and professor. (San Francisco Chronicle)

R.I.P. George David Weiss, songwriter. (NYTimes)

R.I.P. Satoshi Kon, anime writer and director. (Collider)

“On this day in 1949, Martin Amis was born. In any history of the last half-century of English Literature, a chapter will have to be given to the Amis family’s seventy-five books — and still counting, in Martin’s case. Two chapters might be better: one of father Kingsley’s many “failures of tolerance,” to use Martin’s phrase, was his contempt for his son’s postmodern novels, or the few he’d tried reading.” (Today in Literature)

“An alcoholic is someone you don’t like who drinks as much as you do.”

-Dylan Thomas

.

.

.

Author John Clinch impresses this Chicago critic with his new novel, KINGS OF THE EARTH.

CAPTIVE QUEEN: A NOVEL OF ELEANOR OF AQUITANE, by Alison Weir, is steamy and well recommended.

Suzanne Collins wraps up her Hunger Games series with MOCKINGJAY and here’s a few reviews compiled to see how well it’s going over.

THE PAIN CHRONICLES, by Melanie Thernstrom, does just that - chronicles the gauntlet of her lingering injury and showcases the history and future, (good, bad, and hopeful) of pain management.

From the YouTube description:

“Age of the Dragons” is an adaptation of Herman Melville’s classic novel Moby Dick. Set in a medieval realm where Captain Ahab and crew hunt dragons for the vitriol that powers their world, Ishmael, a charismatic harpooner joins their quest. Ahab’s adopted daughter Rachel, beautiful and tough, runs the hunting vessel. Ahab’s obsession is to seek revenge on a great “White Dragon” that slaughtered his family when he was young and left his body scarred and mauled, drives the crew deeper into the heart of darkness. In the White Dragon’s lair Ahab’s secrets are revealed and Rachel must choose between following him on his dark quest or escaping to a new life with Ishmael.

Alec Michod chats it up with “brainy British novelist” David Mitchell. (The Rumpus)

The launch of Suzanne Collins’s Mockingjay creates high hopes among booksellers. (NYTimes)

The September 2010 issue of World Literature Online is now, well, online. (WLT)

Charlotte Higgins examines the ethics of the memoir. (The Guardian)

Jeff Rivera talks to bestselling author Phillipa Gregory (audio). (GalleyCat)

Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg muses on the effect of Seth Godin walking away from traditional publishing. (Wall Street Journal)

Daniel B. Roberts profiles the “next big thing in urban hipster lit”, Tao Lin. (Salon)

John Le Carré calls James Bond a “neo-fascist” gangster. (Telegraph)

Google shifts its stance on net neutrality. What does that mean for the book settlement? (Publishers Weekly)

“On this day in 1847 Charlotte Bronte sent her manuscript of Jane Eyre to her eventual publisher, under her pseudonym of Currer Bell. Many first reviewers thought the book outrageous; one speculated that Currer Bell was an “unsexed” woman who dared “to trample upon customs established by our forefathers, and long destined to shed glory upon our domestic circles.” (Today in Literature)

“I may not have gone where I intended to go, but I think I have ended up where I intended to be.”

-Douglas Adams

.

.

.

USA Today features a crop of new books intended to make the transition to college easier on everybody… and their wallets.

DANCING BACKWARDS, by Salley Vickers, doesn’t go over all that well in Boston.

THE MURDER ROOM, by Michael Capuzzo, details the origins and sometimes doubt-able exploits of a real ‘crime-solvers club’.

It’s still summer and it’s still hot, so this review of THE CIAO BELLA BOOK OF GELATO & SORBETO - BOLD, FRESH FLAVORS TO MAKE AT HOME, by F.W. Pearce and Danilo Zecchim, caught my eye.

From the YouTube description:

In 1905, Jack London, American adventurer and author of “The Call of the Wild,” “The Sea Wolf,” “White Fang,” and more than two dozen other books, purchased over 100 acres of land outside the town of Glen Ellen, in Sonoma County, California. He called the area “the Valley of the Moon.” The ranch he built is now a California State Park and National Historic Landmark. The grounds include the ranch house, farm buildings, the House of Happy Walls, the ruins of the ill-fated Wolf House, and the graves of Jack and Charmian London.

Günter Grass talks writing, politics and the Brothers Grimm in a wide-ranging interview. (Spiegel)

Prepare to laugh. (Better Book Titles)

Peruse the most anticipated fiction and non-fiction of this fall. (New York Magazine)

Jonathan Jones declares Jonathan Franzen’s Freedom “the novel of the year, and the century”. (Guardian Books Blog)

Johann Hari reminds us that Jack London was far more than a children’s adventure writer. (The Independent)

German best seller list invaded by women writing in English. (Publishers Weekly)

Kelly Zhou joins the chorus of 90th birthday wishes for Ray Bradbury. (The Daily Bruin)

Carol Rumens celebrates the life of Edwin Morgan in this week’s “poem of the week”. (Guardian Books Blog)

Peter Applebome looks back at the quirky poetry, and even quirkier behavior, of Alfred Starr Hamilton. (NYTimes)

“On this day in 1305 Scotland’s William Wallace was executed — to be accurate: hanged, disemboweled, beheaded and quartered. The William Wallace legend and the popularity of the Braveheart movie owe much to a 15th century epic poem by Blind Harry the Minstrel. Robert Burns added to Wallace literature too, though his “Scots Wha Hae” went forth behind cover.” (Today in Literature)

“Give a man a fire and he’s warm for the day. But set fire to him and he’s warm for the rest of his life.”

-Terry Pratchett

.

.

.

Self-help guru, Rhonda Byrne (of THE SECRET fame), is back with her heart-over-matter explanation of money woes in THE POWER.

Eliza Griswold earns the respect of The New York Times for her book, THE TENTH PARALLEL: DISPATCHES FROM THE FAULT LINE BETWEEN CHRISTIANITY AND ISLAM.

The Star Tribune offers up a look at some late summer reading for the younger crowd.

Elliott J. Gorn puts the spotlight on one of the toughest spectator sports ever sold to the masses in THE MANLY ART: BARE-KNUCKLE PRIZE-FIGHTING IN AMERICA (UPDATED EDITION).

From the Waterstone’s YouTube description:

DBC Pierre’s third novel completes a loose trilogy of fictions, each of which stands alone as a joyful expression of the human spirit. Gabriel Brockwell, aesthete, poet, philosopher, disaffected twenty-something decadent, is thinking terminal. His philosophical enquiries, the abstractions he indulges, and how these relate to a life lived, all point in the same direction. His destination is Wonderland. The nature and style of the journey is all that’s to be decided. Taking in London, Tokyo, Berlin and the Galapagos Islands, “Lights Out In Wonderland” documents Gabriel Brockwell’s remarkable global odyssey. Committed to the pursuit of pleasure and in search of the Bacchanal to obliterate all previous parties, Gabriel’s adventure takes in a spell in rehab, a near-death experience with fugu ovaries, a sexual encounter with an octopus, and finally an orgiastic feast in the bowels of Berlin’s majestic Tempelhof Airport.

Sean O’Hagan spends an Irish evening with DBC Pierre. (The Observer)

Christopher Lehmann-Haupt remembers Frank Kermode as a “critic who write with style”. (NYTimes)

Craig Fehrmen looks back at the history of writers on TIME’s cover and what it says about Jonathan Franzen. (The Millions)

Amanda Katz profiles law professor Martha Minow and gets her views on how literature might be a key to resolving societal conflicts. (Boston Globe)

Territorial pissings: bookstores fight a war of attrition in Westhampton Beach. (NYTimes)

Brian Brady looks to “a radical future for book publishing”. (The Independent)

Benjamin Pimental says that next year’s first Filipino American International Book Festival is long overdue. (Inquirer.net)

Royal British Legion put in ‘no-win’ situation by Tony Blairs book donation. (Telegraph)

R.I.P. Bernard Knox, scholar of classical literature. (The Washington Post)

R.I.P. Nancy Freedman, novelist and feminist. (KansasCity.com)

“On this day in 1893 Dorothy Parker was born in Long Branch, New Jersey, to Henry and Eliza Rothschild (”My God, no, dear! We’d never even heard of those Rothschilds”). Her birth was two months premature, allowing her to say that it was the last time she was early for anything; her early writing was a “following in the exquisite footsteps of Edna St. Vincent Millay, unhappily in my own horrible sneakers.”" (Today in Literature)