I have been following with interest the frenzy among the many reviewers who take different positions in response to Martel’s Beatrice and Virgil. I have not yet read the novel, and I remain undecided about whether or not the book is worth my (or anyone’s) time.

From Buy Cheap Book Online > Mystery & Thrillers > Thrillers > Legal

Kisser (Stone Barrington)

Stone Barrington is back in this thrilling new page-turner from the perennially entertaining New York Times-bestselling author. Stone Barrington is back in New York, and after a rather harrowing sojourn in Key West, he’s looking to stay closer to home and work on some simple divorce and custody cases for Woodman & Weld.

Apparently, the Federal Trade Commission has been making some noise about reviewers/bloggers, claiming that there has been some sort of ongoing quid pro quo arrangement between publishers and reviewers: reviewers provide books in exchange for reviews that encourage book sales.

This is what I said last week about Thomas Pynchon’s new book:

Well, readers, Thomas Pynchon–one of the singular writers who has already been enshrined in America’s post-post-modern canon–has a new book arriving in bookstores on Tuesday, August 4, 2009, and–if all goes well–I plan on posting a review of the book–Inherent Vice–on this blog in the next week or so.