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April 02, 2007

Generating buzz

  Wow. Did anyone else notice that Jodi Picoult's new novel, which I mentioned in Friday's blog, is No. 1 on the New York Times (Hardcover fiction) Bestseller list? "Nineteen Minutes" deals with the aftermath of a shooting rampage at a high school, and is getting good reviews and a lot of buzz.

Here's what the Times critic, Janet Maslin, said about the novel (and I think her comments are dead on):

  "There are reasons why Ms. Picoult's books are so widely read. However doggedly she belabors the obvious, she writes articulately and clearly, making her all too much of a rarity among popular authors. Her stories are more reassuring than disturbing, and their surprise twists pose no threats. These novels have soap-opera momentum, and they guarantee comforting closure. Even the cover of 'Nineteen Minutes' depicts hands being held."

I can't imagine that "Nineteen Minutes" is more compelling read than her previous novel and Book Club selection, "My Sister's Keeper." But if you read her newest, let me know how you liked it.

Posted at 02:10 PM in New releases |

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Reader comments are posted immediately and are not edited. Please use good taste, be respectful of other writers, keep comments relevant to the post and do not impersonate someone else. We are not responsible for the comments on this blog, but we reserve the right to remove any that are libelous, obscene, threatening, abusive, or otherwise offensive, and to block any user who does not follow these guidelines. Comments containing objectionable words are automatically blocked. Some comments may be re-published in The Buffalo News print edition.