Book Buzz

• NPR’s All Things Considered is featuring “Summer Books.” This week, Alan Cheuse, a self-described “fiction addict,” put in his two cents. And Emily Wylie recommended “Three Books About Cowboys and Indians.”

• The New York Times Sunday Book Review critiqued several books about Paris this week: Métro Stop Paris, We’ve Always Had Paris . . . and Provence, and A Town Like Paris. Naturally, these books came out after I left the city.

• USA Today compares Brunonia Barry’s The Lace Reader to Rebecca and The Witch of Blackbird Pond—two of my favorite novels. Even if I don’t like Lace, I will definitely consider naming my first daughter Brunonia.

• David Sedaris may not be to everyone’s taste, but I find him deliciously funny. He appeared on The Daily Show this week promoting his new book, When You are Engulfed in Flames, and talked about moving to Japan to quit smoking. Oh, la.

• Salman Rushdie appeared on The View this week promoting The Enchantress of Florence. Frightening. His appearance was obviously an act of desperation since neither The New York Times nor USA Today had anything good to say about his book.