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P. D. James Q & A: What is the difference between the detective story and the crime novel? The reader can expect to find a central mysterious death, a closed circle of suspects each with credible motive, means and opportunity for the crime, a detective, either amateur or professional, who comes in like an avenging deity to solve it, and a solution at the end of the book which the reader should be able to arrive at by logical deduction from clues presented by the writer with deceptive cunning but essential fairness. What interests me is the extraordinary variety of talents which this so-called formula is able to accommodate. more »

Jill Norgren reviews: Once again I turned young readers for holiday book suggestions. I asked the same questions as in past years — "which books do you love" and "which books did you read this past year that you think other readers and listeners would appreciate?" Many favorites are new but some are classics. This year a number of books have social issue and political themes. more »

Joan L. Cannon writes: What I didn't do was to vacuum the carpet. I didn't polish the brass (that really needs it because Thanksgiving will be celebrated here next week.) Ditto the silver in the china cabinet. I did the laundry, and then I even folded it and put it away, but dusting has almost disappeared from my vocabulary as well as my chore list. So now I try to feel better for bothering to mention all these things on paper. more »

Editor's Note: Many a year I would come home late on a Wednesday from Time magazine in New York City, only to start cooking a Thanksgiving meal at our house the next day. On Friday, I went back to work, to return home very late as the magazine was going to press. But there were times I'd have Saturday duty at Time and only see my college-attending daughters for a few hours on Sunday before they returned to school by AmTrak. more »