Bookish: Seasonal Temptations (7#) -

Neighborhood stores have been packing away their Christmas decorations lately and replacing them with Valentine merchandise, including all sorts of chocolate items, a traditional favorite. This year they should be able to sell lots of chocolates because in a recession, chocolate may be a relatively affordable indulgence, but there are variables; this year the key variable may be the price of sugar. Sugar has been eventful lately. Have you noticed?

Valentines Day is not the only type of merchandise set to move now. This week is Pre-Super Bowl Week here in the US. Every year during the weeks preceding that event, merchants have discovered they sell more big screen and fancy TVs than usual, so they splurge on intense advertising campaigns to tempt sports fans.

# Chauncey Mabe blogs his reaction to the death of JD Salinger at Open Page. I found many of the "tribute" reactions a bit over the top, too.

# Detective Mystery: The Godfather of Kathmandu
by John Burdett is reviewed by Sarah Weinman.

# Richard Eder reviews
Don DeLillo's new novel Point Omega.

# Shocking True Story about the old
Confidential Magazine by Henry E. Scott
is reviewed by Peter M Gianotti.

# Olivia Cole writes about Pakistani author
Ali Sethi and his novel The Wish Maker at TDB.

# Not Kurt Wallander this time: Mike Ripley's February Crime Column has been posted. It includes a discussion about the new Henning Mankell novel, The Man From Beijing.

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