Scattershots

• BookBitchBlog is the latest stop for the Carnival of the Criminal Minds. Stacy Alesi changes pace a bit here, using her installment to introduce new or recently debuted writers she thinks have great promise, and who have new books out in 2008. Read more here.

• Euro Crime blogger Karen Meek finally announces her top 10 crime novels of 2007, “which happen to be all European,” she notes, adding: “I do read mostly European books so I suppose it makes sense!” Among Meek’s choices: Calling Out for You! by Karin Fossum; The Chinaman, by Friedrich Glauser; The Exception, by Christian Jungersen; and The Redbreast, by Jo Nesbø.

• The first ThugLit of 2008 is up, packed with goodies from Justin Porter (“’Demption Road”), Glenn Gray (“Mr. Universe”), Patrick J. Lambe (“Road Signs to Gibraltar”), and more. Get the full load here.

• Meanwhile, the winter issue of Mouth Full of Bullets went live on Christmas Day--but I was a bit too busy to notice it then. Short stories in this edition include Robert L. Iles’ “A Thousand the Hard Way” and Suzanne Berube Rorhus’ “The Perfect Gift.” There are also flash-fiction entries, poetry, and an interview with J.T. Ellison, author of All the Pretty Girls. All of the contents can be found here.

• And the latest film up for consideration at Noir of the Week is Murder, My Sweet (1944), based on Raymond Chandler’s 1940 novel Farewell, My Lovely. “Why the change in title?” asks Wikipedia, before explaining: “Dick Powell was previously known (1930s and early 1940s) for light comedies and musicals, so the casting of him as Chandler’s hard-boiled private detective antihero was a surprise to audiences. The studio executives changed the title from Farewell, My Lovely because they believed audiences would think the film was a musical.” Movie audiences are apparently not very smart, huh?