The Sunday morning "This apartment is a friggin' mess and I am under-caffeinated" book review link dump.

I am now officially out of coffee beans. I can see the white at the bottom of the bag. Horrors! Indeed, this is something to despair about. Nevertheless, I bravely muddle on. (Possibly because I know I can walk over to Dunkin' Donuts again if need be.) I must have caffeine because this apartment is a disaster and needs a thorough scrubbing. Also, there is laundry to do. (Always laundry. Sigh.) I can't be caught napping in the middle of laundry.

Meanwhile, despite my own personal bean-less tragedy, I leave you with the following good things to read about books:

At The Denver Post, a couple of good things: Janna Fischer gives props to Doris Lessing's new fantastic myth of a matriarchal Roman Empire, The Cleft; and Robin Vidimos raves about Jasper Fforde's newest, First Among Sequels.

At the Los Angeles Times, Regina Marler also discusses The Cleft; and Sonja Bolle talks about the effect that Harry Potter has had on reading, and whether Harry made reading fantasy hip. (Um, okay.)

At the New York Times, David Itzkoff takes on Austin Grossman's Soon I Will Be Invincible.

Associated Press writer Chris Talbott talks to Kevin J. Anderson and Tor's David Hartwell about A. E. Van Vogt and Anderson's finishing of the sequel to Slan, Slan Hunter.

At the Portland Oregonian, Jim Carmin reviews Daniel Wallace's Mr. Sebastian and the Negro Magician.

At the Houston Chronicle, Bill Sheehan reviews William Gibson's newest, Spook Country.

At McClatchy Newspapers (formerly Knight-Ridder), Miami Herald critic Connie Ogle also takes on Fforde's First Among Sequels.

At the Independent (UK), Tim Martin reviews Brasyl by Ian McDonald, and Christian House discusses The End of Mr. Y by Scarlett Thomas.

At Newsday, John Freeman reviews Fforde's First Among Sequels and Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann (which you absolutely must read).

Book Fetish reviews John Scalzi's The Last Colony and gives it four stars (and if you aren't regularly reading this online review 'zine, you're missing out).

Somehow I missed this but January Magazine now has a blog. (Yay!)

And last but far from least, Fantasy Book Critic has a wonderful round-up of new genre titles for August.