Thomas Curwen in the L.A. Times Book Review and Thomas Mallon in the New York Times Book Review both weigh in on Joan Didion's dark take on a California spoiled, Where I Was From. It's the cover review with a color illustration in both sections -- side by side, I gotta go with the NYT on the illo. The LAT also reviews Governor Reagan by Lou Cannon and pans The Substance of Style by Virginia Postrel. Matt Miller's The Two Percent Solution busts onto the LAT Bestseller list at #5 -- Al Franken is still #1.

In the October issue of The Atlantic, besides the Benjamin Schwarz review of Didion's book mentioned here ten days ago -- he didn't care for it -- there is an enthused review of Jamesland, LA Weekly dining columnist Michelle Huneven's "irresistible second novel." L.A. author and performer Sandra Tsing Loh reviews a book on family life. And the issue carries a longer and more thoughtful review of Substance of Style than the LAT gave. The Atlantic site also has an interview with Postrel from August.