Yes open sicilian = best by test, and more than that at least it is interesting

c3 Sicilan proper = too systematic and worked out
Bb5 sicilians = good way to get a strategic game

I used to play the white side of the c3 Sicilian when it was easy to get by without having to learn any theory.  Now I face it from time to time from the other side of the board.

Gallagher wrote a c3 Sicilian book in 1999 (which I've heard of but haven't seen).  Watson reviewed it here:
http://www.jeremysilman.com/book_reviews_jw/jw_c3_sicilian_gallagher.html

Rozentalis and Harley wrote a book in 2002 which I own and found to be up to date and pretty useful.  This was also reviewed by Watson:
http://www.jeremysilman.com/book_reviews_jw/jw_play_2c3_sicilian.html
http://www.chesscenter.com/twic/jwatsonbkrev53.html

However, the best resource on the opening might still be Chandler's 1997 book (especially if there is a more recent version).

Don't know of any other recent c3 Sicilian books, but I haven't really been looking since I switched to playing the Open Sicilians which, despite the increased theory burden, I find to be more fun to play.

Just looking at statistics from higher level games, it would seem that White does fairly well here.  Mulling over some of the games, White doesn't look too bad, either, though he'll want to be confident playing with an isolated pawn, which seems to be a recurring trend in a number of the lines.

That said, the following game caught my attention.  According to the Chessbase database, Black wins rarely, but Bologan and Nakamura have both been on the winning side with Black.  Bologan's game struck me as interesting.  His 9 ... Ne8 appears to be the beginning of a relatively interesting plan.  I don't think it reduces this deferred Alapin to the scrap heap, but White might want to have more of a plan here than McShane seemed to.

But it's been years since I've been on either side of any Sicilian, so I'll look forward to hearing what others have to say...

[Site "Pamplona"]
[Date "2003.12.20"]
[White "McShane,Luke J"]
[Black "Bologan,Viktor"]

1.e4 c5 2.Nf3 d6 3.c3 Nf6 4.Be2 g6 5.0-0 Bg7 6.Bb5+ Bd7 7.Bxd7+ Nbxd7 8.Re1 0-0
9.d4 Ne8 10.Bg5 Nc7 11.d5 h6 12.Be3 f5 13.exf5 Rxf5 14.Nh4 Rxd5 15.Qc2 g5 16.Nf5 Qf8
17.Ng3 Qf7 18.Nd2 Ne5 19.Rf1 Rf8 20.Nde4 Ng6 21.Qa4 Re5 22.c4 Qe6 23.Nc3 a6 24.Rae1 Nf4 25.Qa5 Qd7 26.Nge4 Qc6 27.f3 b5 28.b3 Nd3 29.Re2 Ref5 30.Ng3 R5f7 31.Nce4 Ne5 32.Nh5 Bh8 33.Qe1 bxc4 34.bxc4 Nxc4 35.Bxg5 hxg5 36.Nxg5 Qd5 37.Qg3 Bg7 38.Nxf7 Rxf7 39.Qh3 e6 40.Nxg7 Rxg7 41.Re4 Ne5 42.Rb1 Nd7 43.Qh4 Ne8 44.Qe1 e5 45.Qe2 Qc6 46.Rh4 Nef6 47.f4 Qa4 48.Kh1 Qd4 49.Qxa6 Qf2 50.g3 Qf3+ 51.Kg1 exf4 52.Qc4+ Nd5 53.Rb3 Qd1+ 54.Kf2 Qd2+ 55.Kg1 Qd1+ 56.Kf2 Re7 57.Rxf4 Ne5 58.Rb8+ Kg7 59.Qa4 Nd3+ 60.Kg2 N5xf4+ 0-1