The First 30 Days, by Ariane de Bonvoisin

How do you deal with change? With stress?

Although I have many fears, I’m proud to say that change isn’t one of them. Then again, little beyond my age and hairstyle has changed much over the years. I’d like to think that I handle change well, but I really can’t be sure.

Mostly, though, I hide from change (or even just stressful things in general), doing anything in my power to avoid dealing with the situation. When this isn’t possible, I’d like to say that I always deal positively, like by exercising or reading. Sometimes this is true, but I’m also liable to shove food and/or alcohol down my throat instead. Good times.

Kockroach, by Tyler Knox

The tale I am about to relate is most undoubtedly true. The memory of it still manages to send chills down my spine, despite the fact that the following events happened over twenty years ago. The moment remains seared into my memory as though with a hot iron, driving into me a deep, irrational fear that is with me to this day.

It had been a day like any other. I sat, still blessedly innocent and unaware, playing in my bedroom. A light breeze moved the curtains and sounds of the city wafted gently through my window. I could hear the bleats and whirrs of passing cars, and the shouts of children (those who actually – I shudder at the thought – played outside) could also be heard.

When You Are Engulfed in Flames, by David Sedaris

My latest review is available at Pajiba, this time on the latest by David Sedaris, When You Are Engulfed in Flames.

Many critics complain that this latest collection of personal essays isn't as hilarious as previous collections, such as Naked, which, to be fair, made me wet my pants from laughing too hard. However, comparing Engulfed to Naked is, in my mind, a bit unfair, and you can read what I say in response to such criticism here.

In a nutshell: Perhaps not as hilarious as previous works, but that doesn't mean When You Are Engulfed in Flames isn't worth the read.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars

Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane

It's 1954 and US Marshal Teddy Daniels heads to Shutter Island, just off the coast of Boston. He and his new partner, Chuck, are assigned to locate a missing person. It's not just any missing person's case, however: this one comes with a twist.

Shutter Island is home to the Ashecliffe Hospital for the Criminally Insane, and the missing person in question is Rachel Solando, an extremely violent and delusional individual who murdered her three children. Her escape, however, is right out of a movie: she escaped from a locked room and a hospital full of employees onto the rocky, uneven terrain of the island -- all while wearing no shoes. Repeated searches for Solando turn up nothing, and time is of the essence. A hurricane is bearing down on the island, leaving communication and retreat impossible.

Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity, by Kerry Cohen

Like all bibliophiles, I have my pet peeves when it comes to books. One such peeve involves the dust jackets which accompany hardcover books. In general I find them annoying, and never do I read with them on -- they get all flimsy and wonky and they're just generally a pain in the ass. Needless to say, immediately upon reading a hardcover book, the first thing I do is remove the dust jacket and store it atop a bookshelf in my library. Priorities, and all that.

The Book of Air and Shadows, by Michael Gruber

I entered The Book of Air and Shadows with a feeling of doom, because it came to me via the same person who gave me both Michael Crichton’s State of Fear and Next. Needless to say, my hopes were low. Still, a free book is a free book, and The Book of Air and Shadows *does* concern Shakespeare, so I decided to keep an open mind and see what this Michael had to offer.

The McSweeney's Joke Book of Jokes Books

Another review for good ol' Pajiba is up - this time on The McSweeney's Joke Book of Jokes Books.

I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did - but there are a few pieces I revisted more than once, and each new read elicited genuine laughter. It was well worth the cost of purchase. Click here to read my review.

In a nutshell: While not every one is a winner, I have to say The McSweeney's Joke Book of Jokes Books is pretty damn good overall. But damn the cover creeps me out.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5 out of 6 stars

The Wentworths, by Katie Arnoldi

The Wentworths features some of the worst human beings I’ve encountered in a long time. They aren’t evil dictators or serial rapists or junkie pedophiles. No, they’re worse -- they're super-rich L.A. snobs. However, I maintain their position at the bottom of the human pile because they’re so insidiously common, and one feels as though a Wentworth or two lurks on every street in the country – at least in the more affluent neighborhoods, that is. Each Wentworth takes douchbaggery up a notch, as if they’ve all secretly agreed to see who can make the biggest case for compulsory euthanasia.

Dead Star Twilight, by Chez Pazienza

I've just had the honor of being the first person to have ever reviewed Dead Star Twilight, the self-published memoir by Chez Pazienza, author of Deus Ex Malcontent.

Dead Star Twilight is a frenetic, wild ride that describes the true-life downfall and resurrection of the author. It's insane, it's debauched, it's frequently disgusting -- and if it didn't make Chez look like a piece of shit I'd doubt it was true. Thankfully, Chez has firmly closed the door on that period of his life, and his description of these dark days is both touching and entertaining.

Click here to read the review, which is posted over at Pajiba, and be sure to check out Deus Ex Malcontent to download Dead Star Twilight when you're finished.

In a nutshell: I think that if I ever [..........SPOILER REMOVED..........] I would have taken that shit to my grave.

Bibliolatry Scale: 5.5 out of 6 stars

Rape: A Love Story, by Joyce Carol Oates

You have to hand it to Joyce Carol Oates: homegirl knows how to pick an attention-grabbing title. In fact, as soon as I read the title, I immediately knew I wanted to read the book, without even reading anything else about it. Of course, it's Joyce Carol Oates. Enough said.

This novel reads more like a short story, and I finished it in a single afternoon. And while the storyline is fascinating, it’s her method of telling the story that really wowed me. The novel is broken up into small, bite-size chapters, some only as long as a paragraph. This succinctness allows the reader to feel the action as small punches to the gut, much like Teena Maguire must have felt when she was gang raped on the Fourth of July.

Olive Kitteridge, by Elizabeth Strout

This is another book that I received through LibraryThing's Early Reviewer program, and at first I was worried it would prove to be another Larryisms. This belief was aided by the cover, which just gave off a whiff of boring (I’m glad to see they changed the design for the final edition). But still poor Olive sat for weeks on end as I delayed and delayed reading it.

Enduring Love, by Ian McEwan

It’s funny how even the happiest times can be suddenly and forever ruined by the simplest of things. A poorly-planned remark when joking with a pal. A turned ankle while running the stairs. A glance down when driving. The most innocuous of acts can have life-long consequences.

The characters in Ian McEwan’s novels know this fact of life very well, as many of his characters suffer devastating effects from the most mundane of actions. Enduring Love is no different; Joe sits down to a lovely picnic with his wife moments away from a catastrophe that, unbeknownst to him, will change him forever.

Lady of the Roses, by Sandra Worth

I usually begin reading historical fiction with some trepidation. My brain automatically associates the term “historical fiction” with hokey covers, bad writing, and long, boring passages designed to educate the reader. Aaron Hamburger, in his article for Poets & Writers entitled "The Pitfalls of Historical Fiction" hits the mark when he writes that "too often, works of historical fiction suffer from what Henry James called 'fatal cheapness' – moments of crude, awkward writing and oversimplified representation of both history and literature."

The Invention of Morel, by Adolfo Bioy Casares

The Invention of Morel has been getting a lot of attention recently due to its appearance on Lost. I don’t watch Lost, so don’t expect any great revelations about how Morel explains the show. By the way, are they still on that damn island? I only watch quality television, like Big Brother 9. I like my tv with a side of brainlessness, thank you very much.

The Invention of Morel begins as our unnamed protagonist, a fugitive from the law, hides on an uninhabited island. One day, mysterious tourists suddenly appear, and our fugitive is frightened they have come searching for him. He needn’t have feared, however; it’s clear they are unaware of him.

Immortal, by Traci L. Slatton

If you had been gifted with an abnormally long lifespan, how would you spend your time? It is lofty to imagine spending your days in the pursuit of knowledge or beauty, but I imagine I’d probably do a whole lotta dicking around, just like I do now. When you account for the state of the world, the environment, my own vices, etc., I figure I have about a week left to live, and yet I STILL can’t tear myself away from my playstation 3. However, don't say I'm not making progress in life: I'll have you know I've graduated from the "easy" level and currently play Guitar Hero on medium.

Tom Cruise: An Unauthorized Biography, by Andrew Morton

I remember being a wee lass and seeing commercials for L. Ron Hubbard’s Dianetics on tv. It was such a neat commercial – there was a volcano, and a loud, booming voice, and so it seemed to me like a really cool book. Then again, I was eight.

180 More: Extraordinary Poems for Every Day, edited by Billy Collins

I've been dreading writing this review (even though I should have done so months ago) because I simply have nothing to say about this collection.

I loved it and thoroughly recommend it, but there is absolutely nothing to say about it, other than it's a must-read for poetry fans. But that's not really interesting.

The Book of Dave, by Will Self

In the future, religious extremists rule. They are not, however, Christian or Muslim, but Davist.