Quick Nonfiction Read

You may or may not have heard of "Improv Everywhere," a group whose mission it is to "cause scenes of chaos and joy in public places," but you may have heard of some their better-known pranks. The founder, Charlie Todd, and one of his "agents," Alex Scordelis have compiled some of their favorite "missions" in their book, Causing a Scene.

Each of the thirteen chapters in this book detail one of Improv Everywhere's endeavors since their formation in 2002. Some have grown to be quite large scale, others are smaller, but all require quite a bit of planning and imagination. In fact, the amount of actual calculations that go into many of the pranks is quite impressive. Each description includes whether the mission had the desired effect on the public, as well as up-close and personal advice from one of the "agents" who had participated in that particular mission.

This book is a quick and entertaining read, chopped up into easily digestible chapters. Some of the pranks are downright hilarious, others will just make you smile. The basic tenets of the group are to keep on the right side of the law and not harm anyone in the process of staging their acts for the public. If you enjoy improv comedy, such as the Upright Citizen's Brigade, this book wold probably be of interest to you. To learn more about Improv Everywhere, check out their website at http://improveverywhere.com/

Downloadable Book!!! My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler

If you are ready for a politically incorrect, unapologetic and unhealthy look at love in the fast lane, you might be ready for Chelsea Handler's first book, My Horizontal Life. Handler, the host of the E! network show, "Chelsea Lately," has written a hilarious, if not raunchy, memoir of her sexual history, leaving few, if any, stones unturned.

Chelsea's alcohol and drug-fueled conquests sometimes left me feeling hungover myself, but they also always left me laughing. Her ability to poke fun at herself and her loved ones are one of the reasons this book works for me - who doesn't like to hear about other families' dysfunctions? While this book certainly isn't for everyone, I would recommend it for fans of Chelsea or comedy in general. There is strong language, alcohol and drug use, and, of course, plenty of sexual situations as well as frank sexual talk. If you can get past these factors and are looking for a funny and light read, give Chelsea Handler a try. You might also want to try her second book, Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.

I chose to listen to this title on my iPod, by downloading the book through our new OMNI library website (http://www.blogger.com/www.omnilibraries.org.) Chelsea does not narrate this book; however, Cassandra Campbell does a masterful job of capturing Chelsea's attitude and her sense of comedic timing is impeccable. I am typically not an audio book type of gal - I am far too easily distracted - but this particular book is written in little snippets of stories, so it is easy to pop in and out of the book without losing the momentum of the story. At times, it almost seemed more like a stand-up routine rather than a book, but I enjoyed it either way. I am looking forward to more from Chelsea Handler in the future.