"Southern California Story: Seeking the Better Life in Sierra Madre," tells the story of the historical town of Sierra Madre from its beginnings, its road to city-hood, and to the current day. The book includes unseen illustrations and photographs from the Sierra Madre Historical Preservation Society, making it a rich and enlightening read.

Author Nicholson Baker examines emotional pain and suffering as a means to a brilliantly penned end in his new book,"The Anthologist." His protagonist's life was tough; he was down-and-out but he soon discovered his personal hell wasn’t in the same league as the tortured artists who came before him. Out of the depths of his inner turmoil, he found a deep appreciation and unconventional understanding of the art and passion of poetry.

Set in the tumultuous Summer of 1968, L.A. author James Ellroy's latest political noir delves deep into a tangled tale of corruption and retribution amidst a backdrop of reconstructed history—Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy have been assassinated; black militants are warring in southside L.A.; the Feds are mounting racist counterattacks. Cast with epic characters of fiction and history, "Blood’s a Rover" is Ellroy’s attempt to grapple with recent history and spin it into a fantastical war of ideals.

The comedic material emanating from Washington D.C., and state capitols across the country, is enough to make any sitcom writer jealous, even if most of that comedy is unintentional. Our motto on Comedy Congress is that just when politics makes you want to cry, it’s usually best to laugh. Today we laugh at the shrill hysteria of the healthcare reform debate, the perpetual Sarah Palin tour, Osama bin Laden being read his Miranda rights and more. Tomorrow we’ll probably cry about our lost job, but today join us in laughing at the madness of it all—the truth hurts far less when it’s told by comedians.