Interested in exploring the latest wave of chick literature? Author Karen Brichoux's debut novel, Coffee & Kung Fu, assembles a cast of characters laced with the optimal amount of zest. Brichoux delivers a welcoming contradiction to the female paradigm often found in novels of this genre. Leading lady and narrator Nicci Bradford is a 26-year-old single woman trying to make it on her own in Boston. Terribly unhappy with her position as a copy editor in a small marketing company and her life in general, Nicci resists and often sabotages one "horrendous" blind date after another set up by fellow coworkers and friends. Reaching no point of satisfaction, she searches for comfort, solace and emotional inspiration in old kung fu movies, particularly those featuring her hero Jackie Chan, in efforts to make sense out of life's mishaps. Brichoux places a fresh and funky spin on a genre often exhausted by generalities and clichés. Coffee & Kung Fu is the type of book that you could pick up and read over and over again on those days that you just want to kick back and relax. (Jacquelyn Vaughn) Grade: B

Dan Falk -- Universe on a T-Shirt: The Quest for the Theory of Everything (Arcade Books)

Science journalist Dan Falk's book, Universe on a T-Shirt: The Quest for the Theory of Everything, concisely packages the history of Western physics. In 200 pages Falk tears through 2,500 years of scientific reasoning, from Democritus' atom in 400 B.C. to Copernicus' solar system, from Newton's gravity to Einstein's mind-warping proclamations of the nature of space and time, from a chapter on quantum theory called "Things Get Even Weirder" to the current popular explanation of String Theory. Falk's little book sufficiently dumbs down the whole of the quest for a unified theory with the hope of engaging and enlightening the reader who couldn't sort through all the technical stuff in Stephen Hawking's Brief History of Time. By describing the personalities of his parade of physicists and adding pop-culture references -- including quoting Homer Simpson and Douglas Adams -- Falk softens the blow of some very weighty concepts in simplistic terms. And that's just the point. The elusive theory should be accessible to the Homer Simpsons of the world. The Theory of Everything will trip off the tongue like E = mc2, pi and d = r¥t. And it will fit compactly and effortlessly on a T-shirt and in pop culture. No Theory-of-Everything-for-the-masses book would be complete without a conciliatory chapter on how religion fits into it all. Falk presents arguments for the possible mutual inclusiveness and exclusiveness of theological reasoning and scientific reasoning with style and grace, where he could certainly have been quite dismissive. (Stacey Recht) Grade: B

Anna Gavalda -- I Wish Someone Were Waiting For Me Somewhere (Riverhead Books)

It's time to get personal and direct. Anna Gavalda has done just that in her compilation of short stories. Gavalda is brilliant, holding nothing back as she writes about the overwhelming desire to belong to something, while striving to maintain a semblance of dignity. She approaches each story from different perspectives and genders. Within the first few words, I found myself emotionally invested in the tales each character had to tell. It was as if they were actually telling me about their secrets, fears and passions, and discussing the innermost areas of their personal relationships. It was slightly unnerving how quickly my connections to each character began to develop. In "Leave," Gavalda writes, "... and when I got on the escalator my bag seems a little heavier, same as always. I wish someone were waiting for me somewhere. ... Is that to much to ask?" It's impossible not to feel your heart call to the man narrating. I found myself calling back, "No! No, it's not! It can't be too much to ask!" Once you finish this book, you'll feel incredibly somber and refreshed. It's an odd mixture of emotion. However, I would've been disappointed walking away with anything less. (JV) Grade: A+

Chang-rae Lee -- Aloft (Riverhead Books)

Jerry Battle, 60, has a favorite pastime: flying his small plane solo. It's a relief from his bland life, getting him away from all his troubles. He has more than a few. His father is spiraling downward in health. His daughter, Theresa, discovers she's pregnant and has cancer. His son, Jack, is running the family landscaping business into the ground and ex-girlfriend Rita is on the verge of marrying a friend from the old neighborhood. Oh, yeah. You also need to know Jerry's going through a midlife crisis. Some have compared Lee's protagonist as a Frank Bascombe type from Richard Ford's novels, Sportswriter and Independence Day. But Frank is villainous, sad and sometimes more than a little scary. As for Jerry, well, he just doesn't have a clue. Aloft is a story about failings in human life but the writing makes that life pretty hollow and uninteresting. Much of the time, the dialogue in the book rings artificial or awkward and makes me wonder if the author has forgotten how human beings actually talk. ("Alva's got her special buffet going. She's an amazing cook, you know. Rita can vouch for that. Her curried lobster salad is stupendous"). I haven't read Lee's first two novels, Native Speaker and A Gesture Life. Maybe I should, because they were well-received. If I do, I'll be looking for complexity and depth -- two things severely missing from this work. (Larry Gross) Grade: D

Ellen Sussman -- On A Night Like This (Warner Books)

Ellen Sussman's debut novel weaves a complicated tapestry of paradoxes: responses to life and death; outcomes of relationships, or lack of relationships; and the phenomenon of fate. Sussman traverses a well-beaten path of reluctant romance and relationship trauma through Luke, former high school golden boy, now a successful screenwriter whose wife has recently left him. Feeling lost, Luke attends a high school reunion meeting and acquires the "Lost Souls" list: former students the school can't locate. Blair's name on the list reignites former fascination with her loner persona and, although they've never spoken, he contacts her. Blair, now a single mother to 16-year-old Amanda, is also feeling lost as she tries to accept impending death from cancer. The ensuing relationship between Luke and Blair isn't surprising: Both are searching for answers, and find them in each other. Yet their instant connection and intense relationship appear too effortless, and invite any skeptic's relationship incredulity. Sussman attempts to comment on too many issues: fate, human response to loss and the importance of honest relationships. The result is diffused investment in her characters, although Luke and Blair's unmitigated humanity is refreshing. In contemplating her death, Blair muses, "You know what I'll miss: Amanda's life. That's what twists my heart. ... I guess I'll miss the rest of my own life too." Despite its scattered and predictable plot, the characters' charm and honesty keep the reader engaged. (Julie Bernzott) Grade: C+