Hey! How are we supposed to know what to think or say about a book we haven't read?

James Frey, the big swaggering lisping tough guy writer who folded like an origami swan when accused of fictionalizing an obviously garnished and romanticized "memoir," has written a new book. It's about Los Angeles. He lives in New York City. The reviews are in from both coasts:

The New York Times
'Bright Shiny Morning'
By JAMES FREY
Reviewed by JANET MASLIN

James Frey stepped up to the plate and hit one out of the park with his new book.

"So the Bright Shiny Morning guy did it differently... And it worked. That’s how James Frey saved himself."

The Los Angeles Times
'Bright Shiny Morning' by James Frey
By David L. Ulin, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

This is a poorly written, superficial novel set in a Los Angeles populated by shallow characters.

"Bright Shiny Morning is a terrible book. One of the worst I've ever read."

What to make of this? Do the Book Review editors have agendas? Hey, we're just pissed that the guy stole our "Fun Facts" (Ulin: "There are also occasional installments of 'Fun Facts' about the city, as if to give the illusion of a certain depth..."). Big Jim. We would have told Oprah to prove it.