A book of short stories is like a box of chocolates. No, no, just kidding. But Steve Almond's second collection of short fiction, "The Evil B.B. Chow and Other Stories," certainly is a delicious treat.

Almond most recently garnered critical acclaim for his non-fiction book, "Candy Freak," a tale of one man's quest to record (and consume) the last independent candy bars in the U.S. While not fiction, the book showcased Almond's gift to mix serious and bust-your-gut funny scenes into one narrative. His talent has blossomed since his first collection of stories, "My Life in Heavy Metal," which was more autobiographical, full of self-depreciating humor and well worth a read.

In "The Evil B.B. Chow," he now uses humor to even better effect, catching the reader off guard with hilarious phrases and insights, making the sum of his scenes equal to more than their parts. He has upped the ante for his characters as well, creating intimate portrayals of everyday life that delve into very difficult situations, often with dire consequences.

In the title story, we learn how a smart, savvy woman falls for a schlub, only to regret it. "Appropriate Sex" is the story of a college teacher's flirtation with disaster, in the form of a student who isn't "interested in appropriate sex." In my favorite story, "The Soul Molecule," the narrator, Jim, finds himself being initiated into a family of "abductees" over brunch. At the point when the family has laid it all out, and Jim realizes they are not kidding and are waiting for him to accept their truth, he stops and notes, "It was that look you get from any kind of true believer, this mountain of pity sort of wobbling on a pea of doubt."

There are disturbing stories here as well: "I Am As I Am," about a teenager who accidentally smashes a catcher's head with a bat in a pick-up ball game; "The Problem of Human Consumption," in which a recent widower and his daughter are trying to move on; and "Skull," which offers much more than we ever wanted to know about a girl with one eye.

The only sour note for me was the lengthy "Lincoln, Arisen," not so much because it was hard to follow, but more because it didn't seem to fit with the collection. A period piece, albeit with a fantasy slant, and a pattern of surreal dream sequences just knocked me out of "The Evil B.B. Chow"'s enjoyable universe.

Overall, this is definitely a blue-ribbon book. Almond's style is incredibly pleasing, flowing from the page in a stream of clarity and carrying the reader through both the heartbreakingly sad and the uproariously funny. Almond is the kind of writer who you wish was your friend, so that, maybe over drinks at a bar, he might tell you the stories that wouldn't fit in the book.