“Name me, if you can, a better feeling than the one you get when you’re half a bottle of Chivas in the bag with a gram of coke up your nose and a teenage lovely pulling off her tube top in the next seat over while you’re going a hundred miles an hour down a suburban side street.” That’s how Driving Like Crazy begins and if you don’t like that, stop reading now. O’Rourke writes about his 30 years of driving cars and motorcycles. Some of this book reads like Dave Barry on speed, but I like that. I also liked the adventures O’Rourke relates of racing in the Baja with Mike Nesmith (yes, the former Monkee). Driving Like Crazy is a homage to a world that swiftly slipping away. O’Rourke loves cars and if you love them too, you’ll love this book. GRADE: B+.

Yes, the cover looks like a polar bear in a snowstorm. But the music on this CD is haunting. Some of it is instrumental, some choral. But the music is always mysterious and atmospheric. Arvo Part makes music that is unique and unforgettable. If you haven’t tried Arvo Part, listen to some samples at AMAZON or iTunes. I find this kind of music hypnotic. GRADE: A-.

This is an embarrassment of riches! Last week, I reviewed the wonderful Dames, Dolls & Gun Molls: The Art of Robert A. Maguire and now we have Gary Lovisi’s eye-popping collector’s guide to “Sexy Pulp Fiction Paperbacks.” Dames, Dolls & Delinquents is a browser’s delight. I’ve seen plenty of these covers before, but Lovisi also includes some obscure paperbacks that were completely new to me. How many of you have a copy of Morals Charge or They Kill to Live? Lovisi has found a number of British paperbacks to include that have fabulous covers: check out Blonde Dymamite and You’ve Had Your Chance. In addition to the incredible cover art work, Lovisi also provides bibliographic information and tries to identify the cover artist. Lovisi even provides estimates of the market value of the book depending on its condition. You can not pass this book up! GRADE: A

Happy Fathers’ Day! I tried to find a good book about fatherhood, but the best I could come up with was Michael Lewis’ glib Home Game: An Accidental Guide to Fatherhood. Home Game is a compilation of essays that Lewis wrote for Slate. Lewis tries to be Dave Barry, but fails. The best part of the book is Lewis’ story of his vasectomy. Basically, Lewis thinks being a father is hard work. And kids will surprise you. And your wife will take you for granted. That’s about the level of insight in Lewis’ book. I’d advise you to skip it. Have a nice Fathers’ Day anyway. GRADE: C

MASTERPIECE MYSTERY brings this Hercule Poirot mystery from 1959 to television tomorrow night. I’m going to interested in how it’s adapted because in my Black Dog edition of Cat Among the Pigeons, Poirot doesn’t show up until page 214 of a 297 page book to solve the murders at an exclusive girls’ school. There’s a clear diminution of Christie’s powers after four decades of writing, but she still manages a slight twist at the end that surprised me. GRADE: B-

Georges Simenon wrote 75 books featuring Maigret, the French police investigator. Most of these books are out-of-print. Today, the New York Review of Books Press is reprinting some of Simenon’s work, but they’re non-Maigrets. Maigret’s method is intuitive. He interviews people and by the book’s end, he figures out the crime. The books themselves are atmospheric. Maigret’s Pickpocket (aka, Maigret and the Pickpocket) begins with Maigret getting his pocket picked. Later, the pickpocket returns Maigret’s wallet, but then tells him why he picked Maigret’s pocket: his wife was murdered. Maigret’s investigation of the pickpocket’s murdered wife leads him to confront the arts community and a powerful film producer. Maigret sorts out the tangled life of the murdered women and discovers the truth about her. If you haven’t read Georges Simenon, you’re missing one of the great writers of the 20th Century.

After Robert McGinnis, my favorite paperback cover artist was Robert A. Maguire. His artwork on books like This Dark Desire and Texas Tramp made them stand out in the book racks. Who can forget the Nicole Kidman look-a-like on the cover of Alley Girl or the fiendish smile of the villain torturing the blonde on Gulf Coast Girl? Along with his unique style, Maguire maintained a high standard of quality in his cover artwork over the decades. Dames, Dolls & Gun Molls is a wonderful tribute to one of the giants of the Paperback Age. This is a “must-buy.” GRADE: A

There’s a star system in classical music where music companies pour their marketing budgets into boosting selected “name” artists. However, there are plenty of fine musicians laboring in obscurity without the financial clout to reach the top tier. Imogen Cooper is one of those artists. These wonderful piano concertos come to life with her inspired performances. The Northern Sinfonia is bit dull, but that doesn’t detract from Imogen Cooper’s lively playing. If you love this music, do yourself a favor and seek out Imogen Cooper’s marvelous CDs. You won’t be disappointed. GRADE: A

Night Shade Books is extending their book sale until June 21. Take advantage of buying their great books with a 50% discount. The link is www.nightshadebooks.com to check out the bargains.  One book you might be interested in is the forthcoming BEST OF FRITZ LEIBER.  I ordered it.  And check out the Liz Williams titles that I’ll be reviewing on this blog soon. I’ve purchased dozens of Night Shade books. They publish wonderful books, well made, and worth every penny. Jason Williams and Jeremy Lassen, the heart and soul of Nightshade Books, deserve your support.

Kate Kelly’s insightful story of the collapse of the then fifth largest investment bank in the U.S. is a cautionary tale that points out the systemic risks Wall Street routinely took before the banking system went into the crapper. Kelly’s approach to the Bear Stearns meltdown is by telling the story hour-by-hour as the firm fell off the financial cliff. There are few heroes and many villains here. The pot-smoking, bridge playing Chairman of the Board, Jimmy Cayne, is reminiscent of Nero. Cayne was clearly more interested in competing in bridge tournaments than running a troubled multi-billion dollar investment bank. Kelly explores the culture of greed and risk taking that led to cash shortfalls that resulted in the Bear Stearns failure. Treasury Secretary, Hank Paulsen, and Timothy Geithner of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York don’t cover themselves with glory, either. This whole episode shows how fragile our banking system is and how incompetent oversight can lead to massive losses. Kate Kelly tells her story in clear, no-nonsense prose that cuts through the confusing financial jargon. Highly recommended! GRADE: A-