June Speed Reads
Beautiful Maria of My Soul By Oscar Hijuelos, out now The sequel to Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love follows the muse of the first novel (Maria) from her beginnings in rural Cuba to glitzy Havana and eventually America.
To Sound in the Know: NYC-educated Hijuelos was the first Hispanic to win the Pulitzer for Fiction (for Mambo Kings). ------
Down and Derby By Alex Cohen and Jennifer Barbee, out now Cohen and Barbee present both a history of the roller derby and a guide for those looking to strap on a pair of skates and crunch some skulls.
To Sound in the Know: NPR host Cohen (Axles of Evil) and journalist Barbee (Kasey Bomber) have skated with the L.A. Derby Dolls since 2003. ------
Hitch-22 By Christopher Hitchens, out now A memoir by the selfdescribed contrarian and contributor to Vanity Fair, Slate and The Atlantic. Expect stories of drinking, literature and unconventional political stances.
To Sound in the Know: Famous names dot the memoir, including Martin Amis, Hunter S. Thompson and Nora Ephron. ------
Role Models By John Waters, out now
The provocative director (and flaunter of the pencil-thin stache) explores his greatest influences, including Manson protégé Leslie Van Houten, in this series of essays.
To Sound in the Know: Waters, who also writes about a gay porn auteur and drug addicts, has said he wont let his mother read the book. ------
Imperial Bedrooms By Bret Easton Ellis, out June 15 In this sequel to Less Than Zero, its 25 years later and Clay, now a screenwriter, is back in L.A. for another Christmas vacation to visit old friends and drive through the same wasteland powered by drugs, booze and Ellis patented paranoia.
To Sound in the Know: Ellis has said hed like to see a movie adaptation with the same cast from Less Than Zero. Jamie Gertz, come on down! ------
Mesopotamia By Arthur Nersesian, out July 1 The author of The Fuck-Up and other novels pens a tale about a downand-out reporter investigating a series of murdered Elvis impersonators in Memphis.
To Sound in the Know: Memphis is a rare departure of setting from New York City for the locally born and bred Nersesian.