My Life by Bill Clinton

This is an OK memoir that provides a straightforward account of Bill Clinton's Presidency. Unfortunately for the reader, however, this book doesn't offer any deep insight into the life and mind of this complicated man. Furthermore, reading this book today, one can't help but notice the striking difference between President Obama, who is renowned for his cool, cerebral manner, and the chaotic mess that was the Clinton White House.

Bill Clinton is, without a doubt, a brilliant man. It is also clear that he is extremely empathetic. But what is so regretable is that he is also haunted by demons, which it appears that even he doesn't understand. In short, this book left me with the lasting impression that it was written by a highly intelligent man who wanted to do good, but who failed to live up to his promise by shooting himself in the foot in spectacular fashion.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Cuba: The Morning After--Confronting Castro's Legacy by Mark Falcoff

An interesting look at contemporary Cuba that poses the $64,000 question: What will happen to the Caribbean island once Fidel Castro is gone? In this thorough work, Falcoff provides a comprehensive analysis of Cuba, and its complicated relationship with the United States. The result is an excellent study of the sole communist state in the western hemisphere.

Among other issues, this book looks at the economic structure of Cuba (with a particular focus on the sugar and tourism industries), the changing nature of Cuban immigration to the United States, and the true state of race relations and religion on the Marxist island. Despite having a strong anti-Castro bias -- is it possible to write an objective book on Cuba? -- Falcoff's work is a worthwhile read for anyone who is interested in the future of U.S.-Cuba relations.

3 out of 5 stars

The Downhill Lie: A Hacker's Return to a Ruinous Sport by Carl Hiaasen

For a long time I have wanted to pick up a Carl Hiaasen book given his reputation as an excellent -- and funny -- novelist. Unfortunately, it appears that I checked out the wrong book, for I found this story to be incredibly dull. In this sports memoir, Hiaasen recounts how he started playing golf after years away from the game. To my chagrin, this plot turned out to be as boring as it sounds. To be fair, there are flashes of brilliant humour scattered across the book, as well as interesting insights. It is also clear that Hiaasen is a strong writer. (Despite my strong dislike for this work I still intend to read his other novels). That being said, all to often I found this book to be the literary equivalent of hearing nails scratching across a blackboard. In short, if you like golf, you might appreciate this book more than I did. For the rest of us, however, this is really, really boring story.

1 1/2 out of 5 stars

What Obama Means: ...for Our Culture, Our Politics, Our Future by Jabari Asim

This book is an intriguing look at the forces that helped Barack Obama win the U.S. presidency, and on the social, political and cultural consequences of his victory.

In terms of groundwork, Asim presents a fascinating analysis of how artistic and athletic figures -- e.g. Prince, Michael Jordan, Sidney Poitier, President David Palmer in the tv show 24 -- laid the psychological foundation for the first African-American President. For by raising to the top of their respective professions, and in the process becoming a hero to millions, these cultural icons opened the imagination of the U.S. public to the possibility that the country could be led by an African-American.

Asim also discusses how the millennial generation, normally defined as being born between the early-1980s and early 2000's, is a harbinger of radical changes currently taking place in the United States. This group, who overwelmingly support Obama, is more ethnically diverse, more tolerant and more technologically astute than their elders. All of this indicates that the future United States, which will be led by President Obama, will be a dramatically different place from the U.S. of the last few decades, with its seemingly never ending loop of baby boomer culture wars and Vietnam-era grievances.

With this in mind, if I had one complaint about this book, it is that sometimes the narrative comes across as an undergraduate essay, in which a bright student tries to impress his professor by cramming as many sources as possible. This fault, however, is more than made up by Asim's deep insight into the cultural forces that helped to elect Obama, and the future that his election will usher in.

3 out of 5 stars

The Metamorphosis by Peter Kuper

This illustrated retelling of Frank Kafka's classic novella is very good. With his dark and slightly-disturbing images, Kuper -- who, among other things, pens "Spy vs Spy" for Mad magazine -- captures the tragic story of Gregor Samsa, a travelling salesman who wakes up one morning transformed into a bug.

3 out of 5 stars

A Fix Like This by K. C. Constantine

Reading K.C. Constantine is normally a joy. With sparkling dialogue, wonderful characters and ingenious plot lines, literary audiences have a true gem in the Mario Balzic detective series.

Even great writers, however, have bad days, as this book demonstrates. With a convoluted plot line and surprisingly wooden characters, this novel is, in my opinion, the weakest novel in the Mario Balzic series that I have read.

Like the other Balzic books, this novel covers such themes as racism, the frustrations of the working class and the inter-relationships of small-town Pennsylvania. We are also presented with the complicated persona that is Chief Balzic, who dedicates his life to fighting crime, while also showing terrible judgement by driving while extremely drunk.

Unlike the other Balzic novels, however, this story does not wow the reader. In fact, two-thirds into the book I was bored by this tale, which is something that has never happened to me before while reading a Constantine novel. All in all, I would still recommend the Mario Balzic series to my friends, with the definite exception of this book.

2 out of 5 stars

Che: A Graphic Biography by Spain Rodriguez

This graphic novel about the life of Che Guevara is a fun read. For those who don't know much about Guevara, or for those who want an original take on Argentina's most famous revolutionary, this comic is worth a look. This being said, readers should be aware that this biography is quite biased, and at times very simplistic. But once we remind ourselves that this is not a historical tome but rather a comic book, we can enjoy it for what it is, namely, an illustrated account of one of the most recognizable men of the 20th century.

2 1/2 of out 5 stars

The Star Beast by Robert A. Heinlein

I found this story to be mediocre. Essentially a children's book about a boy who has an alien as a pet, this tale recounts how the boy tries to save his pet. This boring premise is not helped by the cheesy dialogue and one-dimensional characters. Heinlein is, without a doubt, one of the masters of science fiction. This book, however, proves that even a literary genius can strike out with his pen.

2 out of 5 stars

Ship of Fools Richard by Paul Russo

Winner of the 2001 Philip K. Dick award, this book tells the story of the Argonos, a starship that has travelled through the universe for centuries without a clear mission. After wandering through space for what seems like an eternity, the ship comes across a planet whose inhabitants have vanished, and then later a mysterious alien ship. This book is very well written, so I understand why some people have hailed this book. Speaking for myself only, however, I found this story to be a ho-hum effort that repeats themes that have been covered in countless other science fiction books. Though it is clear that Russo is a strong writer, the plot never captured my imagination, nor did I find the characters all that intriguing.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars

The Man Who Liked to Look at Himself by K. C. Constantine

This novel sent shivers through my body. With a very creepy ending -- and I mean creepy with a capital "C" -- I will remember this story for a long time to come.

The plot begins with the chance discovery of a skeleton that has been scattered around several farms. As Police Chief Mario Balzic investigates the case, we are drawn into a perverse world where lies run rampant. When the reader finally discovers what happened, the resulting emotions will be a tragic mixture of empathy, anger and disgust.

This book is the second installment of the Mario Balzic series, and is by no means the best. Unlike some of the later Balzic novels, some of which are simply brilliant, this book falters in the beginning. In fact, during the first-half of the story, the writing is surprisingly flat, which is quite disappointing given K.C. Constantine's amazing literary skills.

In the second-half, however, the writing improves a lot, and the plot soon reveals a haunting set of characters. By the end, fans of Constantine's work will recognize some of the common themes that permeate through the Balzic series, such as racism, women's struggle against misogyny, and the kind heart of Chief Balzic, who seems to be constantly clashing with the powers that be.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Dateline Vermont by Chris Graff

Vermont is famous for being the most liberal state in the United States. For decades, however, this rural New England state voted Republican. In fact, from 1854 to 1988, Vermont voted for the Republican presidential candidate in every election, except for the 1964 landslide of Lyndon Johnson.

Curious to find out how this once solidly red state became blue, I recently picked up a copy of "Dateline Vermont", while visiting Montpelier, the state capital. As the former Vermont bureau chief for the Associated Press, Graff covered Vermont politics for more than 25 years. In this memoir, he describes such momentous events as the rise and fall of Howard Dean, the defection of Senator Jim Jeffords from the Republican Party, and the rise of Bernie Sanders, the only democratic socialist in the United States Senate.

Though I enjoyed parts of the book, such as the the section on how the Vermont state legislature recognized same sex civil unions, I was disappointed overall. The main reason for this is that Graff's memoir failed to provide what I was looking for, namely, a good explanation of why Vermont turned its back on the Republican party. To be fair, this book does provide a thorough description of modern-day Vermont politics. What I did not find, however, was a strong analysis of why these events took place.

In short, this is an interesting read for serious students of Vermont politics. This being said, for those who don't live in New England -- which includes this Canadian -- this book is simply OK.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars

How Barack Obama Won: A State-by-State Guide to the Historic 2008 Presidential Election by Chuck Todd

I was disappointed with this book. If you watch MSNBC, you know that Chuck Todd is one of the most insightful commentators on U.S. presidential elections. So I was really looking forward to reading this book, which bills itself as a comprehensive analysis of why Barack Obama won the 2008 election.

Unfortunately, this book does not offer any new insights, but rather rehashes what Todd has already said on TV. To be fair, political junkies will be pleased with the numerous statistics that slice and dice the U.S. electorate into countless pieces. For those who want greater context, however, this book is surprisingly weak on overall analysis, especially in the introduction, which is the weakest part of the book.

In short, I was expecting a lot more from Todd. To use an analogy, this work is like a book on World War II that contains pages and pages of statistics -- e.g. how many soldiers died; how many guns were used; how many tanks were built -- without providing a good explanation of why the war occurred in the first place. As such, I couldn't help but think that this book was simply a rushed job that was put together to cash in on the post-election window.

2 out of 5 stars

The Man Who Liked Slow Tomatoes by K.C. Constantine

K.C. Constantine is a master in portraying the life of blue collar America. In this fifth segment of the Mario Balzic detective series, Constantine paints a picture of small-city Pennsylvania that is both uplifting and tragic, humorous and infuriating.

More of a social analysis than a classic mystery novel, this book touches on such themes as domestic abuse, the withering away of Pennsylvania’s coal industry, and the petty politics that surround City Hall. Amidst this fascinating context is Constantine’s genius for writing dialogue, as well as his unflinching honesty. For the characters in this book are not one-dimensional people, but rather real human beings who possess a strong belief in hard work and family values, while also displaying a not-too-subtle racism and, for too many of the men, a dangerous acceptance of misogyny.

In short, this story is a real picture of blue collar life, with warts and all, that will leave the reader wondering why Constantine is not a much better known writer

3 out of 5 stars

Iraq's Sunni Insurgency by Ahmed S. Hashim

An excellent summary of the present-day Sunni insurgency in Iraq. In this brief study, Ahmed Hashim provides an insightful analysis of the different factions in the Sunni resistance (e.g. Ba'athist elements, Islamic fighters, nationalists, local tribes) , the Sunni-Shia split in Iraq, and the different objectives and tactics of the various Sunni factions. An excellent read for anyone who is interested in understanding what's happening in Iraq.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Writing in an Age of Silence by Sara Paretsky

This memoir by acclaimed mystery writer Sara Paretsky left me with mixed feelings. Published in 2007, shortly after the Republicans lost Congress in the mid-term elections, this book contains a fascinating analysis of U.S. culture. In particular, I was captivated by Paretsky’s feminist analysis of the U.S. myth – some would say self-destructive myth – of rugged individualism. I was also fascinated by her description of the racism, anti-communist paranoia and hypocrisy of the United States in the 20th century.

Unfortunately, the last chapter of the book is a complete disaster. Like many literary train wrecks the concluding section is based on good intentions. Disturbed by the Bush Administration’s reaction to September 11th, and in particular the passing of the Patriot Act, Paretsky writes a passionate defence of free speech. Her tone, however, is so shrill that it could pass of as a left-wing version of Fox News. Furthermore, some of her claims are highly dubious.

As a case in point, the last chapter argues, among other things, that media concentration in the publishing industry will limit the number of writers who can get published. This point, however, is contradicted by an earlier observation in which Paretsky writes that there are now so many female writers telling stories with strong women heroes that she can’t keep track of them all. Moreover, reading her memoir in 2009 with President Obama in the White House, the reader can be forgiven for thinking that her pessimism about the Unites States is highly exaggerated. This point becomes ironic when we find out that Paretsky lives in Chicago, the city that President Obama has called home for many years. In short, I found this book to be well written and fascinating in parts, while shrill and grossly one-sided in others.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Losing My Mind : An Intimate Look at Life with Alzheimer's by Thomas DeBaggio

In this incredibly brave book, Thomas DeBaggio describes what it’s like to suffer from Alzheimer’s. In a poignant autobiography, he offers a heart-breaking meditation on memory – and the role that memory plays in making us human – as well as a beautiful story of love, family and the power of words.

As the book progresses, we watch as DeBaggio struggles to hold on to the sentences that make up the description of his life, which seem to slip ever faster through his fingers. A writer of three previous books on herb farming, this loss of syntax and vocabulary is especially hard.

In the end, however, the reader can’t help but find a mysterious beauty in this tragic book. For as the author notes early on in his story, “Getting used to the idea of dying is difficult, emotionally and physically, but what awaits me is losing the idea of dying and that is incomprehensible and at the same time it may be liberating."

3 out of 5 stars

Grievance by K. C. Constantine

Wow. Just wow. This book is, without a doubt, one of the best novels that I have read in the past few years. On the surface, this is the story of a rich industrialist who is murdered, and the police investigation to track down the killer. To describe this amazing work with those words, however, with not do this book justice. For in reality, this is not a traditional police mystery, but the tale of how the working class in the United States has been manipulated, beaten down and cheated.

In his trademark brilliant writing, K.C. Constantine describes -- among other things -- how steelworkers in Pennsylvania were cheated by both management and their union. We hear about the power that insurance companies have with the quality of health care that blue coller people in the U.S. receive. We bear witness to the personal struggles of Detective Ruggiero "Rugs" Carlucci, the protagonist of this tale, whose vulnerability is portrayed in such vivid detail that the reader is left with the impression that they are eavesdropping on a real life family crisis.

For years, Constantine has captivated readers with the life story of Mario Balzic, the chief of police in the fictional town of Rocksburg, Pennsylvania. After retiring Balzic, this wonderful series continued with the adventures of Detective Carlucci. Fans of Constantine's amazing series will simply love this book. (It seems that the series gets better with each novel). For those readers who have never visited Rocksburg before, this story will offer a taste of why Constantine is one of the best writers in the United States. In a word, this is a gem, and I highly recommend this book.

4 out of 5 stars

McTeague by Frank Norris

I am not sure what to think of this book. On the one hand, this novel is light years ahead of its time in terms of style and tone. First published in 1899, this dark tale about the self-destruction of a dentist feels like a modern terror story.

On the other hand, this book suffers from dozens and dozens of unnecessary pages that just drag on with pointless scenes and dialogue. By the end of the novel I was left with the impression that this could have been a brilliant story, if only the editor had cut out 100 pages or so. To make matters worse, the ending is slightly cheesy, which is too bad, for overall this is a very interesting tale.

2 1/2 out of 5 stars

Shooting the Stars by John Metcalf

This book compiles three novellas by British-born (but long-time Ottawa resident) John Metcalf. Within these pages we are introduced to a housekeeper who sells the furniture of her unwitting employers, a man who has a strange experience with a dating service, and another man who recounts -- in very funny and clever details -- the history of his sexual awakening as a boy.

At his best Metcalf is a fantastic writer. The last story in particular is quite clever, with hilarious (and all too true) anecdotes of the sexual yearnings of a young man. At other times, however, his writing seems a bit forced, as if he were a student in a creative writing class trying to impress his teacher. This being said, this is an enjoyable read and I will definitely seek out more books by Metcalf.

3 out of 5 stars

The Blank Page by K.C. Constantine

K.C. Constantine's wonderful work reminds me of why I love the HBO-drama The Wire. Unlike typical cop and robber shows that are formulaic -- Law and Order and CSI come to mind -- The Wire tells stories that are filled with rich characters, complex plot lines and wonderful dialogue.

Constantine's novels are as good as any HBO-drama. (Stephen King once

described his work as watching the Soprano's, but from the perspective of the police). In the Blank Page, Constantine begins his story with a college student who is strangled in her room, wearing only her panties and, to the puzzlement of police, a blank page that has been placed over her body. The ensuing story reveals a fascinating set of characters who, in their own way, struggle with the dilemma of writing the story of their lives on their own blank page.

At his best, Constantine's books are a brilliant sociological portrait of small-town United States. But even novels like the Blank Page, which is more of a traditional police mystery, contain writing that is so good that one cannot help but be drawn into this world. I normally do not read mysterious stories, as I find this genre to be cliche and repetitive. (Too many detective novels seem like clones produced in a word factory). But then there are those exceptional characters -- e.g. Sherlock Holmes -- that capture the reader's imagination. Constantine's set of characters, led by Police Chief Mario Balzic, fall into this special category. To paraphrase one of my favourite Canadian TV channels, Constantine's mystery books are too good to be mystery books. Though the Blank Page is not among Constantine's best novels, it is still a wonderful read, and I would recommend it to anyone who appreciates solid fiction.

3 out of 5 stars