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