(While cleaning off my desk, I discovered about a foot-and-a-half of books that I read but never reviewed. I wanted to run reviews of a few of these books in The Stranger, but the timing never seemed to gel. Others simply didn't warrant long considerations. This is part of the spring cleaning process.)

Gandhi: A Manga Biography by Kazuki Ebine: The sketchy, spare artwork leaves a whole lot to be desired, but this dry biography of Gandhi will come in handy for kids looking to write a report.

The President by Georges Simenon: In a reissue by Melville House, a lesser-known novella by Georges Simenon proves to be a terrific political thriller disguised as a short, sublime character study.

Herding Donkeys by Ari Berman: Berman does excellent historical work documenting the doomed Democratic Party's presidential process of 2004 and Barack Obama's reshaping of the party in 2008, but he fails to convince the reader that he has any understanding of where the party is going now.

Tales from Development Hell: The Greatest Movies Never Made? by David Hughes: This gossipy, ADD-friendly collection of anecdotes about aborted blockbusters (from Batman to Indiana Jones to Howard Hughes) will earn a place of pride on your toilet for a few months.