Sleeping Well: The Sourcebook for Sleep and Sleep Disorders, by Michael J. Thorpy and Jan Yager

This is a resource book for the sleep deprived. It covers the basics of normal and abnormal sleep, then provides a comprehensive review of sleep disorders and their treatment. The book really is thorough, covering all kinds of disorders. The book is easy to read, avoiding unnecessary medical jargon.

As someone with chronic sleep problems, I was already familiar with the general sleep information. I also knew about the specific conditions pertinent to me. The rest of the book's information just wasn't relevant to me.

I would recommend this book to someone who is just starting to learn about sleep, sleep hygiene, and sleep disorders. I would also recommend this book to medical professionals who could use an informal reference book. The book didn't do much for me because I'm somewhere in the middle of those two targets. The book is what it is, a casual but complete sleep sourcebook. It fills that niche well, but it's not the book I needed. I'm not going to ding the book for that though.

Four stars

Dark Moon Defender, by Sharon Shinn

Dark Moon Defender is the third book in the Saga of the Twelve Houses. The second book in the Saga, The Thirteenth House, was such a disappointment to me that I've been anxious for the next installment to redeem the series. After months of waiting for the local library system to get the third book, it finally arrived. Like a chug of hearty soup after taking a swig of milk gone bad, the bad taste left by the last book was washed away and replaced with something truly satisfying. In short, I liked it.

Justin has been sent to spy on the Lumanen Convent, the stronghold of a group of religious fanatics bent on overthrowing the government of Gillengaria and eradicating all those endowed with magical abilities, the mystics. While performing his clandestine duties he falls in love with Ellynor, a convent novice who could only love him in return if she abandoned religious and family bonds. The situation is further complicated when Ellynor is exposed as a mystic and must fight for her life.

Once again, Ms. Shinn successfully weaves deeper themes into the story without allowing them to dominate the story. This episode emphasizes the true self, the essence of who we are regardless of our setting or our position in life. Neither Justin nor Ellynor are living as their heart would lead them - Justin is cloaked in his clandestine role, while Ellynor's path in life has been chosen for her. In spite of the apparent incompatibility of their stations, and even though they both know the other is keeping secrets, they come to trust each other. Each senses who the other is at the core. Their confidence in each other's true character is what allows their relationship to blossom and eventually grow into complete devotion.

It's interesting to me that I liked this book so much. It has so many of the same characteristics I didn't appreciate in the previous book. Like episode two, the main story line is an undercover romance between two people that would be wise to avoid a relationship. Not only that, but the one thing that saved the second book is nearly absent in this one, namely the advancement of the overall saga (well, that's not quite true - there are some potentially significant alliances forged between various groups, but you can only guess at the future importance of those alliances). With so much in common with the previous book you might expect a similar reading experience, yet in this case I really liked the result.

I've been reserving five star ratings for the very best books. Maybe I'm being a bit stingy, but I'm giving Dark Moon Defender four stars.

4 Stars

The Plot Against America, by Philip Roth

What if America had elected a staunch isolationist as its president in 1940? What if the United States had not come to the defense of England and France in World War II? Just as disturbing a question is what would have happened right here in America if that president had fascist leanings?

Philip Roth provides one possible answer to these questions in his alternative history, The Plot Against America. The isolationist president in Roth's fantasy is Charles Lindbergh. The real-world version of Lindbergh truly was an adamant isolationist, held anti-semitic viewpoints, and may have been a fascist and a Nazi sympathizer. Lindbergh as president opens up some interesting possibilities.

But this isn't just a tale of politics and world events - this is an alternative history of the author himself. The main character is Phil Roth, the author in his pre-teen childhood. Mr. Roth's real-world family and neighborhood are the novel's major players. This approach is the book's primary strength, but also its greatest weakness. Events of global significance ultimately affect real people on a personal level. How better to show this than through the eyes of an impressionable young boy? However, what could have been an intimate portrayal of interrupted youth often turns into an expression of the author's paranoia.

And this leads to what flusters me most about The Plot Against America - I can't tell if the paranoia comes from the author or the characters. Is this a rational man writing about a paranoid father and alternate self, or is this a paranoid man expressing his own biases through his characters? Unable to answer this question, I was also unable to be sure I was getting the message the author intended.

Many events seemed totally implausable to me. I can accept that America could have had its own Krystalnacht if history had unfolded differently. I was expecting the book to include such events before I ever started reading, but the way things happened in the book didn't ring true. Some plot elements were borderline ridiculous. Since I couldn't tell where the author was coming from, I didn't know what to make of these highly unlikely occurrences.

The ending bugs me. First, it's tightly linked to one of those unlikely circumstances. Second, it provides an easy way out of the mess America got itself into. The alternate America strayed from the path we know, and as a result the essence of what America is also should have changed. In Plot, the easy-out ending lets America get right back on track, with the only long-term difference between fantasy and reality being a chapter in the history books.

One of the book's strengths is the way it shows how we are affected by uncertainty, and by our own perception of how others view us.

I've been looking forward to reading this book for a long time. The whole premise really grabbed my attention. Now that I've made it through from cover to cover, I wouldn't say that I'm completely disappointed, but neither did it satisfy my expectations. I'm writing this review a couple of months after I finished the book, and can tell you it didn't stay with me.

3 Stars

The Grand Sophy, by Georgette Heyer

Sophy Stanton-Lacy, a young unmarried woman, was born in an era of extreme discretion. It is improper for a young lady to allow their affections to show, to ride a large horse, to leave town with a man. This regency woman is very different however from the women of Jane Austin's similarly set novels. She is not concerned with appearances. Her indiscretions range from riding her horse too fast in the park, to standing up to a loan shark armed with a pistol, to running away with the man her cousin has feelings for. All her actions are for good reason though. In the end, everyone ends up married to the right person and no one's reputaion is irreparably damaged.

I enjoyed this novel as well as several other of Georgette Heyer's works. "Devil's Cub" was probably my favorite. All her novels have smart, strong women characters. The men characters are also strong, but usually are won over and somehow made better by the female heroine. I likes the way that the women worked around the restraints of their society to achieve the desired results. Most of the problems in these novels would not exist in today's world, but that is part of what makes them interesting to read.

4 Stars

The Elder Gods, by David & Leigh Eddings

In a land held sacred by the Elder Gods, a bug-like creature called the Vlaugh prepares to take control. The Elder gods are forbidden to kill and have always allowed nature to take its own course, but this time, if they do nothing their sacred land will be overrun. In their desperate attempt to save the land of Dhrall, they wake up the younger gods from their rest, but in a state of infancy resembling mortals. As they wait for the younger gods to grow up, they entice the outlying nations to come to their aid with promises of great riches. The pirate-like people from the land of Maag join along with the Maag's enemies, the Trogite legions, to defeat the Vlaugh.

I thought this book ended really abruptly. It reminded me of a parent that got tired of reading a bedtime story and concluded it by saying... "The bad guy suddenly died of a heart attack and the princess was free." That being said, I really enjoyed the book. The character development made for a great read, despite the weak finish. When the enemy nations came together outside their normal circumstances, they developed many new innovations by working together in friendship. To me, this was a testament to the progress that could be achieved if we banded together in brotherhood instead of hording our technologies.

I have read 3 of the 4 books in The Dreamers series, and so far all of them end in this abrupt way, but as the series progresses, this becomes not only expected, but adds an element of excitement and anticipation for the revelation of why these things happen in future books.

All in all, I'd recomend this as a nice light read in the fantasy genre. A great choice for when you want an adventure without the work of figuring out intricate themes and plotlines.

3 Stars

The Dark Elf Trilogy, By R.A. Salvatore

The Dark Elf Trilogy is the first three books of Salvatore's Forgotten Realms series. It includes the books Homeland, Exile, and Sojourn. It is in the style of "Dungeons and Dragons," which makes it very familiar as far as the type of abilities, items, and races you might expect to see. Being a huge fan of Fantasy, I really enjoyed this novel. It included everything you would expect from a "Dungeons and Dragons" fantasy book…sword fights, dragons, good and evil, yet it starts in a rather unexpected way.

The main character, Drizzt comes from a rather backwards society. Evil and hatred are the norm in his city of Menzoberranzan. As the third male child of a noble family, his destiny was to be sacrificed upon birth. In the female dominated Dark Elf society, men's lives are of very little worth. A twist of fate changes his course and he is allowed to live.

Drizzt's childhood experiences challenge his thinking. Should he dawn the evil mantle of his society? His father, Zaknafien, teaches Drizzt swordplay and he becomes perhaps the greatest warrior in his city. However, Zaknafien also plants the seeds of doubt in Drizzt's mind about the morality of their culture. As Drizzt struggles with his conscience and the challenges of his society, it comes down to a culminating moment where he must decide between submitting himself to the will of his people or saving a young elf child. He inevitably chooses to save the elf child and his life is turned upside down. He becomes outcast from his people and later hunted. The other races shun and fear him because of the reputation his people have earned. Drizzt's only friend for much of his journeys is Guenhwyvar, a black panther from another plane of existence. Even Guenhwyvar is able to spend little time with Drizzt, needing to return often to its own plane for sustenance. Drizzt struggles to do what he believes to be right while facing searing loneliness and despair.

What I enjoyed most about these books was the look at the great beauty that emerged from such a dark society. It is so easy to blame our actions on our circumstances. Drizzt is a true underdog, yet rose above and allowed his integrity to set his course. Despite the pain it costs him, he never once looks back on his decision with regret... only sorrow. I also enjoyed the amazing picture of the underdark, particularly the city Menzoberranzen. I think perhaps the most beautiful moments in the book were the rare moments when Drizzt felt loved. The only thing I didn’t really like was the overly detailed sword fights. I am not a big fan of strategy and maneuvers so I usually skimmed past these parts, but in spite of that, I found it an excellent book, well worth the read.

4 Stars

So You Want To Be A Wizard, by Diane Duane

I'm waiting for the next book in the Saga of the Twelve Houses to be available at the library. In the meantime I decided to read this.

So You Want to Be a Wizard is the first in the Young Wizards series, which has been called "the first place to go when you run out of Harry Potter." I didn't think it measured up to Harry Potter at all, and I'm not even that big of a Potter fan. Although I don't idolize the almighty Harry, Rowling's books actually have a lot going for them, especially in their use of symbolism and their rich reliance on folklore and traditional beliefs in magic, including a lot of traditions most of us aren't familiar with.

This first Young Wizards book, on the other hand, doesn't have nearly the depth. I thought the book was kind of boring. The characters were flat and the story not interesting enough to hold my attention. In fact it took me a month to finish it, much longer than a 400-page young adult book should take. The last third of the book picks up the pace significantly, introduces some a-little-too-obvious Christian symbolism, and ends up saving the book. I'm still not convinced this is a series I'll want to stick with, but I'm going to give the second book a shot.

I'm giving this book three stars. It sure seem like I've been giving a lot of three star ratings lately. I'm hoping the next book I read will knock my socks off. And it's probably worth pointing out that this book got a lot of five star ratings on Amazon.

3 Stars