Texas Books

Jimmy's writing gets better with each book. This one does not disappoint---it's fast paced and as he might have put in his own wonderful words...BY GOD GOOD. Wonderful read. This is not pulp western folks. If you like good westerns, don't miss this one.

I just finished reading J. Lee Butts' book, A Bad Day to Die, the adventures of Lucius "By God" Dodge, Texas Ranger. What a book! Butts is an exceptional writer, has an unusual gift for clever dialog, and is one who flat out knows how to tell a tall Western tale properly.
The book picks up on Lucius Dodge as an old man talking to an old Ranger partner, and then flashes back to one of the craziest, meanest, bloodiest, nastiest cases Dodge and his partner Boz Tatum ever worked on...the Nightshade murders. The two young Texas Rangers, tough, smart, hard working honest fellows are sent to Sweetwater, Texas, a town terrorized by a big family of thugs, the notorious Nightshades.
Two different beautiful girls fall for the handsome young Ranger, Dodge, one the impetuous, sweet-kissing, straight-shooting, green-eyed Martye, sixteen year old daughter from a big, dirt poor family of farmers, and the other the pistol-packing, hard-assed, gorgeous Nance Nightshade. Dodge is no ladies man by any means, often embarrassed by the obvious attentions of these two different, but extremely attractive females.
A Bad Day to Dies isn't light reading, it's a tough book, it doesn't have fairy tale ending, it isn't a book that seems destined to be a Hollywood movie...too real for Hollywood, but what this excellent Western novel is, is historically accurate, hard-hitting, true to the flavor of time and place, and above all, interesting at every point. The deeper into the story the reader gets, the more difficult it is put this exciting book down. Told in the first person by an older and wiser Lucius Dodge, the flow of remarkable similes and metaphors is staggering, the book has the feel of one that was written and then re-written and polished over and over, and of one that was written by a real pro, a wordsmith with uncommon and serious skills. If you've never yet had the pleasure of reading J. Lee Butts, and you appreciate a good story set in the Wild West as it actually was, check out this talented writer. A Bad Day to Die is one mighty fine Western novel. Highly recommended.

I'm a big fan of westerns, and spotted this one at my local Walmart. Intriqued by the title, I decided to pick it up. I'm glad that I did. This book is what westerns should be, exciting from beginning to end. It seems to be written in the first person at the beginning, and slips seemlessly in and out from that point on. I've read a lot of westerns, but the way the author put words together painted a pretty picture. Grab this one if you see it!

Although I fancy myself a fan of her vampire and witch books, I found that I was drawn in by Maggie Shaynes family of cowboys. Could not put the books down!
Wes is the half brother of the rest of the Brands, but they never treat him like it. He has many skeletons in his closet and it is fun to watch Taylor pull them out. Very believable and well developed story line.
Thank you, Maggie Shayne!

This is a fantastic book, 3rd. in the Brand family saga. As each story is told, we learn more about the Brands, which is fabulous, but without loosing anything about the main couple in each story.

Wes is a half brother to the rest of the Brands. Their father had an affair with Wes's mother a Comanche. Wes was bought into the family by his stepmother when his own died & made to feel a part of the family. But for a long time there was something missing & that was his heritage.

Taylor, like Wes was not bought up in the way of the Comanche. She was adopted when her mother died & bought up with white Americans. Wes & Taylor learn about their heritage with a Comanche shaman, Turtle.

This is turning into one fantastic series of books the more I read each new one. Next is book 4 Ben & Penny's story in "The husband she couldn't remember".

Who of us hasn't, at one time or another, lost trust in those we love most? How we deal with that feeling of betrayal can overshadow our lives. This is the theme of Maggie Shayne's "Badland's Bad Boy"; how to trust, who to trust. Do you receive trust and then return it, or does it have to be given unconditionaly in order that it be returned? Taylor McCoy is a Comanche who was raised in a white society. Given away by her birth mother, lied to by her adoptive parents, she trusts nothing but her own gut instincts. When she is hired to excavate a Comanche site at Emerald Flat, she meets Wolf Shadow who claims to be a spirit from the past. He tells her that she is desecrating sacred ground and must stop. Wes Brand is a half-breed Comanche who has been raised by the Brands. He has become close to Turtle, an ancient shaman, and has learned from him the legend of Wolf Shadow and Little Sparrow. He has dressed as Wolf Shadow, hoping to drive Taylor McCoy from the site. But as he stays close to her, she wins his heart. Should he drive her from the site and save the land, as the old shaman has asked, or should he tell her the truth and betray his friend, Turtle? This is a beautifully, touching story of love in two realms, earth and spirit. Maggie Shayne has delved into the dark recesses of man's troubled psyche, pulling forth the emotions he conceals, exposing them to the light of truth.

Sherman brings history to life, and paints a scene the way an artist would approach a canvas. Perhaps the best of modern Western lore. Sherman is at his best in this one. A compelling story, with dimensional characters you hate to leave

In a way only Jory Sherman can fulfill, he takes you on an incredible journey, through a raging storm in the Gulf of Mexico, to settle the vast, arid, Apache stalked land of Texas. A fantastic read!

After reading Grass Kingdom, I waited for this addition to Sherman's series on a historical look at the early Texas years and found it to be another great Jory Sherman saga. The character of Martin Baron and his effort to build his own western kingdom was great. The flavor of Spain the character Miguel Fuentes added was wonderful seasoning.

Growing up in California, I became a Texan as soon as I knew better. Having missed all of the Texas history and trivia growing up, it was pure delight to read "The Bathroom Book of Texas Trivia". It's a gem for those with little nuggets of time to snatch a quick read. From the snippet about the "Pulpwood Queens of East Texas" to discovering how the Lone Star became Texas' state seal to "The Games People Play", it's a fun and informative read.

Often hilarious, intriguing, or just plain interesting fun quick facts about the Lone Star state. If you know someone who plans to visit or move to Texas (or recently arrived), this will orient them. It will also delight Texas natives and Texas ex-patriates who get homesick. Highly recommended.

I found the "Bathroom Book of Texas Trivia" a very enjoyable read. As a native Illinoisan I learned much about my adopted state of Texas. If you are a fan of trivia, or just want to learn more about the Lone Star State, you will enjoy reading this book.

Go discussion of the non main stream battle of the War Between the State well research.

Jim Lynch

I really enjoyed Alberts' well researched account of the climactic battle that doomed Southern ambitions in New Mexico and Confederate ambitions in the West. The book is well written and easy to read. Alberts is very familiar with the battlefields and uses maps to show troop positions and movements in the battles in Glorieta Pass. The book includes a good introduction of the campaign and troop movements to the area as well as the aftermath and southern retreat to Southern New Mexico. An Order of Battle and extensive end notes are helpfull and he even gives brief accounts of the fates of the major players in the campaign.

Before taking the battlefield tour at Pecos National Historical Park, I read the other book on the battle because this one had no reviews. The park ranger recommended this one as having a lot of detail, and he was correct. Edrington and Taylor's book is good for a quick once over and for non-specialists. However, if you want to read about this battle in detail and/or you read a lot of Civil War books, this is the book to read. For non-specialists, he provides reviews of basic army organization and weaponry.

The author lives in the area and has spend many years researching the battle and the field including locating the sites of specific actions by the use of metal detectors and analysis of the materials found.

The book concentrates on the two-day battle and its immediate aftermath which have to be considered a Union victory. Although the Union forces retreated at the end of the both days, they were not driven off the field. Plus, a Union flank maneuver put these forces onto the lightly guarded Confederate wagon train, which the Union forces proceeded to destroy. With the destruction of their train in this poor area, the Confederate advance into New Mexico was effectively ended. The final chapter reviews the subsequent careers of the major participants.

The endnotes are excellent, and the maps are standard format (unlike in the other book).

This collection of stories was wonderful. Every story was different and the book features a wide range of stories and emotions. I felt transported to a different time and place.

This is a great collection of stories ranging from family tales to folktales.Among my favorite were:John Henry Faulk's "Mrs. Fanny Rollins and her fake rubber bosoms," an old celtic legend of Finn McCoul is quiet but very powerful, Jay Stailey's stories jumped off the page with humor as did Finley Stewart's four offerings.Sometimes sad, often wildly funny the book gives us a glimpse of who we all are as human beings. My husband and I keep it by the bed for a quick reread f a story every now and then.Where can I find more like this?

I found this a WONDERFUL book! The stories are new and great. Perfect for adults and children, these are great stories to read to your kids before they go to sleep. But after they do, you'll keep reading for you!

James Griffin has launched a new Texas Ranger series (although related to his previous one) featuring Ranger Cody Havlicek, who is called on to investigate a series of murders in the Big Bend country. This is a little closer to whodunnit territory, with Havlicek and the reader both trying to figure out who is behind the killings and why. As with Griffin's previous novels, this one has action a-plenty, with gunfights and at least one literal cliffhanger. It is a western as they used to be done, not an "adult" western with sex scenes added but what was once seen as a traditional western, the kind it's hard to find these days.

Griffin introduces Blawcyzk's successor, Cody Havlicek in a rousing mystery/adventure yarn. That's what Jim writes; Yarns. He's a whale of a storyteller, and they get better in plot and execution with each time out. (Although, I think this one was written before his latest Blawcyzk book) His characterization, plotting, pacing and dialogue improve by leaps and bounds. Confidence in his skills is more apparent with each book and it's a joy to behold from my standpoint as the constant reader. Even if Jim wasn't a member of this group, I would eagerly look for his books. They are that good and that enjoyable.
In Blawcyzk and Havlicek, Griffin has created characters that are more than just plot devices or genre shortcuts. They are living, breathing people that you care about. Little touches like going to church, praying, the constant mints for the horses, and not liking certain parts of the job yet realizing they have to be done, all add up to memorable characters that you look forward to encountering again.

BIG BEND DEATH TRAP Big Bend Death Trap: A Texas Ranger Cody Havlicek Story is a mystery story full of traditional Western action. The hero, Texas Ranger Cody Havlicek, is a God-fearing family man, loyal to his wife and son, but he is not afraid to use his fists and guns to bring justice to the far reaches of the state of Texas.

Tommy Mashburn, a young man Cody rescues on the way to his assignment, makes a wonderful sidekick for the Ranger.

BIG BEND DEATH TRAP will keep you on the edge of your seat as Cody, Tommy, and even Cody's horse Yankee battle against tremendous odds in their efforts to find and bring to justice a gang of diabolical criminals terrorizing the Big Bend Region of Texas.

BIG BEND DEATH TRAP is highly recommended reading for just about anyone.

Finally a book that is an easy read and answers questions about the area of Texas known as the Big Bend. This book takes you several steps beyond the Roadside Geology of Texas book. The book has excellent maps, is well organized, and has many photographs to help you get your orientation. I also recommend a companion book that he has written about the Davis Mountains area.

I love this book! In Chapter I, Setting the Scene, MacLeod provides a concise geologic history, explaining difficult concepts in language easily accessible to the layman. The following chapters interpret the landscapes along various local routes. The maps, photos and sketches nicely complement the text. I like to read the appropriate chapter the night before a road trip and then take the book along in the car. It certainly adds interest to the trip.

Use Big Bend Vistas to get an overview of the region or just to look up that mountain that catches your eye. Easy to read descriptions of the geology with lots of pictures, illustrations and a glossary to help the average person understand and appreciate the landscape yet detailed enough for the more geologically astute. Vistas makes the trip to Big Bend National Park more fun!

I am in the process of reading the book. It is very interesting. I just bought a Black Mouth Cur puppy and the book was recommended on the American Black Mouth Cur website.

I grew up in East Texas and have lived around the Big Thicket all my life. As a child, I heard my grandfather and his brother tell tales of the bears and "panthers" they had hunted in the early 1900's. I picked this book up one afternoon and began to skim it, and I was hooked within minutes. I couldn't put it down. In the 60's and 70's the authors interviewed many older residents of the Big Thicket area, allowing the old-timers to simply relate their rememberances, from the 1860's on up into the oil boom and logging days of the early 20th century. The dialect is distinct, and the authors do a good job of conveying the pronunciation. The stories these people tell of the hardships and yet the wonder of living in a true wilderness is simply fascinating. If you have any interest in the Big Thicket area of Texas, or if you just enjoy tales of life in the "wild and wooly days", then you will certainly enjoy these stories. It's truly a wonder that these folks survived the hard life and wild animals! My wife and I were so enthralled with these stories,that we found time a few days later to drive over and visit some of the remaining thicket, near Saratoga, TX.

Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by lifelong naturalists Campbell and Lynn Loughmiller, Big Thicket Legacy is a compendium of engaging and informative anecdotes about life and living in the Big Thicket country, which is a nearly impassable area of Texas territory that only a few pioneers dared to brave. In those days, only the heartiest of individuals and families could call a place within the heart of the Big Thicket home; their tales have become a part of Texas folklore, and in Big Thicket Legacy are preserved to available to the general reading public, thereby recounting a very special experienced wisdom for new generations of Texans.

It is such a pleasant escape to go to Job's Crossing, Texas, and spend a little time with Biggie and J.R., to go down to the tea room and schmooze with the patrons--maybe have a piece of chocolate pie. The plot isn't too much, as mysteries go, but who cares? The characters and the atmosphere are what a reader needs after all the bloody violence of mysteries that top the best seller lists. I'm not usually a great fan of "cozy" whodunits; still, from time to time they are the perfect antidote. Nancy Bell knows her place and people well, and I enjoy going with her.

When J.R.'s father died and his mother proved unable to care for him, Biggie took him into her heart and home in Job's Crossing. He's going to take his best friend to the school dance but before that can happen, some excitement comes to the small bucolic town. Biggie's first love, Rex Barnwell and his young wife open up a camp for overweight girls. In all good conscience, Biggie is forced to tell J.R. and Rex they are grandson and grandfather, respectively.

When the duo visit Rex, they are forced to stay overnight due to a bad storm. That same night somebody shoots and kills Rex. Biggie is determined to find out who the killer is and Officer Red Upchurch is reluctantly getting used to her involvement in homicide investigations. He encourages her to see what she can find out.

BIGGIE AND THE DEVIL DIET is the perfect cosy to snuggle up with on a cold winter's night. Biggie, her grandson, and the small Texas town where the story takes place will beguile readers. J.R. narrates the tale so everything is seen from his perspective. This makes for a pleasant change from books that are told from an adult's viewpoint.

Harriet Klausner

Nancy Bell never disappoints. This cozy muystery series is so charming, but if you haven't read the preceding books , please postpone this one until its turn comes around. You'll probably find yourself reading these books in a Texas drawl which will make the whole experience even funnier because Bell's humor is southern and her turn of phrase is just perfect. These books are such relaxing and pleasant reads that you'll hate when the last page comes. J.R., the 12 year old narrator, is well ajusted despite being taken from his mother, " a nervous type", after the death of his father who was Biggie's son. His adventures with the warm, wonderful and clever Biggie are just plain old fun. Biggie's cook/housekeeper Willie Mae and her husband Rosebud add tremendously to the stories, and Willie Mae's menus will have you drooling all over yourself. Then, of course, there's J.R.'s best friend,the spunky Monica Sontag, who only has half a head of hair because she was set too close to the fire when she was a baby. On top of all that, there are the townspeople of Job's Crossing, all of whom are diverse and quirky. This series is a real winner, and I hope it continues for a very long time.