Sherman Books

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.

"Butterfly Warrior: A Novel" by Juan Blea is an original murder mystery set in Santa Fe, New Mexico, tracing the bond of four friends with common roots in the Los Arbolitos Barrio. Together they form a society of the Butterfly Warrior, the feminine Aztec deity Itzpapalotl, who is empowered to grant to the dead the experience of returning to earth to collect and consume sacred nectar, their eternal reward. The four friends are Cuate, a clown, Anna, his logical twin sister, Whitey, the "wannabe," and Manny, the musician who mysteriously commits suicide. Though all friends have gone their separate ways, the death of Manny brings them together in unforeseen ways to examine their bond and the reason for death and life. Highly recommended for mystery buffs, "Butterfly Warrior" is a novel well grounded in place and cultures, filled with vivid bits of detail that enhance the story and the conflict of the characters.

Reviewed by Joanne Benham for Reader Views (08/06)

The night that Manny Lopez turned 35, he celebrated the event by killing himself. As his family and friends gather to bury him, his widowed mother, Dona Lopez, pleads with his three best friends from childhood to discover what happened to him at the medical research laboratory where he worked that would make him do such a thing. She knows that Manny, brought up with a strong faith, would never do such a thing voluntarily. To kill yourself was to place your eternal soul in jeopardy.

The three friends, who have not seen each other in several years, each go their separate ways in the investigation. Only one of the three believes passionately that Manny would never kill himself. The others understand what you can do when under the influence of drugs and try to stand aloof...until there is a killing and Dona Lopez takes matters into her own hands.

This story is set in the Hispanic community in Santa Fe, NM, weaving through the lives of the four children, all of whom are drawn to each other by a common love of guitar music, poetry and The Butterfly Warrior - key player in an ancient Aztec legend.

I would have liked to see more storyline set in the medical laboratory itself and more fleshing out of the characters. I would have especially liked to read more about what demons drove Cuate's behavior. Other than those two relatively minor points, the novel was very good. Once I started reading it, I didn't put it down until it was finished.

Juan Blea's world view was a Spanish up to age of five. In order to translate across cultures, he creates a metaphoric token that can be understood by both cultures. In "Buttlerfly Warrior" Blea gives us an allegory taken from an Aztec myth of soldiers killed in battle who then return as butterflies. The opposing force becomes the wasp.

The crux of Blea's book is that "As cultural identity decays, so does psychological health," as Juan Blea explained to the SW Writers Group in Albuquerque (August 2006). His entire book balances on the two metaphors of the wasp (non-psychological health) and the butterfly (psychological health). He traces deterioration and gives us a kiss of hope at the end.

"Butterfly Warrior" is a book of power, wit, and poetry. Slim, as most allegories are, yet such a soul-tickler that you'll be thinking about it for some time to come. A whole new take on Santa Fe, acculturation, and where we are headed in the grand scheme of themes.

Janet Grace Riehl, author, Sightlines: A Poet's Diary

The first principal of a lasting relationship is your intention to preserve your mutual affection, respect and friendship. There is much helpful information in this book, as well as on the companion CD, to help you achieve that goal. There is also a relationship affirmation and agreement form to be filled in and signed by both parties. This form is a guide to reaffirm your commitment to each other.

The basics of the Couples Contract include: Making a loving commitment to a lasting relationship, honesty and good faith in all dealings with each other, and how to build successful problem-solving into your relationship.

Using this book, CD and Couples Contract is a great way to begin a strong, stable relationship.

Expertly co-authored by the attorneys Ed Sherman and Bruce Janke, The Couples Contract For A Lasting Relationship: For All Couples: Married, Getting Married, Unmarried is a complete and comprehensive guide for creating an everlasting bond between couples of every level. Enhanced with the inclusion of a CD-Rom, The Couples Contract For A Lasting Relationship presents a thorough and concise collection of advice and examples for securing important legal benefits through the mechanism of a written contract with respect to a loved one whether engaged, married, or simply living together. By tailoring a written agreement to a couple's particular financial relationships, and building successful problem solving skills with respect to general relationship issues (which may frequently be financial), The Couples Contract For A Lasting Relationship is very strongly recommended as a useful tool and guide to safeguarding the relationship. If you are planning to share your life with that special someone, then give The Couples Contract For A Lasting Relationship a very careful reading first. It could save you a great deal of regret and expense later.

Reviewed by Abbie G. Yandle for Reader Views (1/07)

"What are the most useful and constructive things a loving couple can accomplish with a written agreement?" That first sentence is an example of the clear and easily understood language the authors use throughout this book. The sample documents are accompanied by plain language explanations. Years of experience yield sound advice about what to include, what to exclude, and why every loving couple and their relationship benefit from a Couples Contract.

By following the examples in this book and its companion CD, any couple can create a basic document that will both stand up in court and keep them out of court. "Its goals are to (1) reinforce your commitment to each other, (2) plant ideas that might help resolve relationship issues in the future, and (3) keep your relationship forever out of court."

No one wants to consider that their relationship may someday come to an end. Having been through divorce myself, I know how ugly it can get. With this contract, based on mutual love, respect, and sound legal principals, there is no place for ugly court battles. Further, clarity about goals and financial issues lays solid groundwork to avoid many of the pitfalls that eventually lead to divorce. Even long term relationships between couples who choose not to marry benefit from the protection of a couples contract.

I have already recommended this book to many friends. There is no wrong time to make the effort to create a couples contract. There are many reasons to do so. "The Couples Contract for a Lasting Relationship" should be on the shelves of every home and family law office in the country!

Emma And The Civil Warrior is a novel for young adults, set in America 1865. Despite the surrender at Appomattox Court House, the brutal Civil War raged about Raleigh, North Carolina. Twelve-year-old Emma Graham dares to defy the 100,000 Union troops surrounding and occupying her city, by smuggling morphine, spying, and stealing an enemy code book. But her actions could have terrible consequences, for the rest of her family and for all Raleigh. Emma And The Civil Warrior is an exciting book of historical fiction; though its main heroine is an original character, nearly all of the cast are directly from U.S. history. A brief Author's Note at the end explains the connections between the story and the events that shaped the end of America's deadliest war. Emma And The Civil Warrior is also available in softcover

Mrs. Dahl wrote a fantastic book about the history of Raleigh, and being a resident in Raleigh and a member of Christ church, this book covers a great deal of Raleighs history! great book!

Emma And The Civil Warrior is a novel for young adults, set in America 1865. Despite the surrender at Appomattox Court House, the brutal Civil War raged about Raleigh, North Carolina. Twelve-year-old Emma Graham dares to defy the 100,000 Union troops surrounding and occupying her city, by smuggling morphine, spying, and stealing an enemy code book. But her actions could have terrible consequences, for the rest of her family and for all Raleigh. Emma And The Civil Warrior is an exciting book of historical fiction; though its main heroine is an original character, nearly all of the cast are directly from U.S. history. A brief Author's Note at the end explains the connections between the story and the events that shaped the end of America's deadliest war.

This, like the previous book in the series, is a great read. Sherman has a gift for weaving historical information with fantasy and keeping it interesting. Her characters are well developed and easy to relate to. Her story is fast paced, engaging and fun. I hope a third book will follow.

I enjoyed this book and The Shattered Oath immensely. I hope there is going to be a third installment soon!

I am a great fan of Highflight's SERRAted Edge series, and other assorted 'elf' books, including Sherman's 'Son of Darkness'. I have bought both 'The Shattered Oath' and 'Forging the runes', and found them to be an interesting change from the urban settings of others I have read. There is a lot of history casually woven in. Book II sees Ardagh once again trying to figure out his place in an entirely human court, helped by the fact that some of his friends now know what he is. But when King Aedh proposes he act as an Ambassador to another court, Ardagh lands in trouble once again - right in the middle of a blood-drinking sorceror's bid for power. Better, we get to see Ardagh try at being part of an ordinary, human relationship. My only question is, what happened to Book III? It does say 'Prince of the Sidhe Trilogy'.

This book does an excellent job of telling the story of Passover for young childen. Illustrations are lovely. Most aspects of the sedar are covered: the Four Questions, the meaning of special foods, etc. Our family uses it as a Hagaddah when there are small children attending, supplementing with traditional songs, etc.

The "Four Questions" are always asked of the youngest verbal boy-child at Jewish Passover celebrations; they express the central points of Jewish self-esteem and teach the virtues of charity and respect for human rights that have become the ideals of American Jews. Novelist Lynne Sharon Schwartz tells the story of the escape from slavery in Egypt, the background of the Four Questions, in simple forthright language without any trace of self-righteousness or sanctimony; this is a version of the Passover text that Christian children will be able to appreciate without embarrassment. But the glory of this book shines in the full-page art works by Ori Sherman that match the text. Sherman uses animal figures in human postures and clothing - unfortunately an outrage to some orthodox Jews - to universalize the "seder" meal and the symbols of Judaism with utmost gentility and grace. More than mere illustraions for a kid's book, Sherman's paintings are works of high art; I've seen the originals and I'd be very proud if I'd had the sense to buy one before Sherman's untimely early death.

There is also a companion book in the same format - "The Story of Hanukkah" - with text by Amy Ehrlich and more glorious illustrations by Sherman, vivid colors capturing vivid feelings of joy and awe. Not only Jewish children but children of any faith, as well as parents like myself of skeptical bent, will respond to these two books.

Hardly any memories of my life are dearer to me than reading aloud to my son, who was born too late to know my friend Ori Sherman but who has kept his two books when many others have been given away.

This book has wonderful illustrations and a beautiful explanation of the four questions. It is a perfect gift book for Passover -- especially for friends with children or grandchildren.

I certainly admire anyone who has the talent and staying power to write a book. From Darkness to the Light is a wealth of information. It is not a mere book, it is the end of my own 13 year search for the truth. Simple Bible stories came to life under his pen. People and places are put in proper order throughout history. What an amazing talent he is. I certainly congratulate him on his book and look forward to more of his writings. thankyou

I was so very impressed with the authors ability to talk about such complex issues in a manner I was able to understand, Excellent book, I highly recommend it............

my uncle wrote this book and it owns. even though i never read it.

This book had excellent directions and historical information. A must to understand AZ history if you are not a native....or if you just love history. Directions were super. Photos were a little disappointing. Buy in conjunction with another AZ history book with colorful photos and you will be delighted with set.

This book provides the reader with some excellent background and historical information about the ghost towns of Arizona. I have found this book to be very useful when trying to find information about the towns that I have visited. In particular, the photographs and illustrations are interesting and gie the reader some sense of what each town and it's colorful residents have to offer the reader. Well written and well illustrated, this book belongs on every western history buffs bookshelf.

Not complete by any means (only a multi-volume work of many hundreds of pages could approach that), this is still a useful and informative book on Arizona ghost towns. Concentrating on the southern half of the state, the authors do an excellent job of surveying many of the most important towns and mining camps. Photos, mostly historical, and fairly decent maps are also included. One highlight, especially for those who like to attempt a visit to the sites or at least to mark them accurately on a topo map, is the precise range coordinates included for each location.

An area of special interest for Arizona ghost town enthusiasts is the Bradshaw Mountains south of Phoenix, which at one time contained over 50 towns and camps important enough to boast having a post office. This book spotlights a little more than half of them, not a bad percentage for a work covering a dozen specific regions around the lower half of the state.

The book is an excellent history of about 130 long-abandoned towns and camps, as well as a pretty good guide (in conjunction with topo maps) on how to reach them. Written in 1969, however, whatever remains might have been mentioned at certain sites then may be quite different today. An updated edition would be most welcome.

I really enjoyed this book. It has the makings of a great western movie. I am beginning to read the other stories of the Baron's, stories of Matt's ancestors and i really enjoy them so far.

Wes Lukowsky could stand a lesson in good literary fiction and watch less TV. GRASS KINGDOM is a work of art and a literary masterpiece. If you understand the talent behind novels such as LONESOME DOVE or CALL OF THE WILD, then you'll see what makes Jory Sherman rank with the best. Read GRASS KINGDOM, you won't be disappointed.

Jory Sherman brings to this book a love of early Texas and the larger-than-life people who founded it. This is a novel of empire building, and written with such poetry and beauty that it will inspire delight in any reader. It is as if Sherman had borrowed from the history of the great King Ranch in Texas.

A reader cannot help but enjoy this book.

In this collection, Jim Toomey takes us back to Sherman's Lagoon in its beginings. While the artwork is a little bit rought back then, the humor is still there. Sherman is a "Great White Shark" and the disposal of all things edible. Together with his girlfriend Megan, friends Hathorn and Filmore, you'll never look at underwater life the same again! Highly recommended for those who enjoy comic strips.

It's "Sherman's Lagoon" before people really saw it! Cartoonist Jim Toomey presents the earliest incarnations of his immensely funny sea-dwelling goofballs, and I am loving every little page of it.

Sherman tries his fin at being a rapper, the Loch Ness Monster makes a cameo at a stamp machine, Sherman learns where he is on the speed dial of love, Hawthorne gets antenna extensions (yes, we see this storyline later in the strip, but it's different and still funny here), and Fillmore makes another doomed attempt at finding his soulmate.

There are some differences between these strips and the later ones. Hawthorne has long eyestalks and almost invisible mouth, there's more emphasis on secondary fishie characters, and some even take place ("Calvin & Hobbes-like") in a classroom with a forbidding teacher. The artwork is a bit rougher, the humor a little more scattered. But these are the same weird, dumb, gag-infested sea creatures we know and love.

If you like the later books you'll like this one as well. If you are new to Sherman check out the later books (and their reviews), and if you get hooked come back and get this one. You can also find recent strips on-line (with a one week delay). Just search a little ... ...