Texas Books

"She closed her eyes and escaped into a Dali-like surrealistic painting, a purple and green sun, a clock melting into the steel table where she lay wearing the starving-artist painting's little Mexican girl's peasant clothes and tiara and Cinderella's glass slippers. Stems and petals from Texas bluebonnets and Indian paint brush were scattered about." ~ pg. 149

Overwhelmed by duty, Assistant District Attorney Virginia Rodriguez takes on even more than she can handle. With romantic misunderstandings at work, a son trying to get ready for the prom and her most pressing desire, a hot bath in complete silence with a bowl of chocolate ice cream, her life begins to unfold within a mystery murder and renewed expectations.

L.B. Cobb weaves a story of intrigue with Tex-Mex flavor, realistic human emotions and wry humor. Her writing style is refreshingly unique, draws on local flavor and captures the essence of what it means to be human within an ever-changing world. There are always interesting twists in the plot and she never gives the answers to questions before the time is perfectly right and is always ready to throw you another surprise.

Who murdered a federal prosecutor at a Bayou City hotel and why is his wife being charged with the murder? As the truth remains elusive, Virginia struggles through emotional complexity under the demands of a stressful work environment. Will the man she thinks betrayed her, become her comfort?

If L.B. is writing, I'll be reading! She gets into her character's minds and reveals interesting details as if she truly could hear what they were thinking. She is also the author of Old Fashioned Recipes for Modern Cooks and the memorable story Splendor Bay. Her experience with cooking infuses her books with the delicious scents of culinary favorites and things any woman can relate to, like hiding chocolate ice cream in the back of the freezer.

~The Rebecca Review

Advance Books is a traditional independent press, which produces quality books geared towards a modern world full of diversity, baby boomers, and older readers. L.B. Cobb is herself an attorney, and is a product of a Tennessee upbringing. Now a resident of Houston, LB Cobb follows up her first novel, Splendor Bay.

Talk about women who have it all until it almost kills them, and you'll find Virginia Rodriguez. As a prosecutor for the DA's office, Virginia works nonstop while she manages to bring up her son, Nick, and try to remember to let the dog, Denver, in and fill its food dish. In the meantime, there has been a murder committed of a powerful federal prosecutor, and his wife is found in the hotel room with a gun in her hand. Is she guilty?

Virginia thinks at first this will be an open-and-shut case. Enter Leo Zachmann, a defense lawyer of some repute and intelligence, who can see from the start that the case doesn't add up. He's been hired by a gruff voice calling almost immediately after the murder was committed:

"'Why, Virginia, I see blinking cop cars and rowdy reporters and I just have to see if there's paying work I can hustle up,' Leo dead panned. 'You know how testy the state bar gets when you send runners in to sign up clients, so I like to do the signing up myself.' 'Right. I was told Mrs. Fullerton hasn't said a word, but it looks like she managed to sneak a call to a lawyer.'

Leo and his wife, Miranda, also a lawyer, manage to dig up enough dirt to indicate that "some other dude did it." Indeed, the absence of evidence is in itself fishy and causes Leo to latch on to another line of inquiry...of the feds. In the meantime, Virginia's case dissolves as Leo's case widens. Virginia has yet another issue begging for attention, a budding relationship.

Promises Town is a splendid follow-up to Cobb's debut novel. Her characters are chiseled out of the Texas landscape; politics; and Virginia's sometimes bitchy, but mostly likable, character.

Shelley Glodowski
Senior Reviewer

PROMISES TOWN introduces saucy Assistant District Attorney Virginia Rodriquez in the case of a murdered federal prosecutor. When Virginia arrives at the murder scene in a posh Bayou City, Texas hotel room, the federal prosecutor's wife has been found with the gun, he and a lover have been found dead in bed together, the motive is obvious, and the wife has been arrested. It looks like a slam-dunk case to Virginia. Enter Leo Zachmann, a shrewd high-profile defense attorney who challenges Virginia to look deeper into the facts -- facts that don't seem to add up to the wife being the murderer.

As Virginia and police detective named Smitty delve into the inconsistencies, they come to realize that maybe the wife has been set up, but by then a dismissal of the charges isn't that simple. Powerful people, including a man from Virginia's past, want a quick prosecution and conviction . At the same time, Zachmann and his staff are conducting their own investigation which indicates there's a political conspiracy behind the murders.

The story is masterfully told from a point-counterpoint perspective, interweaving the prosecution and defense point of view as Cobb takes the readers through a criminal investigation, into the courtroom, and then on to the unexpected ending. As in L.B. Cobb's debut novel, SPLENDOR BAY, twists, turns, and action keep the pages of PROMISES TOWN turning. It's also filled with deliciously complex relationships, suspense, humor, and some very memorable characters. I'll eager to read more about Virginia and Leo.

Here you will find the body and mind of the post-modern world
unfolding before your eyes, with all its pleasures, its anxieties, its lost dreams, its hopes. It is the world we know, because it is already in us, part of us--it is always arriving, always arrived. But, there is more. Ashbery, through unique images and juxtapositions, brings into the open a world not quite satisfied with itself, sometimes too satisfied--in a state of suspended satisfaction, sometimes leading to nausea. It is a world looking for experiences under every log and at every corner, only to find the rates of exchange rising and the necessity for experiences increasing. It is a world placed smack dap in the impossibility of its own being. What we have in "Wakefulness" is the journey of many selves through many worlds, many doors, all leading back to a haunting singularity of space and time. One gets the uncanning feeling in each poem that one has been there before, or even that one, if only momentarily, exists only in and through the words that appear on the page. This is what poetry should be. There are echoes of all the greats here, from the English romantics, to Dickinson and Stevens and beyond. But, Ashbery knows how to tame these echoes, how to humour them, disinheret them, and reclaim them for his own purposes, making these poems fully his own. I highly recommend this book and any other Ashbery books.

If you have read "Chinese Whispers" and "Your Name Here," then "Wakefulness" is kind of the first part of that set. "Wakefulness" has its surprising slopes that only Ashbery can give us but there is also a distant cohesiveness to it that an Ashbery follower can pick up. I often try to think of a way to describe what an Ashbery poem is like as if I was explaining it to someone who might cringe at the difficulty Ashbery presents us. These poems are like a light sleep in front of the tv where commercials and sitcoms sprinkle an already watery dream: the real mixes with the dreamed real. None of these poems, and not many of Ashbery's poems, are barreling down on the reader in a straight line. Everything is smoke in a fan. Once one can step inside Ashbery's voice, then there is a comfortablity in the chaos, as there is inside our heads.

A marvelous collection. The quote on the inner cover (by Harold Bloom) says it all "The book is a profound pleasure, the gift of a master."

If you want to learn how to be "appropriate" and become a skillful buisness pioneer, then this is a must own book. It entails key facts about Mr Stanley Marcus, a pioneer of the business realm.

the follow up to 'minding the store',these books give you an excellent overview of running any sort of company in a 1.st class way.
putting the client in a comfortable position,in comfortable surroundings,with well trained staff, add-- product selected with care, usage thought,& background, add--a slight sense of humour, is a recipe to do well.

I first read "Quest for the Best" when it was published in 1979. I was in college then, and Mr. Marcus' view of retailing was so informative, to say nothing of interesting. I learned more from reading that book than I did from some of my college courses. If you're thinking of a career in retailing, or just wanting a glimpse into the high-end retail world, read this book, as well as "Minding the Store," which is also by Mr. Marcus.

When you read this book you won't be reading a history book that puts you to sleep with dates, places and a few well known people. You also won't be reading the stories about these people from the author's point of view. You will be reading stories from the people who lived them. Raisins and Almonds and Texas Oil is well written and very well researched. It is easy to understand. You don't have to know of or be involved with the Jewish culture to enjoy this book. The people and events come to life in your imagination just like the stories your grandparents told you. You can relate to the people this book is about because they came to East Texas from all over the United States. During the depression "you went where the hope of a job was". That happened to be the East Texas oil fields. Picture if you will a small town going from a population of 500 to 10,000 almost overnight! What an exciting time it must have been.

"Raisins and Almonds" provides a vivid newsreel of the migration of Jews to the East Texas oilfields. It is a book textured with portraits of colorful characters and their improbable adventures. One of my favorite anecdotes is about a penniless diamond dealer. He displays his precious stones in rent space in a drugstore window, then winds up selling a diamond to Stanley Marcus. That's a Texas-sized story.
Until reading this book, I was unaware of the Depression-era chain migration of Jews from Oklahoma to the Kilgore-Longview region. It is reminiscent of the California Gold Rush (and it is the reverse of the Grapes of Wrath). Jewish youngsters who had gone to religious school together in Seminole, Okla., ended up being merchants and pipe-and-supply dealers (and possibly bootleggers) in Kilgore and Longview.
The chain migration of "boomers" is but one of the sociological patterns that emerges through this book's lively memoirs. Another common pattern is for women to launch the synagogue rather than men. Discussions about the lack of anti-Semitism in Kilgore reflect the egalitarianism of the frontier -- in this case, an oilfield frontier. This egalitarianism comes through at Mattie's Dance Hall where everyone socializes. There does not seem to be a "five o'clock curtain" in the oilfield communities.
The book's frank discussions of intermarriage are a realistic aspect of Jewish life everywhere. What is more remarkable is the cohesion of the Jewish communities detailed in this very readable book.

Jan Statman was able to capture the personal stories of how many Jewish people came to East Texas during the depression. They came to this G-d forsaken place, where one would never expect to find other Jews, with the attitude that they would somehow observe their Judiasm and make a living for their families. And they did.
I started reading, and couldn't put this book down until I was finished. I could hear and see in my mind the all of the families she wrote about. I knew that these stories were similar to those of second generation Jews everywhere. They did whatever they had to in order to be successful in this wonderful country, just as their parents had when they left Europe to escape religious persecution. Both were survivors, and proved it.
This is a remarkable book that reminds us of why so many people immigrated to the USA...Here, in America, even in Kilgore, TX all people who were willing to take a risk could make it. The American Dream come true.

This is a great book about a Texan who refused to compromise with big oil, big banks, and big business - the forces that shaped politics in Texas in the 50s and 60s - and was still elected to the US Senate. In the Senate he devoted his career to "putting the jam jar on the lower shelf," so that the little people could reach it. He came from populist East Texas and remained true to the Populist tradition long after it had died in the rest of the country. Dr. Cox has made use of Yarborough's personal papers and his public papers to tell the lively story of an American who had the courage to go against the grain. The book is well-written and is essential for anyone who wants to gain a deeper understanding of natiuon politics in the '60s.

Vice President Lyndon B. Johnson, with Senator Ralph W. Yarborough riding shotgun in a limousine through the streets of Dallas on November 22, 1963 were both ordered by a secret service agent to hit the deck. History-altering shots were being fired at the motorcade into the lead car carrying President John F. Kennedy, Governor John Connally and their wives. Together they arrived at Parkland Hospital where they witnessed the horrific scene of the bodies of President Kennedy and Governor Connally being wheeled inside.

After the assassination, stories about how Yarborough and "refused" to ride with Johnson the day prior due to their ongoing "feud" became legendary. This feud among these giants of Texas Democratic politics of the 1960's--Yarborough, Johnson and Connally--serves as the fuel to power Dr. Patrick Cox's compelling story. Cox deftly applies his storytelling skills, honed as a former Texas newspaper editor, to weave a taut and fascinating tale of Yarborough and the other giants before and after the assassination.

Known in the U.S. Senate as "Mr. Education", Yarborough's fingerprints can be found on such landmark Great Society legislation as the Higher Education Act, the National Science Foundation, Head Start, Job Corps, Vista and many others. But Ralph Yarborough:The People's Senator is more than an academic treatise about the legislative accomplishments of Ralph Yarborough. He was a profile in political courage, the only southern senator from either party to vote for all the major civil rights bills from 1957 to 1970, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

This reader is left to conclude that LBJ's fall in 1968 and Yarborough's political defeat in 1970 market a turning point in American history. With protests over Civil Rights and Vietnam dividing America, Republicans began hacking away at the "ills" of the Great Society. Yet, the lynchpins of the Great Society and much of Ralph Yarborough's contribution still survive and thrive.

This book was a delight to read from start to finish. For political junkies this is pure 100% oxygen. But the novice should enjoy the ride as well. In Ralph Yarborough: The People's Senator, Patrick Cox has unearthed a giant of the 1960's and breathed life into a great American. Ralph Yarborough deserves our attention and appreciation.

My only regret about this book is that it didn't get published while Yarborough was still alive to enjoy it.
Yarborough was LBJ's peer & frequent rival but they buried the hatchet when JFK was killed and, together, created a massive record in civil rights, education and the environment. To understand the legacy of the 60's it is essential to understand Yarborough. It is doubtful that there will ever be a more thorough or more readable treatment of Yarborough's amazing roller coaster career than this one. Highly recommended.

I love his character development. Having read about 10 or 12 of Kelton's books I can say he is, in my opinion, the best Western author ever. I love the story lines and the way he develops and stages the story. You rarely know how the story will develop and the surprise is nice.

I read The Ranger's Law Trilogy before I went back and read The Lone star saga(the trilogy written first). This is the most well written and descriptive western I have ever read in my entire life and I believe that anyone who invests in this trilogy will have spent their money very wisely. The characters are great and after the first book in the series you'll want to read more and more about them.

Among the best character developers I've ever read, Kelton is a master in his discriptions. The stories lines are NOT predictable in a genre' that typically is. I will be reading more of his work.

I believe this is the only work on this topic that I have ever seen. It is very well researched and interesting. The book isn't a light read, however, but more the product of detailed research. I recommend it for those with a deep interest in Morocco and it's various forms of Islamic belief and practice.

An excellent work dealing with the development of Sufism and the Sufi orders in Morocco. My only complaint is that it only goes up to the 16th century.

This work goes into detail concerning the Jazuli order (but strangely not much detail in the life of al-Jazuli or even his followers active participation in resistance to Portuguese invasion of Morocco) and also in the role of Moroccan tribal families (especially the 'Seyyids') in political life in Morocco.

A valuable work for anyone studying Moroccan history, African history or the development of Sufism in the Muslim West.

Anything you would ever want to know about the soial and ideological foundations of Moroccan Sufism and how it fits into the wider Islamic context. From a demographical breakdown of saints to the follies of Abu Yiza, this book has it all and more. Certainly not for the faint of heart, though; Cornell tackles so much that a quick reading just couldn't do the book justice.

Miller's book stands out in the field of Mexican studies by emphasizing culture and uses heavy anecdotal evidence to provide insight into Mexico's golden age. This book does not read like a dry history book.

The field of modern Mexican history has been waiting for years for a book like this. Mexican culture is given its rightful place among the great cultures of the world in many pre-Columbia studies, but almost never treated fairly in the 20th century by political historians. This book would make a great text for a class in modern Mexican cultural history.

This is a bright, thoughtful and engaging book! Anyone interested in the culture of Mexico or the history of the Southwest will enjoy this historical perspective.

Ande writes with the close confessional voice of Sharon Olds, the ecstatic vision of Blake and the scientific pinpoint accuracy of Pattiann Rogers. Weaving through almost every poem is her quiet yet almost slap-stick sense of humor, if there is such a thing as spiritual slap-stick. Hopeful and wise, these poems are welcome in these troubled, self-absorbed times.

Jan Lee Ande's second full-length book of poems "Reliquary," solidly enriches what the reader encountered in the poet's first offering "Instructions for Walking on Water." Reliquary, defined as a receptacle, such as a coffer or shrine, for keeping or displaying relics is such an apt title because in "Reliquary" the poet invites the reader into a showroom where they find moments of consciousness where words push up against themselves and reveal new meaning. Words are given the sacred task to speak to worlds beyond and sometimes below. I was surprised as I engaged in the depth of the journey. If we think of books as sacred objects the poems of "Reliquary" must be thought of as sacred glimpses. Each poem opens a door. The poet provides the key. I have been involved in the medical field for twenty years so it isn't surprising that I was drawn to the poem "Learning Anatomy." Here a mother, as "study partner," is stationed next to her son and a human skeleton where they take on the task of learning the bones of the body and what each one means on many levels. What is surprising is what the poet finds in her dialogue with these bones and their articulations. The poem concludes, "After the soul has fled the body, after the organs / crumble into dust, bones pass time in the urn of the earth." This is what you'll find in reading Jan Lee Ande. Surprise! Regardless of background I'm convinced a door can open for anyone who is moved to read her. She pushes the reader beyond the ordinary and into realms where the familiar is new and fresh.

Ande's Reliquary is a superbly crafted collection of poetry that cracks through surfaces and reveals the sacredness and connected nature of underlying things: the celestial mix of physical and mystical that permeates rocks, trees, hearts, thoughts and which drives science, religion, and wonder.

Ande invites us:

If you are lost in this world, bewildered
in the middle ground
between heaven and earth, stand here.

And so begins the delicious ascent into the incredible world of Ande's language and imagery, for the very first thing one notices, before one even considers poetic form, is the sheer beauty of the language and the freshness of the imagery. In her poetry, words exceed their representational function - they sparkle, they shoot like stars through the soul - and, as one rereads each piece, the words emerge and reemerge in a metamorphosis that, for all its metaphysical qualities, is at the same time as grounded in realism as the texture of the page upon which the images are so craftfully arranged.

The title poem, "Reliquary," epitomizes the book's theme of sacredness-in-the-ordinary. Ande writes:

I do not have a theca issued by the pope
- the red wax seal and a length of thread -
to prove these relics are authentic.

My theca is the pollen sac of an anther,
spore case of a greeny moss,
outer layer of the pupa of the rose weevil.

However, it is the intangible collection of reliquaries that gives the poem a deeper import: questions (Do you believe in nature spirits, / can oak trees talk, have you walked on water?) and embellished remembrances (My sky blue traveling case. Sarcophagus / of the holy bones of my black dog who could fly.) remind the reader that relics are more than carefully preserved items - they are magical, they house our dreams, they hold incredible secrets.

Ande's gift for blending concrete and metaphysical images infuses her work. Yet, there is a fine balance between Ande's poetic gifts and the poems' forms, as well. Usually filling just one page, and usually written in couplets or triplets, the poems are easy on the eye; as a result, their framework provides just the right space for the reader to perfectly engage with the spirit of the poem.

I just finished reading Remnants of an Ancient Past and thoroughly enjoyed it! Only occasionally do I venture into reading a romance novel. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was so much more!

"Remnants of an Ancient Past" is an exhilarating new work from an exciting, talented new author. Crowley proves himself to be a gifted wordsmith that captures his readers' imaginations with his prose."

Sizzling romance, action, suspense, intriguing setting (an archaeological dig)--I found it all in this exciting novel! And anyone who has suffered from disillusionment in matters of the heart will find soulmates in Elisa Murchison and Dr. Blake Connor. I empathized with these characters in their agonizing attempts to regain their emotional balance, and I enjoyed numerous "I-couldn't-put-it-down" moments. A satisfying read!