This book is truly hypnotic. I couldn't stop reading. Blackburn is a very facinating guy, who dispite his penchant for killing people who truly deserve it, is a moral and nice guy. I would love to see this story make it to the big screen. It's a great story and great writing!

I swiped that title from the blurb on the jacket of the British edition. This is the novel AMERICAN PSYCHO could've been if the author of that hound could write. Jimmy Blackburn is a serial killer, and very often the reader will be cheering for Blackburn. It's a marvelous work of black humor and makes one re-examine one's belief in the solidity of civilization.

All of us have thought about killing other people. It might be the mechanic who cheated you, the professor who unfairly gave you a bad grade, etc. That being said, Blackburn is a book in which the main character actually acts upon these urges.

Jimmy Blackburn has been put down all his life. His parents abuse him, and he's looked at as a failure in life. So, when a cruel police officer harasses him outside a church, Blackburn, having had enough, kills him. This begins a crusade against unfairness and immorality in society. Blackburn begins a crusade against those who wrong others and him.

The story is horrifying and thought provoking at the same time. Blackburn rises against society's ills. However, as the book winds down, he is seen not as a public crusader, but as a serial killer. Are his actions wrong because society doesn't condone murder or is he providing a public service by disposing of some of the scum out there? I found myself asking this question after finishing this book.

Read this now. It is not an easy read, but you will be the better for it once you finish.

The Blue Yonder Inn by Helen Campbell is a thoroughly "reader engaging" novel about a mother's struggle to keep her ill-tempered teenage niece out of trouble. Their gradual coming to terms with one another, amid the backdrop of the family business - a pay-by-the-hour roadside motel that depends upon airmen, prostitutes, and visitors to the state penitentiary for its clientele - evolves through the turbulence of an extended voyage of discovery and more, in this sometimes sardonic, sometimes heartwarming look at the effort it takes to forge true family ties. The Blue Yonder Inn is a deftly written and highly recommended for personal reading lists and community library contemporary fiction collections.

This book is highly entertaining and a very quick read. For a great view of life in West Texas in a different time in history, check this out!

Tired of the same old character cliches? Sick of the same old plots? Well, drive yourself over to the Blue Yonder Inn where you'll meet a memorable assortment of oddballs whose resumes aren't exactly worth a second call. Bonnie Blue, the down-and-out protagonist, leaves Blackie, her baby, in a wheelbarrow outside the Blue Yonder Inn and heads out on her own hero's journey. On the run from her good-for-nothing husband Gil, Bonnie meets up with more curious folk - some unsavory, some endearing. This story is sharp, fast paced, and has well drawn characters. Helen Campbell's biting wit makes even the most tragic of circumstances humorous. You'll find yourself laughing and sympathizing with people you might otherwise avoid completely.

Reading "Call To Glory" must be done slowly and deliberately to feel the full impact of the story. I read the story slowly so that I could absorb and truly feel the emotions felt by the main characters in the story.

There are no punches pulled. It is very graphic in the description of the cruelness in fighting a war or Indians, and how men are reduced to the level of animal cunning in an effort to survive.

The sadness and loneliness felt by the women left behind compounded the problems for the men who left for war or Ranger duty. The women were struggling to operate a farm and care for a family while the men struggled to survive the daily challenges with the constant worry of the welfare of the family back home.

The authors brought out the qualities and strong fibers of the main characters which helped them endure the calamities of life and setting a gauge for others to follow.

"Call To Glory" should be made into a movie as it ranks in quality with "Gone With The Wind" and "Lonesome Dove."

Ramiro "Ray" Martinez
Retired Sergeant Texas Rangers Co. "D"

This is one of the best action adventure books I have ever read. The story takes off from page one and the action never stops. I think the Texas Rangers are great.

Call To Glory: The Life And Times Of A Texas Ranger collaborative written by Michael and Marilyn Gilhuly is an emphatic, gripping historical fiction novel of bravery, heroism, sacrifice, and a proud way of life. Three brothers must fight, first in the civil war and later putting on the silver badge of a Ranger to protect the innocent against the perils of the frontier. Call To Glory is an exciting Texas western from first page to last!

I've long been very familiar with the 1st Marine Division's history at the Chosin, but until I read Roy Appleman's book I didn't realize just how much I didn't know about the Army's side of the conflict. This tale of desperation and bravery should be required reading amongst all American service personnel and perhaps even in High Schools. Excellently written, this book holds your attention despite the huge amount of very detailed geographic and unit data presented.

I've read a lot of military history over the years, though I'm definitely not as well-read as some. This book and the others in Appleman's Korean War series really helped me understand small unit operations. They can be dry and a little tough going, but if you give them a chance you may discover a side of battle often overlooked. Making great use of original after action reports as well as interviews and the more common types of sources, Appleman reminds us that (unlike the movies) often ammunition and rations run out and what happens when they do. (Real men have to be sent to get more.) He shows us how and why troops are moved from one nondescript hill to another. (Almost never due to command brilliance.) And better than anyone else he shows us how great battles are built up from squad and platoon actions.

You may lose track of which regiment "L Company" is a part of, but you will come to care what happened to L Company.

A very engrossing account. Despite the level of detail on the geography, personnel and their units it holds your attention. Also provides comment on areas of uncertainty over what actually happened. One of the most successful books on warfare in putting you there - to the point where it was difficult to read ( in this case an indication of the author's success ). One really sensed the isolation of the units and the desperate situation in which they found themselves. Recommended.

This is NOT your typical "romance". This is not sentimental fluff without substance. It will make you laugh and leave you crying.

Gil and Sunny's love for each other is one which is often viewed as scandalous, taboo, and yet absolutely beautiful and heart wrenching... They are first cousins.

This is certainly nothing new. Cousin romances have existed since the beginning of time, and are not all that uncommon, even in today's world. However, the subject is one that few authors have the courage to write about. Cindy Bonner handles a difficult subject with grace, compassion, sensitivity, and realism.

Set in the early 1900's, Sunny and Gil face tremendous prejudices against them. Yet love is something that can not be denied, and is worth sacrificing everything for. The couple overcomes every obstacle imaginable, and their love endures through the best and worst of circumstances.

Never has a story touched my heart like this one, and never has one echoed the thousands of voices of cousins who find themselves in similar situations so clearly.

I thought that this book was incredibly well written, and very original. I picked it up in the library never having heard of the author, and I didn't put it down until I finished the entire book in one day. In a day where it is hard to find something new and fresh, this book meets those expectations. I highly reccomend this book, and it's author to anyone looking for a fresh mind!

If you want to be swept away, and get deeply immersed in your charactors, this is the book for you. The WWI setting, the forbidden love story, the broken dreams and hearts, all add up to a delicious story! I can't wait to read more from Cindy Bonner!

I have read many books about pioneering women who set up homes from scratch and quilted for practical and soul-fulfilling reasons. Usually though, those women are long gone and we are left with rather dry details of their lives. The joy of this book is that the women whose words are recorded in it are living, breathing members of that pioneer group, and, even though their experiences were in the 20th rather than the 19th century,the issues and incidents are the same and they tell a vibrant story.
The book records conversations amongst Texas quilting groups, to which the authors were invited and the ladies seem eager to tell stories of their early days in dug outs and cabins, their families scaping a life from the soil and their role in that. None of them ever sound hard done by or as if they wish their lives had been different. And they are all keen to express the creative and fulfilling role that quilting has had in their lives.
If you are not a quilter, you will still enjoy the strength, friendship and nobility that run through these conversations - they are a link with a passed era, which I felt honoured to share as I read.

This book is facinating with it's history of American pioneer women. It contains real quotes from real people about the lives that they lived. If you have seen or been in the play you will be delighted to see that some of the show's monologues are word-for-word from this book! I't's a moving book and a moving play.

This book is a wonderful tribute to women...quilters or not. The book is filled with interviews, pictures, and descriptions that bring the joy and sorrow of daily living to life. If the simple things in life are indeed the sweetest.... then these women and their quilts tell the sweetest story ever...they tell our story... they are our history.

The Last Innocent Hour is intense suspense, an edge-of-the-seat, cliff-hanging nail-biter. A terrific first novel that reads as though it were written by a seasoned pro. I eagerly anticipate Barbara Taylor Sissel's next novel.

I'm not a big reader but a friend of mine sent this to me. I let it sit for a while before picking it up, but once I did, I couldn't stop. I was intrigued by what happens to Beth and the interaction of the family. The writing is excellent especially once I found out this was her first published book. Keep going and get another one out. I'm ready to buy.

I am thoroughly impressed with this book. Fave authors include John Grisham and Jonathan Kellerman. I can't wait for her next book. Great twists!....

In every boy's life there is a crucial point where he teeters on the brink of manhood. It's at this time, when the boy-man is most vulnerable that he needs a role model to guide him past the final pitfalls of adolescence into the responsibilities of adulthood.

Breaking Even, Alejandro Grattan's brilliantly crafted coming-of-age novel begins with 18-year-old Val leaving his small West Texas town in search of his role model, a father who left years before and who Val discovers is very much alive even though his mother, Lupe has always told him his father had died a hero's death.

Apart from the mystery of his father, Val has other issues. His mother is Mexican and Val's mixed racial heritage fixes him firmly near the bottom of the social pecking order in their small town and gives him an identity problem. He dislikes his life working in his mother's roadside diner and dreams of going to Hollywood to work in the movies. His confusion causes him to refuse advice from those who most care for him. To top it off his girlfriend Bonnie is pregnant. His immaturity ensures he only grapples with twinges of conscience, never with real issues.

Val's father Frank Cooper is a high stakes poker player in search of his own Holy Grail, the big pot that always seems to be in the next game. When he finds Cooper, Val is at first taken in by his charm and easy manner. However as each flaw is uncovered Val comes to see his father as he really is, an addicted gambler with no dream and no prospect of one. With this realization Val's own sense of responsibility to himself and to others begins to develop. This, in turn allows him to discern right from wrong, and to identify those who really do care for him.

The theme of this book is personal responsibility and Grattan has ensured authentic characters by coloring no one completely black or completely white. All are developed realistically including the minor characters of Floyd, his mother's short-order cook husband and Blue, a washed-up saloon singer and paid escort who travels with Cooper. Though everyone has personal flaws they are redeemed by the responsibilities they assume. Only Cooper is without redemption and therein is the brilliance of the novel. The message is conveyed without preaching.

This is a serious story dealing with serious issues and can be enjoyed at different levels. At one Val's search for his father is a metaphor for the real quest, his identity. On another level the book can be enjoyed as a great story with tightly defined characters who speak incredible lines such as, "The life of the party had gone home leaving Val and Cooper stranded out in the middle of a conversational wilderness."

The author's screen-writing and film directing background is clearly evident in the imagery and visual scenes painted throughout the book. Apart from being a darn good read this novel is noteworthy for the issues addressed, well-rounded characters, colorful images, and biting dialogue.

This heart-warming and enticing story grabbed my full attention. I could hardly put it down. I was captivated by the plot and Val's dedicated search for his father and the challenges that he faced on his journey. Each character contributed to the excitement and the intrigue. I highly recommend this book.

This is a coming-of-age story set in the 1950s. Val, an 18-year-old Mexican-American, works in his Mexican mother's cafe, lives for the movies, and dreams about leaving the small West Texas town where he has lived all his life. Having grown up thinking that his Anglo father was dead, he is shocked to learn that he is alive,and there begins the real story.

It is Val's search not only for his father, Cooper (who looks to Val like a Hollywood movie star and is actually a professional high-stakes gambler), but also for his own identity and roots as a Mexican-American man. Team the father and son characters Cooper and Val with Ms. Blue Morgan, a kind-hearted, aging paid companion from Reno, and the story becomes even more deliciously colorful and complicated. A poker game brings these three together in El Paso for their initial meeting, and it leads to a bigger poker game in Reno and the adventure of their lives. They are all coincidentally at turning points and must decide on new courses for their lives. This is more than a coming-of-age story; it is one of coming to terms with one's life and taking responsibility for that life. It is a story of hard questions and decisions. Ultimately, it is a story of liberation from past circumstances and the pursuit of destiny.

Grattan-Dominguez is a fine storyteller with a good sense of dialogue. His portrayals of character and of the authentic Southwest are sure to earn him a growing reputation as a writer.

Legends of Texas is a wonderful little journey through the history of Texas Barbecue. Filled with anecdotes and recipes from several of Texas' most famous pitmasters, this book is quite an enjoyable and informative read. Many of the recipes actually look interesting enough to try. Some of these recipes won't likely be found in many other books, for example, barbacoa (cow head) or lengua (tongue), either because of the difficulty in obtaining the ingredients or because of their potential to nauseate the uninitiated in the ways of true Q. But these are the ones that I find most intriguing, and are the ones that I am most eager to try. While the stories are amusing, and the photos really help bring them to life, the recipes are definitely not for the novice. There are many conflicting methods and theories contained inside the book, and I believe that is intentional. Robb Walsh is not trying to pull one over on you, he is simply trying to be an objective writer and present all the possibilities so that the reader can make his/her own informed choices. For example, some pitmasters swear by wrapping a brisket in foil for the last few hours, while others claim it turns the brisket into an unappetizing mush (I fall into the latter camp). Someone who is just learning the fine art of Q could very easily become confused and discouraged by the wealth of conflicting information. I would advise learning at least the basics of Q before taking anything in this book to heart. You should have a firm grasp of how the Q process works, and know how you like your own Q first. Then this book will give you new ideas...you can simply discard any information that conflicts with your own personal experiences and go from there.

I grew up in S. Texas and BBQ was as much a part of the fabric of life as Tex-Mex food. In all those years of eating brisket off the butcher paper at Joe Cottens in Robstown, I never appreciated how they did it. Now I do. The simple recipes in the Legends book are not surprising (BBQ is basic stuff) but the descriptions about the various techniques, processes and variations demonstrates where the art really is.

I've "done et" at several of the joints mentioned in this book (Coopers in Llano is "killer")and many more like them on the city squares in small towns across the state and at the road side stands. It is interesting to me as a transplanted Texican to know how the differences in BBQ flavor and texture come to be. It has certainly given me some additional pointers to try on my next BBQ adventure.

The book is great for the cooking techniques, tips, and recipes alone. If you like Texas lore it's also great - I finally know why the tradition of serving BBQ on butcher paper exists.

One final thing - Anyone can cook good BBQ - I have even found some up here in Mid Atlantic - but don't go looking for anything close to BBQ in Oregon. They don't know lengua from a latke.

There are not many books which I enjoyed reading as much as I did "Legends of Texas Barbecue." That may be a strong statement to make, but I can't think of any other book I've read on any subject that I read and then re-read and then re-re-read like I did this book. At times I could not put it down.

I've had the great privilege of reviewing for you some fine books on barbecue. Two of the most recent reviews particularly stood out: "The Grand Barbecue" by Doug Worgul (reviewed last month) and "Celebrating Barbecue" by Dotty Griffith (reviewed two months ago). The former was a well-done history of barbecue that had a heavy Kansas City influence (Worgul writes for the "The Kansas City Star"). If ever there were to be a coffee table book on barbecue, this is it; the pictures and graphics within Worgul's book are wonderful and key to telling its story. The latter was a very well-written history of barbecue as a whole where Griffith's years of experience and research on the subject (she is the restaurant critic and former food editor of "The Dallas Morning News") are poured out on its pages. Bring the strong points of these two books together and you have "Legends of Texas Barbecue."

Your first impression of this book will most likely be the pictures. It's evident that author Robb Walsh, restaurant critic for the "Houston Press" and former editor-in-chief of "Chile Pepper" magazine, wanted to use these to help convey the historical slant of his book and the pictures alone nearly tell the story the Texas barbecue. You'll be amazed at the large number of pictures showing people cooking, eating and enjoying barbecue in various settings from long ago days, some dating back nearly 100 years. Walsh must have gone to great lengths to assemble this collection of historical photographs.

The structure of the book is typical of many of this sort. It begins with a very brief introduction and then a "warm up" chapter that sets up the stories to come and the obligatory explanation of cooking equipment, tools, fuels and methods. The book finds its pace in the second chapter - "The Sport of Barbecue" ­ where Walsh gives a look into competition barbecue. The chapter begins with Walsh explaining the subject and then finishing with several recipes from champion cookers.

It's a solid format and one that he follows for most of the rest of the book, through chapters on sauce and smoked meats and his excellent coverage of the different influences of Texas barbecue ­ the German meat markets of the mid-state, cowboy style of the west, Tex-Mex from the south and black urban styles from the state's large cities. Walsh also dedicates a chapter to the barbecue of Juneteenth, the festive holiday marking emancipation in Texas. There are 95 recipes in all ­ a lot for a book that reads more like a history text than a cook book.

Interspersed throughout the book are delightful sidebars entitled "Legends" and it is here that Walsh offers up interesting tidbits, bios on renowned Texas barbecuers and bits of other lore. He rounds out the book with brief sections of reference on Texas restaurants, barbecue cook-offs and associations, and a glossary.

It's a great read, and if you have any interest in Texas barbecue at all, I know you will enjoy this one, too. I'd say it's a worthy addition to your bookcase, but it will probably spend less time there and more time next to your favorite reading chair.

Lorraine Heath really knows how to write romance. And she is probably one of the best currently writing within the subgenre of Western Romance, a very hard arena to have repeat success. A Rogue in Texas was good for Heath standards, but great compared to most romance books, or even compared to most novels in general.

Grayson Rhodes is a fun person to get to know. He's got insecurities galore, and is *supposed* to be a rake. Alas, he finds he has a conscience after all, and he wants Abbie, the widow giving him housing while he works on her land, to come to him willingly. So there are to be no forced seductions or rapes that occasionally happen in romance. Instead, Gray sets out to make Abbie actually like him. And occasionally the rake in him peeks out -- just enough to remind you that he is a little dangerous.

This story turns on Grayson, and he comes through. Not as much time is spent focusing on Abbie, but the book doesn't lose much for this. There is also a lot of interaction between Gray and Abbie's three children. It's probably too good to be true, but it really is nice to see a man step in and take responsibility for such a great family. Especially a man who really knows how to play (instead of toiling in the fields all day long)!

All in all, this is really a fun book to read. It isn't quite as poignant as some other Heath books (Never Love a Cowboy and Texas Destiny come to mind), but compared to most of what's out there it's definitely worth the time and money involved in buying and reading it.

In Lorraine Heath, I have discovered a new author of gentle romances. A Rogue in Texas is a very tender story with very real characters and morals! The setting is historical Texas, after the Civil War, on a cotton farm. This is a time of endurance for widows (due to the war) with really hard work and families to raise and support. A group of women have hired some Englishmen to help them harvest their cotton. These men are, more correctly, English rogues whose fathers believed they needed a lesson in life and have been lured to America for great moneymaking opportunities. Never did these rogues imagine that those opportunities would have them picking cotton!

Grayson Rhodes is the very cool bastard son of an English nobleman. Grayson perceives that he has never received love in any form. His dissolute ways and numerous affairs with married women have earned him a reputation as a rogue. His ways have also convinced himself that he is of little value. He is, however, a man with very good friends and possesses a tender heart and a great sense of humor. Never, do we see Grayson as anything less than a wonderful hero. Upon reaching the cotton fields of Texas, Grayson is assigned to work with a widow, Abbie, who has three children.

Abbie Westland married, at sixteen, a man who needed a partner for his farm - certainly not a woman to love. She has never known love from a man and her children range in age from six to eight. Her husband died in the Civil War two years previously and she has worked non-stop in attempting to earn a living growing cotton with no help other than her children and neighbors. She is rather cynical at the beginning of the story. She doesn't see herself as the beautiful woman she is. She is extremely moved when this disreputable but very handsome man from England, who lives in her barn, begins giving her children very special attention. Grayson is touched by the Westland children and reaches out to them naturally. He definitely has a special way with children and this strongly draws Abbie to him. The children's own father never gave them any time or consideration. And we, as women, know that if a man sincerely cares for our children, he holds a place of great respect in our hearts.

Grayson is drawn to Abbie but does not plan to stay past the cotton-picking season. As she treats him with kindness and respect, Grayson begins to believe he may be worthy of a woman's love. Their gentle romance is very stirring. His humor, laced with his sincerity is an irresistible combination. Abbie's discovery of a man's love combined with her inhibitions concerning her sexuality draw a picture of precious vulnerability. The sensual scenes are few and rate about a 3.0 out of 5.0 (see More About Me for rating guidelines). They add tenderness and depth to the story but are just a very small part of this love relationship.

The children significantly enhance this story line. Heath has great talent in creating memorable characters. You will like both Grayson and Abbie. Then comes a plot twist - but not one you have probably read before. Since this is romance writing, I figured it would be all right in the end. However, along the way to that ending were some of the most poignant scenes I have read. I heartily recommend A Rogue in Texas. It is the first in a series followed by Never Love a Cowboy and Never Marry a Cowboy. Those two sequels portray the story of two of Grayson's English friends who accompanied him on his moneymaking trip to Texas. I have already purchased those books and am really looking forward to each adventure.

I discovered Lorraine Heath by looking at others Listmania's. I read several on line review before purchasing this book. I was not disappointed. Lorrain Heath is a wonderfully entertaining author. The story of these two people is very entertaining. I love the way the Grayson become involved with the children and trys to do the right thing. Anyone who reads this books will not be disappointed.