Virginia Books

A great book for visual identification of certain Blenko glass pieces and colors.

A must for any serious Blenko Glass collector. An excellent source of background information and images of early Blenko production pieces. The saying goes "knowledge is power" then this book is one powerful tool. Also included are some reprinted catalog pages and advertisements. Beautiful images abound of this beautiful glass. If you or someone you know collects Blenko Glass, get this book!

This book rocks! John Nelson puts the pedal to the medal and roars down the road to colonial Virginia parishes. If you want to know about the complex relationship between parishes and politics in Virginia (and who doesn't?) this book will kick your bum-bum. It rocks baby.

She came from a small catholic high school in Utah and Portland University, but she can write!!
Ginny,
Please contact Steve Cotterell at Judge - we want you for the 40 year reunion!!
Tom Sweet

This was my all-time favorite book as a child. It is a great book for beginning readers and a book to "play along" with. It is a simple book, but the illustrations for that time frame are very expressive. I still enjoy looking through it and remembering childhood days. I now read it to my nephew who is two, and it leaves him giggling, and repeating the words and actions for hours!

My daughter, who is not yet 3 years old, LOVES the Blue Bug books. She memorizes them and "reads" them herself. These are great books for toddlers and beginning readers. The art work is very colorful and fun for kids to look at.

We used to have a copy of this book when I was little. It tells about Blue Bug's search for his favorite vegetable. It was one of my family's favorites, and we read and reread it so much that it fell apart. We have been searching for it for quite some time now.

Just the title provides food for thought: Blue Ridge 2020, An Owner's Manual, reminds us that the public has a responsibility for effective stewardship of the public lands in the Blue Ridge. I also like the play on words of 2020--hindsight is 20/20, and if we don't take a hard, clear look at what is happening to the ecology of the Blue Ridge and work hard to improve it, we will have deep regrets by the year 2020. The human scale of twenty years is very effective. I'm 31--what kind of Blue Ridge will I experience at 51? As a local environmental activist in the Page Valley, I find this book is a tremendously useful and motivating resource. In one book, Steve Nash provides an overview of specific problems and practical solutions. His writing style is clear and accessible. If you care about the health about the Blue Ridge or want up to date information about the quality of air and water in the mountains, this is a book you need to read. This is one of the best "state of the ecology" books I've read, and it is particularly useful for its regional approach.

"BLUE RIDGE FOLKLIFE is a serious study of the area from northern Virginia and the West Virginia panhandle to northeast Georgia and northwest South Carolina. The book covers the area's history, folklore, and culture."--KNOXVILLE NEWS-SENTINEL, May 1998

BLUE RIDGE FOLKLIFE provides "a basic overview of some aspects of local traditional culture as practiced by some members . . . of the Blue Ridge's people."--THE MOUNTAIN TIMES (Boone, N.C.), August 1998

BLUE RIDGE FOLKLIFE is an "extremely valuable work."--THE ORANGE NEWSLETTER (Northern Ireland), April 1998

BLUE RIDGE FOLKLIFE "should appeal to nonspecialists"; author Ted Olson "devotes the heart of his very readable book to describing the verbal folklore, customary folklife, and material culture of the [Blue Ridge] region."--THE NORTH CAROLINA HISTORICAL REVIEW, October 1998

"Part history, part field guide, part travelogue, BLUE RIDGE FOLKLIFE is a fine introduction to the physical setting and folk culture of the storied region that makes up the southeastern extremities of the Appalachian Mountain range."--THE JOURNAL OF MISSISSIPPI HISTORY, 1999

This is a beautiful book full of vintage photos of Bluefield during days longed for today. The well-written history accompanying these photos helps create an understanding of the history of this largely coal-driven city. I have purchased numerous copies of this book to give as gifts and all who have received it have been delighted! My copy is already well-worn and provides a new glimpse into the heart of small town America each time I look through it.