Reviews

Backroads Buildings: In Search of the Vernacular by Steve Gross & Susan Daley /  by Todd Henson

Backroads Buildings: In Search of the Vernacular by Steve Gross & Susan Daley

Have you ever driven some back road and noticed that interesting old building, perhaps in disrepair, perhaps still in use, but with plenty of character? I often do, and yet for whatever reason I rarely stop to photograph these buildings. Reading this book, Backroads Buildings: In Search of the Vernacular by Steve Gross and Susan Daley, I wish I had stopped more often and created a collection of my own photographs of these marvelous buildings that leave one wondering about their long history.

Thankfully, these two photographers have often stopped to photograph the buildings they’ve found. In this book they’ve focused on architecture from around the time of the Civil War to the Great Depression, roughly 1870 to 1930, and stretching along the eastern United States from Vermont down to Louisiana. I often smiled when I saw buildings from not that far down the road in Virginia.

“With their humble beauty and distinctive character, these once-useful structures infuse the American landscape with a strong sense of place. This collection of buildings preserves a sampling of our country’s architecture heritage and encourages travelers to slow down and notice the details.”

As with any collection of photography like this, some photos will resonate with me more than others. Many of the photos felt strictly documentary, and to some extent I think they all were intended to be documentary. The photographers have documented pieces of the past before they fall into complete disrepair or are torn down. But some photos also had an artistic air about them which I appreciated.

The book appears designed to last as long as some of the buildings have, being printed on a very thick smooth white paper well suited to showcasing the collection of color and black & white photographs. Schiffer Publishing has done a fantastic job with both the quality of the book materials and the overall layout. There is very little text throughout, though the book does begin with a foreword by Brian Wallis, followed by a short preface. All the rest of the 144 page book is photography, with each photo having a very short description along with the location of the building.

This is a book that may appeal not just to photographers, but to anyone who appreciates these old everyday buildings along backroads just along the fringes of society. If you’ve ever taken a moment to notice one of these buildings then you may appreciate some of these photos.

I found a copy of Backroads Buildings in my local library. Check your own library and maybe you’ll also find a copy. If you’d rather own a copy then check out the link below to see if it’s in stock.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

 
 

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

Book Finds - July 2024 /  by Todd Henson

Book finds in July 2024

The last Saturday of July my father and I went for a drive and one of our stops was the Green Valley Book Fair in Mount Crawford, Virginia. We usually stop there several times a year and have been for many, many years. Given that it’s been almost a year since I shared any book finds, I figured it was as good a time as any.

On that particular day they were also hosting a craft fair with many local vendors set up in the field beside their building and it was interesting seeing all they had for sale. Regarding books, I’d expected to pick up one or two but, as you can see from the photo, I ended up finding more than I’d expected. Granted, I picked up a couple of the books elsewhere but I don’t think I’ve mentioned them so decided to include them here.

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

I picked this up earlier in the year during a previous visit to the book fair. To Kill a Mockingbird had such an impact on me that I very much want to try the only other book by this author. Very interestingly, To Kill a Mockingbird was first published in 1960 and Go Set a Watchman wasn’t published until 2015, approximately seven months before the death of the author. It seems to have been marketed as a sequel to the first book because it takes place two decades later, and yet it was written before the first book, reportedly as the first draft for what would become To Kill a Mockingbird.

Antimatter Blues by Edward Ashton

I read Mickey7, a sci-fi novel about clones and colonization, back in 2022 and had a great time with it. I look forward to trying this sequel. And I love the cover art.

Starling House by Alix E. Harrow

Here’s another book I purchased because of a previous read. I absolutely loved the author’s The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and I’ve been hoping to try Starling House since it was published last year. Now I can do so with a physical copy.

The Mantis by Kotaro Isaka

I enjoy trying translated novels so I decided to pick up a copy of The Mantis. I’m a little concerned because it’s the third book of a trilogy, but it’s described as a loose trilogy so I’m hopeful it’ll work. The book is described as a thriller set in Tokyo’s criminal underground and is about a family man trying to hide his secret life as a hitman.

The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu

So many folks have praised this science fiction book and series that I’ve been hoping to try it since it was first translated to English by Ken Liu, another well know author. I’ve already collected the series as ebooks but it’s always nice to read a physical copy.

Imperium by Ryszard Kapuściński

I found Imperium in one of the many little free libraries scattered around, where folks can take a book for free and are encouraged to leave a book, as well. This is non-fiction, a bit of history, written by a Polish author, it tells of the life and death of the Soviet Union, detailing his experiences and observations from his travels through that part of the world. I’d been unfamiliar with the author but the topic sounded fascinating.

Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree

This one is a prequel to Legends & Lattes, a fantasy that fits into the growing sub-genre sometimes called cozy fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed Legends & Lattes, such an unusual concept for a fantasy novel, with a retired adventurer just trying to settle down and open a coffee shop. This one seems to involve bookshops and that sounds good to me.

The Southern Book Club’s Guide to Slaying Vampires by Grady Hendrix

This came out back in 2020 and I loved the title. This author has created some great titles based on some very interesting concepts, but I’ve yet to try any of his novels. I’m hoping having a physical copy sitting around will encourage me to get off my duff and read it.

Heart of Darkness and Tales of Unrest by Joseph Conrad

A classic I recall being mentioned in school but one I never ended up reading. I’ve been trying to add more classics to my reading and I keep picking up new ones from the book fair. This is a fairly short one so it should be easy enough to fit in with my other reads.

Gilgamesh by Stephen Mitchell

Another classic, from even further back in time, and another I’ve yet to read. This one is also fairly short so I’m hoping I can fit it in.

The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers

I have a bad habit of purchasing an entire series before even starting it, but thankfully in this case I have at least read the first book in the series, a found family science fiction sort of story, and loved it. I’m hopeful I’ll continue loving this series as I slowly work my way through it.

Have you read any of these books, and if so what did you think of them? If you haven’t, do you hope to?

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!

Book Finds - August 2023 /  by Todd Henson

Book finds in August, 2023

This past weekend my father and I went on a day trip to visit some old family friends we’d not seen in a while. On the way there we stopped by the Greene Farmers Market at Greene Commons in Standardsville, Virginia, which usually has a bench set up with free books, and on the way back we stopped by the Green Valley Book Fair in Mount Crawford, something we used to enjoy doing with my mother. And as most often happens, I did find some new books to add to my collection.

Cat’s Eye by Margaret Atwood

I’ve read and enjoyed The Handmaid’s Tale and I keep thinking I’d like to try more by Atwood. So when I saw this one, with a cover that reminds me of some Michael Whelan paintings, I grabbed it.

Sweet Tooth: Book One by Jeff Lemire

I remembered reading reviews of Sweet Tooth and other comics by Jeff Lemire over at Roars and Echoes, and the cover of the kid with antlers stood out. Granted, it’s an image of the live action series, but I remembered the kid and the antlers from Lashaan’s reviews. Needless to say, I decided to pick it up and give it a try.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware

I’ve only read one book by Ruth Ware but I’ve been wanting to dive back into her work ever since, and though I’ve already collected several others I’ve yet to try, I couldn’t help adding this one to the list when I saw it sitting there on the shelves.

Seventh Son and Red Prophet by Orson Scott Card

I’ve read and enjoyed the beginning volumes of Card’s Ender’s Game series, and I remembered my mother reading and enjoying the Seventh Son series, so when I saw the first two books of that series collected together, you guessed it, I had to pick up a copy.

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

I enjoyed the movie some time ago, but what caused me to pick up a copy of the book was another book that I’m currently reading called The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams, about a group of people and how their lives are changed when each finds a copy of the same reading list created and left behind anonymously at a local public library. One of the books on that list is Life of Pi.

The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, May/June 2023

I subscribed to this magazine for many decades and loved it, so when I saw a copy of a recent issue sitting on the bench of the farmer’s market I decided to take it home, especially given the cover story is by Matthew Hughes, who was always one of my favorite authors from the magazine.

The focus and highlight of the trip was the visit with family friends, but it was also nice to include a little bit of book finding, especially by visiting some of the places we used to visit with Mom.

Have you read any of these books, and if so what did you think?

Do you enjoy these posts?

Sign up to receive periodic emails with updates and thoughts. Don’t worry, I won’t spam you. And please consider purchasing artwork or products from my online store, and using my affiliate links in the sidebar to the right when shopping online.

I appreciate your support!