Comments on: top 10 books that make me want to quit writing

By: carol s. yamashita

carol s. yamashita — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 00:38:56 +0000

Dear Dana, I’m just finishing up Whisper to the Blood and you have Kate giving Jim “the four -book memoir by Gerald Durrell…”. This stopped me in my tracks as I only have three of them: My Family and Other Animals, Birds, Beasts and Relatives and Family and Fauna. What is the fourth? Where can you get it? I use your books as a reading list and whenever a book shows up in the story I try to check it out. Thanks for putting me on to Lois McMasters Bujold and Sharon Shinn and many others. Do you know Arthur Upfield’s Bony detective novels? Thank you for many hours of pure pleasure with your books.

By: Lois Miller

Lois Miller — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:39:02 +0000

Dana,
I was introduced to you by a little used book store owner in Northern California (Oroville/ The Bookworm) recently. In the past month I have read almost every one of your books, in order, and the individual books, I could lay my hands on – at the expense of sleep. Laughed out loud @ Breakup! Although the subject matter is serious and sad being murder mysteries, your sense of sarcasm/humor is all through the books, but Breakup was a crack up.
Although embarrassed I have to be honest, I have learned a tremendous amount about Alaskan History – mine was woeful, hate to admit that it’s so. However, that discrepancy can easily be fixed. Oh by the way, I read your books with an atlas. I know Kate’s home is fictional, but at least my knowledge of Alaskan geography is 100% better. Fairbanks, Anchorage, Valdez, Juneau, The Park, Nome, oil fields in the north, Kodiak Island and the Aleutians -I could probably hold my own in Do You Know More Than A Fifth Grader!
I got a hold of an earlier book, Play with Fire on Friday. Started and finished it today. It may be my favorite of the 12 I have read. I like your philosophy on religion as spoken through Kate, Jim, Jack, Bobby and Dinah. All true from my view on the balcony. Raised a Catholic as I think you may have been, I have become disillusioned with the one way of thinking, “If you don’t think like me then you are wrong”, mentality that is so prevalent. Sure, there are plenty of wonderful people in churches, plenty of clergy who hold the Holy Spirit in their hearts. But these other fanatics in any religions make my sick. You hit the whole religion issue right on the money. Will young Matthew Seabolt ever be back in a story? I hope that kid finds a way out. Just want you to know that I really enjoy your books.
Sorry that Jack had to die. That was the saddest book. I felt so badly for Kate. I do like that you gave Johnny to Kate in the later stories. Jim is a character. Kate needs Jim to lighten her up, she’s so intense…but will they last???? I have a patient whose father is a retired Alaskan State Trooper from the Anchorage – Wassila area. Can’t wait to see her again and get into a Dana Stabenow conversation. Also, I have been going through a tough time with my family ( father 94) and like Kate, I have immersed myself in reading to keep the front of my brain busy during a tough times so I don’t have to fret about Dad 24/7. Sometimes you just have to let the brain settle on it’s own.
Love the Liam Campbell series so far. I have read the first three books. I think it’s a scream that he hates to fly and “Our Jim” is a pilot. Wy is a great character too.
I found your Top Ten reasons to quit writing and I am going to make a point to check out the novels. Which leads me to the whole reason I am writing to you. Do you have some kind of master list that you keep after your segue/reference other novels, characters into your books? I copied pages 132/133 from The Singing of the Dead so I can track down the Alaska books and check out other titles. I am always looking for good book recommendations. By he way, Robert Heinlein’s series for teens – Starship Trooper, Between the Planets, Red Planet, Rolling Stones…are some of my favorites. I am so glad to see you have Johnny reading them. My son loved Red Planet. He said he “wanted a Willis.” Great stuff. Heinlein was a master. I am going to track down the books by Garfield on the Aluetian Islands during WWII. So how come I never knew the Japaneses attacked Alaska during WWII? I least I have read Robert Service, Jack London and John Muir @ Alaska and know about the Iditarod and about Balto. Cracked me up when the eagle swooped up the French ladies dog…oh, that was nasty… but funny. Don’t you EVER let Mutt die…I’ll be in mourning for weeks like I was when my two old friends died this year. I am not completely hopeless. I own all 10 or so of the Frank Baum Wizard of Oz series..way better than the movie! Nevil Shute has always been a favorite since On the Beach. I would have been just as mad as Kate was when she found Paula’s books and Paula dead. Why did Paula have to die???? I keep some of my books too – can’t part with “my friends” – I like having Albus Dumbledor in my house – want to be able to summon him to me when I need a dose of his philosophy! Read Dead in the Water yesterday. Thanks for keeping my mind active and learning new things.
Do you think you might write more books heavy on the humor in life? You make me laugh out loud! Keep up the good work, you have a gift and I, as an audience of one, am applauding loudly! Hope you can hear my applause from California. Thanks again, Lois

By: Jane

Jane — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:55:44 +0000

Thanks! Now I realize that I read only the blurb on one of the books my husband bought recently; I can look forward to reading the whole book.

By: Dana

Dana — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:19:11 +0000

Sharon Shinn’s Angel series.

By: Jane

Jane — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:10:57 +0000

Speaking of books …
In The Singing of the Dead, top of p. 100, Kate is reading a SciFi novel “set on another world where the human settlers left their ship in orbit to control the weather…” Bioengineered angels fly back & forth to talk with the ship; after hundreds of years, the people came to believe that the ship was a god. It sounds familiar, like something I’ve read, but that’s as far as I’ve gotten with my memory — does anyone recognize this storyline? Or Dana, if you’re reading this comment, please let me know what book this is — it’s been driving me nuts!

By: Mary Lynne

Mary Lynne — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 19:09:13 +0000

I love the variety of types of literature. I will definitely take this list to the bookstore! Thanks for the great post.

By: Joe Burkholder

Joe Burkholder — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 10:13:17 +0000

Dana, have you read PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES yet? It literally is P&P, but with a zombie storyline thrown into Austen’s original. (See also SENSE & SENSIBILITY & SEA MONSTERS)

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:48:48 +0000

Yes, I know it’s a classic, but i HATE Pride and Prejudice! Whenever I read it I just want to yell at the people to go out and GET A JOB and do something useful, rather than sit around whining and plotting all day.
I haven’t read any of the others, so I guess I’ve got some interesting reads ahead of me.

By: Harvee Lau

Harvee Lau — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:57:37 +0000

Some very new books, to me. Will keep them in mind for future reading!