Authors Pick Five: Donna K. Weaver

As part of the blog tour I'm participating in today, I've asked the author of A Change of Plans, Donna K. Weaver, to answer this question:

What five books are most important or influential to you?

Here's her list:

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White
I discovered this book when I was in fifth grade. My teacher commented at the end of the school year about how many times I’d read it. That was the year the library became one of my greatest resources.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
The summer before I turned fifteen, my mother died from complications following a brain tumor surgery. We’d just moved to San Francisco, school was out, and I knew NO one. I picked up my list of books recommended for college-bound students and headed to the base library. Enjoyed so many books that summer (except Wuthering Heights), but it was Jane Eyre that really stuck with me. Perhaps it was because I was a stubborn little thing, too. Maybe it was because she and I were both lonely. But I still love that story and read it every few years.

Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey
I first discovered this gifted author in an anthology of Hugo winners with her novella, “Weyr Search”. I fell in in love with the planet and the characters. I wanted so badly to read more; the short story wasn't enough. One day a few years later, I decided to check and see if she had written more. I found three books—the first three books of the Dragonriders of Pern series—which became one of my favorites. I love Anne’s vocabulary. She was a prolific writer, and created some fun worlds. Anne died a couple of years ago.

Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
One of my sons discovered this series before the fourth book came out, and I had to read it to see what all the excited was about. Got totally sucked in. I enjoyed the first three books so much that I told my husband he would like them, too, so I went back to the beginning and started reading them out loud to him--and discovered what a hidden treasure was in those books. By the time Half Blood Prince came out I had to talk about it to someone and found The Leaky Cauldron online. I was hooked when I saw the "Dumbledore Isn't Dead" thread. I got so involved in the book discussions that I was asked to be a moderator which I did for six years. Through my own reading of this series and discussion with others, I found what a treat it is to “hide things in plain sight” and to use foreshadowing. Jo spoiled me for many other authors because I keep expecting them to be as clever as she was.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Set in London and the island of Guernsey right after the end of WWII, it is filled with delightful characters--richly portrayed through letters and telegrams.  While it touches on some of the terrible things people did in the war, it manages to be hopeful and encouraging. Like Prince Edward Island, someday I would love to visit the island of Guernsey.

Thanks so much for participating Donna! I think we are reading soul mates! :)

More about the author:  Donna K. Weaver has always loved reading and creating stories, thus she’s been ever entertained. A Navy brat and U.S. Army veteran, she’s lived in many U.S. states as well as South Korea, the Philippines, and Germany. An avid cruiser, she’s sailed the Pacific four times. When she retired from Shorei Kempo Karate with a black belt, she decided it was time to put her imaginary friends and places on paper. She lives in Utah with her husband. They have six children and eight grandchildren.

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