Bjorn DihleRecensioner

Interesting book about hauntings in Alaska's Inside Passage which includes Juneau, where I live. I was very happy to read the stories told by Renee Hughes, a Juneau local. All the stories were fun to read. Some I had heard of but did not know the full story. I loved reading the history about the sightings and the areas. Definitely a book you want to read if you are interested in ghost sighting and folklore in Southeast Alaska. I would recommend it!

While the author and his family enjoy hunting and fishing it's not so much about a head with an impressive set of horns or antlers. It's about stocking the freezer for winter. Wasting the meat of an animal is legally frowned upon and carries penalties. I would have to survive on fish though as I wouldn't be able to shoot a deer. The author does exaggerate the size of fish and animals he catches or shoots especially when in a bar talking to other fisherman. It is an interesting book and the author's love of Alaska shines through in his description of the wildlife and landscape. His mother, a native of California, not so much.

Hunting, fishing, and Alaska. If these are things you love, then this one is for you. The author reflects on his experiences in the wild state pursuing his passions of hunting and fishing. He has a good sense of humor and shares his stories in a playful way.

I won a free copy of this book through Librarything’s Early Reviewers group.

What a breath of fresh air! This was written by an outdoorsman for an outdoorsman, and for the first time in my life, I might recommend a book to my father, who only reads fishing or rifle magazines when he’s not reading the Cabela’s catelogue. These short, 3-4 page chapters, each it’s own story, remind me of my own long family trips out in the wilderness. Dihle’s voice couldn’t be clearer if you were sitting next to a campfire with him, and his stories mix hunting slang and deep knowledge of the Alaskan wilderness with laugh-out-loud situations and a modest sense of humor. If you are at a sportsman, please read this. I read most of it in one sitting, and was only forced to put it down because I had to get up for work the next day.

Fun book, I did enjoy reading it. This was an anthology, all the stories happened to the author. When I requested this I was thinking it might be a new Patrick McManus, for Alaska instead of Idaho. While some of the stories did make me laugh out loud, some were pretty serious, and others were more memoir with some humor. Not exactly what I was expecting, but still a good read.½

A series of pleasant, relaxing stories about the author's life adventures in Alaska. Hunting, fishing, working. Good stories to read sitting in front of the fireplace on a cold, winter night.

When I was a kid of maybe 11 or 12, I didn't have too much interest in the "how-to" sections or the technical or product review sections of Outdoor LIfe. Instead, I'd gravitate to two sections: "This Happened to Me" - a column usually about some catastrophe that the writer managed to survive and "The Last Laugh" written by Pat McManus. By maybe 13, I had bought my father a McManus book or two for Christmas or Father's Day and of course, I read them too. His stories brought out the humor, but also the wonders and beauty you can find in the outdoors. When I moved away from home, I lost touch with the stories of McManus, but they'd come to mind sometimes as I hiked or fished or explored. I kind of categorized him as a special part of a bygone age. That's why it was such a pleasure to read this book from Bjorn Dihle. There was such an echo of McManus within these pages. It wasn't to the point of imitation, but more the respect for nature and for the written word and Dihle's ability to be good at both, while being humble about it and sharing some of the less-than-brilliant decisions he's made in the great outdoors.

Dihle's abilities are all the more special to me because I looked up McManus when I was writing this review and saw he passed away in April of this year just shy of 85 years old. His contributions to my love of the outdoors were substantial and I think there's a 12-year-old kid somewhere that's going to love the outdoors just a little more thanks to Dihle and that says a lot.

Todays book review is a great collection of short anecdotes that I received from Graphic Arts Books, Never Cry Halibut and Other Alaska Hunting and Fishing Tales by Bjorn Dihle.

Since moving to Texas from the Pacific Northwest, I've missed mountains, forests, and rivers very much. This book was a great reminder of it all. Dihle weaves through his life, recalling tales of hunting and fishing with his brothers, father, and his girlfriend. He also does a wonderful job of describing life in Alaska in a way that those of us who havent lived there will understand. HIs stories are often humorous, at times self-deprecating, but what struck me was that he always took time to show the respect that hunters have for the animals, and conservation. It reminded me of how Patrick McManus (who was a favorite outdoor writer of mine) would write his funny tales, but always showed such concern and reverence for the environment. I particularly enjoyed the interactions between Bjorn and his girlfriend, MC. It takes a tough woman to keep up with the climate of Alaska and the men, it sounds like she is just the woman to do so! I would like to see a book or maybe blog from her, I think that would be very interesting to get a modern day look into the life of a huntress in Alaska! The pictures weaved in the pages of the book were beautiful, and really gave scale to the surroundings and a lovely glimse into Dihle's family.

The only thing that I did not like from this book, or maybe dislike is too strong, but just didnt really care for, were the few times that the author wrote sections entitled " Alaskan Air Mail", or fantasty letters to different entities. It just didnt seem to quite jive with the rest of the book, and didn't add anything to it.

Overall, it was a fantastic escape from the flatlands of Texas, and I would gladly read it again. I look forward to seeing more from the author in the future!

#BjornDihle #GraphicArtsBooks #NeverCryHalibut #Alaska #Hunting #Fishing #AlaskaNorthwestBooks

Brief vignettes of hunting life. It's not all situated in Alaska, but each tale does focus on the experience of hunting. Worth the read if you don't have visceral negative associations