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Post by Claire on Mar 19, 2013 14:03:01 GMT 1
Hi all poor old Kunuma, she hasn't found a new book she has enjoyed in a long time. I suggested we run a comp to find her one, so she has thrown down the gauntlet: Here's a good idea for a comp - a prize to anyone who can find Kunuma a book she actually likes ;D ;D ;D Go on then, I challenge you all!! I promise I'll be truthful - and I promise I'll give a prize to the winner! It will have to avoid the obvious though, so no Eleyne Mitchell, Monica Edwards or Patricia Leitch as you could pick any one of them and get the prize! Bring it on! Suggestions please for a book Kunuma hasn't read before, preferably a one that can be bought cheaply or one you can lend her (as she is so picky discerning we dont want her wasting lots of money on a rare expensive book). As above no Monica Edwards, Elyne Mitchell or Patricia Leitch and it has to be a book she hasn't read so no old favs allowed either. BTW kunuma - I think you should give people a few clues to the sorts of books you like/don't like so we can weed out the ones that would be definite no-nos.
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Post by rallycairn on Mar 19, 2013 14:33:05 GMT 1
Agree about the clues! So, to make sure I understand, Edwards, Mitchell, and Leitch actually _do_ pass muster for kunuma? Leitch especially gives me some ideas ... I THINK lol.
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Post by susanb on Mar 19, 2013 17:10:00 GMT 1
sounds like a great idea.....some info on likes/dislikes can be gleaned from the summer reading program:
Gah! the link to the smiley face page isn't working....this is what I got from scrolling through the thread:
disliked:
Far and Away by Lauren Brook Mystic and the Moonlight Ride by ?? (could this be Matty and the Moonlight Ride?) Lucky Purchase by Pamela Macgregor-Morris
liked:
Bluegrass by ?? Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge Greatheart by Chipperfield Shelters of Stone by Jean Auel Job With Horses by JPT I Had Two Ponies by JPT Three Ponies and Shannan by CPT Follyfoot series by Monica Dickens Penned Up in Paradise by Stasia Cramer Herb of Grace by Elizabeth Goudge (non-pony) Ten Pound Pony by Veronica Westlake Queen Rider by A.D. Langholm (Alan Davidson)
? both liked and disliked:
Scorpio Races by Maggie Steifvater
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Post by Claire on Mar 19, 2013 17:12:08 GMT 1
Lol Rallycairn yes she actually likes Edwards, Leitch and Mitchell (altho she has been known to crtique some of the latter's books) so we can't choose anything by them - but if we can think of authors who write a similar story we may be on to something.
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Post by Claire on Mar 19, 2013 17:17:31 GMT 1
Susan I may have deleted the web page for the summer reading programme to put something else there. I'll check. I still have the file, so if I have deleted the web page and people want it to come back I'll find a home for it on line somewhere.
To fill in some of the blanks, Herb of Grace was a non-pony by Elizabeth Goudge, Shelters of Stone by Jean Auel, Penned up in Paradise was an e book by Stasia Cramer. The Mystic one is I think by Stacy Gregg.
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Post by kunuma on Mar 19, 2013 17:29:11 GMT 1
Help what have I started!! Clues, well, lets see, actually I think I'm very easy to please! lol I'd like to find another real comfort read - now that means 'no animals harmed during the making of this book' please. That isn't just the equine/canine stars of the book, but includes wildlife, especially wildlife killed under the excuse of sport! (That's a BIG hint as to what to avoid! lol) The odd sprained tendon is allowed, but a happy ending is essential. Fantasy is fine, I'm a great supporter of unicorns and their ilk, sci fi too, they can all live on another planet if required (I often wish that I did!) So sort of on these lines, girl gets pony, girl looks after pony wonderfully, absolutely nothing horrible happens to pony, girl gets married and keeps pony, girl has children and still keeps pony, girl gets divorced and moves to another planet where she and pony live happily ever after. Now how hard is it to find a book like that!!
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Post by susanb on Mar 19, 2013 18:34:32 GMT 1
LOL....nothing tough about that at all, really! I think you'd probably really like a pair by Jessie Haas: Keeping Barney and A Horse Like Barney. Here's a link to Claire's page on her: jessiehaas.ponymadbooklovers.co.uk/
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2013 19:34:16 GMT 1
Have you read the World's End series Kunuma?
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Post by rallycairn on Mar 19, 2013 22:13:08 GMT 1
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Post by Claire on Mar 19, 2013 22:44:39 GMT 1
Dark Horse of Woodfield may be a good one - I was thinking of that too. Its quite quirky tho may not be everyone's cup of tea. I have a copy I can lend kunuma. (Will have to check first if it fulfills all requirements!) Did a review of it on my blog a while back: ponymadbooklovers.blogspot.co.uk/2008/04/forence-hightowera-dark-horse.htmlOr what about Ponies in the Attic by Irene Makin set in the New Forest or Ponies All Summer by Judith Berrisford, full of various animals as well as horses, or The Pony Swap by Pamela Kavanagh? Also have you read the Polly books by Wendy Douthwaite, Kunuma? They're about an Arab.
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Post by trixiepony on Mar 20, 2013 3:01:15 GMT 1
Sounds a fun challenge .
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Post by kunuma on Mar 20, 2013 14:22:13 GMT 1
Right, I've got two from Susan, no I haven't read the Worlds End books Rosie, don't know how many there are but I'll do the first two?? Got two from Rallycairn (if I say two from everyone then that gives me a chance to find one at least!) Claire Polly books - about a disabled girl - yes, read them and if ponies in the attic is about drawings in the attic think I remember that too. The others all sound new though - you can only pick two mind or I'll be bankrupt and won't be able to afford to buy a prize for the winner!! The Judith Berrisford one would probably be a good bet and the Pony Swap sounds intereting, shall I do those? Another hint for anyone still wondering, I like dog books too, and wolf ones of course, provided nothing horrible happens to the wolves! NOT Jack London obviously!! Any animals really!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 20, 2013 19:16:47 GMT 1
There's four in the series. Hope you like them, they aren't pony stories but there are cats and dogs in them as well as ponies
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Post by Claire on Mar 21, 2013 2:43:14 GMT 1
I can send you quite a few of them Kunuma, I think I have them all but the Barney one. Could have sworn you joined in with the reading circle when we did the House at Worlds End. Must be getting mixed up! (not exactly an uncommon occurance ) I'll see if there's anything else you might like too. Anyone else got any suggestions....?
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Post by trixiepony on Mar 21, 2013 3:22:00 GMT 1
Have you read Kaimanawa Princess by Dianna Haworth or The Gift Horse by Wendy Elks.
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vera
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Post by vera on Mar 28, 2013 4:34:40 GMT 1
Have you read "Gay and the Ponies" byElinore Havers? Also the Taronga Road series by Toy Martin. They may be hard to get though.
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Post by Claire on Mar 28, 2013 13:30:12 GMT 1
Surely K must like Gay and the Ponies, lots of dogs and other animals who talk to each other and a happy ending. Perhaps a bit twee and aimed at quite a young age but lets not get too picky! Taronga Road ones are almost impossible to get over here Vera. Are you going to write a short-list out Kunuma? Maybe we could run a book on which ones we think she'll like best! ;D
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Post by kunuma on Mar 28, 2013 18:19:38 GMT 1
Right - looks like the list is:- Gay and the Ponies Kaimanawa Princess by Dianna Haworth The Gift Horse by Wendy Elks World's End books one and two Ponies All Summer The Pony Swap Dark Horse of Woodfield Casey Jones Rides Vanity, Jessie Haas: Keeping Barney A Horse Like Barney Have I forgotten anyone? Thanks Claire, if you can let me have the ones you have got, I'll get started - I'm very excited!!
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Post by Claire on Mar 28, 2013 23:20:26 GMT 1
I've got 6 of them - marked them in bold below. I'll either post them on Sat before the post prices go up (yes I can feel a Royal Mail rant coming on....) or wait til I've got a few other parcels to send business post.
Gay and the Ponies Kaimanawa Princess by Dianna Haworth The Gift Horse by Wendy Elks World's End books one and two Ponies All Summer The Pony Swap Dark Horse of Woodfield Casey Jones Rides Vanity, Jessie Haas: Keeping Barney A Horse Like Barney
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Post by kunuma on Apr 4, 2013 13:37:07 GMT 1
Well I have to say a big thankyou to the pumbles, I was afraid I had turned into the pony book version of Victor Meldrew and didn't like anything any more! But all is not lost, I have just done the first five books, thanks to Claire, and although I was so excited to have new books I speed read the whole lot at once, I am now going to read them again properly! I like all of them!!!!! It won't of course count in the choice of book, but I'm back on my get the illustrations right hobby horse - Gay and the Ponies is about a poodle living with a Dartmoor and an Exmoor pony, how hard would it have been to find a photo of either a Dartmoor or an Exmoor, and a poodle, instead the books cover has a pic of two any old ponies and no poodle. By contrast Dark Horse of Woodfield - which I thought was going to be about a riding school so I'd got confused over that one, has a drawn illustrated cover, you can perhaps criticise the conformation of the ponies, but the artist has gone to the trouble of getting the whole scene right, the ponies colour, the dogs, the car - it even portrays a scene from the book - so nice! I really enjoyed that book too, such a pleasure to read a book set in another country at another time(America in the thirties) and it hasn't been mucked about with so it's good for the history side as well!
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Post by Deleted on Apr 4, 2013 14:06:09 GMT 1
Woo hoo ;D Glad you enjoyed them all Kunuma. I thought you'd like the Worlds End series with the children rescuing loads of animals
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Post by kunuma on Apr 4, 2013 15:38:46 GMT 1
Need to find book two now Rosie!
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Post by susanb on Apr 4, 2013 15:42:55 GMT 1
I'm so glad you enjoyed Dark Horse of Woodfield! One of my favorite not-quite-a-horse-book books
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Post by rallycairn on Apr 4, 2013 15:46:58 GMT 1
Hurray! Wow, so far we've ALL won the Kunuma Challenge! (well, all the available entries anyway)
Isn't Dark Horse of Woodfield just plain fun on so many levels? I love the scenes of Maggie's struggles at school, her somewhat surprising ability to understand her great-uncle's poems and translate her insights into an essay, the way the family faces their crumbling fortunes so well, Maggie's training of Star, Bugsy's pony, Maggie's Aunt and Martin's appearance on the scene ... there are a lot of conflicts/problems for the characters but things are treated in matter of fact rather than angsty or melodramatic ways.
Congrats to Kunuma for finding so many good reads and to everyone for their winning suggestions!
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Post by susanb on Apr 4, 2013 15:53:31 GMT 1
It's a pity Hightower didn't write more books with equine content (more books period!). If you enjoyed the oddball family in Dark Horse, I'd suggest picking up a copy of Fayerweather Forecast, another delight (it had US and UK printings, only in hardcover, but never expensive)
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Post by Claire on Apr 4, 2013 18:33:12 GMT 1
Wow I am gobsmacked you liked them ALL kunuma! Re. Gay and the Ponies, the first edition had a much more appropriate cover which shows the kids rescuing Gay from the river (see below) Re. Florence Hightower - yep I agree with Susan I wish she had written more pony books. Also, did anyone else really want to know what was in the controversial poem?! Re. World's End books - got all the series will send them on to you some time soon Kunuma. Are you going to try some of the other ones on the list? Attachments:
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Post by kunuma on Apr 5, 2013 13:22:58 GMT 1
That's more like it, that's a lovely cover, it's got the ponies right too! I suppose we just have to blame the publishers who patently just think, pony book, find pic of pony - and that's it!
Yes. I'm determined to do them all - I have the Barney ones on order from America which may take a while - but I'm not doing too well on the others, they are either not available or expensive - and if I really can't get them I may have to get the choosers to pick again, but from what I've read searching for them I'd like to read them! Feeding titles into the search engine, at one point I got a CD by someone called Barney entitled Gift Horse! LOL
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Post by haffyfan on Apr 10, 2013 18:43:35 GMT 1
I'm a bit late to this and part of me thinks you might not like them but have you read Sheena Wilkinsons's two novels, Taking Flight and Grounded? Also another i'd stick my neck out for you to try Kate and the Mystery ponies by Sally fielding or maybe an Alyssa Brugman?
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Post by haffyfan on Apr 10, 2013 18:45:08 GMT 1
Sorry - just thought of another couple - M M Olivers Riding days in Hooks Hollow and horseman's Island.
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Post by kunuma on Apr 25, 2013 14:08:41 GMT 1
Thanks haffy, am chasing after a couple of those! My Barney book from America has arrived - well worth waiting for as I thought I'd bought a tatty paperback and it turned out to be a hardback with a dustcover and signed by the author - that seller is going to get five stars from me!!
Will read it tonight!
This is going to be a veeeeery long drawn out comp as it's taking me a while to track down those I couldn't borrow off Claire!!
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