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Post by Claire on Nov 11, 2012 17:34:39 GMT 1
Hi all our next reading circle selection is Matty and the Moonlight Horse by Jane Ayres. This is available as an Amazon kindle e-book (all proceeds go to Redwings horse charity) or can be found as a used paperback edition. If you don't have a kindle you can still read the book on your PC/laptop/tablet etc by downloading an application from Amazon (please check out the read for free thread for more information on this) I can also lend anyone a copy if needs be. Plus as an added bonus there is actually a FREE download of the next book in the Matty series - Matty and the Problem Ponies - on Amazon at the mo. It ends today so check it out asap: www.amazon.co.uk/Matty-Problem-Ponies-Adventures-ebook/dp/B0094KJEVI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1352651332&sr=8-2Discussion will begin in approx 2 weeks time.
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Post by susanb on Nov 11, 2012 18:10:24 GMT 1
whew....was worried a bit when I saw this post....I've got the book on order, but postal service in US definitely slower than in UK (and my town in particular moves at snail's pace)
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Post by Claire on Nov 12, 2012 14:15:34 GMT 1
Crikey -you mean there's a postal service worse than the royal mail! Well hopefully they won't take too long to arrive but just join in when you can susan. There's no great hurry. (BTW completely off topic but I am nosy - what were the other books in the lot?)
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Post by susanb on Nov 12, 2012 15:28:30 GMT 1
Ha! Royal Mail isn't even in it compared to the US mails...count your blessings.
GALLOP TO THE SEA by Sharon Siamon KAYA KEEPS HER COOL and KAYA WANT TO GET AHEAD by Gaby Hauptmann ECHO OF HOOVES" by Eleanor Jones SETTING THE PACE" by Lauraine Snelling PRIDES CHALLENGE by Joanna Campbell JOHNNY MOHAWK, RODEO ROCKY, WILD HORSES by Jenny Oldfield
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Post by Claire on Nov 12, 2012 22:03:01 GMT 1
Thanks for satisfying my nosiness susan, I was just curious with you saying they were some of the ones rallycairn was recommending. Have you read any of them before? The Sharon Siamon and the Eleanor Jones are prob the best of them (along with Matty) but the Kaya books are also not bad. They are very 'teen' but done well plus they also have a decent translation for once. Anyway apologies folks for getting off topic - if I was a proper mod I would have directed susan to post her answer in the 'look what I got' thread.
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Post by Claire on Nov 19, 2012 13:59:06 GMT 1
Hi folks just a heads up that the 3rd book in the Matty trilogy - Racehorse Rescue - will be available as a free kindle download between 23rd and 27th November.
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Post by susanb on Nov 19, 2012 18:13:05 GMT 1
When are we starting again? I've got the book and have started it, but got sucked into Christmas wrapping this past weekend....two days worth without coming up for breath....my living room looked like Santa's Workshop - Southern Branch. I had one family I HAD to get wrapped, because they celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah, which comes early this year, and then I figured "I've got all the wrapping paper, ribbons, tags, tape, scissors out, do I really want to put it away and drag it out AGAIN?" So the upshot it I'm ahead on Christmas and behind on my reading!
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Post by Claire on Nov 19, 2012 20:12:43 GMT 1
Crikey you are organized susan I haven't even started Christmas shopping yet! I am just entering the 'OMG just realized its only a few weeks to Christmas' stage! ;D
Started the thread on 11th and we usually give it a couple of weeks for people to get hold of and read the book so that's still another week. Also as with all reading circle books, anyone can join in at any time.
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Post by susanb on Nov 19, 2012 20:25:48 GMT 1
whew! Should work out ok.....I'm off Wednesday and will be stuck at home waiting for delivery of new chair, (3 hour time window....aka "you be there all day, we'll be there when we feel like it), so I should be able to zip through the book then.
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Post by Claire on Nov 19, 2012 21:07:16 GMT 1
Its a quick light read so yeah you should do it easily. Hate waiting in for deliveries - a 3 hour window is not so bad tho (IF they stick to it), have had to wait in for 12 hour time windows before!
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Post by darkhorse on Nov 21, 2012 11:22:42 GMT 1
I have just started this. Enjoying it so far.
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Post by Claire on Dec 1, 2012 11:41:36 GMT 1
Hi all, just wondering how people are getting on with this one so far? Has anyone finished it?
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Post by rallycairn on Dec 1, 2012 14:51:21 GMT 1
I finished it two days ago and have been pondering what to write!
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Post by Claire on Dec 1, 2012 20:16:03 GMT 1
I finished it two days ago and have been pondering what to write! Here are a few discussion points to help people who have read and are not sure what to write: This is primarily a teen pony story - how do you think it compares (or possibly contrasts) to other teen pony stories out there? Do you think it is also a good read for adults? What do you think about the present tense narrative (as opposed to the usual past tense used in most children's books) Have you read any other books by the author and if so how does this book compare/differ? What do you like/dislike about the book? Would you read more in the series? I have made some comments on the book in a review I did of it on Amazon. Here it is if anyone is interested: www.amazon.co.uk/review/ROV13LX63XWD2/ref=cm_cr_dp_title?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00942U36G&channel=detail-glance&nodeID=341677031&store=digital-text
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Post by darkhorse on Dec 2, 2012 17:12:46 GMT 1
Thanks for the discussion points. I enjoyed the book and gave it a very good rating. Here are some of my thoughts.
This is primarily a teen pony story - how do you think it compares (or possibly contrasts) to other teen pony stories out there?
I haven't read many 'teen' pony stories, however it compares well with some of the modern ones, which from what I've seen of them are not my cup of tea. (Rich snobby heroines obsessed with winning, sex, drugs, etc!)
Do you think it is also a good read for adults?
It is quite a traditional pony story so most older readers will probably enjoy it.
What do you think about the present tense narrative (as opposed to the usual past tense used in most children's books)
It seemed a bit weird at first but I soon got used to it.
Have you read any other books by the author and if so how does this book compare/differ?
This is the first book I have read by the author.
What do you like/dislike about the book?
I like that it is quite a traditional story and it's an easy not too demanding read. It is maybe not a very original plot and the ending is a bit too good to be true with their just happening to be someone wanting to buy a riding school handy! But these are not really dislikes. I like the humour also.
Would you read more in the series?
I have the second book downloaded and I will certaunly read it some time to find out why Comfort is not a dream pony!
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Post by rallycairn on Dec 3, 2012 2:01:25 GMT 1
Overall, I did enjoy the book and I am looking forward to re-reading the second book and acquiring the third. For me this is a good but not really outstanding read. It was hard for me to get into; the story didn't really compel me until just over halfway when Matty is schooling Moonlight for the show. Until that point, I kept picking it up and putting it down. I think some of that is personal taste in not finding Matty's situation very compelling -- she seems a bit all over the place. She likes the school horses, she likes Snowstorm, they find Moonlight and she appreciates his talent but is still kind of mooning over Snowstorm -- who is the pony hero here? Who are we rooting for, pony wise -- Snowstorm? Moonlight? Neither?
And the four friends plus Mark are just too many characters to me, when most of them get such short shrift. We get a little sense of Spike as smart and independent, Gina as suffering from her overbearing and fearful mother, but Ronnie, who is supposed to be Matty's best best friend -- do we get much sense of her? The multiple human characters make the story seem as scattered to me as the multiple featured ponies. I would have liked to have seen much more character development. Mark's relationship with his father has some hints of depth; I would have liked much more in that vein.
The unusual feature of the present tense stood out for me in that I was often taken out of the story by the technique of the present tense -- it felt clunky and forced, rather than giving a sense of immediate action.
Again, I did like the book reasonably well and will finish the trilogy.
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Post by Claire on Dec 3, 2012 14:09:30 GMT 1
Good comments folks. I agree with darkhorse that this is better than the current crop of teen stories around. For me it has traditional elements whilst still retaining a fast paced modern chatty tone. It doesn't need to resort to gimmicks or sex or a glam setting to spice up things.
I also agree with rallycairn to some extent that the characters are perhaps not developed in much depth. However I think this is a product of the 'fast paced' and light hearted tone of the story. I've read almost all of Jane Ayre's books and the Matty series is a lot different to most of her others in that it does not have as much character development or depth and is far more light-hearted and humourous in tone. Thus because I know the author can write that way, I think going for less depth and making it a quicker lighter read were intentional for the type of book and the audience it was aimed for. For me this actually worked. I don't think the book required detailed back stories on the other characters. I think the author did a good job of conveying the different personalities of the girls without going into too much detail. That said, although I enjoyed the Matty books, I do prefer Jane's more serious and emotionally complex novels such as Transitions or The Horse on the Balcony (which are both about as far from the Matty books in tone or style as you can get!)
Re, the present tense style - usually I dislike present tense narrative which often appears in arty-farty novels in a misguided attempt to give some sort of literary kudos to the story. It doesn't usually work IMHO! However, after the initial shock to the system, I found that it did work for me in this book. I felt it gave Matty's story a more intimate feel and helped the reader identify with her.
For me there is an 'x factor' in books which could be called for want of a better word 'readability' - books either have it or don't have it. Some books even though they are well written and interesting just don't compel you to read them. For me this (and all Jane's books) have the x factor of readability. When I start reading them I want to continue to the end. I suppose it's personal taste to some extent, but I disagree with a lot of rallycairn's perceptions of the book. I found Matty's situation interesting and I didn't feel like there were too many characters. Yes it wasn't tightly plotted but it was more of a 'slice of life' in the day to day activities of a group of horsy teen girls than a plot driven story.
Rallycairn I seem to remember you saying somewhere else you really enjoyed the second book in the series? Why did you prefer it to this one? I actually liked this one best. I have got the 3rd book still to read and I am looking forward to it.
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Post by rallycairn on Dec 3, 2012 15:30:27 GMT 1
. I also agree with rallycairn to some extent that the characters are perhaps not developed in much depth. However I think this is a product of the 'fast paced' and light hearted tone of the story. ... Re, the present tense style - usually I dislike present tense narrative which often appears in arty-farty novels in a misguided attempt to give some sort of literary kudos to the story. It doesn't usually work IMHO! However, after the initial shock to the system, I found that it did work for me in this book. ... For me there is an 'x factor' in books which could be called for want of a better word 'readability' - books either have it or don't have it. Some books even though they are well written and interesting just don't compel you to read them. For me this (and all Jane's books) have the x factor of readability. ... it was more of a 'slice of life' in the day to day activities of a group of horsy teen girls than a plot driven story. Rallycairn I seem to remember you saying somewhere else you really enjoyed the second book in the series? Why did you prefer it to this one? I actually liked this one best. I have got the 3rd book still to read and I am looking forward to it. Great points, Claire. Yes, I do think the scope/tone/pace of the book were likely intentional. Unfortunately for me that is probably something that is seen as desirable or even essential for today's teens, but I prefer more character-based and driven stories. Again I do think a lot of my comments are of the "personal taste preferences" variety, not absolute evaluations of the merits of the book for everyone. Agree that the present tense often feels like an artsy-fartsy or "let me prove that I can do this" exercise for an author. For me, in this book it just occasionally caught me up and brought me out of the story because I would notice it. For it to really work, I would have to not be brought up short and think "there's that present tense again." I do not think it was terribly done here, but I did notice it repeatedly as I read. My personal preference would have been for it to have used past/recent past tenses. I am glad to hear that it gave immediacy to the story for other readers. Interesting point about the readability factor. I did kind of have to make myself keep at this book, so I don't think it has that readability factor for me. There are other authors, even the modern authors, that I can note their faults, roll my eyes, but still want to keep reading. Sharon Siamon's books are that way for me -- she definitely plugs in a formula and sticks with it, but her settings are just so darn vivid, and she has enough interpersonal conflict or personal challenges for the characters, that I just keep reading. I do think this book is more a "slice of life" story than an action-packed story, most definitely, and I usually like that kind of story, but then those stories perhaps need that character depth all the more. I remember more humor and wryness in the second book, as Matty comes to terms with what she wants in a pony vs what they all have with Comfort and the others -- that was what I most enjoyed about Matty and the Problem Ponies.
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Post by susanb on Dec 3, 2012 19:16:32 GMT 1
Oh dear. I really wanted to like this one, but I'm afraid it didn't do it for me. It had elements I enjoyed (crazy-wish-fulfillment....a horse wandering in the graveyard = yea!), but the "voice".....oh dear.
I'm not a huge fan of present tense, though a few books (Shirley Rousseau Murphy's White Ghost Summer stands out) have captured me. The problem is that in writing present tense, first person, Ayres makes the narrator of the story Matty, as she was/is at the age of 13/14? And the language she uses is just wrong, wrong, wrong, WRONG for the character as she is portrayed. She comes down to the living room and finds her parents "lying supinely on the sofa". Really?
"Lying about"; fine. "Sprawled", if Matty is a bookish kid. But supinely? This is MENSA territory, and there is just nothing at all to indicate that that organization is going to be recruiting her. That passage was the cherry-on-top of it all, but it was all through the book (which I don't have in front of me as I type this).
Now if she were written as brilliant teen, I'd have no problem at all with the voice.....heading off to Uni at 13? No problem, bring on the pony-loving-brainiac!! Or if the same language were used by Matty in the past tense, as an adult writing of her childhood experiences. Or a third person narrator, writing about Matty - that would have worked too. But for an average teen, the voice couldn't have been more off, and unfortunately ruined what might otherwise have been a very fun book.
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Post by Claire on Dec 3, 2012 23:25:44 GMT 1
Thanks rallycairn for answering a couple of my questions. Have you read any of the author's other books? I do agree that the style of modern teen books does tend to be much more simplistic and basic in style than the books which we oldies read as children and like you I prefer the older style. For me I feel Jane has made a pretty good job of handling this style but as I said earlier I like her more complex books better. But of course we are not the target audience for the book! It does seem like the present tense is the main issue with the book. I do wonder why the author chose it - or was it an editorial decision - I have looked at all her other books and they are all in past tense. In a way this book is probably the least representative of the author's usual style! Susan - didn't notice the supine reference when I read it but I do read very fast and miss the odd thing. I am totally against dumbing books down completely for kids but I agree it's not a word a teen would use! However in my opinion I feel that in general Matty's voice does come across as a normal (if perhaps nicer than average) teen. Rallycairn agree with you on Sharon Siamon. I find her books very readable also.
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Post by Claire on Dec 3, 2012 23:52:46 GMT 1
Just to add kunuma - I am sending you the book - just so busy with all the Christmas post I forgot! Good job you are a fast reader!
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Post by kunuma on Dec 8, 2012 18:06:20 GMT 1
Just picked up the post and so have now read it - hmmm, I'm confused, I spent the whole book trying to work out where it was set! Obviously America, but some bits seemed sort of odd to be in America as some things seemed to have English names ie policeman, I thought they called them cops? I realise it is a book for small children and I'm sure they would just take it as a story and not worry about such things! I'm also going to sound like a real old biddy when I say I did a double take over our heroine going out for a date when I worked out she was 13 - but things are different nowadays I know! The whole book was leading up to the purchase of the shared pony, so I felt a bit cheated not to be at the sales with them in more detail - but then I just like buying horses! (In fact I just like buying animals - went to get food yesterday for my little ones - came out with one more!!) Have downloaded the second one and will give it a go! (OK have now read second one and that appeared to be going more English - someone tell me please - where are they supposed to be based?? )
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Post by Claire on Dec 8, 2012 20:35:48 GMT 1
Just picked up the post and so have now read it - hmmm, I'm confused, I spent the whole book trying to work out where it was set! Obviously America, but some bits seemed sort of odd to be in America as some things seemed to have English names ie policeman, I thought they called them cops? (OK have now read second one and that appeared to be going more English - someone tell me please - where are they supposed to be based?? ) I can clear this mystery up for you Kunuma. Jane Ayres is an English author but most of her books were published by the European publisher Stabenfeldt (who also published in America) these books suffered from our old friend 'Americanisation' - which we have moaned about at length on other threads - in which English words are swapped for American ones in order to make the stories more palatable to American kids (who obviously are not considered by editors as bright enough to work out that a story could be set in another country!) Unfortunately a lot of books by Brit authors published in America share this awful fate! The e-book versions were later self published by the author herself so I assume they have been re-edited to get rid of the Americanisms. Haven't read the e-book versions myself yet so I havent had a chance to compare the two. Crikey you are a fast reader kunuma - only posted the book to you a couple of days ago! (And please tell me it was a guinea pig you came back with and not a dog or heaven forbid a pony!!!) BTW folks don't forget to vote.
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Post by rallycairn on Dec 8, 2012 20:41:55 GMT 1
Cops is more slang, we would definitely say policeman! But the bus travel, distances, etc. -- definitely set in Britain with nasty, silly attempts at Americanization, like Claire said. I picture England as I read along and then am brought up short when, in the second book, "dollars" are mentioned. But the Old Fort, the types of ponies, the "riding school," the fact that they are ponies and not horses ... definitely not America, and that's fine by me!
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odonna
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Post by odonna on Dec 9, 2012 13:22:32 GMT 1
I downloaded the book to try out my new kindle (early Christmas present to self!) I may possibly be the most unobservant person in the world because I didn't even notice it was in the present tense! My E-book copy didn't seem to have any Americanisms in it. It's a good fun read aimed at younger teenagers. I haven't read any other books by the author but I might give some of the others a try now.
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Post by Claire on Dec 9, 2012 17:38:45 GMT 1
Yes, I have had a look and it seems like there's no Americanisation in the e-books as opposed to the paperbacks published by Stabenfeldt. Makes them read a bit better.
Just started the 3rd one in series and really enjoying it so far.
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Post by haffyfan on Dec 9, 2012 19:38:57 GMT 1
Easy reading and they were readable, as i have read all three without issues however i only voted average as they were nothing more than easy reading, not much substance or depth and everything was a little too contrived for my liking.
However as i said i did not only read the first but the following two so the author must be doing something right considering the amount of 'classic' i have failed to complete!
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Post by rallycairn on Dec 9, 2012 23:03:39 GMT 1
haffy, for me that is a really accurate summary -- these books are not bad, but not outstanding either. Average but good enough to keep reading!
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odonna
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Post by odonna on Dec 10, 2012 18:25:19 GMT 1
I agree they possibly need a bit more depth to appeal to adults readers but as teen stories they are very good. Like darkhorse, I haven't read many modern teen stories but most of those I have read have been total rubbish and some of them so badly written they are unreadable. Compared to those these are brilliant!
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Post by rallycairn on Dec 10, 2012 18:33:24 GMT 1
odonna, for me you also are spot on. I started to give a higher rating by one point, based on a different scale for modern pony books, but the purist in me felt like the standards shouldn't be different for contemporary books than the classics, so I gave a good rating rather than very good. But I totally agree with you, especially your "Compared to those these are brilliant!" point.
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