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Post by garej on Jul 15, 2014 10:45:55 GMT 1
I finished Dear Pup last night and would give it a neutral smiley. Didn't particularly enjoy it but didn't particularly hate it either. Maybe if I was more of a dog person I would feel different.
I was surprised that JPT got a mention in the book - she is described as by the dog as "my special person's sister, Josephine, who works for PEN who feeds me chicken dinners". Sadly CPT does not feature.
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Post by Claire on Jul 15, 2014 12:18:32 GMT 1
Lists updated and Smilies added! Summer Reading Challenge webpageSusan - I preferred Joe and the Lightning Pony to Race to the Rescue altho I did like it, especially the heavy horse bits and the way all the wishes were resolved in the end was very clever. As Rosie said the books are a good at bringing a traditional theme up to date. I've been reading Ajax the Warrior by Mary Patchett. Enjoying it a lot so far but just wondered if anyone can tell me - is it an autobiographical account of her childhood as it certainly reads like it. I thought it was fiction before I started it.
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cloud
Pony Trekker
Highland Dale
Posts: 56
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Post by cloud on Jul 15, 2014 13:48:34 GMT 1
Finished Renni the Rescuer and it gets a smiley lovely little book, although there are a couple of Bambi's mother moments in the second half but Renni has a happy ending. Interesting to see how it compares with three of the others I have chosen which are similar type of stories.
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 15, 2014 18:58:47 GMT 1
Finished Treasure To The East and would like a big smiley please. Think i possibly gained a deeper understanding on this occasion too, a couple of bits previously that went over my head. I do hope others enjoy it now, starting to feel the pressure of recommending something!
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Post by Claire on Jul 15, 2014 20:34:25 GMT 1
Finished Treasure To The East and would like a big smiley please. Think i possibly gained a deeper understanding on this occasion too, a couple of bits previously that went over my head. I do hope others enjoy it now, starting to feel the pressure of recommending something! Can't wait to read it getting quite escited - thanks haffy - and I wouldn't worry I'm bound to like it I havent met a Patricia Leitch book I have disliked yet.
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 16, 2014 18:37:40 GMT 1
It's on it's way so should be with you in next day or two depending on how slow the post is!
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Post by Claire on Jul 16, 2014 18:57:44 GMT 1
Fantastic haffy!
Cloud have you read Ajax the Warrior before? There's loads of dog content in it.
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Post by tintin on Jul 16, 2014 23:22:57 GMT 1
Could I have a smiley face for "Horse Called Hero" by S Angus? all though perhaps not appropriate for a rather grim book! It was well written, imaginative and gripping and, eventually, had a happy ending so deserves to be marked as "enjoyed"
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Post by cloud2 on Jul 17, 2014 12:33:58 GMT 1
Fantastic haffy! Cloud have you read Ajax the Warrior before? There's loads of dog content in it. Yes I like MP's dog books better than her horse ones, from somewhere I got the idea that they were autobiographical or at least based on her own dogs??? Finished Bran of the Moors by James Stagg (anyone know anything about this writer??).It gets a smiley face - only spoilt by the illustrations done by someone who was good at drawing dogs' bodies but gave them all an expression as though they had just had a long night on something illegal!! Odd sort of story, if you know the geography of the area he is writing about, our canine hero must have used a helicopter to get about!
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Post by Claire on Jul 17, 2014 16:55:18 GMT 1
only spoilt by the illustrations done by someone who was good at drawing dogs' bodies but gave them all an expression as though they had just had a long night on something illegal!! Tee hee. Yeah i was wondering if Ajax the Warrior was autobiographical. I absolutely love Algy! For those of you who havent read the book he's a bulldog who loves mothering all sorts of baby creatures. I havent finished the book but it defo going to get a big smiley. I'd recommend it to all animal and nature lovers.
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 18, 2014 15:52:18 GMT 1
Just read Not such a bad summer and another smiley please. Not terribly pc in places and somewhat cliched but since i've read it in one go whilst enjoying the sunshine just now it can't be that bad! PMM's strong attitude towards equine welfare once again (thankfully) managed to shine through with the 'evils of racing two year olds' lecture in the last chapter.
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Post by Claire on Jul 18, 2014 20:23:12 GMT 1
I have that Not Such a Bad Summer on my list too. I may read that one next.
I just started to read Save the Horses by Alexa whatserface and coincidentally there is also a dog called Ajax in it same as my first reading challenge book. Whats the odds on that considering its not exactly a common name!
Haffy thanks very much 'Treasure' arrived safe and sound. Who else wanted to borrow it - shall I pass it on when I have read it?
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Post by garej on Jul 18, 2014 20:57:07 GMT 1
Started to read Ponies For Hire and so far it's ok. Doubt I will finish it this weekend though.
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Post by garej on Jul 20, 2014 0:50:56 GMT 1
Still ploughing through Ponies for Hire and I am enjoying it so far, with the exception of a mention of the term mentally retarded, which is definitely not PC. I am guessing that it was more acceptable in the 1960s, which is when this book was first published.
I have noticed that my edition is a different one to the one pictured on your site Claire.
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Post by susanb on Jul 20, 2014 1:49:31 GMT 1
Mentally retarded actually WAS the PC term back in the day....then people started using it as a slur and they had to come up with a new term (sad that there is always someone who just has to be nasty).
Re the cover art...the pic Claire has on the site is the American edition...isn't that hairdo on the girl awful? I was lucky enough to come across the British edition, which I'm guessing is the one you have, in the US (yea, no international postage!)
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Post by susanb on Jul 20, 2014 2:02:53 GMT 1
Finished Tic-Tac by Leslie Baird McDonald......I'll rate it a smiley. It is a little heavy on the instruction and short on plot and character development, but it has a few pluses that put it over the top (spoilers below, so beware). There is the standard issue rich mean girl at the stables, who picks on our heroine. Mean girl decides to jump alone, strictly forbidden at the riding school for safety reasons, and the horse is hurt, the girl banged up. She tries to get the heroine to lie and say that she was also there. Sounds like pretty much every girly pony book written in the last 30 years, doesn't it? But that's where similarity ends....the heroine actually TALKS TO HER FATHER, who tells her a story about a time he had to make a similar decision and made the wrong one..he then leaves the decision to her. She tells the riding school master the TRUTH, refusing to cover up/go along to get along, and the guy BELIEVES her and not the rich mean girl who is continuing to lie and shift blame. The riding school master EXPELS her from the school. PERMANENTLY. YES! Justice!!! I've been so tired lately of most modern books going the exact opposite route...the heroine is too stupid to talk to a trusted adult, doesn't want to offend any of her peers and lies about important things to cover for them, the adults in authority are totally taken in by horrid rich girls....really, it's not a plot I cared for the first time, let alone the next 50. Sigh....stepping off soap box now, you can come out Seriously though, this isn't the most engaging book I've ever read, but it has common sense about it that is sorely lacking in many modern works (even a few vintage ones, come to think of it)
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2014 6:55:45 GMT 1
Just finished Ponies from Swallowdale Farm by Sue Garnett. It's published by a Christian publisher which I hadn't realised before reading it and I wouldn't have touched it with a barge pole had I known as a lot of those religious pony books get really preachy and moralistic. However this story I got the feeling that although the heroines father is a vicar, and lots of non religious pony books have heroines living in Vicarages, the Christian element was just added in to please the publisher as there aren't huge amounts. I might be wrong on that, but that is how it came across to me.
I started off really, really enjoying the book, so much so that I was going to see if I could find a copy for myself (I'm borrowing this one)but by the end I decided that I wouldn't because it went slightly off the boil and I felt a bit disappointed with it.
I'll give it a neutral I think please Claire.
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cloud
Pony Trekker
Highland Dale
Posts: 56
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Post by cloud on Jul 20, 2014 12:40:21 GMT 1
OK we have a fail, The Nightingale Sings - I thought this would be like the Blue Grass books which I love and reread, but although it has a similar story - I just didn't get on with it. I read the first half, looked at the end to see whether to stop there or not, speed read a few more chapters, then conceded defeat. So it gets an unfinished frown I'm afraid. Story is about a woman who had a marvellous husband and will not be content until she gets another one as good - and in between whiles doesn't do a very good job of keeping her champion racehorse safe!
The Arthur Ransome book, Master Storyteller by Roger Wardale. gets a definite smiley. As indeed would The Secrets of Filming Swallows and Amazons by Sophie Neville, Titty in the film, a fun read for anyone like me who is besotted with the film.
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Post by Claire on Jul 20, 2014 18:48:34 GMT 1
Well done everyone you are going great guns. Great review Susan you should post it on the review section. Rosie I forgot about the religious element in Swallowdale, probably cos as you say its very muted. Shame that you felt it went off the boil. It will be interesting to see if you like the other books I recommended. 50% strike rate so far lol. Cloud I have had The Nightingale Sings on my shelf unread for a while. I was tempted to stick it in my book challenge list when I saw you were reading it so we could compare but when I realised it had an element of romance in it I decided against it - too many RL romantic problems to want to read about them too!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2014 12:52:34 GMT 1
You'll be pleased to hear I like the next one I've started...so far! (Darkhorse of Woodford)
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Post by garej on Jul 21, 2014 13:23:38 GMT 1
I finished Ponies for Hire last night and would give it a smiley. Nice traditional read with a happy ending.
I think I will start A Pony for Jean next.
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Post by Claire on Jul 21, 2014 13:31:47 GMT 1
You'll be pleased to hear I like the next one I've started...so far! (Darkhorse of Woodford) I love that one. I wrote a review of it on my blog a while back. Will post the link if you want to read it when you've finished the book.
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 21, 2014 15:40:48 GMT 1
I'm on a bit of a roll (for once!) I read Appaloosa summer over the weekend and would like another smiley please. Started Come Show jumping with me earlier too, bit heavy on instruction in places but i don't mind that too much and you can skip anything too bogged down anyhow. I'll save my comments on previous books until later as i don't want to give away any spoilers for the others reading them.
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Post by Claire on Jul 21, 2014 18:37:44 GMT 1
Latest smilies added. Lots of yellow rosettes to add too. Well done to those of you who have won them. Sadly I am not one of you. Summer Reading Challenge webpageDarkhorse - do you still want to join in? Cloud - did you choose anything for your 'new book' selection yet?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2014 19:07:21 GMT 1
You'll be pleased to hear I like the next one I've started...so far! (Darkhorse of Woodford) I love that one. I wrote a review of it on my blog a while back. Will post the link if you want to read it when you've finished the book. Yes please
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cloud
Pony Trekker
Highland Dale
Posts: 56
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Post by cloud on Jul 21, 2014 19:48:53 GMT 1
Latest smilies added. Lots of yellow rosettes to add too. Well done to those of you who have won them. Sadly I am not one of you. Summer Reading Challenge webpageDarkhorse - do you still want to join in? Cloud - did you choose anything for your 'new book' selection yet? Oh yes, that Appaloosa one that Haffy put up the link for - it's the one she read too. Going to take me a while because it is on the computer.
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Post by darkhorse on Jul 21, 2014 20:16:12 GMT 1
Darkhorse - do you still want to join in?? I'm not sure if I will have the time to join in this year. If I do can I post my list at the weekend or is that too late?
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Post by tintin on Jul 21, 2014 23:56:49 GMT 1
Surprise Riding Club has, just, managed to raise a smile
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Post by brumby on Jul 22, 2014 1:06:22 GMT 1
Off to a slow start! too busy reading chicken books Anyway have just completed 'Wanted: A girl for horses' - Betty Cavanna. Its not going to set the world on fire as a fantastic read but I have to say I did quite enjoy it and wanted to keep reading. The story is set in 1956 and Charlotte the main character having been expelled from school is sent to work as a girl groom for an elderly couple who are struggling to retain the pretense of maintaining their crumbling mansion and lack of funds. The horse are well cared for, which is the main thing! Some may be offended buy the way Lady Agnes treats Charlotte and calls her 'child' but I guess that was life in a different era! Charlotte maintains her dignity and is quite a strong character. The characters are well drawn and there is enough horse action to maintain interest. Really its probably fits more into the category of a coming of age story rather than a pony book. Will give it a smiley
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Post by Claire on Jul 22, 2014 12:30:46 GMT 1
Darkhorse of course you can still join in but don't feel you have to if you havent much time. I know its the school hols now and a busy time for pumbles with kids (or grandkids). Another scorcher today so may try and make time to sit in the garden with one of my books for a while. Trouble is I am having a re-read of a lot of my Stephen King books as a sort of warm-up for the new one and must admit its distracting me from pony books. Anyone else being led astray from the reading challenge path, apart from me and Brumby with her chickens?
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