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Post by Claire on Jan 15, 2020 16:36:38 GMT 1
Hi all and welcome to our first Winter Reading Challenge which is a mini version of our summer challenge. If you have never taken part in that challenge before it's simply a case of choosing a number of books and challengING yourself to read and rate all the books by the end date. RULES:
To take part in the mini winter challenge please choose up to 3 books to read over the next few weeks. The books must include at least one book from the 'star reads' of the summer challenge (see below) plus up to 2 others of your choice.ย If anyone didn't finish the summer challenge why not add any unread book from that to your list. Please can you post your choices on this thread, if possible before the start date (but don't worry if you can't manage it, just as soon as poss). After you have read each book please give a short review (a couple of sentences is fine) when you have finished. As with the summer challenge please also rate the books with a smilie, frownie, neutral or conflicted rating. Please use this dedicted thread for all winter challenge-related discussion. I will set up a web page for the challenge by the start date, however I may be unable to update it with smilies, etc, as I may be away from the UK for a while next month and won't have access to the software needed. Hopefully this won't detract much from the enjoyment of the challenge! STARTING DATE FOR THE CHALLENGE: 25 January 2020
END DATE: 5 March 2020 'STAR' BOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM:JUMP TO THE STARS BY GILLIAN BAXTER PONY MADNESS BY RITA LYTTLE INCAPABILITY BROWN BY CRESSIDA SCHOFIELD RIDER AT THE GATE by C. J. CHERRYH IRISH LUCK BY KATE LATTEY PRIZE PONY BY J PULLEIN-THOMPSON STABLE LASS BY GEMMA HOGG COBBLER'S DREAM BY MONICA DICKENS SAWDUST IN HIS SHOES BY ELOISE JARVIS McGRAW REBEL PONY BY PATRICIA LEITCH Have fun everyone FORUM MEMBER'S LISTSBRUMBY: Cobbler's Dream by Monica Dickens (star read) White Poles - Shirley Faulkner-Horne Look before you leap - Shiley Faulkner-Horne Ride a dark horse - Lynn Hall CLAIRE: CHALLENGE COMPLETED Incapability Brown (star read) Yesterday's Horses by Jean Slaughter Doty Dark Horse by Christine Dickenson DARKHORSE: Cobbler's Dream by Monica Dickens (star read) Jump to the Stars by Gillian Baxter (star read) Treasure Trove by Hilda Boden GAREJ: Jump To The Stars by Gillian Baxter (star read) Scratch by Sue Millard The Michaelmas Murders by Mandy Morton HAFFY: Irish luck by kate Lattey (star read) A Horse Called Red by Rachel Gillian North Never Again by Julia Wolf RALLYCAIRN: Incapability Brown (star read) Sylvester, the novelization by AC Crispin of the movieMi Mistletoe and Whine SUSAN: CHALLENGE COMPLETED Irish Luck by Kate Lattey (Star read) They Rescued a Pony by Catherine Harris Why Didn't They Tell the Horses - Christine McKenna First House - Pamela Brown TINTIN: Incapability Brown by Cressida Schofield (star read) Prize Pony by JPT Soldier of the Queen by John Brophy TRIXIEPONY: CHALLENGE COMPLETED Brumby Mountain by Karen Wood. Trixie Belden 19 The Secret of the Unseen Treasure by Kathryn Kenny The Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Post by susanb on Jan 16, 2020 12:18:44 GMT 1
Thanks for setting this up Claire! Irish Luck by Kate Lattey - Star read - They Rescued a Pony by Catherine Harris - Why Didn't They Tell the Horses - Christine McKenna - First House - Pamela Brown (non pony) -
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Post by darkhorse on Jan 16, 2020 23:01:29 GMT 1
I will join in too. Will have to have a think about what books to choose in the next few days.
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Post by garej on Jan 17, 2020 18:47:12 GMT 1
Can we add non pony books to our free choice?
I am taking part know which one out of the list I am choosing but am unsure about the other two.
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Post by Claire on Jan 17, 2020 21:04:31 GMT 1
Can we add non pony books to our free choice? I am taking part know which one out of the list I am choosing but am unsure about the other two. Yes by all means - pony or non-pony
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Post by garej on Jan 18, 2020 0:51:06 GMT 1
Thanks for clarifying Claire.
My choices are
Jump To The Stars by Gillian Baxter (previous star read out of list above) Scratch by Sue Millard (had originally put this on my Summer Reading Challenge but circumstances dictated that I didn't get around to it) The Michaelmas Murders by Mandy Morton (non pony)
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Post by trixiepony on Jan 19, 2020 6:19:00 GMT 1
mmm I gess Im in, my Star book last time was Prize Pony so as I don't have any off the others That will be one. but Im not shore what els to pick. I will get back to it Claire.
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Post by tintin on Jan 20, 2020 13:50:58 GMT 1
Count me in:-
Incapability Brown (Cressida Schofield) Prize Pony (JPT) Soldier of the Queen (John Brophy)
Journey of discovery - only the middle one have I any idea what it will be like... John Brophy was, however, a well respected author and it's set in a Victorian cavalry regiment, so fingers crossed
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Post by Claire on Jan 20, 2020 19:34:12 GMT 1
Hi all, thanks for giving me your choices so far.
Trixie, if you haven't got any of the 'star read' books and can't get hold of any, just pick any book of your choice if you'd like to take part. (This applies to everyone else too). As with the summer challenge the 'rules' are fairly loose; it's not a competition or a college-type assignment, just a bit of light hearted fun!
I have chosen Yesterday's Horses by Jean Slaughter Doty and Dark Horse by Christine Dickenson, which was on my original summer challenge list but I mislaid it and had to substitute another one. It's now come to light! Haven't decided which of the 'star' books to choose yet.
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Post by garej on Jan 22, 2020 2:34:10 GMT 1
The only reason why I didn't pick the PT one is that I have already reviewed it on my PT blog! It was either Jump to the stars or Cobblers Dream because they're the only two I own but been as I have read Cobblers Dream, albeit many years ago, I havent read Jump to the stars. In fact despite owning nearly all of Gillian Baxter's pony books (the only ones I dont own are the most recent ones) I have only read the Pantomime Ponies series, Bargain Horses and The Team from Low Moor. Tried reading Tan and Tarmac but gave up!
Claire I have noticed that With Vacant Possession is now available as a paperback. So that means all of Gillian Baxter's books are available in a physical format.
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Post by Claire on Jan 25, 2020 12:16:53 GMT 1
Lol Garej. I had the same problem with Tan and Tarmac. Thanks for the update on With Vacant Possession, an excellent read if anyone is wondering what to put on their winter reading list.
I'm going to set the web page up this weekend so can anyone who wants to take part try and get their selections in. No biggie if you can't as I can add you later.
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Post by trixiepony on Jan 25, 2020 13:04:37 GMT 1
Ok Claire as I haven't had a chance to go home so I will just pick books I already have here at my Brothers. 1- Greener Pastures by Alyssa Brugman. 2- Diamond Spirit by Karen Wood. 3- Star Horse by Jane Smiley. 4- Mystic and the Midnight Ride.
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Post by trixiepony on Jan 26, 2020 12:23:44 GMT 1
Arr I may have to change some off them I have started Greener Pastures and got to the first sad bit and am crying like a baby, and now I look at my list i think most off my list have sad bits in them. why am I doing this to myself.
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Post by Claire on Jan 26, 2020 22:03:07 GMT 1
I know what you mean Trixie, I've started on my list and there's sad bits in that, I don't know if it's my hormones or what, but I seem to blub at the drop of a hat nowadays! Just let me know if you pick different ones. By the way you only need 3, though you can do more if you like.
Anyhow my list, in case anyone is interested, is:
Incapability Brown (star read) Yesterday's Horses by Jean Slaughter Doty Dark Horse by Christine Dickenson
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Post by brumby on Jan 27, 2020 1:08:46 GMT 1
Sorry I'm so late to the party, hope can still join in!
My choices are:
Cobbler's Dream - Monica Dickens
White Poles - Shirley Faulkner-Horne
Look before you leap - Shiley Faulkner-Horne
and if I get time Ride a dark horse - Lynn Hall
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Post by trixiepony on Jan 27, 2020 4:12:41 GMT 1
Ok I think there's shouldn't be to tear jurking. Brumby Mountain by Karen Wood. a Trixie Belden 19 The Secret of the Unseen Treasure by Kathryn Kenny The Happy Golden Years Laura Ingalls Wilder
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Post by rallycairn on Jan 28, 2020 3:36:30 GMT 1
I'm going to go with Incapability Brown and Sylvester, the novelization by AC Crispin of the movie.
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Post by haffyfa n on Jan 28, 2020 19:54:09 GMT 1
Hi, if i'm not too late to join my books will be
Irish luck by kate Lattey (star read) A Horse Called Red by Rachel Gillian North - i assume it's a sequel/same series as one i read in the summer by same author Never Again by Julia Wolf - non horsey
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Post by Claire on Jan 28, 2020 22:10:37 GMT 1
Nope not too late Haffy (or anyone else) I'm late in setting it all up as the cat has taken bad and been back and forth to vets. Don't know how my hair hasn't turned white with all the worry!
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Post by tintin on Jan 29, 2020 15:40:42 GMT 1
Big smiley for:-
Prize Pony
Lovely simple story beautifully told, quite believable and quite exciting
I am half way through "Soldier of the Queen" (160 out 0f 382 pages) wonderfully written book, the author is brilliant in both description and characterisation, but, for a story of a cavalry officer we have seen precious little of either horses or soldiers. Most of it concerns the hero's underlying angst that his father may not biologically actually be his father and his disillusionment in growing up to find his relatives have feet of clay. The likely candidate for father role is the Emperor Napoleon III of France, which is not a s far fetched as it sounds. He was very promiscuous, so much so that the French said "any woman can be the Empress, even if for only 20 minutes"
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Post by trixiepony on Jan 30, 2020 10:46:26 GMT 1
A smilley for The Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder, a lovely story and one off the more Horsey storys in the Little House series.
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Post by darkhorse on Jan 30, 2020 14:55:55 GMT 1
Last again sorry! My three books are:
Cobbler's Dream by Monica Dickens Jump to the Stars by Gillian Baxter Treasure Trove by Hilda Boden
I hope it's OK that I chose 2 of the star reads as I wanted to re-read Jump to the Stars as well as pick one I haven't read befoe.
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Post by Claire on Feb 1, 2020 23:14:05 GMT 1
Decided instead of doing a web page for the challenge that I will put everyone's lists in the opening post, also means I will be able to update it with smilies while I'm travellingm which I couldn't do with the web page. So don't forget to check out the opening post to see how everyone is getting on with things.
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Post by trixiepony on Feb 2, 2020 6:13:05 GMT 1
Thanks Claire and putting the info at the top is a good idea. I have started the Trixie Belden and loving it.
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Post by garej on Feb 4, 2020 0:23:34 GMT 1
I have started The Michaelmas Murders. Nice easy read without being overly simplistic. Enjoying it so far.
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Post by susanb on Feb 4, 2020 12:18:31 GMT 1
I've been on a reading binge, did my first two books weekend before last, and a third last week, smileys for all:
Irish Luck by Kate Lattey - Star read - lovely modern day story, unusual in that it has real, three dimensional parents who have their own story arc, and the protagonist is a boy
They Rescued a Pony by Catherine Harris - very little about the rescued pony, but lots about the Marshams, their ponies, and their enterprise in rescuing the abused circus pony. I wasn't wild for the other book, Cuckoo Mill Farm, where the family was on it's worst behavior, but enjoyed this one very much
First House - Pamela Brown (non pony) - actor father about on the edge of a nervous breakdown takes a break from acting instead, and buys his family their first house.....a train station, and they set up some very unusual housekeeping
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Post by trixiepony on Feb 5, 2020 10:09:57 GMT 1
The Secret of the unseen treasure book 19 of the Trixie Belden series got a Smily from me, Trixie finds one of the sweet little old ladies living on Glen Road is having a lot off trouble with vandals.
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Post by tintin on Feb 7, 2020 11:54:56 GMT 1
Well I have finished "Soldier of the Queen" we get to page 200 before we meet his horse - the bay mare Druid, who happily comes through the war unscathed. A very well written book, but a bit odd. The objectionable camel Gladstone shows the author could write well about animals if he chose.
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Post by Claire on Feb 7, 2020 19:17:24 GMT 1
Glad everyone is enjoying the challenge. At the moment I am away in Spain house hunting ! Still had time for some reading. Smilie for Yesterdayโs Horses which is quite an unusual horse story, one of only 2 books I know which feature the Przewalkski Horse. Not a comforting read by any means as its plot partly revolves around an equine disease. May do a full review of it when I have more time.
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Post by Claire on Feb 8, 2020 20:18:07 GMT 1
Forgot to ask Tintin, would you give Soldier of the Queen a smilie or a conflicted...?
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