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Post by Claire on Jun 30, 2022 12:20:03 GMT 1
Smiley for my first book The Footage That Shook America by David B. Lyons (non-pony) - although not as good as his other books. The author is known for his amazing twist endings and this one doesn't disappoint in this regard. However I found none of the characters likeable, in fact most of them were pretty much totally unlikeable and hard to identify with. The book I think was also looking at the way people can be manipulated by media, but it barely scratched the surface of this. Also I think it seemed to imply that it was just an on-line thing, rather than something that TV and newspapers can also do, so perhaps a bit shallow in its thinking. Now onto a much more light-hearted read - Courses for Horses by Caroline Akril....
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Post by garej on Jul 2, 2022 23:36:43 GMT 1
I am still on my first book as it's quite a thick book. Less than halfway through. Tbh it's not quite grabbing me hence why I havent read a lot of it. I have a feeling it may be my first frowny face due to the fact that I am unable to finish it. Still I am persevering with it.
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Post by Claire on Jul 4, 2022 14:06:10 GMT 1
Big smiley for the Caroline Akrill book which I read in a couple of sittings. I'll not say anything much about it until everyone else has read it - I think everyone or almost everyone has chosen it? I thought we could maybe have a separate thread for it on the usual group read section. Let me know what you think folk. All I'll say is that I did find it a lot less funny than the earlier books in the series, although still an excellent read.
As an aside, Elaine says in the book she's never known a bad roan. Was wondering what everyone else thinks of that and your experiences with roans. Generally I've found that true and the first pony I learned to ride on was a blue roan and was a absolute sweetie. However the worst'tempered little **** of a pony I've ever known was also a roan!
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Post by tintin on Jul 4, 2022 19:19:15 GMT 1
smiley for Horses of the Crown - a bit clunkily written and you might have to read a couple of other books first to get the most out of it also the print is a bit close together, but it is a very vivid picture of life in the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment. There are a large number of characterful pen portraits of horses. The book also has pictures which is great. I really hope Vol. 2 covering the author's Police service will be out soon.
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Post by Claire on Jul 4, 2022 23:30:14 GMT 1
Tintin - who is the author of Horses of the Crown?
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Post by tintin on Jul 5, 2022 10:17:18 GMT 1
Describes himself only as "HP" - practically everyone in the book (apart from the horses) is anonymised. I am pretty sure it is a self published book, but it is endorsed by the Home of Rest for Horses and has advertising for them
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Post by Claire on Jul 6, 2022 13:13:24 GMT 1
Thanks for the info Tintin.
Well my next book, Nowhere to Run, gets a neutral. Quite disappointed as the author has written some really good psychological thrillers but this is almost a write by numbers thriller which starts off with a good premise but somehow falls flat.
Will have a couple days off the challenge to read something not on my list then continue. I think im doing better tban usual this year 😀
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Post by susanb on Jul 6, 2022 15:09:32 GMT 1
Did a bit of reading over the weekend.....could I get a smiley for Wild Pony Island by Stephen Meader and a frowny for Wild Horse Island by Elisa Bialk? Wild Pony Island is really more a coming of age, with adjacent ponies, than a true pony story. Widow of a Coast Guard officer, who died during a rescue, decides to move herself and her two sons from New York City back to Ocracoke Island, off the shore of North Carolina, where she was originally from. Her eldest has been getting into (very minor) trouble with bad kids in the city, and the insane rent has her working all the time, leaving her less time to raise her kids (so, nothing changed in last 60 or so years). The boy joins the local scout troop, which was the only mounted boy scout troop in the US, riding local "Banker" ponies. It seems that that bit is based on real life, and the troop was active around the time the book was written en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mounted_Boy_Scout_Troop_290Wild Horse Island also has a boy moving from a city to an island, this time from Chicago to a lake island in Montana, as his dad has developed a heart condition. He, too, joins a scouting outfit, this time Cub Scouts (not a mounted troop) and longs to catch a wild mare on the island. More pony content, but I wasn't crazy for it. At this time, playing cowboys and Indians was all the rage in the US (Westerns were what was on TV), and too much of this has the boys playing at being Native American...and all discussion of actual Native Americans is in the past tense, as though they literally no longer existed. Yes, a product of its time, but no less disturbing, especially since there are seven reservations in Montana alone. The manner in which he finally gets his wild horse would send members of this forum screaming into the night, if they even made it past the rest. Hard pass, and a pity, as the Paul Brown illustrations are lovely.
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Post by darkhorse on Jul 7, 2022 16:29:06 GMT 1
Hi sorry I'm late with my list. Hope it's not too late to join in.
Fiesta for Wild One by Peter Grey (Celebration book) Courses for Horses by Caroline Akrill (Humour) Sue's Circus Horse by Judith M. Berrisford (Fav Breed - Arab) Rebel Pony by Patricia Leitch (Pony Library) Jill and Prince the Pony by Joan Dickins (TBR pile for ages) Horse in My Heart by Jane Ayres (5 Horseshoe)
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Post by Claire on Jul 7, 2022 16:50:14 GMT 1
Of course it's not too late Darkhorse. Also if anyone else would like to join in but are hesitating because they think it's too late then just jump in with your list! Thanks for the summaries Susan. And well done in being the first to get a blue rosette! Have updated everyone's lists. As always, please check to make sure I haven't made any bloopers.
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Post by susanb on Jul 12, 2022 15:52:00 GMT 1
Did a bit more reading over the weekend - could I get a neutral for Midnight Horse? It wasn't awful, but it was really disjointed. I think if I'd read it as a child it would have had more appeal. Bonus points for the ending, rallying the townsfolk to rescue the horse! I think I may just be more of a Punchbowl than a Romney Marsh person. About 3/4 through Summer on Wild Horse Island, good so far, but not a lot of horse content. I may take a break after this, the lure of an old mystery I picked up recently is pulling me in
Keep forgetting to say, I think the idea of a separate thread for Courses for Horses is great, as it would allow those who have finished the book to comment freely while it's fresh in their minds!
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Post by Claire on Jul 12, 2022 20:07:08 GMT 1
I'm back on track after my own short break. Started reading The Wild One by Peter Grey. I think I may have read it before but can't remember it. Not bad so far.
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Post by darkhorse on Jul 14, 2022 17:45:26 GMT 1
Smiley for Courses for Horses please. I too think it's a good ide to have a separate thread for the book.
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Post by susanb on Jul 14, 2022 18:35:35 GMT 1
Finished Summer on Wild Horse Island, just scrapes a smiley. Patchett writes so well, but the way she anthropomorphiz es horses bugs me. The idea that a horse would attack a snake with its TEETH is beyond ridiculous....hooves, sure, if trapped or defending a foal, but teeth?
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Post by Claire on Jul 15, 2022 15:20:50 GMT 1
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 15, 2022 20:36:17 GMT 1
I haven't read anything else on my list. Pony Club Cup and The Black Loch are on kindle offer at 99p, so i'm reading Pony Club Cup! Jane has discounted two more as well but i can't recall what they are. As both are childhood favourites i think they will both get read before i'm back on track. I've also been reading Fiona Walker's The Country Set, what feels like forever!
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Post by garej on Jul 16, 2022 0:20:48 GMT 1
NEUTRAL for Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe. It picked up towards the end hence why it isn't a frowny but it was hard to get into. The beginning was too waffely and at over 400 pages made it hard going. I believe it is a series and I certainly won't be reading any more of the series.
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Post by tintin on Jul 16, 2022 15:16:31 GMT 1
Smiley please for
"The Pony Swap" (P Kavanagh)
I liked this it was quite vividly written and a bit unusual
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Post by Claire on Jul 16, 2022 20:03:28 GMT 1
Thank for the updates folks. Pamela Kavanagh is quite an under-rated author IMHO - her books are pretty good.
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Post by Claire on Jul 17, 2022 15:52:33 GMT 1
Hit a bit of a brick wall with The Wild One (Peter Grey not Monica Edwards) Could be because I am struggling with a bad bout of chronic bronchitis so I am finding it hard to concentrate on reading, watching more videos and listening to podcasts.
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Post by tintin on Jul 21, 2022 14:12:23 GMT 1
Hope you will be feeling better soon Claire
I am about half way through "Horse in the House", everything is very well described and there is a well generated sense of foreboding in this book. I hope nothing too terrible happens in the book as both the young lady and her horse are absolute dears
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Post by susanb on Jul 21, 2022 14:30:48 GMT 1
Hope you will be feeling better soon Claire I am about half way through "Horse in the House", everything is very well described and there is a well generated sense of foreboding in this book. I hope nothing too terrible happens in the book as both the young lady and her horse are absolute dears
Fear not, all is well in the end
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Post by susanb on Jul 21, 2022 14:32:09 GMT 1
Hope you're better soon, Claire....bronchitis is miserable, and somehow just seems WRONG in the summer!
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Post by Claire on Jul 22, 2022 22:26:07 GMT 1
Thanks you two. It is certainly worse in the heat and dust over here. I'm on the mend now thank goodness. Still haven't been motivated to pick up the Peter Grey book though!
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Post by susanb on Jul 23, 2022 3:37:16 GMT 1
Glad you’re on the mend, Claire!
Re reading: I’m that way when I’m under the weather too…just want fairly laid back movies to wash soothingly over me 😉
I’m about halfway through my divergence… a Carter Dickson (John Dickson Carr) golden age mystery.
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Post by darkhorse on Jul 23, 2022 16:32:02 GMT 1
Smiley please for Sue's Circus Horse, a light-hearted feel-good type read.
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 24, 2022 13:49:44 GMT 1
Smiley for Highland pony trek please, bit predictable but flows along nicely, in a simpler time, back before health and safety, insurance and litigation were a thing!
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 30, 2022 14:17:54 GMT 1
Smiley for The Starlight Pony too please. Could have fulfilled a favourite breed too as main pony character is a haflinger.
I really like Cressida Burton's books. I think a few of us have read the Izzy Brown books now and her children's books are equally good. This one is more the story of a young troubled teen finding himself, with ponies in a minor supporting role but her Ravensby Bay books are an excellent modern take on both school stories and pony books combined. An equestrian boarding school, what could be better. I always fancied going to Queen Ethelberga's myself!
They are all free on KU.
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Post by tintin on Jul 31, 2022 21:43:38 GMT 1
Smiley face please for:-
Horse in the House
but, bl**dy hell it suddenly goes all "James Bond" - still I enjoyed it
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Post by Claire on Jul 31, 2022 23:11:17 GMT 1
Sorry for being AWOL a while. Due to visa problems I have had to go back to the UK for a few months. Just spent 3 days travelling back by motorhome then another 2 recovering!!
Thanks for the updates and thanks Haffy for the info on Cressida B children’s books. I have read the Izzy Brown books so I will defo give her kids books a go.
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