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Post by Claire on Jun 1, 2013 20:38:53 GMT 1
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Post by haffyfan on Jun 1, 2013 21:58:44 GMT 1
You were very generous with votes... I only needed two! It's strange actually how two of her books would be in my all time favourites pile and i've read multiple times, both as a child and an adult and everything else is pretty much read it once and that was definatly enough!
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Post by darkhorse on Jun 1, 2013 22:22:48 GMT 1
Lol haffy. I could have used more than 7 votes! She is one of my favourites.
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Post by susanb on Jun 1, 2013 23:04:16 GMT 1
Ooofff! It was hard for me too, I keep getting the "you've picked more than 7" error!
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Post by Claire on Jun 2, 2013 1:04:15 GMT 1
I thought I was quite good keeping it down to 7 I could easily have picked 10! I'm with darkhorse, she is one of my all time favourites.
Haffy that is weird that 2 of your fav pony books are by Pat Leitch but you are not a fan of most of her books. What makes you like those 2 and not the others? The Black Loch is a bit different from her other books so I can sort of understand that one but Jump to the Top, altho admittedly one of her better ones, is not that much different to many of the others.
When I come to think of it I didnt actually read that many of these as a child. Jump to the Top and A Horse for the Holidays were my favs then and I read them over and over again. I did read the first few Jinny books (I was too old to read the later ones when they were first published - and not old enough to have entered second childhood lol) but I wasn't overly impressed with them then. It was when reading them as an adult I decided they were brilliant. Ditto Dream of Fair Horses - but I'll save any words on that one for the reading circle discussion.
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vera
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Post by vera on Jun 2, 2013 5:40:19 GMT 1
I managed 7 just nicely. I loved Dream of Fair Horses when I first read it; don't have my copy any more and no luck finding one. Maybe. My favourite has always been "Riding Course Summer" because the children, and ponies, seem so real. It's not all about useless pony becomes best pony but just kids and their ponies. And the ponyless girl (which would have been me) gets to participate. It has dogs in it too!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 2, 2013 6:38:04 GMT 1
I've only voted for one But that might change after reading Black Loch and Dream of Fair Horses
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Post by haffyfan on Jun 2, 2013 20:24:52 GMT 1
Haffy that is weird that 2 of your fav pony books are by Pat Leitch but you are not a fan of most of her books. What makes you like those 2 and not the others? The Black Loch is a bit different from her other books so I can sort of understand that one but Jump to the Top, altho admittedly one of her better ones, is not that much different to many of the others. BlacK loch, i just love the fantasy element of it, the fact that a water horse could actually exist! My favourite leitch book is actually Treasure To the East, which i still maintain would make an amazing film, she does fantasy much better than pony stories i think. As an adult i actually liked some of the jinny series like chestnut gold, whereas as a child the only Jinny books i had any time for were the more 'pony' book ones like devil To ride, without any of the fantasy/mythical elements. Doesn't mean i like Jinny, just the fantasy elements of the stories! Jump To the Top is just pure and simple childhood wish fufilment, Jacky got to do something i dreamed of doing...my only issue with it was Flicka didn't compete enough to reach JA standard let alone qualify for wembly...but i'll let that pass. Adonis was my no 1 child (and adult) hood dream pony, with Flicka close behind. I guess some could argue similiar with fair horses in the wish fufilment department but i was always a 'jumper' rather than into showing. Otherwise maybe i would have liked fairhorses better, who knows? Most of my favourite books are childhood favourites i havenever lost my affection for. As an adult there are new ones i really rate but i still think, gun to temple, the top 10 i'd pick would be old favourites from childhood. Maybe it's a comfort thing?
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tamzin
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Post by tamzin on Jun 2, 2013 20:42:00 GMT 1
I haven't read enough of her books yet to make a fair vote. I know I don't like the Jinny series or the Kestrel books, but that's not surprising when I don't like supernatural themes. I like the others I've read. Hoping to read two PL's for the summer reading programme, but will it be too late to cast the votes then?
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Post by Claire on Jun 2, 2013 22:34:20 GMT 1
Tamzin you can come on here anytime and vote. Alternatively people can vote now and if they change minds later on can retract bids and vote again. Its all just a bit of fun anyhow.
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Post by Claire on Jun 2, 2013 22:36:53 GMT 1
Just thought I'd add, Last Summer to Ride is the USA title for Janet Young Rider, but couldn't fit that on the poll as it already has 2 alternative titles! So if you are looking for that one to vote on it is there!
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Post by foxglove on Jun 7, 2013 11:13:30 GMT 1
I absolutely loved the Jinny books as a young reader (Horse of Fire was the first one I read, indeed one of the first pony books I encountered) but never came across any of her others. They weren't in my school or local library or in print at the time (late 80s).
I was seriously impressed by Dream Of Fair Horses and The Black Loch when I read them in the past few years, and am gutted I discovered them about 20 years too late. The Kestrels stuff was a bit too young and samey, and I thought Riding Course Summer was dull and flat and not indicative of the writer's talent at all.
IMO, Leitch at her best and KM Peyton are head and shoulders above all over pony book writers.
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Post by susanb on Jun 7, 2013 15:40:59 GMT 1
I didn't care for the Jinny books either. The Summer Riders did me in, the business of the mother forcing Jinny to allow the handicapped girl ride the poorly trained mare. As though "sharing a horse" was the same as sharing turns on a bicycle or dessert or whatever. Kind of the penultimate doing the WRONG thing for the right reason.
As it's pure fiction, nothing bad happens. In real life the girl would be badly injured or dead and the mother would be sued, Jinny would be in foster care and Shantih would be sold on (or put down.).
Gahhh!!!!!
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Post by Claire on Jun 7, 2013 17:14:39 GMT 1
I didn't care for the Jinny books either. The Summer Riders did me in, the business of the mother forcing Jinny to allow the handicapped girl ride the poorly trained mare. As though "sharing a horse" was the same as sharing turns on a bicycle or dessert or whatever. Kind of the penultimate doing the WRONG thing for the right reason. As it's pure fiction, nothing bad happens. In real life the girl would be badly injured or dead and the mother would be sued, Jinny would be in foster care and Shantih would be sold on (or put down.). Gahhh!!!!! Lol. I must admit that was the least fav of all my books. I couldn't stand Marlene as a character and I felt Jinny was fairly justified in the way she felt about her in some ways. But I can really understand a mother doing that as to non-horsy mothers a horse can seem like a bike. So in a way it was realistic - if stupid. Foxglove I agree to some extent altho I would put JPT in with them as a top 3 - UK writers at least. Gillian Baxter also had some brilliant moments but also a few duds.
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Post by susanb on Jun 7, 2013 18:10:33 GMT 1
Think you're selling UK authors short...what about Caroline Akrill, Lucy Rees, Vian Smith........
Either a bike or a fire-breathing dragon that eats children for breakfast....there doesn't seem to be a half-way between the two! ;D
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Post by Claire on Jun 27, 2013 11:21:39 GMT 1
We are coming to the end of this months's fetaured author spot an tho we have had a lot of discussion about Dream of Fair Horses in the readinc circle section, we haven't said much about the author or her books in general.
So a couple of questions: Patricia Leitch seems something of love hate autbor. Does anyone have any suggestions why this is? Also what do you think of Leitch's characters, both human and horsy?
BTW we aren't doing an author of the month spot while the Summer Reading Challenge is in full swing, so feel free to comment on this thread after the end of June. (In fact you can go back and comment on any of the author of the month threads afterwards)
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Post by susanb on Jun 27, 2013 17:02:29 GMT 1
Love and hate for me! Well, hate is a little strong, I just didn't like the Jinny books....didn't even keep the ones I had, which is unusual for me. But I love her non-series work!
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Post by darkhorse on Jun 27, 2013 22:20:27 GMT 1
I can understand Susan and other readers who dislike the Jinny series but like the others, as the Jinny books are so different from the other ones with the supernatural and spiritual bits. But I can't hazard a guess as to why anyone could dislike them all. With the exception of Jinny, The Black Loch and Dream of Fair Horses they are all quite innocuous and traditional, down-to-earth stories. I don't know how anyone could take offence to them.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2013 14:46:42 GMT 1
Isn't the Black Loch a fantasy story though? I'm reading that for the summer challenge as a fantasy story I guess I don't like Patricia's style of writing, her books just don't strike a chord with me at all, apart from Rebel Pony which I'm dying to read again just to see if I like it the second time around... Just as well we don't all like the same authors though, be a boring reading circle if we all agreed with each other ;D
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Post by Claire on Jun 28, 2013 15:14:10 GMT 1
Rosie darkhorse actually wrote: With the exception of Jinny, The Black Loch and Dream of Fair Horses they are all quite innocuous and traditional, down-to-earth stories. Speed reading again? ;D Sometimes its almost as if there are 2 Patricia Leitch's the Jinny and Dream of F H one and the one who wrote the others. As darkhorse says most are completely down to earth. She is one of those authors who can change her style a lot. Has anyone noticed that she had a lot of feisty/bolshy horses in her books: Shantih of course, Flicka, Falcon and Augustus as well. Didn't she say somewhere that in RL she's rather stick to Miss Tukes stolid Highlanders than a Shantih-type? I wonder if she had trouble with over exuberant horses - she did have a couple of characters who were very nervous. But I do love the naughty horse characters I must admit and she does give many of her horses personality. Rosie have you read A Horse for the Holidays (Janet Young Rider)? Its quite like a PT book in style so you might like that one...?
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Post by susanb on Jun 28, 2013 15:24:04 GMT 1
Now, I really liked Black Loch and Dream of Fair Horses (I wouldn't really consider the former to be a pony book at all, more fantasy with pony elements).
Re Horse for the Holidays, I agree, Claire....anyone who enjoyed Rebel Pony should like it. Probably also To Save a Pony and Pony of Our Own, both of which are very traditional. Actually, so is Highland Pony Trek.
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Post by Claire on Jun 28, 2013 15:26:31 GMT 1
Oh dear now I want to read Horse for the Hols again - yet another candidate for the ' old classic' on my reading list!
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2013 15:40:21 GMT 1
More like my terrible eyesight! Apologies darkhorse Nope not read A Horse for the Holidays (Janet Young Rider) but I did read the Highland trek and A Pony of our own and found them a bit dull. Sorry!
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Post by Claire on Jun 28, 2013 15:49:52 GMT 1
Yeah I don't think Highland Pony Trek is the most exciting. Horse for Hols is more exciting, its competition based and has a school-leave age heroine who wants to work with horses but has the usual parental disapproval. She has one summer left helping out at the local stables before getting a dull job and unexpectedly has the chance to ride a very good horse (Hence the USA title Last Summer to Ride). Ooh REALLY want to read this one again now tho I am not normally a big fan of competition stories I like this one.
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Post by rallycairn on Jun 28, 2013 15:51:14 GMT 1
Probably Leitch did prefer the stolid type, but from the accounts I've read, her own Highland, Kirsty, was pretty much a wild child from start to finish. So she probably got uber-strong and stubborn, plus flighty and spooky, all in one! Would have finished me, no doubt.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2013 18:29:37 GMT 1
It does sound like the type of book I might enjoy....
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