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Post by tintin on Jun 1, 2015 16:36:28 GMT 1
I have decided I need cheering up, and what better way to cheer up than with a pony book?
I have had some very good suggestions in the past from you all so I am relying on you!
I would like something that was a bit old fashioned, not competitive, not too sad, not too juvenile (Jackie) and not too adult (Jilly Cooper). I like "horse biographies" (whether told by the horse or not), hunting, hacking and riding school stories (basically just people enjoying themselves with their long faced pals rather than "I must win at Badminton before I'm 18")
I have read most of the sisters books so looking for others.
I suppose I am being lazy, but 1) there are so may authors on the site I have information input overload 2)I put a lot of store in personal recommendations
Looking forward to your views
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Post by rallycairn on Jun 1, 2015 17:51:36 GMT 1
Hobby Horse Hill by Lavinia Davis, if you can find it, or Sandy's Spurs by the same author. Both especially suitable for summer reads as they take place in spring/summer and Sandy's Spurs especially seems sundrenched. Also a bit of history in Sandy's Spurs, and I think that would appeal to you, tintin.
If you want something a little meatier you might really enjoy Riding Shotgun by Rita Mae Brown. I know it is a book for adults but it is not an "adult" title in the Jilly Cooper lots o' sex scenes way. Protagonist goes back in time with her horse, and forming relationships with her ancestors and establishing a place in their society/ social group helps her find forgiveness for her own family in the present. Again that may not be as "light" a read as you are looking for, but it is engrossing and ultimately very uplifting, so consider it.
Since those are all American -- why not pick up or revisit one of the Jill books by Ruby Ferguson (not as twee as Jackie and I always liked Jill's often ironic and witty narrative voice)?
They Bought Her a Pony by Joanna Cannan is one of the best quick, light, fun pony books ever.
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Post by Claire on Jun 1, 2015 23:34:46 GMT 1
Although I am not a huge fan of the horse biography/point of view story, two of the best ones I think are Moorland Mousie by Golden Gorse and Jerry by Eleanor Helme. The Ponies of Bunts and Riding Days at Hooks Hollow and it's two sequels (all by M. M. Oliver) are good old fashioned reads, as is The Wednesday Pony by Primrose Cumming. Another book I had recommended to me by someone on here (Susan?) and which I have recommended to lots of people who have all loved it is Dark Horse of Woodfield by Florence Hightower. This is a quirky and really fun read. If you dont mind school stories another fun read is No Ponies for Miss Pobjoy by Ursula Moray Williams. A nice all round traditional one is The Ten Pound pony by Veronica Westlake. Also you could try looking on the 'Top 10s' page of the website which lists all the best books chosen by poll from our forum members: top10s.ponymadbooklovers.co.uk/Do let us know which ones you choose and what you think of them.
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Post by susanb on Jun 2, 2015 16:12:28 GMT 1
It was me who suggested Dark Horse of Woodfield...such a fun book! Another that is easily available in the UK (even easier than in the US) is Horse in the House by William Corbin, which everyone seemed to enjoy...some quirky characters in that one too!
And, of course, you can join in the read for Dark Sunshine by Dorothy Lyons if you like....Claire has copies! While there is a competition in the book, an endurance test, it's not a typical one...the girl has entered to fulfill a requirement for a scholarship application, which stipulates the ideal of "a sound mind in a sound body", and as she is recovering from polio, it's not something she can do on her own two feet! The need for the scholarship is a bit out of ordinary for a children's book too...the girl has an excellent voice and is aiming for a career in opera, which requires vocal training that her parents can't afford.
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Post by Claire on Jun 2, 2015 21:59:38 GMT 1
I agree Horse in the House is a nice one. And for real traditional comfort blanket reading you can't go wrong with either Dream Pony or Only One Pony by Elinore Havers. Both Horse in the House and Dream Pony have been reading group selections in the past so you can add your comments to them if you choose either of them. Also as Susan says, if you would like to join in with the Dark Sunshine reading group I still have 1 or 2 spare copies of the book to give away. Just let me know if you would like one.
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Post by tintin on Jun 5, 2015 13:34:12 GMT 1
Thank you ladies! (Apologies for being late to reply, but I had locked myself out of the site in one of those horribly circular computer occasions - you cn't come in until you've done xyz, but to do xyz you must get in - oh dear)
I have taken up a couple of the suggestions and will report back ("Jerry" in particular looks just the ticket.) I have just finished "Arthur and George" by Julian Barnes and "Child 44" (passed to me by my father) so I need some good honest fun reading. My father tends to intersperse his serious reading with Westerns and myself with Ponies :-)
I have read "No Ponies for Miss Pobjoy" which acheived the rare distinction of making me laugh out loud. A marvellously odd book like "Stig of the Dump" or "The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe" which , like them, works on at least two levels. I also loved the illustrations. A book with the moral of "be careful what you wish for"
I also loved "They Bought Her a Pony", but would have loved a sequel even more. I loved how the heroine in this started learning to be her own person.
I have never read the Jill books. They had them at my school library and though I was never embarassed taking out the PT sisters books I never took the risk of books with a girl's name in the title.. I always had the impression they were very competition orientated?
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Post by tintin on Jun 5, 2015 13:41:13 GMT 1
PS Claire I would love a copy of "Dark Sunshine". I have two books also for you. Can you contact me if this is OK? (PM here or on Facebook easiest?)
Many Thanks
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Post by kunuma1 on Jun 6, 2015 14:21:32 GMT 1
I always had the impression they were very competition orientated?
lol That does sort of sum them up, though they have nothing on the way modern books think that ponies are for competing and nothing else!! Has anyone suggested you read the Jinny books?? It would be intriguing to have a male viewpoint - warning, they are truly marmite books!!
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Post by rallycairn on Jun 6, 2015 15:29:46 GMT 1
To me the Jill books are more training/schooling and enjoying the ponies for their own sakes, though they also go to shows/competitions for sure. But they also go horse camping and trekking and have a lot of the madcap type adventures -- Jill getting stuck walking little kids to school in the first one, the crazy Bring and Buy sale they organize to raise money for their pony needs, etc. The attitude is about learning with the ponies, not about winning, and they have fun at the shows, it's not a cutthroat endeavor for them.
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Post by Claire on Jun 6, 2015 18:06:08 GMT 1
I'll message you on FB Tintin. You know I dont think we've done a Jill book in the reading circle. We'll have to choose one later in the year. As Kunuma says be interesting to have a male opinion. Actually I am sure you would like them Tintin as they are quite humourous with a very dry wit at times, similar in tone to the Joanna Cannan books. Jill did tend to turn into a bit of a pothunter in the later stories but there wasn't really a huge amount of competitions in them overall.
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Post by haffyfan on Jun 6, 2015 19:26:30 GMT 1
Haha i was going to disagree about Jill and say she was a beastly pot hunter but claire beat me to it!
If you like the older books and more non competitive, i enjoyed MM Olivers books and have you tried Fortunes Foal or Little lass? I can't remember which it was but i did prefer one over the other. Another older author i like is Pamela Macgregor Morris but her books tend to be more expensive and many are competition based but excellent reads. Have you tried primrose Cumming too?
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Post by tintin on Jun 16, 2015 16:44:12 GMT 1
Thanks Haffy - you reminded me I made a resolution to myself to read more Primrose Cumming which got swamped by "events"
Has anyone any views on her Silver Eagle Riding School series?
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Post by susanb on Jun 16, 2015 17:23:49 GMT 1
I started the Silver Eagle series with the second book, Silver Eagle Carries On, then read the first and third, and really enjoyed them. Later I read them again in order, and was surprised to find myself not being very taken with the first book....it felt a bit thin somehow. I think the second book had more character development, particularly in that it takes place during WWII, and I carried that knowledge back to the first book when I read them out of order.
So....for what it's worth, I'd recommend reading them out of order...which I almost never do with a series (only other instance I can think of would be Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series). Added incentive: Silver Eagle Carries on is probably the most available title!
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Post by haffyfan on Jun 16, 2015 18:48:48 GMT 1
I wasn't very keen on the 1st and 2nd books either, as Susan says 2nd in particular but i really enjoyed Rivals, which i'd heard others say was no where near as good. However i also disliked the first two Jean books but quite enjoyed the third, when again i'd heard others say they didn't really like that one much.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2015 19:16:50 GMT 1
Loved all three in the Silver Eagle Riding School series. Primrose Cumming is one of my fav authors.
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Post by Claire on Jun 17, 2015 22:23:05 GMT 1
I love Primrose Cumming. My fav of the Silver Eagle is the 2nd one. I agree with Susan that it has a lot more substance than the first one which almost feels like its setting the stage for the later books. Have you read The Mystery Trek by Primrose Cumming Tintin? I think thats probably my favourite of hers. I have a soft spot for the horse Nonny in it.
Now with the Jean series I liked one and three but thought the 2nd one was a bit dull. Its interesting how we have different favourite in series. I may even start up a thread for it if I ever get a spare mo.
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Post by tintin on Jul 15, 2015 12:47:59 GMT 1
Started on my morale raising reading programme and it's doing the job.
Great big thumbs up for "Jerry" which was just the ticket, and also for "Silver Eagle Riding School"
Both absolutely lovely, but Jerry has the edge, at times you are almost on Exmoor with them.
Seems the publisher shared the view on here as the dust jacket says "by the author of Silver Eagle Carries On"
Although Silver Eagle is 1938 and Jerry is 1930, Silver Eagle felt older.
Many Thanks!
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Post by Claire on Jul 15, 2015 22:45:16 GMT 1
Glad to hear the books are having the desired effect Tintin. I'm not a huge fan of Eleanor Helme in general but I do like Jerry. There is also a sequel
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2015 6:09:43 GMT 1
I agree. After reading all Eleanor Helmes books I visited Exmoor and the area where she lived and wrote about. Beautiful
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Post by tintin on Jul 24, 2015 12:44:28 GMT 1
It is the National Side Saddle Show next week end and our Area Chair popped round for tea last night and to borrow my old boots and breeches for her son (watch this space)
She was marvellous company and we forgot to have tea :-( (Oh dear, poor host), but most surprisingly, without any prompting came out with,
"You must read the Jill books! - they were our Bible when we were young!"
She also said she thought they were set in North Kent as some of the places seemed recognisable.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 24, 2015 14:42:13 GMT 1
lol tintin, not coming to your house for tea then! I don't know where the Jill books were actually based.....
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Post by Claire on Jul 24, 2015 16:21:33 GMT 1
Lol Tintin. I'm not sure where the Jill books are set. I do know she was born in Yorkshire, and lived in Oxford and Manchester so possibly any of those areas.
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Post by tintin on Jul 24, 2015 16:39:43 GMT 1
We were talking about the old instructors and instructresses and she mentioned that Jill's instructress was in many ways a pretty close approximation to those who saved side saddle from virtual oblivion in the seventies
I will have to read the books now...
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Post by rallycairn on Jul 24, 2015 22:26:38 GMT 1
Well, I'm a big Jill defender as I don't see her as the big pot hunter that some others do, especially looking at the series as a whole. Yes, the characters all train and show (and camp and have a hacking stable and various other misadventures) but I think it is in the spirit of enjoying working with their ponies and finding it satisfying to improve rather than simple competitiveness. And Jill's dry narrative voice is always a tonic to me!
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Post by brumby on Jul 24, 2015 22:42:48 GMT 1
Well said Rally!, I read them as a child and have had a few rereads and they always make me chuckle. Ruby Ferguson definitely one of my favourite authors. Think I can see another read coming up after the Summer Reading Challenge.
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Post by Claire on Jul 25, 2015 1:06:17 GMT 1
Well said Rally!, I read them as a child and have had a few rereads and they always make me chuckle. Ruby Ferguson definitely one of my favourite authors. Think I can see another read coming up after the Summer Reading Challenge. We must do a Jill book as a reading circle read. Can't believe we haven't done one yet! Anyhow I nominate one as the first read after the Reading Challenge is over (Autumn!!!)
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2015 6:05:03 GMT 1
I'm a big Jill fan too. I've never seen her as pot hunter either. I'm sure I can join in a re-read from memory.
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 25, 2015 12:41:54 GMT 1
It is the National Side Saddle Show next week end and our Area Chair popped round for tea last night and to borrow my old boots and breeches for her son (watch this space) She was marvellous company and we forgot to have tea :-( (Oh dear, poor host), but most surprisingly, without any prompting came out with, "You must read the Jill books! - they were our Bible when we were young!" She also said she thought they were set in North Kent as some of the places seemed recognisable. Ooh would the son be the bloke who competes in saide saddle classes 9and jumps enormous fences for fun too!) - i'm after a side saddle (have been for ages but getting one for a native isn't easy) I've seen quite a few articles about him, if so, and a few links to vids etc. I've always thought Jill a beastly pot hunter, she would be a good reading circle choice!
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Post by Deleted on Jul 25, 2015 18:42:06 GMT 1
Oh goody we can have a right old scrap discussion then
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Post by tintin on Jul 27, 2015 13:17:30 GMT 1
Minute to self - compel guests to have tea asap after arrival (it was a good tea too, on the best china and on a trolley)
Haffy - no its a different fella (I think the chap you are thinking of is Bruce Langley-McKim who is terrifyingly good at everything,adored by all ladies, but still manages to be a really nice bloke). If you are in UK do try the Side Saddle Association - if they cannot find you a side saddle no one can.
I think we must do a Jill book - preferably the first one
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