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Post by brumby on Jul 27, 2016 12:55:43 GMT 1
Smiley for Fury son of the wilds When I chose this book did not realise it was set in Australia, so it was a surprise and I enjoyed again reading about the harsh land that I live in. Although a slow start this was enjoyable book and one that is worth considering.
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Post by Claire on Jul 27, 2016 19:36:46 GMT 1
Smiley for Fury son of the wilds When I chose this book did not realise it was set in Australia, so it was a surprise and I enjoyed again reading about the harsh land that I live in. Although a slow start this was enjoyable book and one that is worth considering. I would recommend the author's Jago also, once again set in Australia. It's interesting to compare the two books side by side and see how the effect of man's different treatment (humane versus cruel) of two fairly similar horses can shape the fate of the horses.
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Post by brumby on Jul 28, 2016 11:12:41 GMT 1
Thanks for the recommendation Claire would love to read Jago, but can't seemed to find anything that is affordable, cheapest is a paperback for $30 (this includes postage from UK) Will keep looking ...
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Post by kunuma1 on Jul 28, 2016 15:56:57 GMT 1
OK a Smiley for the end of the world, multimillionaire Mad Max! Hadron Dark Matter S Arsenault
I raced to the end because I was intrigued how it was going to end, then it basically didn't - so I'm thinking, OK so now what - then I see there is a sequel! This is obviously the new sneaky plan, put the first one up free then you are more likely to read it and buy the next! However, mynext one is by the same author but not the sequel.
Edited to add, Smiley for the next one by this author Omega Exile S Arsenault because the heroine is accompanied through space by her gorgeous Rottie dog. I haven't quite finished it - but have checked with the author that nothing is going to happen to the Rottie in it. so it gets it's smiley!
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Post by Claire on Jul 29, 2016 21:34:32 GMT 1
SUMMER READING CHALLENGE 2016 WEB PAGE - LATEST UPDATEUpdated with smilies and rosettes. Well done Kunuma who is only 1 book away from completing the Challenge! Applauding the effort, Claire, for slogging along. I didn't even open mine this weekend. Finished a mystery I had started earlier in the week, then said to myself "what to do? I could read Water Wagtail....nah. Could go out....hair needs a trim (one look at the thermometer put an end to that idea). Checked to see if that mystery had a sequel....$11.99 for an ebook!!! Highway robbery!!! Eyed Water Wagtail and the thermometer again and ..... CLICK! Expensive mystery it is! (At least it was a good read ) Teehee, Susan I don't blame you - there are times when the Reading Challenge can be erm...quite challenging. I've managed to get to the yellow rosette stage but I'm not doing that well with 2 neutrals and a just scraped through smilie. I think the reason I have had trouble finishing the Challenge in previous years is because I tend to pick books that I've had lying around for yonks and keep meaning to read, rather than stuff I actually want to read. The two books I'm most looking forward to are Quicksand Pony and Beside Me but I've blackmailed myself into having to read all the others before I'm allowed to get my sweaty paws on those two!!
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 30, 2016 20:50:44 GMT 1
Christina Jones, Dancing in the Moonlight - Utter drivel! At least it was way shorter than the print books in this 'series' (and free) - I don't recall Going the Distance being quite so terrible.
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Post by Claire on Jul 30, 2016 21:39:13 GMT 1
Christina Jones, Dancing in the Moonlight - Utter drivel! At least it was way shorter than the print books in this 'series' (and free) - I don't recall Going the Distance being quite so terrible. Oh dear, I did like Going the Distance, even tho I'm not normally a fan of chick-lit, that one was quite amusing. I've got a 3in1 paperwork with the whole of the Milton St John trilogy on, (Going the Distance, Running the Risk & Jumping to Conclusions) but never got round to reading the other 2 yet. Have you read either of those Haffy and if so any better than Moonlight? I looked up Dancing in the Moonlight and saw it is marketed as a 'prequel' to Going the Distance, shame it's a stinker! Well I'm not having much luck with my book choices, picked up To Find a Golden Pony by Amanda Gavin and after a reading a few pages was decidedly unimpressed. Perhaps I am going through a pony booked out phase! Anyway thought I'd try one of the Forelock e-book freebies, Pony Tales by Susan Jameson, but when I open it in Kindle I'm just getting a whole page at a time, almost as if it had just been scanned and put on a word or pdf file. There's no facility to make the print larger and as I am 'visionarily challenged' I can't even see it! Has anyone else downloaded that one from Amazon - if so is it the same for you when you open it in Kindle? I'll try and open it in one of my other e-book readers but I may have to chuck that one off the list and replace with something else.
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Post by haffyfan on Jul 31, 2016 12:37:49 GMT 1
I've got jumping To conclusions, think i've possibly read it - book shop and not a great deal of horses springs to mind? I've just tried to open pony tales too with same result, can't change font without physically zooming the entire screen. It's about readable in full screen version as i have a pretty big screen, but generally not very reader friendly. Attachments:
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Post by Claire on Jul 31, 2016 17:59:39 GMT 1
Thanks for checking Haffy. That's very odd. It looks to be the same sort of file as all the other e-books so I don't know what's up. I may try and change it to a different sort of file using the program Calibre if I ever get a free minute. If not I may replace it with One Good Turn which is another Forelock freebie. Hopefully that one will not be the same! I think I'll also drop a line to Forelock to let them know of the problem.
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Post by garej on Aug 1, 2016 12:22:41 GMT 1
I tried Pony Tails just now in the amazon kindle app on my phone and got the same result as you Claire. I don't know what it's like on my fire tablet because I have yet to try it but I am not holding out much hope for it to be any different.
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Post by kunuma1 on Aug 1, 2016 15:22:01 GMT 1
While you are all tallking about techie book things, I've been emailed a file? with a book on it, which apparently you can put onto a kindle. My kindle on the computer doesn't work any more (yet another thing to thank Windows 10 for) and I can't imagine how I put it on to an actual kindle?? How do you do that?
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Post by haffyfan on Aug 1, 2016 16:40:53 GMT 1
I had same windows 10 issue and i'm still miffed it updated itself without my permission so to speak. I forgot to turn it off and it took advantage of me not being around to stop it, lol.
Go to amazon and download the kindle for pc again and it sorts itself out, all the other stuff you have is still there.
I transferred the PDF stories from howrse by clicking file, then import PDF and selecting them so i assume you would do the similar to import whatever type of file it is stored as?
Edited to add, open the kindle ap up then do the above from it.
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Post by susanb on Aug 1, 2016 19:18:59 GMT 1
Your kindle actually has it's own email address...if you go into Settings (looks like a gear-wheel), then into Device Name and Personal Info, you'll see your "send-to-kindle" email address. You can actually email that pdf to your kindle and it will be on the device!
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Post by kunuma1 on Aug 1, 2016 21:30:19 GMT 1
I had same windows 10 issue and i'm still miffed it updated itself without my permission so to speak. I forgot to turn it off and it took advantage of me not being around to stop it, lol. Go to amazon and download the kindle for pc again and it sorts itself out, all the other stuff you have is still there. I transferred the PDF stories from howrse by clicking file, then import PDF and selecting them so i assume you would do the similar to import whatever type of file it is stored as? Edited to add, open the kindle ap up then do the above from it. THANK YOU - I've got a pc kindle again!!Whoopee!
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Post by kunuma1 on Aug 1, 2016 21:32:20 GMT 1
Your kindle actually has it's own email address...if you go into Settings (looks like a gear-wheel), then into Device Name and Personal Info, you'll see your "send-to-kindle" email address. You can actually email that pdf to your kindle and it will be on the device! Thanks I'll try that too - it was an old second hand kindle so didn't come with any instructions, I couldn't even work out how to turn it on to start with! lol
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Post by garej on Aug 2, 2016 17:11:02 GMT 1
I have started on Racing Manhattan. Good read so far though perhaps not one for youngsters as there's quite a bit of nastiness and so far some violence.
The main character Jay is a bit of unwanted soul (at the start she lives with her uncle after we discovered her mother died from cancer and her father isn't on the scene). It starts with pony racing before moving onto flat racing.
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Post by Claire on Aug 2, 2016 21:32:05 GMT 1
Glad you got it sorted Kunuma. Yes it is annoying that Windows had to be told NOT to download Windows 10 rather than asking if you actually wanted it. However as a computer geek who is using 4 different operating systems at the mo (XP, 7, 8 and 10) it is my humble opinion that 10 is better than 7 and a helluva lot better than 8 so you are probably better off having it Kunuma and Haffy, despite the inconvenient way you got it! But enough computer stuff, back to books! I have given up on Pony Tails for the moment and have found a copy of The Snow Pony on OpenLibrary for free so I am probably going to substitute it for Pony Tails on my list. Both Snow Pony and Quicksand Pony were recommended by Brumby, I had originally chosen Quicksand but I am happy to be doing both now. Hoping to get a big fat smilie for it as my first 3 reads have been a bit of a disappointment. I will next update the web page and smilies on Thursday, can't change anything on it until then due to technical reasons which I won't bore you with. Happy Reading all!
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Post by brumby on Aug 3, 2016 9:36:04 GMT 1
Finished Beside Me - Carolyn Henderson will give it a smiley I did enjoy this book, but the pony content was a bit lacking... girl meets boy, bitchy girl in the picture seemed to take over a bit. Also finished The Horsemasters - Don Stanford, Claire please give this the biggest smiley you can find! Loved it! It was pony action all the way through. Its amazing how much joy someone can get from reading about mucking out stables but thoroughly enjoyed it, wish he had written more pony books! Has anyone else read it? Did you enjoy it as much as I did? Could be a tough choice to pick a Star read, one more to go. Claire wrote: Good one Claire I really hope you love both the Alison Lesters, it sounds like you really need a good pony book at the moment
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Post by susanb on Aug 3, 2016 14:20:26 GMT 1
I'm so glad you enjoyed The Horsemasters, brumby, it's a favorite of mine too! I think everyone who has read it has liked it, it's just a bit of a pig to find, and can sometimes be expensive (though if you keep an eye out, the paperback editions can turn up cheaply, especially in a job lot).
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Post by brumby on Aug 4, 2016 6:52:39 GMT 1
Just finished Come down the mountain -Vian Smith, loved it!!!! So that would be a smiley. Really nice to read a book that works on many levels, great characters, love dear ol' Cuthbert. Can't wait to read more of Vian Smith's I have a few on the shelf. Now for the hard part, my favourite read? Snow Pony is in the running because of the memories it evoked and of course its written by an aussie The Horsemasters because I so want to be a horsemaster, love mucking out stables Come down the mountain is so in the running, because its a more sophisticated pony book and so well written. Claire am I allowed to have 3 favourites? ? Now I'm off to read 'Led by the grey,' every year I add a few more pony books that have been inspired by the Summer Reading Challenge, also have the other two connemara books that I wish to catch up on.
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Post by fizz on Aug 4, 2016 15:04:12 GMT 1
I had better news from the oncologist yesterday, I don't have to have chemotherapy and will get a targeted drug on the NHS soon. If it isn't too late this is my list:
Easter the Showjumper Hazel Peel The House on Cold Hill Peter James The Shooting Party Isabel Colgate The Wars Timothy Findley (Need someone to recommend a modern pony boo that I can get easily. Recommendation from Ginslinger
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Post by Claire on Aug 4, 2016 22:20:22 GMT 1
SUMMER READING CHALLENGE 2016 WEB PAGE - LATEST UPDATEUpdated your Challenge web page today. Congrats to Brumby for finishing the challenge in such good time and wining our first trophy. It's also great you have enjoyed so many. However to those who are a bit further behind don't worry, as I've said before it's not a sprint but more of an endurance ride! Go at your own pace, we still have quite a few weeks to go. Brumby, I also loved both The Horsemasters and Come Down the Mountain, especially the latter as it's a fairly unusual take on a very common plot (girl rescues abused horse). I'm not sure how hard the author's books are to find over there. Quite a few are actually easier to find in the USA than in the UK. Martin Rides the Moor is probably the easiest one to get hold of. Green Heart is another of my favourites from Smith, in a way a similar plot to Mountain, with a heroine who is initially not accepted by the community she lives in until a horse rescue draws people together. Fizz, glad to see you on here. That's excellent news! I've got your list added to the web page, sorry it's not in alphabetical order as it was a lot quicker and easier just to pop it on the bottom under Tintin's list. For modern books, if you have a Kindle or Kindle for PC installed on your computer, you could check out the read for free thread, hopefully some of the freebies will still be available. Also you could check out some of the modern books from other people's lists.
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Post by garej on Aug 5, 2016 20:00:50 GMT 1
I am still ploughing through Racing Manhattan. Definitely a meaty read but not a cosy one as it details the nastier side of racing.
Amazon says it's for age 12 years + but I disagree. I would say it's 14 years +. Definitely not one for youngsters.
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Post by fizz on Aug 5, 2016 20:16:15 GMT 1
I have finished House on Cold Hill by Peter James. I read it at one sitting. It's a while since I've read a good ghost/horror book and this was a good one. I didn't want to leave it overnight and now I am looking for something reassuring on TV to take my mind off it. It is all the more chilling as it's set in present day with plenty of references to everyday things that run counter with the supernatural. Waitrose shops, Facebook, email, web design, modern building work, mobile phones. Without spoilers....I have always thought a haunted mobile phone or PC would be an interesting addition to a ghost story and Peter James pulls this off. Smiley for this one please. If you like supernatural tales order this from your library.
I have selected Boys Don't Ride for my recent book. I would also like to add Bargain Horses to my list.
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Post by kunuma1 on Aug 6, 2016 17:37:09 GMT 1
Cry of Honour - the last one and well I'm afraid it gets a frown, maybe a tad unfair as it seems to be number four in a series and perhaps they just don't work as stand alone books, but it tries to be Game of Thrones, and if you are going down that route, it needs to be good, and this isn't really.
Also slightly distracted by a box full of cheer up books sent by a lovely forum member - up all night last night and read two of them = really loved them (K M Peyton)
Favourite, well it's a choice between the two Eleyne Mitchell ones, I think Flow River, Blow Wind.
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Post by fizz on Aug 6, 2016 18:22:42 GMT 1
This is my third go at writing this review...Windows 10 grrr!
I have just completed Boys Don't Ride by Katherina Marcus, which is my modern pony book selection. I chose it because it looked slim on Amazon and I saw a number of other people has chosen it too. I have made a point of not looking at peoples' reviews.
At first I thought this is great, lively writing, current, interesting, but then I began to change my opinion. I could really have done without the sick children section. Not only did it take up too much of the book, it had that laid on with a trowel sentimentality the media reserve for cancer, especially that of youngsters. Had I known that this was included in the book I wouldn't have chosen it, I did try not to let my own experience cloud my judgement. I particularly thought that Tull's reaction was too icky. The rest of the book is loaded with politically correct references. Disfigurement, lesbians, same sex marriage, abandoned children, cancer, single parents, a possible mixed race boy at the centre (Tullius is more of a West Indian name), if this was not enough we even have a Rogerian Therapist mother and references to Maslow's Pyramid of Needs.
I am fifty six and a cynical female, but I feel pretty sure teenage boys wouldn't enjoy this. They would think the main protagonist was a real girl's blouse. Ms Marcus is trying too hard methinks.
I still haven't had a reply from Ginslinger (this is my fault I know).
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Post by kunuma1 on Aug 6, 2016 20:18:52 GMT 1
This is my third go at writing this review...Windows 10 grrr! I have just completed Boys Don't Ride by Katherina Marcus, which is my modern pony book selection. I chose it because it looked slim on Amazon and I saw a number of other people has chosen it too. I have made a point of not looking at peoples' reviews. At first I thought this is great, lively writing, current, interesting, but then I began to change my opinion. I could really have done without the sick children section. Not only did it take up too much of the book, it had that laid on with a trowel sentimentality the media reserve for cancer, especially that of youngsters. Had I known that this was included in the book I wouldn't have chosen it, I did try not to let my own experience cloud my judgement. I particularly thought that Tull's reaction was too icky. The rest of the book is loaded with politically correct references. Disfigurement, lesbians, same sex marriage, abandoned children, cancer, single parents, a possible mixed race boy at the centre (Tullius is more of a West Indian name), if this was not enough we even have a Rogerian Therapist mother and references to Maslow's Pyramid of Needs. I am fifty six and a cynical female, but I feel pretty sure teenage boys wouldn't enjoy this. They would think the main protagonist was a real girl's blouse. Ms Marcus is trying too hard methinks. I still haven't had a reply from Ginslinger (this is my fault I know). Fizz I am so relieved that someone else agrees with me about the book, that's Exactly how I felt about it, political correctness is bad enough at the best of times, this book appeared to be a walking handbook of it! PS With you on Windows 10 too, despite Claire's praise (it's easy for her she understands technology) lol
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Post by darkhorse on Aug 7, 2016 16:08:32 GMT 1
Smiley please for The Team From Low Moor. This was a re-read but I reccommended it to Garej and then decided I wanted to read it again. Just as good the second time. Thanks to Claire who reccommended it to me in the first place.
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Post by Claire on Aug 8, 2016 0:05:09 GMT 1
This is my third go at writing this review...Windows 10 grrr! I have just completed Boys Don't Ride by Katherina Marcus, which is my modern pony book selection. I chose it because it looked slim on Amazon and I saw a number of other people has chosen it too. I have made a point of not looking at peoples' reviews. At first I thought this is great, lively writing, current, interesting, but then I began to change my opinion. I could really have done without the sick children section. Not only did it take up too much of the book, it had that laid on with a trowel sentimentality the media reserve for cancer, especially that of youngsters. Had I known that this was included in the book I wouldn't have chosen it, I did try not to let my own experience cloud my judgement. I particularly thought that Tull's reaction was too icky. The rest of the book is loaded with politically correct references. Disfigurement, lesbians, same sex marriage, abandoned children, cancer, single parents, a possible mixed race boy at the centre (Tullius is more of a West Indian name), if this was not enough we even have a Rogerian Therapist mother and references to Maslow's Pyramid of Needs. I am fifty six and a cynical female, but I feel pretty sure teenage boys wouldn't enjoy this. They would think the main protagonist was a real girl's blouse. Ms Marcus is trying too hard methinks. I still haven't had a reply from Ginslinger (this is my fault I know). I know you said you hadn't read what other people wrote about the book but if you go back a few posts to my review of the book and read it you'll see we've practically said all the same things! I did miss the Maslow reference tho! Tull was just about the most unconvincing teenage boy I've ever come across in a book. But I don't think you said what smilie you'd give it. Oy Kunuma I think you'll have to go back and read my review of it - I agreed with you about the book too!! Well at last I'm enjoying one of my books - Snow Pony - although I have got to a rather unpleasant bit where the heroine's father 'breaks' the young wild pony. Hoping the author does not condone this practice.
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Post by fizz on Aug 8, 2016 10:38:46 GMT 1
Oh a "sad Smiley" for Boys Don't Ride from me Claire. Interesting we had similar thoughts on the book! I will have to loan it to a teen to see what they make of it.
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