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Post by garej on Aug 8, 2016 14:12:30 GMT 1
I have hit a brick wall regarding the summer reading challenge. I was reading mainly during the afternoon when there was nothing interesting on the telly. However as there's horsey action during the afternoon because of the Olympics I don't suppose that I will get much done. The only saving grace is that The Tale of Julip is quite a thin book.
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Post by Claire on Aug 8, 2016 23:29:29 GMT 1
It's ages since I've read a Peter James book Fizz, I think I'll check out House on Cold Hill. If you haven't heard from Ginslinger yet, would you like me to send you a couple of recommendations. Well actually if you look at Brumby's list you will see the books I recommended to her and you could try one of them. Or not! Yes it would be very interesting to hear what an actually teen (especially a boy - altho I think I can guess!) thought of Boy's Don't Ride - I might have a little look at the reviews it gets on Amazon. I find it a bit of a shame that this book actually perpetuates the myth that boys who like horses are soppy girl's blouses.
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Post by susanb on Aug 9, 2016 1:29:58 GMT 1
LOL, garej, I'm in same boat....I've got pretty good Olympic equestrian coverage this year, and reading has fallen by the wayside. Claire......maybe an Olympic year extension if necessary? (Who could deny the ponymad their once-in-four-years equine-fest )
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Post by Claire on Aug 9, 2016 20:09:56 GMT 1
Well to be honest Susan there's never any real deadline, just some time in September depending on how we are all getting on! Forgot to add on my last post: I have added everyone's smilies etc to the web page, so hopefully I am actually up to date!!
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Post by fizz on Aug 12, 2016 10:10:18 GMT 1
I have just completed The Shooting Party by Isabel Colegate. I was initially put off by the fact it had a sticker "The Real Downton" and an introduction by horrible Julian Fellowes, which I didn't read. It is quite a short book but very dense in detail which made it fairly slow to read. The descriptions of the countryside are delightful and you feel you are almost there in the rain, the mist, the autumnal sunlight. The author has done an immense amount of research into the period, which is 1913, the eve of the Great War. Real historical events are mentioned as well as real people prominent in society at the time. The whole novella can be read as an allegory of the Great War. It is also a picture of UK upper class society in it's last autumn before it is ripped apart by the events in Europe. It is a detailed picture of the minor aristocracy and the people who served them. It is interesting that some of the subjects touched upon....government disinterest with the rural poor and rural life and customs, animal rights and veganism, are still current over a hundred years later. A difficult and quite sad read but a rewarding one. It is better than the film starring James Mason and John Gielgud and infinitely more nuanced and acucrate than Gosford Park and Downton Abbey. Smiley.
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Post by Claire on Aug 12, 2016 20:43:21 GMT 1
Wasn't there also a later film version of The Shooting Party? Or am I getting mixed up with something else? Am taking a break from the challenge for a little while as am off to Barcelona for a few days next week and am rushing around trying to get everything organised in time due to having only just booked it a few days ago! But fear not, I will add everyone's current smilies and rosettes, etc before leaving
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Post by Claire on Aug 14, 2016 23:01:13 GMT 1
Hi folks, as we are having an Olympic/Holiday induced quiet time I haven't had to add much to the web page! Well done to Fizz who has come from behind to win a yellow rosette. I'm off for few days break tomorrow so don't worry if you don't see me around for the next few days. Tho I may pop on to have a nosey depending on internet connections, etc. Enjoy your reading/Olympic watching! SUMMER READING CHALLENGE 2016 WEB PAGE - LATEST UPDATE
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Post by tintin on Aug 15, 2016 17:16:35 GMT 1
Enjoy your holiday!
Please could I have a neutral face for Spirit and the Magic Horse Box - bit like Tan and Tarmac, nothing wrong with it, but it left me cold
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Post by susanb on Aug 16, 2016 0:38:31 GMT 1
Finished Strawberry Roan by Don Lang, can I get a "conflicted" smiley, please (when you get back from Barcelona, of course, hope you have a great time!). The book had good bits and and bad, but was mostly disjointed.
Now to figure out if I should go on to Pilot the Chaser or back to Water Wagtail!
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Post by Claire on Aug 21, 2016 15:09:25 GMT 1
Hi folks. I'm back! Hope you are all having a great summer. Had a fab time Susan, Tintin, et al, thanks, although very exhausting! It's a huge city and so many places to visit but so little time! The Sagrada Familia is probably the most amazing man-made thing I have ever seen!!
Haha Susan STILL on with Walter Wagtail...? No need to extend the torture tho. Don't forget you ARE allowed to give up on books - they will automatically get a frownie if you can't finish 'em.
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Post by haffyfan on Aug 22, 2016 18:56:03 GMT 1
Glad you had a great break Claire.
I've finally read something else on my list, foolishly they are all kindle books and all on my kindle for PC, which makes reading them harder and not so comfortable. I thought i'd be able to transfer them to the device but it seems i can't find the individual files anywhere on my PC to tranfer(are they in cyber space somewhere or something?) The device is linked to my partners amazon account so the amazon advice for transferring files doesn't work, hence i thought i could just plug it into pc and manually transfer the files as i have with pdf's and kindle files downloaded from an email.
Anyhow i have finished and enjoyed Kate Lattey's First fence, so can it have a smiley please. Shades of Patricia Leitch's Jump To The Top in that the main protagonist comes from an unhorsey family, has a talented but very unruly jumper who with help from a friendly family, starts to turn around and prove his worth in the ring. I thought there was going to even be a Mrs Grunter at one stage in the form of PC instructor Debbie, but it didn't really lead to anything. It was well written and very readable, quite odd for someone who has always lived in the Northern Hemisphere to come to grips with the summer circuit running over 'winter' months and clips that are growing in October in readiness for summer, rather than being thought about!
I assumed the story would continue into the next book, as AJ never quite made the top as Jacky did, but it's switched to her friend (the experienced one) being the main character now, although AJ's story is sort of continuing in the background. Not much more to read but i'll wait until i have to say more/rate it.
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Post by susanb on Aug 22, 2016 21:36:31 GMT 1
If the books are in your kindle account, and the kindle itself is attached to your partner's account, then naer the twain shall meet, I'm afraid. Amazon sees that as two separate accounts If you can link your kindle to your own account, you should be set, because your files are in the cloud and can be downloaded to your kindle (or ipad kindle app, or whatever). Of course, you wouldn't then have access to any files that you were using under your partner's Amazon account. Isn't technology jolly? Until it isn't
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Post by Claire on Aug 23, 2016 0:49:04 GMT 1
Haffy you may actually be able to get round the Kindle problem as I had a similar dilemma due to somehow ending up with 2 Kindle accounts. The files aren't in cyber space but on your PC. You should have a folder in your documents section of your PC called My Kindle Content. This holds all the kindle books which you have downloaded onto your Kindle for PC. (Not the Cloud version - if they are on Cloud move them to PC). The main problem is that the files don't tend to have the title of the book but a string of letters. It's not so bad if you only have a few as you can open them up and see what they are, but its a bit of a pain if there are loads. Try putting them in date order and check the date you purchased them from Amazon. Once you have located them hopefully you should be able to transfer them the same way as you do the ebook files from emails. If you still have trouble doing it send me an email or PM and I will send you a possible work around. Sometimes being a computer nerd comes in handy!
On a slightly different tangent has anyone tried Aldiko e-book reader which you can download onto your tablet for free. It reads epub files rather than kindle/mobi but I actually find it a much nicer reader than Kindle as its more simplistic so it's quicker and easier to use. Sometimes I even change the kindle/mobi files to epub so I can read them on Aldiko rather than the Kindle App!
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Post by fizz on Aug 23, 2016 10:21:43 GMT 1
I have been busy exhibiting my paintings with two other women artists in one of their houses, hard work, but it was a great social event as well as a selling one,and I sold a number of pieces. Now it is down I can continue with my reading.
Before the show I finished Bargain Horses by Gillian Baxter. I have read most of her earlier books, some unfortunately in the abridged Green Dragon series, I really enjoyed the authenticity and also the nostalgia. Bargain Horses is more recent and I think it shows more maturity to her writing, no longer does she dwell on fashion and film stars. Though there are some accidents, there are no deaths, human or equine, which are a large feature of her earlier books. She did write the first trilogy at a very young age, when she was still presumably in awe of film stars and interested in the latest fashions, and like all of us who are ageing, is closer to death and presumably less inclined to include fatal events willy-nilly in her later books. Bargain Horses is an interesting book to compare with the more recent Boy's Don't Ride as there is the similar theme of teen romance, but in this book it is far more realistically painted and the girl's feelings in the first physical relationship and the boy's reactions felt quite accurate and many will have had similar experiences.
The subject of the parent living dreams through the child or expecting their child to at least replicate their achievements is one I can half relate to. My father was an outstanding sportsman in his youth and in his RAF years, during the war, ran against and beat an Olympic gold medallist from the 1936 Berlin Games (or so the legend goes), he also played rugby for Yorkshire. Our house was furnished with things he had won, sideboard, cutlery etc when he was competing as an amateur, his regret was the war interfered with his chances of being a first class athlete and representing his country. Imagine his disappointment when his only child couldn't run to catch a bus and was pretty useless at all sports. He bought me a gorgeous pony, the envy of all my friends, but he was difficult to ride and made me nervous, I was called weak and windy by my Dad, who wanted me to be as brave and reckless as he had been. Yes I can really sympathise with the protagonist of this book.
A really good read and a nice big smiley!
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Post by haffyfan on Aug 23, 2016 15:24:27 GMT 1
Thanks all, i managed to find the file on my pc now (looking in wrong places!) and download the ones i wanted to transfer, it appeared to work and title has popped up but it still won't open it on device. Says if you purchased from amazon, please delete this file and download again. Clearly the technology is far clever than i am and knows i'm basically trying to share a file, with it what it terms as a 3rd party.
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Post by susanb on Aug 24, 2016 18:30:04 GMT 1
Finished Pilot the Chaser, can I get a smiley, Claire? Also, while you're in there, could you change the neutral that is there for Buckle Horse, that one was a smiley too! Thanks!!
Down to Water Wagtail now....here's hoping it picks up a bit
btw, not sure if I've set it before, but kudos to brumby and kunuma on finishing their challenges, well done, I'm impressed!!
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Post by haffyfan on Aug 24, 2016 21:29:01 GMT 1
Can i have a smiley for Double Clear too please. I'm starting to find a theme with these newer kindle series in that the stories finish at what seems 3/4 of the way through, i assume it's to make you buy the rest! Another well written and pleasant enough read, the author knows her horses well and the characters are developing nicely, I'm just a little frustrated how i'm getting into their characters story and then it switches to a different one in the next book. I'm hoping the quite abrupt ending of the second story will be further explored. Yes i'm already distracted again and have started on no.3 rather than another on my list
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Post by tintin on Aug 25, 2016 16:37:59 GMT 1
Could I have a massive smiley for "Pamela and the Blue Mare" please - lovely story of a young lady and a young filly growing up together. Marvellous horse biography, good breaking and schooling story. Super character in the grandfather and the grooms who gently turn a horse averse little girl into a fine rider on the show ground and the hunting field. Super pictures. Just the right book for me when I was n't so well.
Thanks Susan!
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Post by susanb on Aug 26, 2016 11:20:44 GMT 1
Yea!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it, tintin! Sorry to hear that you've been under the weather though, hope you're better soon!
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Post by Claire on Aug 27, 2016 22:17:25 GMT 1
Wow Fizz sounds like you have been having an exciting time. Interesting to hear about your Dad's sporting achievements but sad that you felt you couldn't live up to his expectations. And it's clear you are very talented in other spheres, if not sports. I really like Bargain Horses too. I wonder that there haven't been many other horse stories tackling the same issue. Susan, apologies, I accidentally deleted some of your smilies when updating the web page last, I must have put them back incorrectly. Well I have finally given up on To Find a Golden Pony after a few failed attempts. I haven't got your will power Susan lol. (And I've just sold it to someone else who will hopefully get more out of it than me.) So sadly another frownie for me. Hope you are feeling better now Tintin.
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Post by fizz on Aug 27, 2016 22:42:56 GMT 1
I have now completed The Wars by Timothy Findlay, a new writer to me.
Every now and then I read a book that is so disturbing it makes me feel soiled and I have to cleanse myself in some way; by taking a shower, going for a walk or reading something totally different. The Wars was such a book. Some of the scenes, the images, the dialogue won't leave me at the moment. That said it is beautifully written, wonderfully descriptive and chillingly evocative. The suffering of animals, particularly horses, and men very central to the storyline.
Many people would struggle with this book, however I am pleased that I did get through it to the end. I think it deserves a "smiley" even though it is about the most harrowing thing I've read in a long, long time if not ever.
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Post by kunuma1 on Aug 28, 2016 15:08:16 GMT 1
Thanks all, i managed to find the file on my pc now (looking in wrong places!) and download the ones i wanted to transfer, it appeared to work and title has popped up but it still won't open it on device. Says if you purchased from amazon, please delete this file and download again. Clearly the technology is far clever than i am and knows i'm basically trying to share a file, with it what it terms as a 3rd party. I have finally found the list Claire talked about too, everything just has a list of letters as the title and there seem to be three different sorts of files. BUT how do I get those onto my kindle?? Amazon talked about connecting kindle to computer - but mine was a second hand kindle and I don't have any leads with it, so is there any way of doing it without the lead??
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Post by susanb on Aug 28, 2016 17:27:03 GMT 1
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Post by kunuma1 on Aug 31, 2016 21:56:49 GMT 1
Thanks Susan I'm going to buy a lead and start from there - don't have any already as I'm the only person in the world that has never owned a smart phone!!
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Post by garej on Sept 2, 2016 13:12:07 GMT 1
Is this being extended Claire? If so how long do we have?
Just that I haven't picked up a book since the Olympics and I would really like to finish the challenge.
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Post by Claire on Sept 2, 2016 20:26:27 GMT 1
Hi folks apologies for not being around the past couple days/not updating smilies. Nope I haven't been gallivanting again, just a bit under the weather.
Re. ending date of Challenge - the end of September seems a good cut off point to me, particularly as I have 3 more to go myself lol. I have started on one of them - Blue Rosette - not read much but enjoying it so far. It's an adult/older teen read and it's well written.
Well I'm off to update everyone's lists now....
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Post by garej on Sept 2, 2016 21:08:34 GMT 1
Sorry you have been under the weather Claire.
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Post by haffyfan on Sept 2, 2016 21:33:34 GMT 1
Hi folks apologies for not being around the past couple days/not updating smilies. Nope I haven't been gallivanting again, just a bit under the weather. Re. ending date of Challenge - the end of September seems a good cut off point to me, particularly as I have 3 more to go myself lol. I have started on one of them - Blue Rosette - not read much but enjoying it so far. It's an adult/older teen read and it's well written. Well I'm off to update everyone's lists now.... Hope your feeling a bit brighter. Shock horror, we might actually have found another book we both like! There is one chapter i disliked but you'll find out which in due course and it was fitting for the Author to be fair and a brave move. Glad we've still got a while as my star read isn't released until next week , I'm afraid i've been distracted again and read two more non challenge books by Kate Lattey, so highly unlikely i'll finish and i'm busy putting off my recommended read, which is a paper copy so no real excuse...It's Burghley, that's good enough for this weekend
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Post by Claire on Sept 3, 2016 22:04:18 GMT 1
Thanks folks, I'm on the mend. Lol Haffy I'm sure there is more than one book we both like. I'm intrigued by your description of Blue Rosette now... On the whole I like the author's books, although I thought The Amateur Horse Dealers was a little dull. A bonus is I don't have any story summary for Blue Rosette on my website so even if I don't like it after all I'll get something out of it. And then the only one of the author's books I won't have read is High Honours. Well, I hope everyone manages to finish, but don't worry if you don't make it - I've failed twice already myself!
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Post by darkhorse on Sept 4, 2016 13:37:44 GMT 1
Can I have smilies please for The Lost Pony of Riverdale and Winter of the Crystal Dances which I somehow managed to read while on my holidays, mainly on the plane! These two books couldn't have been more different. One was a completely down to earth traditional pony story, although modern. The other was a quite strange but interesting book about a girl who can communicate with horses. Both good in their own ways. I've just got Pony Tales to go but that's the one that doesn't display properly on the Kindle. Did you manage to sort anything out about it, Claire?
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