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Post by rallycairn on Sept 20, 2017 0:42:00 GMT 1
Thanks, haffy.
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Post by kunuma1 on Sept 20, 2017 17:42:24 GMT 1
Please can i have smileys for Half a Fault and Jockey GirlHalf a fault, is another of those books written by a child, that seemed to be published in abundance during this era. It it wasn't for the vintage charm it would probably nowadays come across as less than modest as it's basically an account of how much Audrey and sister won that year! And for extra kudos even sees her photographed getting a prize awarded by the Queen! Loads of lovely photos of the sisters competing and riding at home. Of course all the ponies, except the unfortunately named black pony who was her sisters pride and joy regardless, won everything in sight just about and even the 12.2 happily popped 4ft 6 all day long Lots of shameless name dropping too but she donated all the proceeds to charity and it really is quite charming. Interestingly it mentions a very nice pony and it's very good rider - Legend and Elizabeth Spencer, whose own story had wait a fair while longer to get into print, having recently been published by Forelock. www.forelock-books.co.uk/product/legend-a-true-story-by-elizabeth-spencer/Jockey Girl, i really enjoyed, lots of sterotypes, (you will loose count), also very predictable but well written and not exactly the story you first expect in terms of the missing parent element. No 'kooky' addition to this one either, might help with those not keen on her stuff although personally i have liked everything to date. They look interesting, I looked them up and the Legend one seems to be about a girl who lived on Dartmoor - then I finally made the connection, it's Lady Kitson. well known down here!
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Post by susanb on Sept 21, 2017 20:21:55 GMT 1
Thanks for letting me have two star reads, Claire!
Another Kind of Cowboy by Susan Juby
Taking Flight by Sheena Wilkinson
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Post by rallycairn on Sept 22, 2017 2:43:59 GMT 1
Garej, I got my ribbon today! It's so pretty - thank you!
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Post by garej on Sept 22, 2017 20:17:52 GMT 1
Garej, I got my ribbon today! It's so pretty - thank you! No problem rallycairn. Last 48 hours to get your addresses in everyone. If anyone doesn't want one I would be greatful if you could lmk as I don't want to think that you have PMed me and I have forgotten about you. If for some reason you don't PM me in time then I will send them out eventually. It will be just delayed that's all - I know that I can get to the post office next week.
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Post by tintin on Sept 26, 2017 12:23:49 GMT 1
Please could I have a smiley face for:-
Jennie
A very beautiful and beautifully written book. A story of perfect love, but almost unbearably sad
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Post by susanb on Sept 26, 2017 21:57:27 GMT 1
Hi garaj, sorry to be so long responding, haven't been on much recently. Thank you so much for the thought, but I'll pass on a ribbon....overseas postage is so expensive, and I wouldn't want you to do that on my account
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Post by garej on Sept 27, 2017 21:19:47 GMT 1
Ultimately it's up to you but it's lightweight package so it doesn't cost very much susanb. I sent the same package to the USA and the value is over twice what it cost to post. If I couldn't afford it then I wouldn't have offered.
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Post by Claire on Sept 30, 2017 19:15:38 GMT 1
Hi all, well it's the last official day of the Reading Challenge but if anyone still has books to read we can extend the date by a few days. And if anyone hasn't named their star read please can you do so. I'll do an update of the web page tomorrow and a recap of everything. For the first time I'v e actually completed the challenge!!! (Sort of - I actually have mislaid one of the books on my list so have taken it off). Smilies for Horse of Air, Mystery Horse and The Black Stallion book. I haven't had a chance to watch the film of the book yet but I'm letting myself off for that one for the challenge (!) and will add my comments on that later on. Horse of Air was very well written, though slightly off-kilter and not your run of the mill pony story. I liked that it was about one of my fav breeds (Welsh Cob) but I somehow never quite warmed to the main character. Enjoyed Mystery Horse, not quite as much as the Saddle Island series, but it was good for a modernish pony story and I'd definitely read more in the series. The Black Stallion is not my favourite of the series but I mostly enjoyed it. I like the character of Alex and his bond with the Black. The breaking in part was worse than I remembered. The island part was not that probable, but it made me smile how resourceful Alec was when I compared him to some of the kids of today who probably couldn't even find their way to the next town without a lift from their parents! There was a line in the book which I must have missed even though I've read it a few times and it cleared up my long-standing quibble about The Black being too big for an Arab - when Alex sees the horse for the first time he actually comments that he can't be pure-bred Arab as he's too large! As for me star read, as I've 'allowed' Susan 2 star reads I'm also going to have 2 for myself: Last of the Winnebagos and Who Sir Me Sir. Two very different stories, one upbeat and funny, the other very serious, thought-provoking and sad.
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Post by rallycairn on Oct 1, 2017 0:05:41 GMT 1
I was away from home for five days last week, a very rare experience for me, and then this weekend I had a multi-day horse show with my horse staying overnight for 2 nights at the Virginia State Fair at The Meadow Event Park (birthplace of the race horse Secretariat) www.statefairva.org/default.aspx www.statefairva.org/p/getinvolved/327 www.meadoweventpark.com/ -- my first horse show in something like 15 years! So I've been busy, but after I got my horse home today and settled back in I sat down with Mystery Returns and finished it so I could complete the challenge on time. SMILEY, please, for MYSTERY RETURNS by Sharon Siamon. Mostly this book seemed to finish the series off, though there was the appearance of a mystery ranch hand who helped the horse named Mystery, and the fact that his identity was not specifically revealed, plus the fact that Liv had some pretty detailed plans for Mystery, makes me wonder slightly if more books in the series were planned. Looking back over the series, I wish more books had had Sophie as the focus, as I enjoy her as a character more than Liv, but mostly I enjoy the strong setting and the group of younger and older teens who make up the ensemble. Great summer reading material! STAR READ for WHO SIR, ME SIR? by K.M. PEYTON. Fast read with lots of well-written humor, but I found some pretty serious if not dark undertones to the way the adults in the book handled the competition and their interactions with the kids. I plan to re-read it soon to see if my impressions stay the same with a second read. I don't do the challenge every year, but it is a great push to get some reading done. Thanks again to GAREJ for the pretty rosette! I wish there were a lot more discussion on both the film/book threads, though. Thanks, Claire, as always for the forum and the Summer Reading Challenge!
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Post by tintin on Oct 1, 2017 2:04:28 GMT 1
Please can I have a smiley face for
Scarlet and Pink
I have now completed the challenge!
Star book, against classy competition was
Jennie
Almost unbearably sad, but beautiful writing, exciting oddly believable original story, noble sentiment - a real classic, sort of cat Black Beauty without the happy ending
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Post by Claire on Oct 1, 2017 22:48:47 GMT 1
STAR READ for WHO SIR, ME SIR? by K.M. PEYTON. Fast read with lots of well-written humor, but I found some pretty serious if not dark undertones to the way the adults in the book handled the competition and their interactions with the kids. I plan to re-read it soon to see if my impressions stay the same with a second read. I agree Rally that there are some dark undertones in the book, which is actually more KMP's style really. For instance Nails' situation is pretty awful really, sleeping rough every night because his home life is so dreadful. And the way the teacher who came up with the idea in the first place (aghh forgot his name!) and then dropped it like a hot potato when it became too complicated and moved onto something else, was - though humourous on the surface - underneath quite dreaful. I think KMP made a superb job of blending humour and pathos. Oh and well done on attending your first show for a while. Sounds like it was very exciting!! I wouldn't have the nerve any more!
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Post by Claire on Oct 1, 2017 23:08:45 GMT 1
Hi all, well done to everyone who has completed the challenge. I've updated the web page to award everyone their trophies and highlight the star reads. For the last couple of folk with books to read, no worries. Just continue to post here and I'll update the webpage for you for the next week or two. Or if you feel you're not going to finish any time soon there's no shame in giving in gracefully. I've actually never managed to complete the thing myself before this year!
Looking over the results, I'd say we had a higher ratio of smilies than normal, and hardly any frownies. Good going!
Thanks for adding your star reads too everyone. As a re-cap this year's star reads are as follows:
WHO SIR ME SIR - K M PEYTON (2 STARS!) LED BY THE GREY - PETER DE COSEMO LAST OF THE WINNEBAGOS - CONNIE WILLIS SILVER EAGLE RIDING SCHOOL - PRIMROSE CUMMING SHY BOY - MONTY ROBERTS MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS - GERALD DURRELL TAKING FLIGHT - SHEENA WILKINSON A DIFFERENT KIND OF COWBOY - SUSAN JUBY JENNIE - PAUL GALLICO
I thought it might be interesting to look over the last few year's star reads and compile a list - may be useful for anyone wondering what to read. I'll be doing that in the next few days, might even give it a thread of it's own.
Re. Rally's comment about lack of discussion on the book/film combos, I agree, though I'm partly to blame as I never got round to commenting on The Racing Game due to thinking I'd have a further go with it (which I never managed to find time to do) and I didn't actually get to watch the Black Stallion film. (I'm hoping I'll have a chance to catch up with them in the next week or two.) Also I think people tended to comment on the films here on this thread rather than the film thread itself. So it would be nice if anyone who has watched either the TV show or film would like to air their views about them and vote for them on the dedicated book/film threads in the Film Club section.
I hope everyone has enjoyed this year's challenge and if you have anything to add about the challenge in general please let me know.
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Post by haffyfan on Oct 2, 2017 18:55:55 GMT 1
. Or if you feel you're not going to finish any time soon there's no shame in giving in gracefully. I've actually never managed to complete the thing myself before this year! Looking over the results, I'd say we had a higher ratio of smilies than normal, and hardly any frownies. Good going! Once again i have failed to complete but bar the one i failed to finish i've enjoyed everything else this time. I think i have gotten more selective about what to place on my list after so many epic fails over the years you've run it and i know i was a pain and switched some of mine this time to replace with books i was more likely to read. Just a Groom is my star read this time, although Who Sir, Me Sir was close behind and Jockey Girl. I may read the Kate Lattey book still but Probably won't read Rennie Goes Riding just yet. My plan for rest of year is to reread some Pullein-Thompson's, Patricia leitch's etc...so probably next years reading sorted too!
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Post by haffyfan on Oct 2, 2017 19:04:01 GMT 1
Thanks for adding your star reads too everyone. As a re-cap this year's star reads are as follows: WHO SIR ME SIR - K M PEYTON (2 STARS!) LED BY THE GREY - PETER DE COSEMO LAST OF THE WINNEBAGOS - CONNIE WILLIS SILVER EAGLE RIDING SCHOOL - PRIMROSE CUMMING SHY BOY - MONTY ROBERTS MY FAMILY AND OTHER ANIMALS - GERALD DURRELL TAKING FLIGHT - SHEENA WILKINSON A DIFFERENT KIND OF COWBOY - SUSAN JUBY JENNIE - PAUL GALLICO I thought it might be interesting to look over the last few year's star reads and compile a list - may be useful for anyone wondering what to read. I'll be doing that in the next few days, might even give it a thread of it's own. That will be interesting, i think Taking Flight may have been a star read back when it was first published and is fantastic. I also loved Shy Boy when I read it from this years list and of course who sir, me sir. The Silver Eagles books weren't really my cup of tea but enjoyable enough, but that's the only other one i've read of this years star reads. I recall liking the last one best, which i think most people are less keen on, but that's about right!
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Post by garej on Oct 3, 2017 12:21:02 GMT 1
Brumby/haffyfan it's not too late to get a rosette. I have to go to the post office sometime during this month anyway so it's no hassle to post them at the same time. So feel free to pm me.
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Post by rallycairn on Oct 3, 2017 17:00:33 GMT 1
Claire, next time you edit the Summer Reading Challenge page, maybe you could add in my SMILEY for MYSTERY RETURNS? I got my Gold Cup and Completed, but oops! on the smiley for that one! Thanks
Also, Claire, your points about Who Sir were spot on with my reactions -- I REALLY didn't like the way the sponsoring teacher just dropped the team as soon as he saw what a big project it all was. Also, I didn't like the way Nutty went all "I'm just a girl" at the end -- having demonstrably done well in the competition, being part of the winning team, she was suddenly playing this "I'm just a frail girl" card after she lost weight and got contacts, with some hints that's she's now attractive, etc. Too gender stereotypical for words!
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Post by Claire on Oct 5, 2017 14:54:14 GMT 1
Oops sorry Rally - I always manage to miss something out!
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Post by darkhorse on Oct 16, 2017 15:48:36 GMT 1
Sorry I have missed out this year. Unfortunately I couldn't join in this summer due to illness. I would like to do one of the film/book combinations if there's still time to join in?
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Post by rallycairn on Oct 20, 2017 6:06:11 GMT 1
darkhorse, I hope you will do one of the book/film combos, and join the discussion on the thread for the one you choose. We need more comments on those threads! I shall rub my hands gleefully when you announce your choice!
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