|
Post by Claire on Nov 1, 2007 21:13:56 GMT 1
Just wondering if anyone can help with my latest project which is compiling a list of pony/horse books written for adults or older teenagers. These can be of any genre but with a large horsy content.
What I have so far is as follows:
K M Peyton - Dear Fred, Last Ditch/Free Rein, Late to Smile, Darkling, Blind Beauty, Small Gains, Greater Gains
Joyce Stranger - Khazan the horse from the sea, Stranger than fiction, Zara, Breed of Giants
Jilly Cooper - Riders, Polo, etc
Dick Francis - most of his books have quite a fair amount of horsy content
(Also similar horsy crime books are those by John Francome and Richard Pitman and Mark Daniel)
Jenny Pitman - has a series set on a training yard, the titles have escaped me at the mo!
Bryan Forbes - International Velvet
Monica Dickens - Cobblers Dream
Anne Henning - The Connemara Trilogy
J Pullein-T - A Job With Horses
Donna Baker - Ride For a Fall (horsy romance)
Caroline Akrill - Eventer's Trilogy, The Silver Bridle, Flying Changes, I'd Rather Not Gallop, Caroline Canters Home,etc. I think all of her books are aimed at an older audience than the average pony book
Elyne Mitchell - The man from snowy river, in fact all the Brumby books may be appreciated more by adults
H.M.Peel - Pilot the Hunter and others in the series, cant recall the titles off hand. These were written for children I think but the main characters are adults. Also Fury by the same author.
Nicholas Karishnakoff - Jumper
Michael Feeney Callan - Jockey School
Gillian Baxter - Bobby and Shelta trilogy, Tan and Tarmac, Ribbons and Rings - in fact most of her books apart from the Magic and Moonshine series are aimed at older teenagers and most have a bit of romance in them!
Susan Millard - Against the Odds
Patricia Leitch - A Horse for the holidays, the main character Janet has left school so is a lot older than Pat Leitch's other heroines
Primrose Cumming - the Silver Eagle Series, as far as I can remember 2 of the sisters have left school and running their own stables
Walter Farley - the later books in the Black Stallion series where Alex is grown up
If anyone has any other titles they can think of please add to the thread. Thanks!
|
|
|
Post by poglepie on Nov 3, 2007 17:48:05 GMT 1
Joanna Cannan ( mother of the P-T sisters!) wrote a crime novel called "Murder Included" (I think) - this was set in a hotel with stables and from what I can remember the guests/victims were on riding holidays. Also the later Monica Edwards books are aimed at older readers as various romances develop!
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Nov 3, 2007 21:21:21 GMT 1
Thanks for that poglepie, I knew Joanna Cannan wrote mysteries but havent read any and didnt realise that one had a horsy setting. Will have to look out for a copy now!
Re. Monica Edwards, I know its actually a different subject but there is some discussion about whether some of the later books in the Romney Marsh and Punchbowl series were actually 'pony' books because some of them didnt have a whole lot of pony action in them compared to the others which were definitely pony books. Maybe a subject for a new thread??
|
|
|
Post by garej on Nov 4, 2007 14:30:14 GMT 1
Josephine's Pullein-Thompson's adult books are pony related.
Gin and Murder and Murder Strikes Pink is about hunting. I know for a fact that They Died In The Spring has a horse theme, but not having it, I dont know exactly what it is about.
However, Josephine's book A Place With Two Faces (written under the pseudonym of Josephine Mann) is not horse related, it is a gothic terror novel (naturally has dark undertones).
Monica Dicken's Cobblers Dream was republished as "New Arrival At Follyfoot", btw.
|
|
|
Post by haffyfan on Nov 7, 2007 21:26:37 GMT 1
Just thought of a few more Claire Stars Trilogy (or Silver Bridle) by Caroline Akrill (god???) Bargain Horses by Gillian Baxter The Trainer (as in tv series) by John Pennington The Horse Masters by Don Stanford The Leysham stud series (but most of her books really) by Hazel Peel (H M Peel) Jumping Jan by Kathleen Mackenzie Winning, High hurdle, Race..... By Ginny Eliott The Catch Colt by Mary O'Hara (in fact all her books?) Winning Rider by Michael hardcastle No Small Thing by Natalie Ghent The David and Pat trilogy by CPT (?) Poglepie...I think you should start a thread as I don't think quite a few of Monica's are 'Pony books'. Oh and sorry it was Susan Millard not Jo, I got it wrong when I contacted you before.
|
|
|
Post by seahorse on Nov 11, 2007 21:12:21 GMT 1
Am just about to read Dorian Williams Pancho The Story of a Horse which I belive is an adult book, also there is a writer Lyndon Stacey who I really like, sort of crime has done showjumping and racing.
|
|
|
Post by poglepie on Nov 13, 2007 16:03:46 GMT 1
Another adult horse book: Airs Above the Ground by Mary Stewart. Set in Austria and involving Lipizzaner horses. Not exclusively a horse story, but quite a lot of horsey content and a good yarn - I liked it anyway!
|
|
|
Post by haffyfan on Nov 13, 2007 19:24:57 GMT 1
ooh...I like that one too poglepie! Just thought of another Dancer (a novel) By Shelly Peterson.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Nov 14, 2007 13:52:21 GMT 1
Am just about to read Dorian Williams Pancho The Story of a Horse which I belive is an adult book Forgot about Dorian Williams. He also wrote A Kingdom for a Horse which is another adult book. Have you read that one anyone? Seahorse I think you bought Pancho from me didnt you? ;D There's a good site called ponydom which has quite a few adult pony books on it. It is mainly US biased but still worth a look. Heres the link: www.ponydom.com/books/index.htmlI'm also putting the link on the website which I am hoping to upload again today.
|
|
|
Post by kunuma on Nov 14, 2007 21:06:13 GMT 1
I loved Airs Above the Ground!! There is a slightly odd series of books, some of mine not even mentioning the author - about Kit Hunter - Showjumper. Odd because neither the characters, horses or places ring true - I've often wondered about them - over to you!
|
|
|
Post by haffyfan on Nov 14, 2007 21:55:34 GMT 1
I love Kit Hunter, so have started a thread!
|
|
|
Post by sarah on Dec 10, 2007 15:09:43 GMT 1
Grand National - John Welcome
Fictional account about the lifes of people and horses who are preparing for the Grand National.
|
|
|
Post by haffyfan on Dec 16, 2007 10:32:04 GMT 1
Bluegrass by Borden Deal (us racing novel)
The Runaway national (Enid Michael)
|
|
|
Post by seahorse on Jan 22, 2008 21:43:18 GMT 1
I have just read Pancho by Dorian Williams while down the yard (Arfa not impressed and bit it) i did enjoy it what other fiction ones are there apart from the Wendy ones of which am souring the country I have Wendy Wins Her Spurs. sorry for all these requests from you lovely peeps.
|
|
|
Post by haffyfan on Jan 22, 2008 21:45:10 GMT 1
My Kingdom Fore A Horse...not read it yet but wrapper is lovely.....I get easily swayed by nice wrappers on books.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 22, 2008 22:12:45 GMT 1
Have not read that for ages but very good, very different to the normal pony story. I'm sure you will enjoy.
|
|
|
Post by seahorse on Jan 22, 2008 22:18:55 GMT 1
I get swayed by nice wrappers as well specially chocolate ones this diet is hell
|
|
|
Post by susanb on Jan 25, 2008 17:23:35 GMT 1
Haffyfan,
"I get easily swayed by nice wrappers on books"........LOL, I'm SO glad I'm not alone :-)
|
|
|
Post by susanb on Jan 25, 2008 17:47:22 GMT 1
I second Seahorse's recommendation of Lyndon Stacey...her first book Cut Throat, is brilliant. A recent book I've recommended to everyone is Kim Ablon Whitney's The Perfect Distance...a book about a US teen competing for the Maclay Medal (the most prestigious junior equitation award in the US). The absolute antithisis to the nasty Saddle Club/Heartland series books. In print in the UK as well as the US (Amazon.co.uk has the book for sale, but check out Amazon.com if you want to read a bit about it before you buy...the UK listing doesn't have a plot description!) Jane McIlvaine did at least one adult book, called A Portion for Foxes....truthfully though, I haven't been able to get through it myself, much as I loved her children's books. Anne McCaffery did a book called The Lady, which I thought excellent...it tends to be passed over as a romance, but while it has romantic elements, it's really a story about family, and the horse details are superb (I think it's still in print, but very available used if not). Rita Mae Brown has a mystery series whose protagonist is a woman MFH...the first book is called Outfoxed. She also did a stand alone book called Riding Shotgun, which is a bit mystery, a bit time-slip and a bit romance.....well worth a look, and again, in print Just for kicks, there is a long running thread (a bit dormant at the moment) on abebooks called Equine Related Fiction...if you're in the mood for a browse, it could be worth checking out for ideas.... forums.abebooks.com/n/mb/message.asp?webtag=abecom&msg=742.1&maxT=2Hm...I know I'm missing some, but will have to check the shelves to figure out what!
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 26, 2008 20:54:51 GMT 1
Thanks didnt realise there was a forum on abebooks, had a quick look last night but looks like there are a lot of pages to go thru! I do remember years ago reading another anne mccaffrey one which had a horsy background cant remember much about it I think it was a thriller.
|
|
|
Post by kunuma on Jan 26, 2008 21:11:37 GMT 1
I always felt that her lovely dragons were based on horses! Well, perhaps not the egg laying part.
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Jan 26, 2008 21:21:20 GMT 1
I've always had a soft spot for dragons (not that Ive met any ;D ) I do love them in books. They do remind me of horses a bit.
|
|
|
Post by susanb on Jan 28, 2008 20:00:09 GMT 1
Claire.. :-) I know....it really is a very long running thread! Perhaps to be saved for a rainy day, and a large cup of tea!
One other writer I thought of is one we were speaking of on another thread....Vian Smith. Only three of his books were marketed as juvenile (Martin Rides the Moor, King Sam..US title Tall and Proud, and I think Come Down the Mountain)...his other books were intended as adult though some I'd say fall into the older teen category (Horses of Petrock...US title Second Chance, The Lord Mayor's Show), but others are definitely adult (The Minstral Boy).
Re why he's so easy to find in the US and so hard in the UK...the only reason I can think of is the publisher(s)...in the US, I think his sole publisher was Doubleday....a huge company, which would help getting his work placement in schools, libraries and bookshops. And because he did many books for them, there would have been an ongoing relationship between author/publisher/purchaser, which would help each subsequent title that came out.
In the UK, he appears to have had a few different publishers: Constable Young for the more juvenile titles, Peter Davies, Robert Hale and a pubisher called Longman Young (possible a Constable Young merger with another company?)....with so many different publishers, maybe no one in particular ever became strongly invested in him?
Such a pity that the difference between great success just missing it can depend, not on the quality of your work, but on who is selling it!
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Apr 16, 2008 17:42:17 GMT 1
To all who were interested in this thread, I have finally added the adult section to the website, I have most of the books mentioned we have talked about here, also a few more, all gathered together on one web page. If you want to check it out its at: www.ponymadbooklovers.co.uk/page33.htmlHopefully, like me, the list will give you some new reading opportunities. Its still ongoing so if you think of any more titles let me know!
|
|
|
Post by haffyfan on Apr 16, 2008 19:56:47 GMT 1
Wow Thanks Claire...I had no idea Dancer had follows ups....no prizes for what I will be doing in a min.
I noticed you mention Bluegrass by Bordon Deal too. Have you (or anyone else) read it? I bought it ages ago as it sounded excellent but the 'squillions' of pages is rather putting me off starting it and it's firmly at the bottom of the pile!
|
|
|
Post by haffyfan on Apr 16, 2008 20:09:32 GMT 1
You lot are such a bad influence Not only have I ordered abby malone and stagestruck but also Sundancer, which considering I had a wonderful Sundance of my own, I could hardly not have too ;D
|
|
|
Post by Claire on Apr 16, 2008 20:35:31 GMT 1
Haffyfan, your bank manager can blame me for the overdraft! ;D
No I havent read Bluegrass as yet but it has been recommended. I actually love long books as I read so bloomin fast! Have just found a copy of Mary Stewart's Airs Above the Ground at my local library which I am half way thru reading. They also had a copy of Black Horses for the King by Anne McCaffrey, may be interesting as it is putting forward the theory that the Arab blood in our native ponies was introduced not by the horses from the Armada but from some brought across in Arthurian time.
|
|
|
Post by kunuma on Apr 18, 2008 18:50:42 GMT 1
Bluegrass is great, one of the best adult horse books I have read! I even managed to put up with the romance in it, as it is part of the plot.
|
|
|
Post by sarah on Apr 22, 2008 19:44:14 GMT 1
Just reading "Ins and Outs" by Barbara Moss - set in the world of showjumping - big, fat book - so far horse content is fairly accurate (well at any rate the guy warms up his horse before he jumps it)! Bit naughty - think Jilly Cooper.
|
|
|
Post by susanb on Apr 22, 2008 20:14:36 GMT 1
Hi Claire, One more you can add to the list, if you like....Bold Venture (UK title Bluebird) by Dorothy V.S. Jackson (sometimes listed as D.V.S. Jackson). Technically pitched to the older teen, it reads almost as an adult book...here's a bit from blurb from the US dj flap: "Sell him - if you can. He's a devil," they told Johanna the day she first saw the magnificent silver grey and lost her heart to him. "He killed Pat," echoed in her ears as she fell more in love with the horse that was her Uncle Pat's legacy. Hadn't mentioned it before as it's almost impossible to find in the US, so really, what was the point of bringing it up, but while searching for something else, I spotted the UK copy for sale on ebay....no dj unfortunately...would love to know what the UK dj looks like...the US version has nice coloring, but is otherwise nothing to write home about. cgi.ebay.co.uk/Bluebird-by-D-V-S-Jackson_W0QQitemZ300216046252QQcmdZViewItem
|
|