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Post by darkhorse on Feb 19, 2016 22:50:23 GMT 1
I pretty much agree with your assessment of most of the books you've recently read, though not Jump to the Top which I absolutely loved as a child and still like as an adult, although with a lot more reservations. Certainly doesn't have the depth or subtlety of her best work but I think its a classic for what it is. Many moons ago (OMG 8 years ago!!!) we did it as a reading circle book. I've found the link in case you are interested in looking to see what others thought about it and add your own comment/vote. ponybooks.proboards.com/thread/302/jump-topGosh I can't believe that was 8 years ago. I didn't realise the Forum had been going for so long!
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Post by haffyfan on Feb 21, 2016 13:00:01 GMT 1
Gosh 8 years ago, i didn't realise it had been going that long too!
Another who loved jump To The Top as a child and still very fond of it...maybe that's the key, it has to be one you read as a child to enjoy for it's simplicity and pure and simple wish fulfillment; Something that as an adult we are now too 'realistic' to enjoy in the same manner?
I've been re-reading Taking Flight and Grounded, just as good as the first time around.
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Post by Claire on Feb 22, 2016 0:05:47 GMT 1
Its scary how fast time goes. But actually its been 9 years since the forum started!!! Yep we will have our 10th anniversary in 2017 And it's great that we still have some of the founder members who joined right at the beginning. (You know who you are lol).
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Post by trixiepony on Feb 22, 2016 2:10:34 GMT 1
Wow that's grate t been going for so long think I may of joined I don't really know may be 8 or 7 years ago so almost from the beginning. Where there meany in that first right from the beginning group Claire's?.
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Post by foxglove on Feb 22, 2016 14:54:21 GMT 1
Thanks for the link to the old discussion Claire. Perhaps I was judging Jump To The Top a little harshly by comparing it to the subtlety and depth of Leitch's best stuff. Jinny is an equally unlikeable character (her heroines do seem to be intense to the point of obsessive, with hardly any friends, no hobbies outside horses, very sneering of those who live life conventionally and only really interested in people in terms of how they can be useful to her in her obsession), but the Jinny books have more to offer in other terms.
Glad to see I'm not the only one who thinks the name Flicka is already "taken" and that it's not really right for a black pony!
Sad confession: I have a notebook at home with lists of names for nags of all colours, plus "themed" names (ie astronomy/plants etc).
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Post by Claire on Feb 23, 2016 0:19:07 GMT 1
Wow that's grate t been going for so long think I may of joined I don't really know may be 8 or 7 years ago so almost from the beginning. Where there meany in that first right from the beginning group Claire's?. I'll have to check up on the list of members who has been here the longest! Yes I'm sure you were here pretty much from the start Trixie. I think there was only about 7 or 8 for the first few weeks but it soon built up. Sadly not all the 'founder members' still come on here but there are a handful that do, well done on putting up with me all these years you lot! Going back to Leitch, I totally agree that Jump to the Top is not in the same league as some of the Jinny series, Dream of Fair Horses, etc. I don't wholly like Jinny but she's not as irritating as those goody goody characters that seem to be good at everything they do and have no flaws. I like characters to have defects, makes them more human and easier to identify with as God knows I'm not perfect myself haha. Talking about the name Flicka I actually read Jump to the Top before the 'real' Flicka story so it seemed an OK name to me.
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Post by sarah on Feb 28, 2016 16:24:17 GMT 1
That is amazing how time flies - I would never have guessed the forum had been going for that many years.
I've just been reading a book about Desert Orchid and am about to read Pamela and her Pony Flash.
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Post by Claire on Mar 18, 2016 0:21:50 GMT 1
Have just finished They're All Called Wildfire by Nancy Springer, an American pony book author. Wow what a book! Its defo Gold Cup rated. But its also very hard hitting and sad, if not shocking. It's about racism/bigotry. When I read the blurb I thought the book would be set in the 1950s or 60s but it was published in 1989! I was shocked to think that such terrible racism was still going on in the USA then and was wondering if any of the American forumites can tell me if it's sill a big problem there? If so it's certainly a lot worse than it is here. In fact black people don't usually turn a hair here. If we do have a racist problem here its against Pakistanis and Muslims.
I'd recommend the book if you like a weighty, thought provoking read but its not comfort blanket material. I must do a full review of it when I have a spare mo. You can read it free through the Open Library website, which I have posted about in the 'read for free' thread.
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Post by susanb on Mar 18, 2016 3:32:39 GMT 1
I'm pretty sure I've got a Nancy Springer book in my tbr pile, but not that one....will have to push it up the list, I haven't read her work before.
Re racism....it depends a lot on where you live, whether or not you see a lot of overt racism. The US is unique....yes, there is racism here, there isn't any question. But we have a black President, there are black members of Congress and on the high court, my state had black governor (who was popular and would still be in office if he'd decided to run again), black generals/admirals/etc in the Armed Forces.
You might not hear nasty words in the UK, but do minorities hold a lot of positions of power? Racism comes in a lot of different forms....sometimes it's an unconscious bias....people hire/vote for people who look like they do. Sometimes the very advancement of minorities brings the crazies out of the woodwork....comments on news sites since President Obama took office would curl your hair. But he took office because the majority of Americans voted for him. Twice!
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Post by Claire on Mar 18, 2016 23:49:22 GMT 1
Thanks Susan. I actually didn't think racism was an issue in the USA of today with, like you say, so many black people in positions of power - in fact I thought it had mostly gone by the 1970s! So it was a bit of a shock to read about such a concerted campaign of racism as that which happens in the book almost into the 1990s. Oh yes you do hear nasty words in the UK But like I said it's more with the Asian/Muslim community! I've read 2 books by Nancy Springer now (the other one was Sky Rider) and they were both very good. I think there are a couple more on the Open Library site. And I'd be tempted to actually buy (Shock! Horror!) some of her others. Also read another book by an American author recently, The Ghost Pony by Lynne Hall. It's a short book (not much more than a short story really) for younger readers, pretty simple plot but well written and a good read even for an adult. I've read quite a few of Lynne's books and they cover quite a wide range of styles and themes, not to mention age groups.
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Post by susanb on Mar 19, 2016 4:20:50 GMT 1
I think Boy on a Black Horse is the one in my tbr pile....will have to get to it soon (errm....that's a relative term these days!) I knew I knew her name from somewhere other than horse books....more recently she wrote a children's mystery series ...protagonist Enola Holmes....Sherlock's kid sister Very well reviewed and popular Here's a link to her page on Amazon, has a bit of biography for her as well: www.amazon.com/Nancy-Springer/e/B001IQXJVW/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1I actually enjoy Lynn Hall's books for younger readers more than her more young adult work...the ya stuff is excellent, but not exactly comfort reading. I've got Mystery of Pony Hollow/Ghost Pony and Captain, Canada's Pony (the latter is in the same series as Pluto by Ann Colver), and they're both lovely. I'm now fighting the urge to go look for her two other books for that age group. I just bought FIVE job lots of books. And I'd been so good lately, reading and weeding away. I suppose something had to give, but it didn't have to be the Johnstown flood
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Post by Claire on Mar 19, 2016 17:04:27 GMT 1
Ooh Boy on a Black Horse is the one I really want to read by looking at the blurbs. Colt and The Great Pony Hassle are the 2 Nancy Springers on Open Library. Thanks for the link. I noticed she writes a lot of fantasy as well as horse stories. I'm totally and utterly skint at the moment tho so book buying is out of the question. Wonder if it's too early to write to Santa for next Christmas lol.
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Post by susanb on Mar 19, 2016 18:50:16 GMT 1
I know what you mean....I had no intention of buying any books at all, and then that auction came up and I was sunk. Total, with shipping about $96, so not completely insane, but still. One more thing on the credit card bill I've been really good lately about not buying ebooks, but getting them from the library (do they have this at UK libraries yet?), which is a huge savings, and have (till the five job lots) bought very few "real" books in the past year. Sigh...with both rent and my monthly rail pass (necessary to get to work!) going up over 9% this year, I'm going to have to budget ever more carefully!
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Post by Claire on Mar 20, 2016 17:28:35 GMT 1
Yeah our libraries do have e-books to loan which is a good job as our Government seems intent on closing down as many libraries as they can. Unfortunately in my county it's not a great system. The software you need to install has a lot of problems so I've stopped using it.
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Post by susanb on Mar 20, 2016 20:56:48 GMT 1
That's really a pity....ebook prices can gobble up a book budget so quickly, and it feels like throwing money away when it's a book you're going to read only once!
The adobe reader software you have to use for the Barnes and Noble ereader can be a bit of a pain too...I have to admit, I started borrowing far more books from the library when I got a kindle...getting library books for that isn't any more difficult than buying them.
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Post by Claire on Mar 24, 2016 4:34:20 GMT 1
I think the Barnes and Noble e-reader is the same as the one used for the Open Library borrowing. If it is then yep it's a pain! My favourite e-reader is actually Aldiko. Got that one on my tablet as well as the Kindle. What I like about Aldiko is you can read epub in it, I do know how to convert them to mobi files for kindle but it's easier not to have to bother with that. I'm not sure if you can use it on a PC/laptop but it's great for a tablet and very easy to use. Oh while I am here, back to the subject of Glenn Balch. I've posted a shortish review of one of his books on the forum if you are interested Susan (or indeed anyone). Link below: ponybooks.proboards.com/thread/2335/runaways-glenn-balch
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Post by foxglove on Apr 1, 2016 14:56:36 GMT 1
I've had some relaxing days off over Easter and read a couple in my pony backlog.
Adventure On Ponies is aimed at younger readers, but well-written if limited pony content. I bought it because it's set in my native Dorset and had a picture of Corfe Castle on the front. They even visit my home town of Wimborne Minster on their way to the holiday cottage!
I thoroughly enjoyed Misty Of Chincoteague (got a hardback with glorious Wesley Dennis illustrations for Christmas). I adored King Of The Wind when I was young, but never found any of the Misty series. Amazing to look online and see they still swim the ponies each year.
I'm reading the Monica Edwards in order, and finding I prefer the Punchbowl series thus far. Punchbowl Harvest is the latest, which although slight was enjoyable. Interesting to imagine keeping a "tame" fox in poultry country, and instructive to read how phsyically exhausting even a small farm's harvest could be. It's a shame people don't appreciate the effort that goes into food production these days.
Currently reading some fantasy (final Liveship Traders, very good) and history (Alison Weir's biography of Elizabeth I). Apparently the queen read Greek and Latin, spoke fluent French, Italian and Spanish and tried to set aside three hours each day for the reading of historical novels (while running the country). I feel a bit thick in comparison...
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Post by Claire on Apr 1, 2016 23:05:53 GMT 1
Crikey you are keeping busy Foxglove. I love the Marguerite Henry hardbacks. I've got Misty and Stormy in those editions and I'd like to have more of them eventually.
I've been continuing with Snowfall by K M Peyton (non-horsy) which I started reading weeks ago but left in someone's car and just got it back!
I'm also re-reading the Pippa series by JMB, more for a comfort read than anything as life is not a bunch of roses at the minute. The series is quite similar to the Jackie series but Pippa is nowhere near as irritating as Jackie and Babs and not quite such a clot. Also has a main boy character in Pippa's brother Pete.
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Post by Claire on Apr 9, 2016 22:51:53 GMT 1
I've been reading Nobody's Horse (USA title The Georges and the Jewels) by Jane Smiley. I've had this and the next book in series a while but I never got round to reading them even though they had good reviews as thought they may be the usual teen dross. How wrong was I though?! It's very well written and I immediately locked onto the heroine. I feel I need to write a longer review about this one when I have a spare mo. But, if like me you have been put off the book by its pink and glittery exterior (well the UK version is anyhow) or by thinking its a run of the mill teen pulp story, then I'd urge you to give it a try.
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Post by haffyfan on Apr 11, 2016 20:24:49 GMT 1
I enjoyed that one and the next one too but they got a bit holier than thou for my liking and i stopped reading (well buying) the series after no 3 (sorry can't recall titles now).
I like the Pippa books too, but then again i don't mind Jackie either.
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Post by susanb on Apr 11, 2016 21:14:50 GMT 1
I'd have to agree haffy...in fact, I actually just donated the series to my library for their booksale this past weekend. Onto a new owner! My read and weed program now hits major roadblock....library now closed for renovations for year and a half....argh! Oh well, not like I don't have tons to read....it's going to be odd changing gears and reading the stuff I'm pretty sure I'll want to keep instead of the stuff I'm pretty sure I'll want to give away
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Post by Claire on Apr 12, 2016 22:39:34 GMT 1
Aw no, I thought I'd actually found a new series I could enjoy. What's worse is that I thought I had the first 2 books in the series but actually have 1 and 3. Aghh!
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Post by ginslinger on May 22, 2016 22:55:00 GMT 1
Hi, I am reading the Chill Valley Hunt books again and have bought an old hardback of We hunted hounds and an old paperback of Goodbye to Hounds and am having to reorder I carried the horn as they couldn't find it ... but I was wondering if the paperbacks are edited like the early west Barset ones before I cough up for a hard back Goodbye to Hounds which is a lot more than the earlier ones for some strange reason. I suspect it might be since there are a few things that seem to refer to things that aren't mentioned but I am not sure. I don't want anyone to go to a lot of trouble since I think I will want a more robust copy anyway (the old pb threatens to go deciduous at any moment) but it would sugar the pill if I thought I was getting more book,
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Post by Claire on May 24, 2016 21:48:33 GMT 1
Hi, I am reading the Chill Valley Hunt books again and have bought an old hardback of We hunted hounds and an old paperback of Goodbye to Hounds and am having to reorder I carried the horn as they couldn't find it ... but I was wondering if the paperbacks are edited like the early west Barset ones before I cough up for a hard back Goodbye to Hounds which is a lot more than the earlier ones for some strange reason. I suspect it might be since there are a few things that seem to refer to things that aren't mentioned but I am not sure. I don't want anyone to go to a lot of trouble since I think I will want a more robust copy anyway (the old pb threatens to go deciduous at any moment) but it would sugar the pill if I thought I was getting more book, I know that the J. A. Allen editions are definitely revised, though don't know any specifics - I would imagine it would be an updating due to them being published such a long time after the original editions. Not sure about the Armadas (which I have) as I dont have any first editions to compare them with. If anyone else knows please give us the low down As a rule of thumb its always better to get the first edition or as close to the first edition as you can (allowing for how hard it is to find and price of course) It's not just that later copies may be edited but there could be far less illustrations - or even a different illustrator completely. Also the printing gets more faded from each impression - I've seen some later impressions of books where the text looks like almost ghost writing!
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Post by ginslinger on Jun 1, 2016 18:52:22 GMT 1
Thanks Claire. I think I will have to just go for it ... Goodbye to Hounds is falling apart... a fifty year old paperback doesn't stand up to a lot of reading but I managed to get Ist eds of WHH and ICTH for about a tenner including postage each but Goodbye to Hounds is twice that... oh well birthday this month.... I have just got the paperback Six Ponies and that was chopped a lot but I haven't noticed any difference at all between the 1st Ed and Armada Pony club camp I did wonder if they settled into a more modern formula.. or it could be that being set at camp meant it needed less updating I don't think there would have been so much difference between a Pony Club camp in the mid fifties and the late seventies when my paperback was published. Certainly my sister's guide camp circa 198O could have been described similarly minus ponies. All bell tents and very basic washing facilities.
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Post by susanb on Jun 1, 2016 20:37:55 GMT 1
(snicker) - I've always maintained that camping is in essence just moving Housekeeping outdoors, where the dirt and bugs make it all so much more FUN
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Post by ginslinger on Jun 1, 2016 21:16:33 GMT 1
I haven't camped since my Duke of Edinburgh's award when I was at school but I glamped in a Shepherd's hut last year...great fun, I have been looking at tents because there is a literature festival I would like to go to but I am long past sleeping on an inch of Styrofoam. Self inflating giant airbed may be the only way to go
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Post by Claire on Jun 2, 2016 1:21:56 GMT 1
My personal theory about the editing of Six Ponies is that the other books were more humourous, especially Team and Camp and Six Ponies was revised to be more in keeping with spirit of the series. The first edition of Six Ponies was fairly uncompromising at times. There was certainly a very hard hitting scene between the Major and one character at the end of the book (won't say more in case of spoilers) and that was one of the pieces cut out. However it may be completely arbitary. I know for a fact that many of the various Armadas were cut indiscriminately to fit a particular number of pages, with chunks of texted just lifted out! Personally I prefer the Armada version of Six Ponies, probably as it was the one I read in my youth, but I also think it's a bit snappier. As for camping, I've managed to avoid it for forty odd years and have no plans to try it now. I don't like being cold and damp and I'm frightened of insects. If I was a character in an Enid Blyton book I'd be the fussy namby pamby one every one takes the mickey out of.
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Post by ginslinger on Jun 2, 2016 18:57:26 GMT 1
I have to disagree. Obviously the Armada is all I knew but now I have the old one with the lovely Anne Bullen pictures and the extra bits I prefer it. Apart from the odd bits of anthropomorphism which are a bit twee. But admittedly I don't think I would have appreciated them as much as a child - things like Richard being so sneering about not liking Dickens (I loathe Dickens) while he is only ever seen reading cowboy books at home while Hilary is reading Austen and Mendel even when ill. And some of the cut things are a bit dark like the Major in Switzerland pondering the creatures struggling to survive because of the snow that is making everything pretty. I may try and find some of Josephine's books for adults. I like the byways of books as much as the main plots often....
Oh and my shepherds hut had a log burner, a king size bed, huge duvet and access to kitchen and state of art wet room... I coped... . I don't mind insects so much as being too hot and uncertain lavatory arrangements. I also dawdle even when not lame and gone in the wind so would have probably been classed as feeble.
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Post by foxglove on Aug 18, 2016 16:02:15 GMT 1
Read Three To Ride (Armada paperback, picked up cheap) for the first time recently. I had The First Rosette as a young reader, but have only recently read the others in the series. Quite an interesting view into the difficulty of finding work with horses in that era, and how David thinks it's actually easier for female grooms to get live-in stable jobs.
Also read The Ten Pound Pony (hard back with slightly battered dust jacket, but beautiful illustration) which I found charming, although the ending is jarringly contrived.
I don't do camping. My parents worked hard to join the middle classes and enjoy indoor sanitation thank you very much!
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