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Post by sarah on Jan 8, 2010 22:45:15 GMT 1
I've just read Dark Horse (Patience McElwee) and Family in the Saddle (EH Parsons) both of which I enjoyed. Family in the Saddle has illustrations by Joan Wanklyn - whose work I like (although I've read her own book Bobtail Shawn and didn't think her illustrations in that were up to her usual standard).
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Post by exmoorfan on Jan 10, 2010 20:28:10 GMT 1
Rosie Glad you are enjoying Flambards.. Must say I Am finding We met our cousins boring and the children annoying.. Hence a slow read..
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Post by Deleted on Jan 10, 2010 21:21:29 GMT 1
Oh dear, I've got that one to read at some point. Think that will drop down the pile for the moment as I'm soon going to be onto the second flambards. I'm curious about this one as it's not so horsey I believe.
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Post by exmoorfan on Jan 11, 2010 18:21:38 GMT 1
Rosie. Don't take any notice of me. It may just be me. But I found The edge of the cloud a much better read than this one. Maybe because I am reading a childs book and the Flambards ones are for adults.?
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Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2010 19:37:24 GMT 1
I like this thread hearing what we all think about our present reads. I do know what you mean exmoorfan as sometimes a book is so good it's hard for the next one you read to top it....if you see what I mean! I tried to read Stolen Ponies by CPT a few weeks ago. It just bored me and I gave up half way through
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Post by sarah on Jan 11, 2010 20:33:51 GMT 1
I've just read Tall Proud - Vian Smith - really enjoyed it (in fact so much I have just read it in one go despite coming home with a bag full of work to do before tomorrow).
Next on the to-be-read mountain are Pam and Dr. Syntax (Alick Hayes) and Paloma's Daughter (Mary Gibson) - both a bit obscure but they look interesting.
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Post by exmoorfan on Jan 11, 2010 20:50:41 GMT 1
Sarah. Think I may only have Come down the mountain with that authour.? will have to look again.. Oh well will plough on with cousins Hope I read it soon ( not a hope) Want to move on..lol
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Post by exmoorfan on Jan 13, 2010 16:30:43 GMT 1
Read it..lol... Anyway am now reading Belles's bridle...!! Oh dear. Well the story is readable.... Not sure about the religious aspect.? .. hmm..Getting through it faster than Cousins anyway.. lol... I am fussy.. lol hehe
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Post by susanb on Jan 13, 2010 18:02:22 GMT 1
Sarah....I loved Tall and Proud, one of my favorite books from childhood, so much so that I own all three editions (UK hardcover, titled Kim Sam, and US hardcover and paperback, both titled Tall and Proud)....and I rarely allow myself even two copies of a book (space, it's all about space!), let alone three!
My other favorite is a bit of an oddball...more of a rescue book than a riding one, called The Secret Horse by Marion Holland....if you haven't already got it, I'd recommend it, especially if you can find it cheaply. Not as much depth as the Vian Smith books, but good fun, with two girls stealing...err...I mean rescuing :-) ..... an abandoned horse from a rescue center (one designed to hold cats and dogs, so they're sure he's destined to be destroyed pretty quickly).
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Post by Deleted on Jan 13, 2010 19:46:18 GMT 1
Well done for sticking it out to the end exmoorfan I'm going to read We met our cousins when I've finished The edge of the cloud. I've just got my Flambards DVds and watched the first episode last night...it's good!
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Post by Claire on Jan 13, 2010 21:32:53 GMT 1
I quite like Our Cousins, have to re-read it again soon as I want to read London Pride (the sequel) and I am a bit obsessional with reading series in order. I am having a bit of a break from pony books and reading an adult book or two. Then waiting for 3 Monica Edwards books to arrive so I can finish off the Romney Marsh books (alas have not been able to read them in order cos never had them all and have had to sell the rarer ones when I've read them ) Oh almost forgot to say when i was reading More Ponies for Jean there was a character in it who had learnt to ride on a cow....does that sound familiar to anyone? ;D
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Post by exmoorfan on Jan 15, 2010 10:24:21 GMT 1
Rosie am envious you got the DVD's.. Must try to remember to buy them.. Claire I know lots have recommended Cousins hence I couldn't fathom why I didn't like it. What Monica's are you waiting for.? I'm the same about reading in order. Monica's run in two series so harder to do this with collecting them. Read Runaway Riders last night... Really enjoyed it. I like the fact the children really cared about the ponies.It was different and am impressed the author ( Bernagh Brims ) wrote when only 15yrs old..!
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Post by Claire on Jan 15, 2010 15:06:58 GMT 1
exmoorfan, the ones I'm waiting for are No Going Back, A Wind is Blowing and Hidden in a Dream. I defintely havent read A Wind is Blowing (been dying to read it since you and kunuma were so impressed by it), if I read the other 2 it was yonks ago and I can't remember them at all. Looking forward to a Monica-fest when they arrive
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Post by exmoorfan on Jan 15, 2010 23:53:37 GMT 1
Claire all three are a fab read in my opinion.. They are based with the Sussex series.. I must say if you have read all of them and love the characters. A wind is blowing seems to mean more. I was sorry it was her last when I read it.?
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Post by exmoorfan on Jan 19, 2010 11:08:13 GMT 1
Rosie / claire. How many episodes are there in the Flambards. DVD's.? Seem to vary in the offerings.!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2010 13:38:11 GMT 1
Hi exmoorfan Disc 1 has a feature-length compilation version of the first 2 episodes. It also has the first two episodes in full length versions as well. Disc 2 has 4 episodes Disc 3 has 3 episodes Disc 4 has 4 episodes Hope that makes sense
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2010 13:39:22 GMT 1
And I'm reading We met our Cousins
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Post by exmoorfan on Jan 19, 2010 17:56:23 GMT 1
Thanks Rosie...I've just ordered 13 episodes in pal.. They seemed a bargain and I have a video as well .. Are you liking cousins.? I've just read another beryl Bye called Pony for sale.. And am nearly through Queen Rider which is fab..
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Post by Deleted on Jan 19, 2010 19:20:44 GMT 1
Erm..well not much no! It's O.K., but like you I've found the children really irritating. I do love the illustrations by Anne Bullen though. They are lovely I really liked Edge of the Cloud even though there wasn't any horse action ;D I hope you enjoy the TV series. I haven't watched all of it yet as I've got to read Flambards in Summer next. I like to read the book first before watching the DVD
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Post by exmoorfan on Jan 20, 2010 11:51:48 GMT 1
Yes I like to read the books first too.. Yes i think reading all the series makes it a lovely continuing story.. ;D Going to start on The sound of Distant Cheering now..
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Post by haffyfan on Jan 20, 2010 20:22:18 GMT 1
Glad you liked Queen rider!
Just read the Saturday Horse...definatly forgetable although I always quite liked the switch horse as a child. Also read Winning Rider which was predictable but margionally better and more believable!
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Post by Claire on Jan 21, 2010 22:54:38 GMT 1
Funnily enough I much preferred The Saturday Horse to the other ones.
A bit annoyed as I wanted to read the 3 Monica Edwards I had ordered in the right order but the one that comes first out of the 3 has not even been posed yet despite ordering it before the other 2 on the 8th (Amazon) and the other 2 arrived a few days ago. So I am wondering what to read whilst waiting for it.
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Post by Claire on Jan 25, 2010 20:00:40 GMT 1
Decided to read We Met Our Cousins again so I could then read London Pride (the sequel) which I've had for ages but not got round to reading. Unlike exmoorfan and rosie I do like Cousins. I find it readable and humourous. The children are slightly irritating but not too bad and their bickering is quite realistic. I also like the Scottish setting.
Its the adults in the book that really annoy me (except the Scottish ones) The nanny is truly awful the way she makes Antonia and John give in to the horrid brat Robin all the time. And what is it about fictional parents and India? If you were to go by childrens books of the times it seems like half of the country's population was over in India throughout the 30s and 40s, farming out their kids on various friends and relatives. What gets me is the mother writing to them from India telling them they are going to stay in Scotland to improve their characters, when it is her neglect of them which has turned them into the type of children they are!
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Post by Claire on Jan 28, 2010 15:40:13 GMT 1
Finally read London Pride. Quite enjoyed it. Slightly more horsy than its predecessor as the kids rescue a pony and they bicker less so it may not grate so much on the people who found the kids annoying in the first book. But I still slightly prefer Cousins perhaps for the Scottish setting.
Don't like the bit where she is trying to train her little puppy to be a working terrier and kill things. Yuk!
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2010 17:25:01 GMT 1
I have London Pride to read. I'll give it a whirl and see if I like it better than We met our cousins.
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Post by susanb on Jan 28, 2010 18:35:09 GMT 1
I really enjoyed both We Met Our Cousins and London Pride.....looks like a) I'm in the minority and b) Fidra picked the wrong books to start their Joanna Cannan line with....probably should have gone with A Pony for Jean or Gaze at the Moon......
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Post by Deleted on Jan 28, 2010 18:59:45 GMT 1
It's funny you should say that susanb. I wonder why Fidra chose Easter the Showjumper? I was really disappointed by it and Claire said it's not the best of her books.
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Post by Claire on Jan 28, 2010 19:14:08 GMT 1
Personally I agree that it would have been better for them to have chosen Gaze at the Moon, They Bought Her a Pony or I Wrote a Pony Book as these are much the best of her books. But they possibly chose the others as they were less horsy and had a wider appeal.
Although I think they do a great job, I don't always agree with the choice of the books they pick. Easter is a good point, Rosie, its probably the weakest in the series. I agree with Six Ponies as this is quite hard to find but why Pony Club Team as this is easy to get hold of. Also the Jill books, as these are very easy to find, even the hardbacks with the originally text and pics are reasonably easy. I realise some of its got to be commercial as they are a business after all but I think there are some really good very hard to find books out there which may be better choices. Actually this would make a good thread - rare books we think should be reprinted. They did do well in printing Silver Snaffles tho!
On the whole I prefer GGB as they seem to pick better books - IMHO anyway. The very hard to find Monica Edwards ones for example. I'm just hoping they do The Wild One as I have had to sell both copies of that i had (needed the dosh!) and its my fav book of hers.
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Post by kunuma on Feb 7, 2010 17:43:35 GMT 1
I have just finished re reading the whole Saddleclub series - I'm not doing that again! All I can say now, is does anyone want a cheap set of Saddleclub books!!! All 120 odd of them!!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2010 18:36:52 GMT 1
Absolutely no way! I think you deserve a medal for ploughing through that lot!
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