alsvidur's 2023 list

Hello! I'm back again for 2023 - the 14th time. I'm Emilie. I'm a veterinary nurse at an emergency hospital in Michigan USA who rides horses and reads for fun.

I mostly read romance, kid's books (YA to picture books), and non-fiction about horses and history.

Welcome back for another year! I hope it’s a great one.

Wishing you a comfortable reading year in 2023, Emilie.

Welcome back! Have a great year of reading!

Happy New Year, Emilie!

2-5: Thank you!



Book #: 1
Title: Loathe at First Sight
Author: Suzanne Park
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Melody Joo is one of the few women and few minorities at her new video game development job. When she ends up having to develop a new game based on one her her ideas - that her boss thinks will fail and doesn't really support - just to give the company a PR boost, Melody decides that she's going to kick butt and make the game succeed. She gets some help from friends including the intern, who happens to be her boss's nephew.

I may be outgrowing romances involving 20-somethings, but this one was still amusing and girl-power-filled.



Book #: 2
Title: Talk Bookish to Me
Author: Kate Bromley
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Kara's on a tight deadline to finish her book, and her best friend is getting married next week. Her first love shows up in the bridal party and becomes a writing muse. How does Kara balance the need to write and the need to protect her heart?

Sometimes you want to shake characters. Even so, I enjoyed the plot.



Book #: 3
Title: Blaze Finds the Trail
Author: CW Anderson
Genre: Picture book, pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1950
Acquisition: 9 months ago
Rating: 3.5

Billy takes his pony Blaze on a trail ride but gets lost.

CW Anderson is one of the best horse book illustrators. His usual hyperbole about thoroughbreds doesn't make it into this book, so it's a nice story about a boy and his pony.



Book #: 4
Title: Big Red
Author: CW Anderson
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction, pony book
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1943
Acquisition: 9 months ago
Rating: 4.5

Man o'War was one of the greatest racehorses in the USA. Anderson writes a biography for kids while managing to spell out why he thinks Man o'War was so great in each category of judgement - speed, endurance, weight-carrying ability, quality as a sire, etc.

It's so neat to find a book about Man o'War written while he was still alive. The discussion about his superiority is slightly tempered, but still enthusiastic (it *is* written by CW Anderson, after all). His races are briefly described; there were so many races where he only raced one or two other horses, and it's neat to read what was written about the competitors' owners while they were alive and able to respond. There's loads of information about Man o'War's offspring and how the author thought they might develop. This was a surprisingly good find.

Happy New Year Emilie.
I've been known to enjoy a book featuring horses from time to time. I'm especially interested in reading both fiction and nonfiction about the horses taken from New Zealand and Australia to fight in the Sinai & Palestine campaigns during WW1.
The horses weren't able to be returned at the end of the war and their fates were less than stellar.

I'd love to find a copy of Man O' War - one of my all-time favorites (and a wonderful author too)! Happy New Year!

>7 avatiakh:: The use of horses and other animals in the military is a topic I really enjoy too!

>8 DFED:: I got this copy at the Black Swan in Lexington. I *think* Loch Lea Antiques in Paris got a bunch of CW Anderson right before the holidays, but I might be mistaken.

I don't think that I've ever been there - judging from their Facebook page, that place looks dangerous!! :)

Happy reading in 2023, Emilie!

>10 DFED:: Oh, both places are! Both proprietors are super nice and the selection is to die for.



Book #: 5
Title: Pilot the Hunter
Author: HM Peel
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 1962
Acquisition: 9 months ago
Rating: 4

This one starts as pony books do - a girl buys a rank horse and through her magical riding ability tames it when all else said it was impossible. Ann buys a piebald at auction, works with him, and turns him into a hunter. The horse is so good that Ann decides to try him at point-to-point racing. In the meantime, she meets her brother's roommate and starts a romance. (She is 19, not 12.)

This book is amazing. It has the standard tropes but because the protagonist is older than most pony book heroines, there are some amazing moments. Pilot is SO wonderful that after only a day of Jim knowing Ann, a single ride on Pilot causes Jim to propose. When Pilot wins his races, the purse money goes towards buying their own place. This is actually the first in a series. I'm assuming that in later books, they marry and win the Grand National and everything else they try a hand at. This one also tossed in some bits of horse keeping knowledge (I really love it when books do this); a lot of it is terribly outdated, but it's a time capsule of horse care.

Quiet over here in the last week, Emilie. You must be reading up a storm?!

>#13: Yep. I slacked on posting so much last year that I forgot to log a bunch of books, so I'm trying to go for once weekly posts.



Book #: 6
Title: People We Meet on Vacation
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Poppy and Alex are best friends who see each other every year for a summer vacation - until the year they ruined it. Poppy misses Alex, so she tries to make it right after convincing him to take one more vacation with her.

Interesting character growth, some serious reflection, a bit of Italy and romance.



Book #: 7
Title: Dating You Hating You
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Carter and Evie just start dating when their competing Hollywood agencies merge. Their crazy new boss pits them against each other for a single job. Fun fluff.



Book #: 8
Title: You Couldn't Ignore Me If You Tried: The Brat Pack, John Hughes, and Their Impact on a Generation
Author: Susannah Gora
Genre: Non-fiction, film
Classification: 791 / PN
Pub date: 2011
Acquisition: 3 months ago
Rating: 4

The title kind summarizes it all by itself. I love 80s teen movies and I needed something to read a page or so at a time on work breaks. There were several times I picked up a fun fact that started discussions with similarly aged coworkers.



Book #: 9
Title: Stuck With You
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Rating: 2.5

Sadie is trapped in an elevator with a former fling - who happened to betray her and steal her clients right after they had hooked up.

This novella was so short that it was tough to really know the characters, but it wasn't bad by any means.



Book #: 10
Title: Duke, Actually
Author: Jenny Holiday
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 4

Dani's best friend is getting married - to European royalty. The best man wants to meet up with her to start coordinating. Dani and Max end up becoming best friends and then a bit more.

It took me a few tries to get over the ridiculousness of a made-up country in a holiday romance (I am not one for Hallmark movies), but once I got started this was an enjoyable book with characters who really supported each other.

Whatever works, Emilie.

If you manage 5 books every week you'll finish up with a big total and a huge thread!

Book #: 11
Title: Pride Prejudice and other Flavors
Author: Sonali Dev
Genre: Fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 2

A P&P retelling with Trisha, a doctor from a large Indian family, and DJ, a poorer London immigrant chef.

Not very fluffy, not very romancey, but aside from being not what I was looking for or expecting, it wasn't terrible - it just dragged towards the end. Lots of family drama.



Book #: 12
Title: The Riding Instructor's Manual
Author: Gordon Wright
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1975
Acquisition: 2 years ago
Rating: 4

Wright was one of the best hunter-jumper riders and teachers in the US. He laid out a system of what to teach and when, covering from the first lesson up to >4ft competitors. There were little tips in each chapter, but the best part was a breakdown of sample lessons at each level.



Book #: 13
Title: It Happened One Summer
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Piper (based off of Alexis Rose in Schitt's Creek) is banished from LA to a small fishing town to 'learn the value of money'. With her sister Hannah, Piper refurbishes her late father's bar and starts to integrate into the town. She catches the eye of one of the fishermen while there.

A nice romance with some spice.



Book #: 14
Title: Make Me: Broke and Beautiful #3
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2015
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 2

Abby is struggling with Wall Street work stuff. Her friends are trying to help, but can't seem to reach her. Russell, who has been friend-zoned, is trying to get his life together to support Abby in the future.

Russell has some Issues-with-a-capital-I. It made things a little unpleasant.

Book #: 15
Title: My Little Golden Book About Betty White
Author: Deborah Hopkinson
Genre: Picture book
Classification: 791 / PN
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 4

Cute biography about a girl who wanted to become an actress and help animals. (Yes, I know it's Betty White, but for little kids it's a nice story.)



Book #: 16
Title: My Little Golden Book About Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Author: Shana Corey
Genre: Picture book
Classification: 347 / PN
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 3.5

Intro to standing up for what's right without getting angry. Slightly bland, but something I would still read to little kids.

So my local Barnes & Noble lost their lease. It was made public just a few days ago and they will be closed by the 14th this month. Their remaining stock is 40-50% off, so my husband and I went out (on our anniversary!) to do some shopping. The books above will be gifted instead of kept.

As an aside, as much as I hate to see any bookstore close, this location has steadily gone downhill over the past 20 years. There is little stock, zero help, and half of the store was toys and games. They stocked a total of 4 horse books at any given time. The kids section was all commercial media-tie-ins. Most books faced out, so there wasn't a lot of variety on the shelves. They removed shelving units so it was empty space. etc, etc. The last time I went a few weeks ago, there was nothing interesting ( - in a bookstore! - ) for me to buy. ANYWAYS, I went to a different B&N location afterwards since they didn't have any Nooks. My Nook is starting to literally crumble and fall apart after 13 years. I have one remaining working button. The new B&N I stopped at was one of the first of their new design - very few different titles stocked, clean/open space, etc. I was pleasantly surprised that they still had a lot that was on my wish list.

More books I picked up to gift.



Book #: 17
Title: Go, Dog. Go!
Author: PD Eastman
Genre: Board book
Classification: 428 / PZ
Pub date: 1961
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 3.5

Dogs drive fast.



Book #: 18
Title: It's Not Easy Being a Bunny
Author: Marilyn Sadler
Genre: Board book
Classification: 428 / PZ
Pub date: 2020 - abridged
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 4

This is very nostalgic, so this is hard. The board book edition has been abridged. Sadness. PJ is sick of being a rabbit, so he tries to be different species.



Book #: 19
Title: Big Dog...Little Dog
Author: PD Eastman
Genre: Picture book
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 1973
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 4.5

THIS is the PD Eastman book I remember reading as a tiny person. Fred and Ted are dogs who like and do opposite things.

Book #: 20
Title: Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Josh and Hazel are best friends. They most definitely do *not* like each other. At all.

This one was a lovely surprise. I liked the characters, the romance, and the humor. It's one of my favorite Christina Lauren books so far.



Book #: 21
Title: Mermaid Inn
Author: Jenny Holiday
Genre: Fiction, contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2

Eve inherits her aunt's inn and has to move back to the small town she grew up in to repair it and sell it. She's been gone 10 years to avoid running into her old boyfriend who broke her heart in high school. That old boyfriend is now the police chief in Moonflower Bay.

Very little spice - pretty bland there - but cute enough story. 'Wholesome' is the word I'm looking for.



Book #: 22
Title: If I Ran the Horse Show: All About Horses
Author: Bonnie Worth
Genre: Picture book/I-Can-Read
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 2012
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 3.5

There aren't a lot of non-fiction books for the early readers. This one was done well with a rhyming scheme, and had illustrations featuring the Cat in the Hat characters.



Book #: 23
Title: Below Zero
Author: Ali Hzaelwood
Genre: Contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 4

Hannah is on a work expedition and gets into a tight spot (haha, see what I did there?). Her rescuer ends up being her work nemesis - the guy who tried to shut her project down and derail her career.



Book #: 24
Title: My Killer Vacation
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Contemporary romance, mystery
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 3

Taylor finally goes on vacation but finds as dead guy in her rental home on the beach. The cops aren't moving as fast as Taylor wants, so she starts investigating things herself. A bounty hunter hired by the dead man's sister keeps interrupting Taylor.

Well, that was an interesting relationship between the commitment-phobic bounty hunter and the prim school teacher. At least it was consensual? The cozy mystery part was fun though.



Book #: 25
Title: The Perfect Escape
Author: Suzanne Park
Genre: YA
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: 3 days ago
Rating: 4

Nate and Kate are zombie-loving friends, both hard-up for cash. Nate needs the money to help save his parents' house and Kate needs to get away from her controlling father. When a survival competition offers 50k in winnings, they enter as a team.

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Book #: 26
Title: The Deal
Author: Elle Kennedy
Genre: Contemporary romance/new adult
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2015
Acquisition: 4 years ago
Rating: 4

Hannah tutors the college hockey team captain in exchange for fake dates to help catch the attention of a guy she's crushing on. Yes, all the tropes are there, but it was surprisingly good with well-rounded characters. I get why it's so popular on social media.



Book #: 27
Title: I'll Be Yours
Author: Jenny B Jones
Genre: YA
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2016
Acquisition: 4 years ago
Rating: 3

Harper is the football coach's daughter and she tutors the football star. They find out they have way more in common than thought. While this technically fits the romance category requirements, it's really more of a drama. Infidelity affecting families, religion, domestic abuse, adoption, friends supporting each other...there's some heavy topics in here.

I enjoyed Josh and Hazel and Below Zero, too. I've read I think three Tessa Bailey books so far and at this point I think I'm done with her -- Fix Her Up was one of my worst books of last year.

>22 curioussquared:: Tessa Bailey books are so weird - they can be funny, steamy, and follow a good plot, or they can definitely not be. There are so many books of her that I'd like to try, but I don't want to get halfway through and be stuck with something that squicks me out.



Book #: 28
Title: A Princess for Christmas
Author: Jenny Holiday
Genre: Contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Leo's driving his cab around and is convinced by his little sister to stop and pick up a lady in distress. The lady ends up being Marie, the princess of Eldovia. Leo is commissioned to drive her around for the rest of the week.

I think I liked Duke, Actually (the second in the series) a bit better. Marie felt a bit flat to me.



Book #: 29
Title: Waiting for Tom Hanks
Author: Kerry Winfrey
Genre: Contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Annie is obsessed with romcoms and wants to work in movies. When she gets a connection to work on a movie set, she jumps at it - and crashes right into the hero of the movie. She wants a Tom Hanks guy though - not a prankster hot-shot actor.



Book #: 30
Title: Very Sincerely Yours
Author: Kerry Winfrey
Genre: Contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Teddy has based her life around what others want ever since her parents divorced when she was a kid. When her boyfriend breaks up with her (she thought he was going to propose), her friends help her get back on track and try to figure out what she wants to do. Teddy emails the lead of her comfort tv show and becomes penpals.

Book #: 31
Title: The Mistake
Author: Elle Kennedy
Genre: Contemporary romance/new adult
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2015
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Rating:2.5

Grace is willing to step out of her shell a bit at college, but when hockey-team-star Logan ghosts her after hooking up, she writes him off. Logan really falls for her though, and tries to win her back as well as prep for taking over his family's business instead of going pro.

I read this last week and completely forgot both the characters and plot until I looked it up again, so it's a bit forgettable.



Book #: 32
Title: The Soulmate Equation
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Jess loves numbers almost as much as she loves her kid. When she submits her info to a gene & numbers based matchmaking site on a whim, she ends up with an unheard of high match with the founder of the company. The company wants her to go on dates with him for PR reasons.

Light rom-com read that hits the requirements



Book #: 33
Title: Something Wilder
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Lily's dad left her to hunt treasure in the American southwest. She is now stuck cashing in on her famous name by guiding dudes through adventure trips until one trip includes 'the guy who got away' and his friends. The trip turns into a real treasure hunt.

I love the addition of adventure to the rom-com. Even the worst Christina Lauren book I've read still comes in at a 3; I'll start actively looking for more of theirs.



Book #: 34
Title: Something in the Heir
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Genre: Historical fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

Will and Emmie have been married for awhile. Theirs was a marriage of convenience to keep her house. Also in the contract to keep the house though was a clause that they had to have kids. Emmie made up 2 children in letters to be able to keep the house once she knew she wasn't going to have kids of her own. Now, her grandfather the duke wants to SEE the kids. Emmie and Will decide to borrow a pair from the orphanage.

This was more of a general fiction book although it TECHNICALLY fits the romance category. While I don't mind the predictability of it all, I do mind it when the characters are SO blindingly stupid that it hurts to read. Thankfully, that part only lasted the first half of the book.



Book #: 35
Title: Penguin Problems
Author: Jory John
Genre: Picture book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2016
Acquisition: Reread
Rating: 3.5

Penguin complains about everything until a walrus comes over to tell him to appreciate the little things.



Book #: 36
Title: Sally Goes to the Vet
Author: Stephen Huneck
Genre: Picture book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2004
Acquisition: Reread
Rating: 4.5

Sally the dog goes to the vet. I'd love to have a copy for the clinic; it's done with understanding and empathy.

I thought Something Wilder was so much fun! I think it's my favorite Christina Lauren and I want a movie of it, lol.

And for something completely different - I decided to DNF a book. I'm being super brave here. Usually I just stop reading and leave a bookmark in it to come back to at some time in the future, but as this is a library book, I'm just calling it.



Book #: XXX
Title: The Road Trip
Author: Beth O'Leary
Genre: Fiction
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: Library
Rating: DNF

The heroine and hero fell in love a few years ago in France. They end up being stuck on a road trip together while going to the wedding of a mutual friend. There are assorted side characters (some very likable, some very not).

It was a fairly serious book for something marketed as a rom-com, and I couldn't take any more "feelings" and "drama" instead of plot. It was making me dread reading, so I went on to the next library book. It's the type of book my mother would love, not me, so if you like less laughter and more drama, this will probably suit you.

>25 curioussquared:: Yes, I agree! A movie would be terrific! I just finished it a few hours ago, so we'll have to see how it sits, but I really can't fault it. I should probably rate it a bit higher than a 4.

>26 alsvidur: Honestly I wish I had DNFed this one. I love love LOVE all three of O'Leary's other books but this one was just awful. There were a few OK bits but you made the right choice IMO.

>27 alsvidur: I think I rated it a 4 too and maybe was a little too harsh as well. It was just so much fun; I think I listened to it all in one go while doing a puzzle on a weekend.

Book #: 37
Title: Horse Showing for Kids
Author: Cheryl Kimball
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2004
Acquisition: 8 years ago
Rating: 2

I am not a child so I am not the target audience, but as an instructor it was "ok". The basics were there. A lot of the book was talking about how to groom your horse, how to train them to trailer, what leasing a horse is, etc, instead of showing. While I wish it was more was focused on actual showing, most adults in the child's circle would be handling all the details I guess. I may end up donating this one.



Book #: 38
Title: Well Traveled: (Well Met #4)
Author: Jen DeLuca
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Lulu has a mini breakdown and quits her job. Her new friends hire her on their RenFaire circuit. There's some romance as well, but it's super well balanced with Lulu's growth and fun side characters.

Book #: 39
Title: The Undertaking of Hart and Mercy
Author: Megan Bannen
Genre: Romance, sci fi
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 2

In a sci-fi land, Mercy is an undertaker and Hart is a type of sheriff that battles ghouls and takes the ghouls' victims' bodies to be sent back home via funeral homes. Mercy and Hart do not get along - Hart is a "lone wolf" and Mercy is bubbly and kind.

There was nothing wrong with the book itself and it should get a better rating; it's not the fault of the book that sci-fi isn't my cup of tea.



Book #: 40
Title: A Shadow in the Ember: Flesh and Fire #1
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 4.5

Prequel series to the Blood and Ash series

Seraphina is the one prophesies have been telling about. She is to marry Death in return for a bargain made by her ancestors. No one except a very few know that she needs to kill Death to save her kingdom from ruin. Trained to seduce and then murder, Seraphina considers herself a monster.



Book #: 41
Title: A Light in the Flame: Flesh and Fire #2
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 4.5

Death knows that Seraphina meant to kill him, and he's not happy with her. She needs his help to kill the false god of Life though - and to survive the ordeal that's about to occur to her.



Book #: 42
Title: The Shadows Between Us
Author: Tricia Levenseller
Genre: YA romance, fantasy
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Alessandra is determined to woo the Shadow King, marry him, kill him, and steal his kingdom. Not to rescue it or anything standard, but straight up for the power. Too bad she keeps having to rescue him from dying before the wedding first.

The concept is really cool - the evil queen is a person: how does the romance work? what relationships with others are affected? etc



Book #: 43
Title: Ship Wrecked
Author: Olivia Dade
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Maria's one-night stand appears the next day as her coworker actor. Both Maria and Peter try to be professional for the run of their TV show, but once filming ends they need to figure out how to balance their careers with each other.

Although this is a stand alone, there are side characters that have appeared in Dade's other novels. The background plots are amusing and flow into the actual plot well.



Book #: 44
Title: Neon Gods
Author: Katee Robert
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

Inventive retelling of Hades and Persephone



Book #: 45
Title: Electric Idol: Dark Olympus #2
Author: Katee Robert
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Inventive retelling of Psyche and Eros



Book #: 46
Title: Take a Hint, Dani Brown
Author: Talia Hibbert
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Zaf needs to fake a relationship with a coworker to keep publicity going for his charity. Dani has sworn off romance, but she could do with a friends-with-benefits situation. Zaf is a romantic though, so he's not exactly prime material for Dani's plans.

I'm impressed by how well Hibbert handled modern day issues without beating the reader over the head with them. It's a sweet story too, and I'll look for the other books in the series.



Book #: 47
Title: Rings of Fire: Dressage Chronicles #4
Author: Karen McGoldbrick
Genre: Fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 4.5

Lizzy is a working student/groom for a Grand Prix dressage trainer. Her barn has moved back to New Jersey for the summer and things are looking up until something happens that rocks the stability of the farm.

I truly love this series' realism, and even though I don't think #4 is the strongest one, I still highly recommend the series to any horse person.

Book #: 48
Title: A Parent's Guide to Riding Lessons
Author: Elise Chand
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2009
Acquisition: 4 years ago
Rating: 3

I think the main focus should have been 'Are they having fun and being safe?'. I don't think parents evaluating the footing and requiring a round pen are the landmarks the author thinks they are, but those are tiny quibbles I guess. While I might not agree on some points, this isn't a worthless book for parents. I think a general 'intro to horses' book would be a better fit for parents looking to connect with their child. Once a kid gets into showing, parents will need more information than this book gives them.



Book #: 49
Title: King of Battle and Blood: Adrian x Isolde #1
Author: Scarlett St James
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Isolde is forced to marry the vampire king to save her kingdom. She tries to survive the court and war while figuring out why Adrian chose her as queen.

This series is more than decent. (I hope I don't forget about it before the 3rd book comes out in a few years....!) Yes, there are some spicy scenes, but the plot turns out to be killer, and I really want to know how it ends up unfolding. The world-building is robust. I might even buy a copy of this one for a re-read.



Book #: 50
Title: Queen of Myth and Monsters: Adrian x Isolde #2
Author: Scarlett St James
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Isolde now has trust in Adrian, but needs to figure out how to save her people and how it relates to events that happened 200 years ago.



Book #: 51
Title: Court of the Vampire Queen
Author: Katee Robert
Genre: Romance, fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 1.5

Mina, half-human and half-vampire, escapes from her father by being given to another powerful vampire, who shares her with his friends. (Yep.)

This reads like a book made from a bad fanfic serial. There is about 50-100 pages of smut followed by 2-5 pages of plot, 50 pages of smut, 2-5 pages of plot, etc etc. There is little cohesion and the romance did not feel seamless even though it is supposed to be integral to the plot. I would like to say it's just not my cup of tea (I wouldn't have picked this up but a friend recommended it), but I couldn't get into this at all. It seemed sparse. I didn't care for the main character. Her desire for pregnancy but little thought for the resulting child is concerning. The history of the lore and vampire families isn't explored. It's just weird.



Book #: 52
Title: Secretly Yours
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Hallie almost kissed Julian when she was in high school and has nursed a crush on his since. When straight-laced Julian returns to town, carefree gardener Hallie is hired by his family's vineyard. Julian thinks he might be falling for Hallie, but an anonymous letter from a secret admirer is distracting him.

A serviceable rom-com palate cleanser.

The books keep coming , Emilie.

Have a lovely weekend.

I did it again - procrastinated a month's worth of reading and logging - making it much worse

Buy a Horse Book Day was May 10th. I did not buy *a* horse book of course; I bought a dozen. I even won a free autographed copy of Charlotte Dujarden's autobiography Girl on a Dancing Horse!

Had to buy digital copies of the Outlander series - my hand has gotten so bad that I can't hold a thick book open anymore. Thought that wouldn't happen until my 70s, but my accident a few years ago messed me up pretty well. I was using a super old Nook for ages and had to replace/upgrade it this year. It seems to glitch a lot, and the pop-ups whener it loses an internet connection are irritating. Does anyone has an opinion on other e-readers? I'd rather not support Amazon by getting a Kindle.



Book #: 53
Title: Get a Life, Chloe Brown
Author: Talia Hibbert
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Chloe has always been battling chronic illness, but she decides to break out of her shelter and do a 'bucket list'. She enlists her neighbor to help her.



Book #: 55
Title: Act Your Age, Eve Brown
Author: Talia Hibbert
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Eve tends to be flighty and unreliable. She gets kicked out of her home and lands on her feet managing a B&B.



Book #: 56
Title: Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Fiction, historical / romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1991
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 4

Claire falls through a stone circle into 1740s Scotland



Book #: 57
Title: Dragonfly in Amber
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Fiction, historical / romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1992
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 4

Claire and Jamie go to France to stop the fall of Prince Charles/destruction of the Scottish clans



Book #: 58
Title: Voyager
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Fiction, historical / romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1994
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 4

Claire learns that Jamie is still alive and goes back in time again, only to be swept up in the Caribbean while rescuing his nephew

Book #: 59
Title: Drums of Autumn
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Fiction, historical / romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1996
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 4

Brianna goes back in time.



Book #: 60
Title: The Firey Cross
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Fiction, historical / romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2001
Acquisition: 9 years ago/2 weeks ago digital edition
Rating: 4

The Frasers continue to settle their home, the men try to get revenge upon Stephen Bonnet, and they prep for the war.

I'm also someone who doesn't love giving Amazon my money, but I love my Kindle Paperwhite too much to quit it. For the most part I only buy Kindle books when they're deeply discounted, or I get ebooks from my libraries. Not sure how much of an effect that has on Amazon, but it makes me feel better. I've heard mostly positive things about Kobos but have never used one. My main concern would be the library thing -- I'm not sure most libraries buy ebooks in formats other than kindle format very much? But I would ask a librarian because I don't know much about it.

From your recent reading, I really enjoyed the Brown sisters books and I'm very slowly working my way through the Outlander books and show -- book 5 is next for me.

>35 curioussquared:: I hadn't considered the library issue. I don't use my library for digital books - yet. I should look into this; thanks! I've tried rereading the series several times but always got stuck about 200-250 pages into #5. This is the first time I've been able to get past the Proper Name Soup that is the wedding and into the meat of the story. (I had to write down all the names and identifying info to keep them all straight, but it became unnecessary after that bit.) I'm so glad I finally did it. I'm behind on the show. I stopped watching after the first episode of season 5 since I wanted to read the book before watching the show. Now I'm going to try balancing watching #5 while reading #7. We'll see how that works out, haha!



Book #: 61
Title: A Breath of Snow and Ashes
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Fiction, historical / romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2008
Acquisition: 9 years ago/3 weeks ago digital edition
Rating: 4

While Jamie walks the line between joining the winning side and being hanged for treason, Claire deals with the homestead and being accused of murder, Roger becomes a minister, and Brianna handles Stephen Bonnet.



Book #: 62
Title: Pony Panorama
Author: Norman Thelwell
Genre: Humor
Classification: 741 / NC
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: 3 weeks ago
Rating: 3.5

Humorous illustrations and comics regarding little girls and their ponies

Book #: 63
Title: The Boyfriend Candidate
Author: Ashley Winstead
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Alexis has a one-night stand but is caught by photographers being carried out of the hotel - the guy she's with is apparently running for governor. It's better optics for his campaign to be dating instead of being a rake, so his campaign offers Alexis (a school librarian) the chance to advocate for education and a chance to save her own job.

The fake dating trope works out well for this one. It was very enjoyable - thoughtful but still fun and not sappy. I haven't read the author's other books but will look out for them now.



Book #: 64
Title: Ruby Spencer's Whisky Year
Author: Rochelle Bilow
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

Ruby moves to Scotland to work on her cookbook. She falls for the handyman and tries to save the town pub.

Not bad, but a bit 'quieter' than I personally prefer.



Book #: 65
Title: Partners in Crime
Author: Alisha Rai
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Mira is preparing to be fired by her Indian matchmaker; she's done with it all. Her beloved aunt dies so she goes to the lawyer's office to deal with the will. Too bad the lawyer is one of Mira's previous dates, and too bad they end up being kidnapped by jewel thieves....

Cute and fluffy as usual for Rai.

Book #: 66
Title: An Echo in the Bone
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Fiction, historical / romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2009
Acquisition: 9 years ago/3 weeks ago digital edition
Rating: 4

Jamie and Claire want to go to Scotland to get Jamie's printing press, but get waylaid into some Revolutionary War battles. William (Jamie's illegitimate son) fights on the side of the British. Lord John looks into why some spies are too interested in Jamie's family. Ian also helps in war. They meet a Quaker family. Brianna and Roger are back in the future, reading letters that Claire left them at Lallybroch.

This one dragged in the beginning but picked up significantly towards the end.

>33 alsvidur: Hi Emilie - just checking out your thread. 😁 I LOVED the Brown Sisters series and ended up reading more of Hibberts' books - all enjoyable.

Regarding ereaders... I've been a Kindle user for years because I have Kindle Unlimited, but I recently bought a Kobo Sage and I love it too. They have lower-end models, but I wanted the 8" screen. You might check it out. In addition, there's a website I find to be useful called MobileRead, and their forums are a wealth of information.

Most of my ereading is of library books - it's a great way to support my library AND my reading habit. 😁 So, I second @curioussquared's recommendation there

Nice to see you whizzing through the Outlander series, Emilie.

Have a great weekend.

Book #: 67
Title: Written in My Heart's Own Blood
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Fiction, historical / romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2014
Acquisition: 4 years ago/2 weeks ago digital edition
Rating: 4

Jamie and Claire are back in the US, this time bringing Jenny with them. William is dealing with his heritage and some interesting friends. This series has turned into mostly historical fiction about the Revolutionary War, but is still engaging.



Book #: 68
Title: Go Tell the Bees That I Am Gone
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Genre: Fiction, historical / romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Rating: 4

More historical fiction about the Revolutionary War



Book #: 69
Title: Love Theoretically
Author: Ali Hazelwood
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 3

Elsie is a theoretical physicist interviewing for a new job. Too bad the head of the hiring committee is Jack Smith, an experimental physicist that hates theorists.

Most of Ali Hazelwood's books are so similar that you can copy-and-paste different names and STEM fields and end up with the next novel. That's not terrible.



Book #: 70
Title: The Heir Affair: The Royal We #2
Author: Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan
Genre: Chick lit
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: 3 years ago
Rating: 2.5

Bex and Nick are hiding after their disastrous wedding - and as Nick is the prince of the UK, there's a lot of interest in the rumors that Bex had an affair with Nick's younger brother Freddie.

I guess I wasn't in the mood for royal fan-fiction. It wasn't bad but I questioned why I was reading this multiple times. The side characters pulled off some surprises.

>41 alsvidur: I have Love, Theoretically checked out to read soon. Yes, I am expecting the same book I've already read twice. No, I'm not mad about it.

Book #: 71
Title: Storm and Fury: Harbinger #1
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: YA
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: 3 years ago
Rating: 2.5

Trinity is a Nephilim and is paired with a gargoyle protector. Someone is after her.



Book #: 72
Title: Fool Me Once
Author: Ashley Winstead
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Rating: 4

A personally reckless but professional careful PR professional is forced to work with her ex to save the green energy bill she loves.

Book #: 73
Title: A Deadly Education: Scholomance #1
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: borrowed
Rating: 4.5

El is at a school of magic. Dark magic keeps trying to find her. The school keeps trying to kill everyone.



Book #: 74
Title: The Last Graduate: Scholomance #2
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: RYA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: borrowed
Rating: 4

El and Orion (combined with the school itself) try to figure out a way to survive graduation.



Book #: 75
Title: The Training Spiral
Author: Sue Grice
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 2 months ago
Rating: 4

Lovely concept - bringing the training pyramid of dressage into more applicable situations - but felt bit thin. The drawn illustrations were mostly the same design with different captions, but the photos illustrated the concepts well. I guess it's a good thing when you want more.

Congratulations on reaching 75!

Congrats on 75!! Glad you're enjoying the Scholomance books; they're a lot of fun.

Congrats!

Book #: 76
Title: The Golden Enclaves: Scholomance #3
Author: Naomi Novik
Genre: YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: borrowed
Rating: 3.5

El got out of the Scholomance, but now what?

This has been a very good series but is a bit bleak with a sullen heroine. The audiobooks sound great; my friend has listened to them multiple times.

Thanks for the congrats!

Well done on passing 75 books already, Emilie.

Book #: 77
Title: Collective Remarks: A Journey through the American Dressage Evolution
Author: Anne Gribbons
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2014
Acquisition: 3 years ago
Rating: 3.5

A collection of magazine articles that dressage guru Anne Gribbons has written for The Chronicle over the years

Some interesting insight, but in general, it was much like reading the magazine - entertaining, full of opinion, and sometimes provoking some thoughts

Book #: 78
Title: Unfortunately Yours
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 3

Natalie is back home at the family vineyard, recovering from a career snafu. August is trying - and failing - to run a wine business in his friend's name. They both have hangups.



Book #: 79
Title: The Dressage Judge's Viewpoint
Author: Jane Kidd
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2001
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 2.5

A few pages of lists on what you can get better scores on and how you can lose points. Nothing earth shattering.



Book #: 80
Title: A Love Catastrophe
Author: Helena Hunting
Genre: Contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 3

Kitty runs a cat sitting business. Miles is a new client.

I appreciated that the conflict was with something other than the relationship - it was a nice, steady relationship that weathered storms instead of being the storm itself or having one of those 'if they would just TALK to each other!' moments. The book focused a lot on loss of parents, by death and by dementia. What I didn't like was a lot of Kitty's work, but this is a personal hang-up. Being a "pet lover" is often just virtue signaling. No, animals don't only need love to thrive - they need SPECIES APPROPRIATE understanding and respect. Baby talking, giving hugs, and wearing pawprint-patterned clothing does not equal providing a good life. (I had a huge work rant here, but I saved you all and just deleted it. You're welcome.)



Book #: 81
Title: The Preppy Cookbook: Classic Recipes for the Modern Prep
Author: Christine Nunn
Genre: Cookbook
Classification: 641 / TX
Pub date: 2013
Acquisition: 3 weeks ago
Rating: 3.5

Recipes for cocktail parties and showers. Some cute little factoids about that certain social set and food habits. High tea? Not as fancy as afternoon tea. Brunch? At 12:30.

Book #: 82
Title: Beautiful Bastard
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2013
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 2.5

So, the previous romance was like a Hallmark film, but this is straight up filthy. Whether that's good or bad is up to you. There was no plot. At page 20, it just jumped into the smut when the heroine got felt up by her boss. It was a bit shocking, because I thought that surely the actions of the guy made him the villain and the heroine would call HR immediately, but no - he's supposed to be the hero. There is little plot here.



Book #: 83
Title: Beautiful Stranger
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2013
Acquisition: 3 days ago
Rating: 2

Same as before. Getting crudely hit on at the bar and hooking up while still at the bar is the "meet cute" here. I regret buying the 3-book set because I am a completionist and I don't particularly want to read the third.

I started challenging myself to bounce between genres every read last month. It's not very relaxing, but it's keeping things fresh.



Book #: 84
Title: Beautiful Player
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2013
Acquisition: 4 days ago
Rating: 3

Hanna is pushed by family to get out of the lab more and socialize. She contacts their family friend Will to show her around town. Will and Hanna start a relationship.

Much better than the first two books in the series - this one has more well-rounded characters.



Book #: 85
Title: Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd
Author: Holly Black, ed
Genre: YA - short stories
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2009
Acquisition: 5 years ago
Rating: 3

Short stories about kids with interests and passions - astronomy, theatre, film, etc.

I did have to skip the story in the middle about a high schooler who catfished an adult into meeting her at a hotel - yucky. Other than that odd-one-out, they were mostly cute and short.



Book #: 86
Title: Shot in the Bark
Author: CA Newsome
Genre: Mystery
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2012
Acquisition: 8 years ago
Rating: 3

Lia's ex-boyfriend is murdered in the local dog park parking lot and the cops think the murderer is one of the dog park attendees.

More engaging that I thought it would be for a self-published book I picked up at a book fair a while ago. BTW, THIS is how to incorporate pets into a story - as part of life, not a shortcut to character development - so kudos to the author. I think I'll actually pick up the next one in the series because the ending had a big twist.

Book #: 87
Title: One Dance with a Duke
Author: Tessa Dare
Genre: Historical romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2010
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 3

I love Tessa Dare's humor and I've been saving this trilogy as something to bring me out of a funk. This one is unfortunately not one of her best, but it's not bad at all.

"The Duke of Midnight" got his nickname because he shows up at parties late, dances one set with a different girl each party, and then leaves. One night Amelia barges in and makes him select her - she needs him to release her gambling-addicted brother from a debt.

Book #: 88
Title: Horse
Author: Geraldine Brooks
Genre: Fiction/literature
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 4 months ago
Rating: 4

I am not a "literature" person. I did not expect to like this one as much as I did. It didn't even screw up the horse stuff.

Lexington was a famous racehorse in the 1850s. He helped shape Kentucky's economy and horse breeding in America. His skeleton was preserved and 'hidden' at the Smithsonian for awhile, until the Museum of the Horse borrowed it for display. Horse describes his life, the life of his groom Jarret, and the lives of the fictional artist and museum staff that 'find' his skeleton in modern times.

Book #: 89
Title: How Kentucky Became Southern: A Tale of Outlaws, Horse Thieves, Gamblers, and Breeders
Author: Maryjean Wall
Genre: Non-fiction, history
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2010
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 3

Kentucky had a reputation as a Western state full of lawlessness before the Civil War. After the war, the perception changed to one of the gentle South, full of wealthy gentlemen farmers of horses. How that happened is what Wall attempts to cover.

It was a very readable history book and interesting. It did leave a few gaps though - if Revisionist novelists were a big part, shouldn't they be covered in more space than a couple of pages? I guess wanting a book to be a bit longer isn't a bad thing.

Book #: 90
Title: Kentucky Derby Winner
Author: Isabel McLennan McMeekin
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 /PZ
Pub date: 1949
Acquisition: 6 years ago
Rating: 4

A boy falls in love with a thoroughbred foal on the farm his family lives and works on. He believes in the foal's future success while many favor a larger paddock-mate. They go on adventures.

It was interesting reading this one right after the previous book. I can see the revisionist idealism being made of the 'Grand Ol' Kentucky South' in the 1870s, where gypsies steal horses and former slaves are happy working. The caricatures being illustrated are - whoo boy, terrible. All this aside, the longing the boy has for the horse and true love of horses shine through.



Book #: 91
Title: Dressage Training in Hand
Author: Kathrin Roida
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Rating: 3

The photo illustrations are envy-inspiring, but the text lacks a bit. The beginning starts out so well, covering the theory, but then it jumps into working on the canter in-hand, piaffe, passage, etc. The meaty middle is missing. I would love this author to do a long-lining for dummies thing, but I would have to say that this one is geared to those with lots of in-hand experience.



Book #: 92
Title: The Magnificent Barb: the Horse with the Magical Foot
Author: Dana Faralla
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1947
Acquisition: 6 years ago
Rating: 2.5

Another old pony book that has aged incredibly poorly....

Kevin lives in a run-down Southern farm. His family is full of drunkards and lay-abouts. He is obsessed with the Godolphin Arabian. When the gypsies bring a beat-up horse nearby, he buys the horse because he has a white sock like the Godolphin Arabian. Kevin turns the horse into a point-to-point horse and enters him in the big race.

This is more about hope than horses, and even then, that's pushing it. Maybe I don't get "The South".



Book #: 93
Title: Icebreaker
Author: Hannah Grace
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PR
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 1 day ago
Rating: 3

The college hockey team and ice-skating club are forced to share a rink. The hockey captain falls for the type-A skater girl.

Not bad, but it does make me feel really old when a book is so full of therapy-speak and talking through things like this one. These young whipper-snappers with their emotions....



Book #: 94
Title: General Jim: the Story of a Horse
Author: Arthur Bartlett
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1931
Acquisition: 6 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Another jarring bump back in time. Tubby (yes, that's his name) is, aside from his large belly, an otherwise Ideal White Boy for young boys to aspire to in the 1930s. In this wholesome story, Tubby and his friends apply themselves to start a clubhouse, train a horse, and try to be the model citizen for the town - since there's a whole $300 in it for them from the mayor. (FYI, this is equivalent to $10,000 in 2023 monies.) Tubby wants to use the money to buy the horse he's been working on and conditioning for the county harness races.

This is really more of a boy story than a horse story, but it was a fun read anyways.

Not gonna lie - I adore Kentucky Derby Winner. That was one of the first books I ever read from the Famous Horse Stories series and I've been working on collecting the rest of them ever since. I actually just got my hands on my MIL's copy of General Jim and will be reading that soon!

I have always loved horse racing ("the Turf") as we call it in the UK - I think it is my Irish ancestry coming through.

I will look for Kentucky Derby Winner, Emilie.

>59 DFED:: General Jim is one of those books that just sticks with you. I'm glad you got a copy and look forward to hearing what you think. I have a bunch of the Famous Horse Stories and am trying to go though some - I'm working on Frog: A Horse with no Master (or something like that) right now.

>60 PaulCranswick:: At least somebody does! Racing popularity is falling quickly in the US, especially amongst horsemen of other sports. Fifteen years ago, there were 9 or 10 racetracks in the state that held thoroughbred flat races, harness races, and quarter horse/paint/Arabian races. Now all that's left is one harness track that is in danger of closing every year. It's nice to hear support of it instead of all the negative; thanks!

Book #: 95
Title: Frog: the Horse that Knew No Master
Author: SP Meek
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1933
Acquisition: 6 years ago
Rating: 4

Frog is a US Cavalry horse working the Panama Canal between the World Wars. He turns rogue after his assigned officer gets too rough with him but settles down when his next rider works with him. Frog gets a reputation as the best horse on base - winning polo matches, saving little girls, and teaching officers about horses.

It's a very nice pony book, although it does reflect the thoughts of the historical military man who wrote it - there isn't a single woman or girl in the story who isn't looked down upon in some way.



Book #: 96
Title: Rent a Third Grader
Author: BB Hiller
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1988
Acquisition: 9 years ago
Rating: 3

In procrastinating his school report, Billie finds out that the police horse Partner is set to retire soon - and by retire, the town is selling him as dog meat. (This seems unrealistic, even for the 1980s.) His third-grade class comes together to raise money in various ways.

Not a pony book - but it is written by Bonnie Bryant, the author of the enormous Saddle Club series. I remember this book being fairly popular when it first came out. The illustrations are funny.



Book #: 97
Title: On the Backside: a Gallery of Short Stories About the Working Side of the Racetrack
Author: Billie Young
Genre: Non-fiction, horse racing
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1987
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 2.5

A groom tells short little stories and tales she heard on the track in the 1970s.

Nothing spectacular, but not a waste of time.



Book #: 98
Title: Horse Blues: Saddle Club #62
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1996
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 3

The Saddle Club decides to do New Years Resolutions, but everyone resents the resolutions and each other. Carole is supposed to stop eating sweets, Lisa is supposed to learn embroidery, and Stevie is supposed to be nice to Veronica diAngelo. They also need to save Horse Wise, their local Pony Club, while avoiding each other.

Standard Saddle Club fare - but with the bonus of me never having read some of the later books like this one.



Book #: 99
Title: Mom Jeans and Other Mistakes
Author: Alexa Martin
Genre: Fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: 7 months ago
Rating: 4

Jude and Lauren move in together when they both hit bottom. Jude is a fitness influencer escaping her needy Hollywood mother, and Lauren is raising her 5yo child by herself while battling her ex's sudden interest in custody.

This author is one of my auto buys. This is her first non-romance novel, but it features on of her stronger parts of her romances - the friendship bonds between women. Even though I love this author, dramas are not my favorite genre and I wasn't expecting to like it so much.

Book #: 100
Title: Come On Seabiscuit
Author: Ralph Moody
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1963
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 3.5

This is one of the original books about Seabiscuit, the famous racehorse of the 1930s.

I remember reading this book in middle school. I recall as a child being less interested in the histories of the humans involved and the purse amounts, but as an adult, the back story was nice. The illustrations are really nice - they remind me of CW Anderson but not in lithography.



Book #: 101
Title: New Kids on the Block
Author: Anne Ruso
Genre: Non-fiction, music
Classification: 790 / ML
Pub date: 1989
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 2

A short book written to cash in on the NKOTB phenomenon when young girls would spend all their money on it. Short chapters are on each of the 5 members of the boy band of the 1980s/1990s, how the band started, and how the boys dealt with touring. It was culturally interesting to read about how much race played into their formation; I certainly don't recall any of that when I was younger, even though I had this book.

Book #: 102
Title: A Court of Thorns and Roses
Author: Sarah Maas
Genre: YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2015
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 4

Something that was available on my phone to read at slow moments at work. I'm sure most people are familiar with this one, but Feyre kills a fairy and her life is forfeit - she is required to live in the land of fairies.



Book #: 103
Title: The Palomino
Author: Virigina Vail
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1992
Acquisition: 9 years ago
Rating: 3

A developer is interested in Tess's uncle's riding stable and someone is sabotaging the barn - including the horse that Tess loves. Can Tess figure out who is putting her horses in danger?

Book #: 104
Title: A Court of Mist and Fury
Author: Sarah Maas
Genre: YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2016
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 4.5

Again read at work on my phone. I'm not proud of this, but this new position I have doesn't have quite enough work to justify its existence.

Feyre escapes Spring and discovers the horrifying Night Court.

>65 alsvidur: I support reading at work on your phone :) I've had a couple jobs where I was able to do that...

Book #: 105
Title: Brat Pack America: A Love Letter to 80s Teen Movies
Author: Kevin Smokler
Genre: Non-fiction, entertainment
Classification: 791 / PN
Pub date: 2016
Acquisition: 9 months ago
Rating: 2.5

The author groups 80s teen movies by theme and explores how their settings affected the characters or events. There were a few chapters that were a bit dull or pretentious, but they also matched up with the movies that I hadn't seen, so I think that is all on me.

It's getting hard to find a good book to read on my phone - something I can just skim but still be good.

I've been doing pretty good with my goal of getting books out of my TBR Pit of Despair and alternating genres as I do so, but I heard the siren song of the library yesterday and picked up 10 books to read in the next few weeks.



Book #: 106
Title: The Do-Over
Author: Suzanne Park
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 4 days ago
Rating: 3

Lily is a best-selling author and is writing a new book and applying to a new job when she finds out that she was actually one class short of graduating college several years ago. She needs to go back to get the degree for the job, but can't let people find out that she went back or she'll risk being thought a fraud, etc. Also, one of her TAs happens to be an old boyfriend - yikes.

I really like Park's books - they have romance in them, but the true focus is on the main character and her own development. I think I like some of her others more than this one, but that was because I felt like this one could have gone deeper into Lily's brain.



Book #: 107
Title: True Prep: It's a Whole New Old World
Author: Lisa Birnbach
Genre: Non-fiction, culture/satire
Classification: 818 / PN
Pub date: 2011
Acquisition: 3 months ago
Rating: 4

An updated Preppy Handbook for the new millennium. Whether you take this as a guide or as satire is up to you. I enjoyed it and it made me want to re-read The Preppy Handbook, which is currently hard to find for under $100 used.

Book #: 108
Title: The Spanish Love Deception
Author: Elena Armas
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Elena needs a date to her sister's wedding to save face - the best man is her ex-. A coworker agrees to be her fake date and go to Spain with her for the wedding weekend.

Enemies to lovers, fake dating, oops only one bed, long-term hidden feelings....this book has all the tropes. It started out really slowly; I wasn't sure I would even like it for the first 50 pages or so, but it got better as I went and now I am really looking forward to reading the author's other books. It wasn't terribly smutty, just a lot of glances and looks for most of the book. I enjoyed that while there was a silly 'miscommunication' moment towards the end, it wasn't frustrating like a lot in the genre are.

Book #: 109
Title: The Death of Expertise: The Campaign Against Established Knowledge and Why It Matters
Author: Tom Nichols
Genre: Non-fiction, culture
Classification: 303 / HM
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: 9 months ago
Rating: 4

This one goes after how media, education, the internet, and experts themselves have made it difficult for citizens to acknowledge that those with authority, education, and experience in a field are uh, experts, and likely know more about that field than a random Joe. The author is an international policy/political science person, and the book does focus on those fields over other areas, but it's mostly applicable to other areas.

Book #: 110
Title: By the Book
Author: Jasmine Guillory
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2.5

Izzy works in publishing and is assigned going to a former celeb's house to check on how his memoir is going. She ends up staying there to encourage him. I would call this a Beauty and the Beast retelling, but this is an homage to the Disney animated version only. I think trying to tie the story to the movie held it back some.



Book #: 111
Title: Horse Talk: The Saddle Club #71
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1997
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 3

Lisa and Carole create a call-in radio show about horses for a school project. No one calls in at first, so Stevie tries to help out - but her brother Chad hears about it and starts calling in prank calls. While Stevie works with that, Lisa and Carole field a call they think is a prank at first: a horse is loose in a subdivision. When they realize that the horse might be real, they band together to try to catch the horse before it hurts itself or drivers.



Book #: 112
Title: Twelve Dates of Christmas
Author: Jenny Bayliss
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Kate has moved back to the village she grew up in. Her friend signs her up for a dating website's Christmas event - 12 dates throughout December. She finds it interesting and enjoys meeting some of her dates, but she's also realizing she might have feelings for the town cafe owner.

Book #: 113
Title: The Matzah Ball
Author: Jean Meltzer
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Holiday romance features when two people who went to camp together as kids meet back up again while planning a big holiday party. Jacob feels successful at work but is missing family. Rachel hides that she is a Christmas romance novelist from her Jewish family.

While still a very predictable holiday romance, there are some notes that separate this from the crowd - the religion, the culture, and Rachel's illness. It was a bit surprising that the hero decided that he would marry Rachel within a few days of interaction as an adult, but different strokes, I guess. It was cute overall.

Book #: 114
Title: Book Lovers
Author: Emily Henry
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Nora loves the city and being good at her job as a literary agent. So what if people think of her as "the bad guy" whose boyfriends leave her for the small town "good girl". (Only sometimes does it bother Nora. Sometimes.) Her sister Libby gets Nora to go on vacation together down in a small town that was the setting for one of the books Nora worked with. One of the people in this small town happens to be a surly book editor Nora knew in New York.

This was a good one. Yes, there is a romance, but there is also heft to it without bringing the whole thing into "literary fiction" territory. The romance is between Nora and a guy, yes, but also Nora and books.

Book #: 115
Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2013
Acquisition: 8 years ago
Rating: 2

Alina has a crush on Mal. She unconsciously hides her magical powers, but they are discovered eventually. She is taken to be a servant to The Darkling, who is either reuniting the country or taking it over depending on your perspective.

I really could not get into this. It could be because I am really stressed by life things or it could be that it just doesn't do it for me. The world just wasn't in color; I kept waiting for the next plot point but it didn't ever come.



Book #: 116
Title: True Love Experiment
Author: Christina Lauren
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Fizzy is a romance author who suddenly realizes that she's never felt true love and gets into a writing block. She gets the chance to be set up on a dating show and takes it.

I like the fluffier Lauren novels like this one. This was cute.

Book #: 117
Title: Never Trust a Sneaky Pony
Author: Madison Seaman
Genre: Memoir
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 5 months ago
Rating: 3

Short stories about clients, patients, and pathologies in Seaman's life as an equine practitioner in Texas and California. There's nothing earth shattering in here, but it's not bad. If you like James Herriot's books, you'll probably like this one. If you already work in vet med, there's nothing new.

Book #: 118
Title: Unbreakable: The Woman Who Defied the Nazis in the World's Most Dangerous Horse Race
Author: Richard Askwith
Genre: Biography, history
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: 6 months ago
Rating: 2

A sportswriter discovered the story of the only woman to win a difficult steeplechase race in Czechia back in the early-mid 1900s.

This is not a horse book. This guy has no clue about them; he often alternates between how horses are slaves to horses must "love" us to win to (in the end at least) seeming like a bro implying that any woman involved with horses has control/sexual issues. There are bits to Lata's story that could have been lovingly teased out by a writer who knows horses and what actually drives people to be involved with them but are skipped over in preference of focusing on how ballsy these jockeys are. Tell me more about the horses involved! There is no difference between jockeys and skydivers or horses and bicycles here. It was also jarring to have so much speculation actually mentioned. All of the writer's 'I' statements take you out of the flow and time. Speaking of time, we all already know where we personally fall on the morality of those caught in the era of European Nazism and communism. There is no need to tell the readers that everyone remotely involved must have been evil and terrible; it's terribly reductionist and simplistic and makes the author seem like a simpleton.

That rant over, if you don't particularly care about horses but you like adrenaline and/or Czech history during WWII, you might enjoy this book. If you put it in your TBR because you like horses and/or feminism, you might be disappointed. The author's enthusiasm for the research project came through, but the passion for the topic and understanding of its nuances did not. The author and this book have won sport book awards, so it looks like I might be in the minority with this opinion.

Book #: 119
Title: Better than Fiction
Author: Alexa Martin
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Drew inherits a bookstore from her grandmother, but isn't into reading much and ends up putting her life on pause to devote it to the store. Jasper is a romance author who was invited to speak at Drew's bookstore. He gets Drew to show him around the state for research into his next book.

As always with Martin's books, the friendships are the best bits (but this is an extra, since her books are great in all the other aspects too!) I want to be this author's friend, even though we have very little in common; the supporting characters are always so, well, *supportive*.



Book #: 120
Title: The Christmas Clash
Author: Suzanne Park
Genre: YA holiday romance
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 3.5

Chloe and Peter work at their parents' competing Asian restaurants at the local mall food court when the mall is going to be shut down. Chloe needs to balance her life as a high school aspiring photographer with trying to save the mall.

It's pretty formulaic, but Park's books are always enjoyable.



Book #: 121
Title: A Dream Come True: Magic Pony #1
Author: Elizabeth Lindsay
Genre: Pony book / early chapter book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2010
Acquisition: 4 years ago
Rating: 4.5

Annie uses all her saved money to buy a horse poster at a local magic shop. She is very surprised - and thrilled - when the horse in the poster comes to life and takes her on adventures around her house. She has to keep him safe and hide him from her family. Hiding a horse is hard work!

For an early chapter book, this has excitement for kids on every page. For the young horse lovers, who hasn't wished the posters covering their walls came to life?

Book #: 122
Title: Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love with an Animal
Author: Sarah Maslin Nir
Genre: Memoir
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: 9 months ago
Rating: 3.5

Nir's memoir is centered around horses. Each chapter involves a different horse in her life. She writes about her Holocaust-surviving father, her family relationships, her jobs, her horses, and horse people in general.

It was well-done and had a gentle quality to it. I stopped half-way through and wasn't motivated to pick it up for a few days, but when I did, it was an easy read.

Book #: 123
Title: Riding in Release: A Practical Guide to French Classical Equitation and Horsemanship
Author: Kate Sandel
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 4

I am not a dressage person (yet), but I just moved my horse to a barn where the trainer does French dressage. I wanted to find out more about the differences between French dressage, German dressage, Austrian dressage, etc. This was a great introduction. The photos are clear and illustrate the concepts well. The text is broken up with bits of theory/philosophy alternating with the 'boring' practical stuff so it wasn't a terrible slog to get through it.

Emilie,



Happy Thanksgiving from an appreciative non-celebrator.

>80 PaulCranswick:: Thank you, Paul!



Book #: 124
Title: Fourth Wing
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Genre: New adult/YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 3 months ago
Rating: 3.5

Violet is in a war college to be taught how to become a dragon rider to defend her kingdom. Her wingleader seems evil, but is he? Can Violet survive her first year of school?

It was good, but not 'best in a decade' good. It walked a very predictable path.

Book #: 125
Title: Iron Flame
Author: Rebecca Yarros
Genre: Fantasy
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 4 days ago
Rating: 4

The war college Violet attends splits into factions after a real war is starting.

The first part of this one was better than the previous book - there was more plot and action. I'm not sure I would continue with the series when the next book comes out if my coworkers weren't obsessed with it.

Book #: 126
Title: Lovelight Farms
Author: BK Borison
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Rating: 4

Stella owns a failing Christmas tree farm. To get some publicity, she enters a contest but says that she owns the farm with her boyfriend on the application. When her farm gets picked for a feature, she needs to find someone to play her SO fast. Enter her best friend Luka.

This was exactly what a Christmas romance should be: sweet without being sappy, spice as the accent to the plot instead of BEING the plot, character growth, and a super cozy holiday setting. The antagonist is motivated by a love of alpacas.

Book #: 127
Title: Protecting What's His
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2013
Acquisition: 5 hours ago
Rating: 1.5

Ginger is raising her little sister while her mother makes questionable life decisions. When the opportunity comes up to take some of her mother's cash and get out of Dodge, she and Willa move from TN to IL. She gets into a relationship with her new neighbor who happens to be a cop.

I'm just not entertained by stories where every relationship is dysfunctional. "Controlling, possessive, and provocative" are not qualities I would call ideal in a partner, but they are framed as such in this story. The time span of the book is 2 weeks, yet the girl collapses in grief when she thinks the guy has been in an accident and they 'fall in love'. (How? There is so little talk - it's all just borderline dominating physical intimacy. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, proceed directly to therapy.) Bailey is very hit-or-miss with me.

Book #: 128
Title: The Secret Life of Wombats
Author: James Woodford
Genre: Non-fiction, animals
Classification: 599 / QL
Pub date: 2002
Acquisition: 9 years ago
Rating: 3

There still isn't a lot known about wombats. They're more difficult to breed in captivity than cheetahs or giant pandas. We're still not sure how many species of wombat there are exactly. They spend most of their lives underground in burrows so extensive yet so narrow that it's almost impossible to figure them out. The seminal scientific paper on them was written by a high school boy in the 1960s.



Book #: 129
Title: Every Duke Has His Day
Author: Suzanne Enoch
Genre: Rom-com
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

A non-smutty rom-com about a mix-up between dogs, a dognapping, experimental chemistry, and romance. Super cute.

Bitsy's dog Galahad is getting in the way of one of her suitors. The classy guy decides to have the dog kidnapped, but Galahad had been accidentally exchanged for another black poodle earlier that day, so the other poodle gets nabbed instead. The suitor is a bit taken aback when Galahad is still there the next day, but now Bisty feels obligated to help the owner of the poodle that was stolen - scientist and oddball duke Michael.



Book #: 130
Title: Corey's Christmas Wish: Pony Tails #15
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1997
Acquisition: 8 years ago
Rating: 2.5

Corey wants to set up her divorced parents for Christmas and she'll do it by making them dinner. The Pony Tails friends are busy planning a party for the animals at the rescue they work with.

Corye sounds a bit like a brat. There is very little involvement of horses in this one.



Book #: 131
Title: Next-Door Nemesis
Author: Alexa Martin
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Collins lost her job, her boyfriend, her apartment, and her dignity after an Unfortunate Incident was filmed and made viral. She returns to her parents' home in Ohio and bumps into her old friend-turn-enemy Nate. The war with Nate over the HOA presidency brings her back to life.



Book #: 132
Title: Notes on Equitation and Horse Training
Author: US War Dept
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / UE
Pub date: 1910
Acquisition: 8 years ago
Rating: 4

The cavalry wrote training notes on training trooper horses and officer horses based upon notes/outline/questions that the French cavalry used to ask.

Although some of the care information is outdated, most of this is still very applicable and useful to dressage training.



Book #: 133
Title: The Girl on the Dancing Horse
Author: Charlotte Dujardin
Genre: Memoir
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: 7 months ago
Rating: 3

If you ignore the misleading blurbs on the cover, it's a decent memoir about Charlotte's life and Valegro's. (For those that don't know, Valegro is one of the best dressage horses ever shown, and Charlotte is the rider who made him.) I don't see how they were 'outsiders' considering Carlotte's grandmother, mother, and sister all showed, nor would I consider a family who bought $75,000 ponies for their children middle-class. Charlotte did work hard and does have a natural seat, so I am not trying to take anything away from her, just saying that the cover is a bit...off. As an American eventer, I wasn't too aware of the details of their relationship when they were showing, but Valegro was in the care of Carl Hester when Charlotte became his working student and clicked with the horse.



Book #: 134
Title: Benjamin West and His Cat Grimalkin
Author: Marguerite Henry
Genre: Juvenile fiction / biography
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1947
Acquisition: 9 years ago
Rating: 4

As a child, Benjamin West loved to paint, but his family of Quakers disapproved of art. His best friend was a cat named Grimalkin. When Benjamin became so practiced that he became noticed, his local meeting decided his fate - would he go to Philadelphia to learn this trade or stay in his town to learn a "practical" trade? As an adult, West became a well-known painter and ended up painting for the King of England.

I had never read this Henry book and it was so sweet to be able to sink into something 'new' of hers.

Book #: 135
Title: Sounder
Author: William Armstrong
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1969
Acquisition: 13 years ago
Rating: 3

Confession time: I did not know what this was about when I started it - I just wanted to read a dog book for kids. This was not one.

A sharecropper boy's father steals a ham. During his arrest, the police shoot the family dog Sounder. The boy looks for Sounder for a long time and details Sounder's sad recovery. The boy leaves and then looks for his father.

It was not a pleasant book, but well told in its starkness. (Sounder is the only name used in the story.)

Book #: 136
Title: Finding the Missed Path: The Art of Restarting Horses
Author: Mark Rashid
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 4

Rashid details how he approaches restarting/retraining horses with issues.

As someone who is going through this currently with my own horse, I appreciated his treatment of the topic - and his mention of mustangs being a little different.

Book #: 137
Title: The Wave: In Pursuit of the Rogues, Freaks, and Giants of the Ocean
Author: Susan Casey
Genre: Non-fiction, surfing
Classification: 551 / GC
Pub date: 2010
Acquisition: 5 years ago
Rating: 4

Casey travels the world reporting about people who are into BIG waves - big wave surfers, the boating/shipping industry, climatologists, and physicists. Most of the book is about the surfer Laird Hamilton and his friends. It was written lovely, like a wonderful long-form article that keeps you wanting more.



Book #: 138
Title: The Graham Effect
Author: Elle Kennedy
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Gigi wants to make the US Olympic hockey team and practices hard at her university. When a recruiter tells her that she needs to work on a specific skill, she realizes that she can get training from a guy in exchange for talking him up to her dad, a former pro player that runs a training camp that Ryder wants to join.

Book #: 139
Title: Enchanted to Meet You
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: Paranormal
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Jessica is a cottage witch with her best friend. She runs a boutique in New England. The council of witches becomes aware of a prophesy involving Jessica and a high school girl being able to stop the destruction of the town. With the help of a 'bad boy' who comes into town to help her out, she avoids her own previous high-school nemesis and tries to stop the end times.

It was eh. Cabot is usually such a solid go-to, but I couldn't get into this one. It seemed a bit like the history of witches/paganism was being shoved into your face like a new discovery by the author. It just wasn't my jam.



Book #: 140
Title: The Revolution in Horsemanship
Author: Robert Miller
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2005
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Rating: 3.5

The first part of the book covers the rise of "natural horsemanship" and who the famous names in the field are. The middle part covers "horse taming" of the 1800s. The end reviews the basics of the barefoot philosophy, alternative medicine, and other fad topics.

This would have been a great book if it just stopped after the first section. The second section was a history lesson that was repetitive and dragging. The third section was just silly.

Thinking about you during the festive season, Emilie

>90 PaulCranswick:: Thanks, Paul!



Book #: 141
Title: Gift Horse: Saddle Club #40
Author: Bonnie Bryant
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1994
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 4

Stevie finally got her own horse - No Name's personality matches her and they're a great fit for each other. When a girl sees No Name at a horse show and claims that she's actually *her* horse that was stolen, Stevie has to confront her feelings and do the right thing.

Stevie's emotions were handled well; this was a better one in the series.

Stats moved below after a spurt in year-end reading

I felt the same way about Enchanted to Meet You. Meh.

Love the stats!

Soooo.... I reorganized my horse book shelves (previously by micro topic) into read/un-read. There are a lot of books I thought I had read before but I had no record of reading. Between that and the motivation to hit 150 books this year, I was a bit over enthusiastic this week.



Book #: 142
Title: How Your Horse Moves
Author: Gillian Higgins
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2009
Acquisition: 13 years ago
Rating: 4

Well illustrated and visual guide to the musculoskeletal system of the horse

A couple of stretching exercises in the last chapter were very helpful - I was doing one of the carrot stretches wrong before



Book #: 143
Title: The Foot and Shoeing
Author: C Davenport
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1958
Acquisition: 6 years ago
Rating: 4.5

A surprisingly well done booklet for kids about horseshoeing



Book #: 144
Title: Mouths and Bits
Author: Toni Webber
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1990
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 2.5

The dental evolution of the horse, aging a horse by the teeth, basic mouth health, and bitting are covered very briefly.



Book #: 145
Title: Mounted Games
Author: Toni Webber
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1994
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 3

The basic concept of gymkhanas - pony selection, exercises, equipment, games

As a whole, the Threshold Picture Guides are a good intro for kids, but are pretty useless for adults



Book #: 146
Title: Starting Endurance Riding
Author: Claire Wilde
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1998
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 3

Half of the book is general horse care, but the half focusing on actual training/competition is a good intro



Book #: 147
Title: The Book of Horses
Author: Dorian Williams
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1971
Acquisition: 9 years ago
Rating: 2.5

A photo-focused book light on text with mostly B&W photos of horses (not artistic, not really action shots, just generic "horses")

I'll be giving this one away as it's not a good reference book nor does it have a lot of historical sport photos



Book #: 148
Title: Buying and Selling a Horse
Author: Cherry Hill
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1991
Acquisition: 2 years ago
Rating: 2.5

If you need this book, you need more help than these 32 pages can give - you need a professional. Most horse people should already know this info before buying a horse.



Book #: 149
Title: The Book of Horses
Author: Glenn Balch
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1958
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 2

Wow, this is outdated, and not the 'fun' kind. Balch was big into the Western lifestyle in the 1940s and 50s, and this is reflected in this supposedly general book. If you like collecting 'cowboys and Indians' things from that time period, this would be a good find, but otherwise, not so hot.



Book #: 150
Title: Trailering
Author: Micaela Myers
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2007
Acquisition: 3 years ago
Rating: 3

Half on trailers and half on getting your horse to load - the super basics



Book #: 151
Title: Fitting Tack
Author: Toni McAllister
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2007
Acquisition: 3 years ago
Rating: 2.5

Another basic intro book



Book #: 152
Title: Basic Tack
Author: Vanessa Britton
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1994
Acquisition: 2 years ago
Rating: 4

This is one of the older books that held value - the tack is out of date, but the names, care, and reasoning are still the same



Book #: 153
Title: Movie Horses: Their Treatment and Training
Author: Anthony Amaral
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1967
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 3

Another book with a focus on the post-WWII boom of Western lifestyle - this time on the movies and TV shows. It's an interesting historical note for those into Westerns and the history of film making.



Book #: 154
Title: You Are SO Not Invited to My Bat Mitzvah!
Author: Fiona Rosenbloom
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2005
Acquisition: 9 years ago
Rating: 3

Seventh grade is hell.

The family set-ups of the movie are different than the book, but both worked.



Book #: 155
Title: Riding Towards the Light
Author: Paul Belasik
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1990
Acquisition: 9 years ago
Rating: 5

This was the right book at the right time. I recently changed trainers and some of Belasik's revelations were ones I had recently had. I cried about every other chapter. I came into this book thinking it would be fluffy and silly but it was heavier than expected. He talks about balancing art and technique and trying to become the best rider he could be. I bookmarked several passages to come back to later.



Book #: 156
Title: Preparing for a Show
Author: Jane Holderness-Roddam
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1989
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 2

It's a very broad topic to cover in 20 pages for kids - what type of show, health care, packing, grooming



Book #: 157
Title: Field Management for Horses and Ponies
Author: Sian Evans
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2001
Acquisition: 7 months ago
Rating: 3

The Allan Photographic Guide series is similar but better done than the older Threshold Guide series - for the basic intro of a topic, they are a bit more detailed.



Book #: 158
Title: The Anatomy of the Horse
Author: George Stubbs
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 599 / SF
Pub date: 1766 / 1853 / 2005
Acquisition: 4 years ago
Rating: 4

Stubbs is widely known as one of the best horse painters in history. He spent over a decade dissecting horses and illustrating one of the first books on horse anatomy. While more modern anatomy books are used as veterinary teaching aids now, this is still nicely illustrated and clear - and the horses are illustrated in motion.



Book #: 159
Title: Building Showjumping Courses
Author: Maureen Summers
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2008
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 3

Beginner information on course building and fence types



Book #: 160
Title: The Circle of Trust: Reflections on the Essence of Horses and Horsemanship
Author: Walter Zettl
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2007
Acquisition: 3 years ago
Rating: 4

Zettl, an influential dressage trainer, writes his impressions on everyone involved in horses - owners, breeders, grooms, riders, instructors, and judges.



Book #: 161
Title: Tack Explained
Author: Carol Green
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1977
Acquisition: 5 years ago
Rating: 3

Another outdated guide, but since it's so clearly illustrated, it retains a bit of value as a reference

Book #: 162
Title: Steeplechasing
Author: Bert Clark Thayer
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1949
Acquisition: 8 years ago
Rating: 4

A yearbook from the 1949 steeplechasing season illustrated with wonderfully clear photos for the time

And a surprise for me: it was mentioned that the 'boy-rider' Gene Weymouth won a few chases that year - who happened to be one of the trainers I briefly worked under a long time ago.

Total books read: 162
Total books bought: 151 (!)

Rereads: 17
In the TBR Pit of Despair >6m: 69
Time in the Pit: 5h-13y
Borrowed: 3
From library: 40
Not new books total: 129 (!)

Best non-fiction horses: Riding Towards the Light by Paul Belasik
Best fiction: No 5-star review this year so...

Picture book: Sally Goes to the Vet by Huneck
Juvenile fiction: A Dream Come True by Lindsay
Adult fiction: A Light in the Flame and A Shadow in the Ember by Armentrout

Type
Non-fiction, animals: 38
Non-fiction, other: 10
Fiction: 99
Pony books: 15

Genre
Fiction – 15
Humor – 1
Romance, paranormal – 1
Romance, SF/fantasy – 10
Romance, historical – 3
Romance, contemporary – 48
Mystery – 1

YA contemporary – 4
YA fantasy – 7
YA paranormal/fantasy romance – 1
Juvenile fiction – 4
Juvenile pony book – 12
Picture book – 7
Picture pony book – 2

Non-fiction, horses – 34
Non-fiction, other animals – 1
Non-fiction, film/music – 3
Non-fiction, cooking - 1
Non-fiction, history – 1
Non-fiction, sociology – 2
Non-fiction, other sports - 1
Memoir – 2
Biography - 1

Dewey Decimal
303 - 1 Social processes
347 – 1 Law procedure and courts
428 – 2 Standard English usage
551 - 1 Geology
599 - 2 Mammals
636 – 16 Animal husbandry
641 - 1 Food and drink
741 – 1 Drawing
790 - 1 Performing arts
791 – 3 Public performances in the arts
798 – 22 Equestrian sports
813 – 100 American fiction
818 - 1 American misc. writings
823 – 10 English fiction

Library of Congress
GC - 1 Oceanography
HM - 1 Sociology (general)
ML - 1 Literature on music
NC – 1 Drawing
PN – 5 Literature (general)
PR – 9 English literature
PS – 76 American literature
PZ – 27 Juvenile fiction
QL - 1 Zoology
SF – 38 Animal culture
TX – 1 Home economics
UE - 1 Cavalry

Dates published
1760s/1850s - 1
1910s - 1
1930s – 2
1940s – 5
1950s – 3
1960s – 5
1970s – 4
1980s – 4
1990s – 15
2000s – 17
2010s – 39
2020s – 65

And because I liked MickyFine's stats:

Year Over Year Comparison

Books Read
2023: 162
2022: 81
2021: 107
2020: 114
2019: 78
2018: 132
2017: 54
2016: 94
2015: 112
2014: 293
2013: 365
2012: 286
2011: 228
2010: 121

Fiction Books
2023: 114
2022: 68
2021: 93
2020:
2019: 72
2018: 135
2017: 40
2016: 58
2015: 93
2014: 164
2013: 266
2012: 245
2011: 149
2010: 79

Non-Fiction Books
2023: 48
2022: 22
2021: 23
2020:
2019: 13
2018: 12
2017: 13
2016: 23
2015: 19
2014: 158
2013: 102
2012: 83
2011: 84
2010: 57

Audience Breakdown (fiction)
2023: 79 adult, 12 YA, 25 children
2022: 32 adult, 14 YA, 13 children
2021: 16 adult, 8 YA, 47 children
2020:
2019: 46 adult, 12 YA, 10 children
2018: 76 adult, 16 YA, 32 children
2017: 10 adult, 31 PZ
2016: 39 adult, 40 PZ
2015: 28 adult, 35 YA, 37 children
2014: 19 adult, 57 YA, 83 children
2013: 57 adult, 50 YA, 171 children
2012: 54 adult, 181 PZ
2011: 77 adult, 51 PZ
2010: 75 adult, 38 PZ

Top Genres/Topics
2023: Contemporary romance, non-fiction horses
2022: Contemporary romance, non-fiction horses
2021: Kids’ books, non-fiction horses
2020:
2019: Romance
2018: Romance, urban fantasy
2017: American fiction, kids’ books
2016: American fiction, kids’ books
2015: Pony books, YA paranormal, YA fantasy
2014: Kids’ books, zoology, animal husbandry
2013: Children’s picture, contemporary YA, kid’s non-fiction
2012: Kids’ books, fiction, animal husbandry
2011:
2010:

Re-reads:
2023: 17
2022: 13
2021: 8
2020:
2019: 12
2018: 30

Owned vs. Borrowed
2023: 40 library, 3 elsewhere, 69 pit
2022: 0 library, 0 elsewhere, 27 pit
2021: 0 library, 0 elsewhere, 54 pit
2020:
2019: 0 library, 0 elsewhere, 12 pit
2018: 0 library, 0 elsewhere, 24 pit
2017: 0 library, 9 borrowed, 8 pit
2016: 9 library, 6 borrowed, 20 pit
2015: 11 library, 0 borrowed, 26 pit
2014: 149 library, 2 borrowed, 14 pit
2013: 148 library, 14 borrowed, 32 pit
2012: 149 library, 12 borrowed, 26 pit
2011: 126 library, ? borrowed, 22 pit
2010: 16 library, ? borrowed, 14 pit

Books acquired:
2023: 151
2022: 126
2021: 84
2020: 169
2019: 159
2018: 234
2017: 108
2016: 113
2015: 432
2014: 451
2013: 409
2012: 303
2011: 427
2010: 343

Doubling your count from last year is impressive!!

>99 curioussquared:: I didn't even notice! Thanks!