alsvidur's 2024 list

Hello!

I'm Emilie, a veterinary nurse in Michigan USA, and a long-time 75er. I live with my husband, Rhodesian ridgeback, cat, and mustang pony. Aside from reading, my free time is spent at the barn.

I'm back again to log - mostly horse books and romance I think. There will be some juvenile fiction, YA, non-fiction, fiction, animal books, and mixed genres in there as well; for the past few months I've been trying to alternate genres between reads. Some years I'm chatty and others the book 'reviews' are just a line or two.

Hi! I hope you love your Rhody. I had one once and hope to have another one day.

Good luck with your 2024 reading!

Welcome back, Emilie!

Happy reading in 2024, Emilie!

Happy New Year, Emilie!

Happy new year, Emilie! I have your thread starred :)

Book #: 1
Title: Pride and Prejudice
Author: Jane Austen
Genre: Fiction
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 1813 (2012)
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 4

Elizabeth has some silly sisters and one nice one. Their silly mother is concerned with getting them all married. A gentlemen rents a nearby house and brings his friends, including a Mr Darcy, who seems excessively proud. Elizabeth has had enough of everyone's folly.

Another one read on my phone in bits and pieces during slow moments at work. It's been awhile since my previous read of it; I think I liked it more last time I read it, but P&P is still amusing.

Hello in 2024! :)

I'm glad to see everyone again this year!

Obviously skimming the books below, you can tell I've gotten onto a horse book kick. My new trainer and new riding discipline is bringing back my enthusiasm for riding. Combined with recently going through my bookshelves and sorting books into read vs unread (and there are WAY more unread than I thought!), I'm really motivated to go through my horse books.



Book #: 2
Title: Masters of Equitation on Trot
Author: Martin Diggle
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2001
Acquisition: 14 years ago
Rating: 5

Diggle has done the dirty work and gathered passages and quotations from the really good instructors and authors on a single topic. He manages to be excited about it and it makes the reader excited to dig deeper. His bibliography and mini biographies of quoted masters is not just a who's-who but a great place to start your own research. It is not a book to be read right before bed; you will spend hours on Amazon adding to your wishlists.



Book #: 3
Title: Horse Gaits, Balance, and Movement
Author: Susan E Harris
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2016
Acquisition: 6 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Recommended for novice riders - well-rounded and illustrated, but aside from a nice section on gaited horses, there is nothing revolutionary here.



Book #: 4
Title: The Allen Illustrated Guide to Horse Clothing
Author: Hilary Vernon
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2001
Acquisition: 5 years ago
Rating: 3

Outdated now, but pretty illustrations about different blankets, boots, and fly wear.



Book #: 5
Title: Training Aids: Allen Photographic Guide
Author: Carolyn Henderson
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2008
Acquisition: 4 years ago
Rating: 2.5

A tiny book like this could be scary covering aids that can screw up a horse, but thankfully most of the book talks about longeing a horse well and telling the audience not to use aids unless you have someone there to help.



Book #: 6
Title: Communicating with Cues: The Rider's Guide to Training and Problem Solving Part 1
Author: John Lyons
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1998
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4

Half is reminding the rider to slow down and half is introducing the rider to round-penning. Lyons was one of the first popular natural horsemen. Supposedly he changed his mind about a lot later in life but I'm not sure about what yet.



Book #: 7
Title: Masters of Equitation
Author: W Sidney Felton
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1962
Acquisition: 1 week ago
Rating: 5

Felton goes from Xenophon to his 1960s contemporaries, comparing and contrasting masters and following the history of riding. This was another one that left the reader energized and enthusiastic. It was way more readable than you'd think, and I'm really glad that I decided to read this before I read the primary sources. My notes on it are going to take me through my shelves soon.

I find a lot of books advertised by The Equine Antiquarian on facebook that have great summaries. This summary was so good that I grabbed a cheaper reading copy.



Book #: 8
Title: The Art of Riding: Concise Handbook for Beginners and Advanced Horsemen
Author: Lt Col MF McTaggart
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1951
Acquisition: 13 years ago
Rating: 2.5

This is a collection of articles on riding supplemented by a few chapters on horse care. The horse care section was surprisingly (mostly) accurate compared to the outdated riding style described and illustrated. The author tried to bring the forward seat to those staunchly opposed to it so he ends up being not quite in either camp. The author was mentioned in the previous book I read, 'Masters of Equitation', and I found this book just as the Felton found McTaggart's others: at its time a very good piece of work but was quickly outdated. Think of those old paintings of racehorses with jockeys sitting waaaaay back with feet by the horses' shoulders, and that's what's illustrated here.

I love this passage in his conclusion and how well it fits my sad, sad shelves:
'This book, comprehends a wide range within its title, The Art of Riding, and as I bring my last chapter to its conclusion, I realize how difficult is the task I set myself and how superficially I have been able only to touch upon subjects which in themselves are each worthy of a book. But I console myself with the thought that lengthy dissertations, however ably written, are seldom read, and lie as monuments to well-meant but wasted endeavor on the shelves of many an unopened library.'

Slightly belated already but happy new year, Emilie.

Wow - you really ARE on a horse book kick! And, here I am, getting rid of a bunch of them... :)

Love the last quote by McTaggart! I actually have a copy of that as well.

Book #: 9
Title: The Development of Modern Riding AKA The Horseman's Progress
Author: Vladimir Littauer
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1962/1991
Acquisition: 5 years ago
Rating: 3

He, more than Felton, brings in the state of the culture and country to the riding updates. It adds more comprehension, but necessity dictates that he skip around a bit in the timeline and locations.

The author notes, while listing a comparison between methods, that he will keep his list short because he wants to avoid being tiresome. I'm very sorry, sir, but most of the book was tiresome. I know he was a luminary who all riders owe much to, but this was at times painful. Breaks were required every other page towards the end. When I was reading the first half for "fun" though instead of deeper study and comprehension, it wasn't so bad. It was only once I picked it up to add to my readings of late that it didn't go so smoothly. This is very unfortunate, because Littauer is acknowledged as one of the masters that writes for the 'average' person instead of other masters. I am obviously not up to 'average'. Hopefully you will be.

>12 DFED:: I am just trying to get some out of the Pit of Despair. If I have the information readily available, I should put a tiny bit of it into my head. Mostly though, it's so when I ask trainers for book recommendations and they all say the same few classical master authors, I can say 'I've already read it' instead of 'I have it'. My fiction books though - those I read with a view of getting rid of them if I'm not likely to reread them. I was able to clear a lot off my shelves last year. If I stick with my horse books (I keep those if they are reference books), I am less likely to clear space this year but still feel good about finally reading. I have too many boxes of books; I want them all to fit on my wallspace. In a perfect world, right?

Some of the books I've added to my wishlist recently are crazy hard to get, with copies reaching hundreds of dollars. My statewide library loan program doesn't have many of them either. Do you have any Philippe Karl or Chuck Grant you are getting rid of?

I'm afraid that I don't have any of those but I'll certainly keep an eye out! I'm actually part of a horse book auction group on Facebook (how I'm going to try to get rid of a few things) - maybe you can check that out too in case someone offers one up?

>15 DFED:: What is the name of the group? Thanks for the idea.



Book #: 10
Title: The Dead List
Author: Jennifer Armentrout
Genre: Thriller
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 4

Ella is attacked one night leaving a party. She manages to escape, but someone keeps threatening her - she knows he'll try again. Other people in her small town are going missing and turning up murdered. An old flame, Jensen, starts teaching her some self-defense, but she keeps thinking that there's a pattern and the attacks are connected.

I love Armentrout. There is an important lesson I learned while reading this one though: do NOT start reading a first-person murder mystery in the evening. I ended up staying up til 6 am so I could finish it. Every time I had to go downstairs, I had to turn on all the lights as I went. I was freaked out. Oh, I feel that I should warn people that there are clowns involved in this one.

>16 alsvidur: well, that one’ll need to go on the ol’ TBR!

>17 drneutron:: Haha! The author considerately did put in a warning at the beginning. I am not a 'scared of clowns' person, so I wasn't weirded out by that part.

Book #: 11
Title: Wreck the Halls
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Melody and Beat are known for being the children of a defunct rock band duo. Melody's mother is a hippie. Melody has drawn backward into herself - staying quiet and out of the spotlight, where the paparazzi treated her terribly during puberty. Beat is running his uptight mother's charitable foundation and being blackmailed by his true father. When he needs more money to pay him off, Beat takes an offer by a TV producer to be live-filmed with Melody to try and reunite their mothers for a Christmas special.

This was a good Tessa Bailey book - a cute rom-com with some spice that didn't veer off into scary territory. The holiday aspect was a bit of a stretch, but that doesn't really matter.



Book #: 12
Title: Wildfire
Author: Hannah Grace
Genre: Romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Russ and Aurora are college students who have a one-night stand and end up being camp counselors at the same summer camp for kids.

It's not bad, but it's fairly generic: both protagonists have the same 'daddy issues', the guy is on a sports team, there are communication snafus, they can't stay away from each other, etc etc. Other readers seem to like it more than I do, though. This series is so similar in style to Elle Kennedy's college hockey team series that I had them confused for awhile.



Book #: 13
Title: Runaway Pony
Author: Jessie Haas
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2005
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 4

Radish the pony loves her girl, but when her girl gets too big to ride Radish, Radish is sold to another little girl. Radish loves teaching this little girl, but once again is outgrown. Radish has had enough of this and runs away.

This was an early reader story. The author clearly had ponies or was involved in horses professionally; it was super cute to read about how Radish was very excited to get a new little girl that was too small to enforce the rules each time.



Book #: 14
Title: The Cruel Prince: Folk of the Air #1
Author: Holly Black
Genre: YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2018
Acquisition: reread
Rating: 3

Jude is a human being raised in fairyland with her sisters. Fairies are terrifying, but Jude deals with trying to become more terrifying than the fairies. When her family gets entangled with schemes for the crown, Jude ends up working with her nemesis Prince Cardan.

I don't like Jude. I kind of understand where she's coming from - people deal in different ways - but she's not very sympathetic. Many YA fantasies feature romance, but this one does not. I'm glad, since everyone is pretty terrible.



Book #: 15
Title: The Wicked King: Folk of the Air #2
Author: Holly Black
Genre: YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2019
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Now that Jude is acting Reagant/advisor for the King, she is even more involved in the scheming to keep the crown from all the other players.

I am coming around to Jude a little bit more, but we would still not be BFFs. Romance is starting to enter the scene. Halfway through, the plot changes a bit to allow Jude some self-growth. I'm reading this series because my coworkers are doing a little group read. Too bad I'm stuck now waiting for book #3.



Book #: 16
Title: A Pony for the Winter
Author: Helen Kay
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1962
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 2.5

Deborah wants a pony. Her parents end up getting a free loan for the winter for a pony-ride pony. Deborah learns how to take care of a pony without help from her siblings. Can she give Mollie the pony back in the spring?

The illustrations were lopsided - the humans were done in the cherub-style common in the 1950s, but the horses were borderline grotesque.

Book #: 17
Title: Ride a Wild Dream
Author: Lynn Hall
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1969
Acquisition: over 14 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Jon buys a horse based on its color alone. As any horseman knows, that ALWAYS goes well.... He gets a dog and some hogs and helps on his family farm while earning enough money to get what he really wants - a palomino horse. (It doesn't matter that he's never saddled a horse or if he knows anything about them.) Once he buys one at auction (the red flags keep comin', kids), he now has a quality horse that he has to take care of. He starts turning his back on his dog and family and justifying being runaway with all the time. He even enters his spooky horse into a parade (!) to show the horse that he's the boss (!). Etc etc throughout the book. Thankfully, the red flags are part of the story about how chasing follies at the expense of your loved ones is hurtful not just to them, but to yourself.

Look at that classy cover. Just look at it. Doesn't it bathe you in the 1970s? Lynn Hall always manages to make pony books bleak and sad, but I keep going back due to nostalgia.



Book #: 18
Title: The Ghost Pony
Author: Lynn Hall
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1978
Acquisition: 3 years ago
Rating: 4

Sarah and her pony Panda find an old house while exploring a seldom used trail. Panda spooks. Sarah explores the house and finds bones of a pony. She tries to discover the story of that pony and why the bones were there by learning the history of the property from an old groom with dementia.

I liked this as a child. As an adult, I view it a little differently - sad instead of spooky. The Ruth Sanderson illustrations are lovely.



Book #: 19
Title: The Golden Secret: The Linda Craig Adventures #1
Author: Ann Sheldon
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1988
Acquisition: 5 years ago
Rating: 3

Linda lives on and loves Rancho del Sol. It's where her family has lived for generations and where she keeps her palomino horse Amber. When a banker wants to take over the ranch, they find that the deed was never properly filed. Linda and her friends have to find it based on clues that Linda finds before they lose the ranch.

Standard series book of the late 1980s: formulaic but not terrible.



Book #: 20
Title: The Great Dane Thor
Author: Walter Farley (of The Black Stallion fame)
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1966
Acquisition: 13 years ago
Rating: 2.5

Lars is afraid of his father's dog. He thinks it's poorly trained and that it will one day kill a horse or even him. Lars spends all his time walking in the woods with wildlife, and he loves white-tailed deer more than anything. After Thor kills a deer one day and Lars almost lets Thor get shot by hunters on purpose, Lars's father insists that Lars and Thor become better acquainted. Lars isn't sure how Thor will act around his beloved deer - or poachers.

The beginning was terrible. So so so bad. The style/editing/etc was fine, but the actual content had me thinking that it wasn't just the usual for the time period, but that Farley had deep-seated ISSUES with women. (I think this could be explored further given how little girls feature in the Black Stallion series and how they're treated when they are.) Thankfully, he leaves gender behind and shows some character growth for poor Lars.



Book #: 21
Title: Pets, Vets, and Marty Howard
Author: Joan Carris
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1984
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 5

12-year-old Marty wants to be a vet when he grows up and is super excited to be able to work in his local clinic part time after school. Balancing work, school, and friends gets to be difficult. He loves the fun parts of his job (being around animals, assisting with c-sections, helping animals feel better, certain species) but isn't sure the bad parts (the animals being abandoned there all the time, neglected and abused pets, hard work/long hours, certain species) make up for it. How is a 12-year-old supposed to decide what he wants to do as an adult?

If you take away the dated illustrations, you have a fiction book on veterinary medicine suitable for children and adults that is one of the most accurate and well-rounded ones I have *ever* read on the career. The author shadowed in a veterinary clinic for awhile; the details were correct while the big picture was still the focus. She was able to present both sides of the career realistically, while also telling a story about a boy and guiding young readers to ideas about what to look for when choosing a career - without making it preachy or boring - AND while sticking to her Howard family series. Kudos to Carris!



Book #: 22
Title: Chocolate Fever
Author: Robert Kimmel Smith
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1972
Acquisition: over 14 years ago - prior to me joining LT! - which means it has been through multiple moves before being read, only to be discarded....
Rating: 2

Henry ate so much chocolate, day-in, day-out, that he began to have chocolate spots break out all over his body. He did not appreciate being made into a medical marvel and ran away from home.

I remember reading this as a child. I did not get a lot of the nuances, but I don't think I particularly liked it back then or now. Nothing bad, just not for me.



Book #: 23
Title: My Dog the Thief
Author: Barbara Shook Hazen
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1976
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 1.5

Jack is a struggling traffic reporter who ends up with a stray St Bernard named Barrabas. Hi-jinks ensue because Barrabus is an inveterate thief who makes off with an already stolen diamond necklace.

I thought this was the book that the old Wonderful World of Disney movie was based off, but no - this is a novelization of the movie based upon a different book. It reads just like a comedy movie, so there is little exposition or thought, but scenes flow from one-to-another and the old-fashioned slapstick moments are plenty. Maybe too many to be actually funny in a book.



Book #: 24
Title: Sister of the Bride
Author: Beverly Cleary
Genre: YA
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1963
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 3.5

16yo Barbara's 18-year-old sister has come home from college engaged to 24-year-old Greg and wants the wedding in 2 months. As expected, her family is not thrilled. Barbara has always done what Rosemary does, so she realizes that means she only has 2 years to get married as well, so she sets off to find herself a boyfriend. Dealing with class differences between families, silly protocols, odd relatives, family drama (the usual wedding stuff) occupies much of Barbara's time.

Cleary writes well, but much of the book could be classified as a historical guide instead. Snagging boys with cookies, saddle shoes and bobby socks, that lime/amber/rust color combination, parents' stories about weddings during the Depression and WWII, girls getting educations, getting actual silver at weddings....



Book #: 25
Title: The Dog Book
Author: Albert Payson Terhune and Diana Thorne
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 1932
Acquisition: 7 years ago
Rating: 2

The best way to describe this would be an earlier dog-version of Marguerite Henry's An Album of Horses (and An Album of Dogs, of course), but not as well done. Each chapter features a different breed of dog with illustrations and anecdotes that are supposed to convey certain features of that breed.

The illustrations are common for that time, I think, but Terhune's text is his standard: anthropomorphic, opinionated, anecdotal, and self-important. He frequently says he would rather shoot a dog than see it be a 'pet' or kept in the city. His anecdotes do not tell how 'smart' the dog must be to understand his meaning of a new word immediately and without training, but show how ill-trained, terrified, and dangerous his dogs must have been. Dogs dying painfully while completing their tasks are celebrated as brave. (To be fair, many horse books of this time period, like those by CW Anderson, do the same, and I give them more leeway due to the times.) This is a good addition to a collector's library or one passionate about the history of certain dog breeds, but I wouldn't recommend it otherwise.

Book #: 26
Title: Simba of the White Mane
Author: Jocelyn Arundel
Genre: Juvenile non-fiction
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 1958
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 3

Toki, a young boy in Africa, stows away on a safari to essentially make the safari crew hire him and take him with them. He works hard but isn't sure he likes how the foreign hunter feels about hunting. Toki is put on the spot when a special lion is injured and he's the only one who knows where the lion is resting.

The illustrations are by Wesley Dennis and are just as wonderful as the illustrations he does in horse books.



Book #: 27
Title: Nature Nurture and Horses: A Journal of Four Dressage Horses in Training from Birth Through the First Year of Training
Author: Paul Belasik
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 2012
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Belasik picks 4 foals from about 20 on his farm to chronicle their early training.

It's interesting that he talks about getting the headset before asking them to push/carry which is the opposite of most. His photos have some *tight* side reins as well. Other than those things that don't jive with his usual preachings, the rest of the book isn't very notable, either good or bad. It was interesting to find out what he does and about his set-up, but there wasn't anything earth-shattering.

So the reason I was reading a bunch of kids' books recently was that I didn't want to confuse my easily forgettable brain while waiting to get the final book in the trilogy. My friend was going to loan me her copy since my library doesn't have it.




Book #: 28
Title: Queen of Nothing: Folk of the Air #3
Author: Holly Black
Genre: YA fantasy
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: borrowed
Rating: 3

Jude is now banished from fairyland, but her sister Taryn needs her help, so they figure out a way to sneak Jude in just for a day. Too bad Jude gets swept up in a revolution in the meantime.

I'm not sure why everyone on Bookstagram loves this series so much. It's ok, but the relationship between Jude and Cardan is sooo toxic.



Book #: 29
Title: Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect
Author: Bob Rotella
Genre: Non-fiction, psychology
Classification: 796 / GV
Pub date: 1995
Acquisition: 10 days ago
Rating: 3

Rotella is a sports psychologist who focuses on golfers but sees patients in other sports as well. He was a big deal in the 1990s (and maybe still is?) He gives his advice on things golfers can do to improve their game.

This book was recommended by a pro rider on RideIQ. I am not a golfer. At all. The terms and examples used went over my head. The rider who recommended this must also be a golfer. I was still able to take away a couple useful bits though, so it wasn't bad. I think it would have been exponentially more useful had I known the difference between clubs and what bogey/double bogey/birdie/etc meant. It was an easy read.

Book #: 30
Title: Marguerite, Misty and Me: A Horse Lover's Hunt for the Hidden History of Marguerite Henry and her Chincoteague Pony
Author: Susan Friedland
Genre: Biography
Classification: 921 / SF?PZ?
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 2 weeks ago
Rating: 4

Friedland chronicles her research into Marguerite Henry, the famous children's book author. (She won the Newberry for King of the Wind; her most popular book is Misty of Chincoteague.)

Friedland's style in the meat of the book almost reaches the joy and eagerness that Henry herself uses. Although it's not lacking in details, the focus is as a long love-letter to Henry's books and the feelings she brought out in horse-mad children than a just-the-facts biography.

Book #: 31
Title: The Spotted Sphinx
Author: Joy Adamson
Genre: Non-fiction, wildlife
Classification: 599 / QL
Pub date: 1969
Acquisition: 13 years ago
Rating: 4

Adamson lived in Africa in the 1940s-1970s with her wildlife warden husband. She is most famous for her story Born Free about raising a lion cub named Elsa and released her to the wild. She was the first to be able to successfully rehab a lion. Years later, Adamson ends up with a tame adolescent cheetah and rehabilitates Pippa to the wilds of Kenya.

There are loads of photos. The story was interesting. (BTW, even more interesting is the story of Adamson's life and death. She was married multiple times and lived around the world; she separated from her husband because they wanted to work with different species {lions vs cheetahs}; they were both murdered at different times for the work they were doing for wildlife; etc etc. None of this is covered in The Spotted Sphinx.)

Book #: 32
Title: No Bored Horses: Essential Enrichment for Happy Equines
Author: Amanda Goble
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 636 / SF
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 4.5

Goble is a zookeeper who specializes in behavior; her hobby is horses. The first half of the book talks about what enrichment is (and is not), how to evaluate it, safety issues, and how to make a targeted enrichment plan and schedule. The latter section has 30 individual enrichment ideas with instructions on how to make them and use them.

I stayed up until the middle of the night reading a *non-fiction* book. This ended up being a very expensive book because the author gave a very short list of enrichment manufacturers - some of which make toys my pony doesn't have and obviously needed ASAP, even if they are only available to purchase from shady European websites. I docked a half star because I needed MORE - more examples, more links, more chapters.



Book #: 33
Title: Rascal
Author: Sterling North
Genre: Non-fiction, wildlife
Classification: 599 / PS
Pub date: 1963
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 4

Sterling lived in the midwest with his widowed father in the early 1900s. Sterling 'adopted' and raised multiple wild animals, as many boys would if they could, including a young racoon he called Rascal. He details the first year of Rascal's life while telling stories of his boyhood and the wilds of northern Wisconsin.

COVER PENDING

Book #: 34
Title: Misconceptions and Simple Truths in Dressage
Author: HLM van Schaik
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1989
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 4

A dressage guru has collected articles he wrote on different gaits and issues in dressage. The historical notes comparing ASHA and FEI were interesting. He has some thoughts on what constitutes artistic dressage versus competition dressage. A few chapters were devoted to the history of dressage and how it splintered into the different factions and nationalities. It was a surprisingly quick read for being detailed.

I've been in a terrible funk - both bookish and otherwise. Nothing seems to keep my attention and I have a dozen books picked up and started and thrown down after only a few pages were read. The only thing that I can get through and be interested in is generic juvenile fiction - not even pony books. The plus side is that I can clear off some shelf space and donate a lot after reading.



Book #: 35
Title: Bed-knob and Broomstick
Author: Mary Norton
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 1971 (1943)
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Two stories collected together: The Magic Bedknob and Bonfires and Broomsticks. A group a children meets a village witch in training. In exchange for their silence on the matter, she gifts them a bedknob that can take them to a different location or different time depending on how they twist it back into the bed. In the first story, the children travel to different locations and have adventures. In the second, they travel back to the middle ages but bring home a stowaway.

This was made into a Disney movie. I can see how it might be hard to get the details right, but it seemed to get the spirit of the matter well.



Book #: 36
Title: Don't You Know There's A War On
Author: Avi
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2002
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 3

Howie is in elementary school during WWII. He and his friend have a crush on their teacher. When their teacher gets fired, they start a spy campaign to find out why and start a protest to save her job.

I love WWII books, and this does a nice job evoking war-time, but I still found it a bit average.



Book #: 37
Title: Bambi: A Life in the Woods
Author: Felix Salten
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1929
Acquisition: 7 years ago
Rating: 4

Bambi is a fawn who grows up to be a stag in the forest.

The book was -get this - better than the movie, haha. I usually hate talking animal books, but this was really nicely done.



Book #: 38
Title: Mary Poppins
Author: PL Travers
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 1934
Acquisition: 6 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Mary Poppins comes in to be a nanny to the Banks children. She brings magic with her - or does she?

Another one made into a Disney movie. I can tell why the author was upset about the treatment of Mr Banks, a minor character in the book, but otherwise it seems to get the vibe right.



Book #: 39
Title: Dear Mr Henshaw
Author: Beverly Cleary
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1983
Acquisition: 6 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Leigh begins writing to an author but ends up journaling his thoughts about his family, divorce, and school.

This was more dramatic as a child, but still held up nicely.



Book #: 40
Title: The Rescuers
Author: Margery Sharp
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 1959
Acquisition: 6 years ago
Rating: 4

Miss Bianca is a mouse belonging to an ambassador's son. She is going to Norway soon in a diplomatic pouch. The mouse Rescue Aid Society - devoted to helping human prisoners - receives a call of a Norse poet jailed and needing help. Bianca goes to Norway, meets a mouse called Nils, takes Nils back to her home country, then with Bernard - the brave janitor mouse - and Nils, sets off to rescue the prisoner. The mice have to infiltrate the jail, avoid the jailer's cat, and figure out how to get the prisoner out.

Nothing like the movie. Still a bit bleak at times, but a very nice adventure story.



Book #: 41
Title: My Father's Dragon
Author: Ruth Stiles Gannett
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1948
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 2.5

A boy goes to rescue a dragon and has to get by a series of animals detaining him.



Book #: 42
Title: Elmer and the Dragon
Author: Ruth Stiles Gannett
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1950
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 2.5

The Dragon and Elmer go on an adventure.

This series is kind of blah, I'm sad to say. My mother loved it.



Book #: 43
Title: A Dog on Barkham Street
Author: Mary Stolz
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1961
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 4.5

Edward wants a dog and wants to avoid the neighborhood bully. With his friend Rod, Edward deals with being a boy in the 1960s - growing up, trying to be better about responsibility, etc - until a family member visits and brings a dog with him. This turns Edward's life upside down.

This was all surprisingly well done: the emotions of family turmoil, puberty, dealing with unpleasant people, aching for a pet.



Book #: 44
Title: The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Author: Avi
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1992
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 4

Charlotte is 13-year-old in the 1800s. She is to board a ship to take her from school in England to her family in America. The voyage should take only 1-2 months, but the family she was supposed to be traveling with doesn't board the ship. She is the only passenger - the crew is rough but at least the captain seems like a gentleman. She hears of mutiny and fully reports it, but now has to deal with the consequences.

This was a popular book when I was younger. I can see why - even as an adult, it was very enjoyable and immersive.



Book #: 45
Title: Lassie Come Home
Author: Eric Knight
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 823 / PZ
Pub date: 1940
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 4

Lassie loves her boy. When the boy's family needs money to live, they have to sell Lassie to the local Duke. Lassie doesn't understand and so frequently escapes the Duke to join the boy at school as usual until the Duke moves from England up to the northern tip of Scotland. Lassie still tries to make it to the boy.

This is another well done dog story. I'm sure I would have loved it as a child, but the Yorkshire accent would have been a trip.

I feel you with the book funk! And I LOVED the My Father's Dragon books growing up!

I also loved My Father's Dragon as a kid (I didn't even own my own copy, my friend had it and I would beg my parents to let me go over to her house just so I could read it again) and enjoyably reread it recently, but I can see how it would be kind of blah to read for the first time as an adult.

>29 DFED:: >30 norabelle414:: I can see how they would be fun to read if you read them at the right point in your life and a nice introduction to fantasy adventures as well.

Book #: 46
Title: The Luckiest Girl
Author: Beverly Cleary
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1958
Acquisition: 7 years ago
Rating: 4

Shelley has the opportunity to live a year with her mother's old college roommate in California - a big change for the 16-year-old from Oregon.

This wasn't as demented/sappy as Cleary's other YA romance that I read this year (Sister of the Bride). Although there is a bit of romance, this is really more about Shelley growing up than anything else, so it was able to be not quite so out-of-date as other older romances. Shelley is alright.



Book #: 47
Title: Moving Day: Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls #1
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2008
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 2.5

Allie learns that her family will be moving half hour away to a new school and new house. Even with the bribe of a kitten, she doesn't want this to happen.

That was certainly jarring, going from the gentle romance of the 1950s to modern day young girl slang. It wasn't bad and Cabot can be amusing. I'm not sure if I empathized with Allie like I would Ramona or if I think she was a bit of a brat sometimes.



Book #: 48
Title: A Girl Called Al
Author: Constance Greene
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1977
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 2.5

Al moves into the unnamed narrator's apartment complex. She is supposed to be seen as special, but I think she's pretty regular. The two girls make friends with the elderly building super.

I read this one as a kid. I think I was put off by one of the characters telling the other that every horse girl is stuck up.



Book #: 49
Title: The Hundred Dresses
Author: Eleanor Estes
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1944
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 3

Wanda is bullied a bit by the kids in her classroom when she says she has 100 dresses hanging in a closet at home. The kids obviously don't believe that poor immigrant Wanda has them, so start to make fun of her. When Wanda moves away, the girls learn that there can be many ways of looking at things.

Good/ok but still not keeping it.



Book #: 50
Title: Philip Hall likes me. I recon maybe.
Author: Bette Greene
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1975
Acquisition: 13 years ago
Rating: 4

Beth could be the best in her class, but she lets Philip win things so he'll like her. When she realizes this, she starts to apply herself a bit harder. She has goals of being a veterinarian; her town tries to help her out. Beth has adventures in town - everything from learning how to protest to rescuing Philip on a mountain to competing in 4H to earning money for college.

I loved this one. Her adventures, her friends, her rivalry with Philip, and her town were involved in the story that flew by.

Book #: 51
Title: Summer of My German Soldier
Author: Bette Greene
Genre: Juvenile fiction/YA
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1973
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 3

Patty is a 12yo Jewish girl in rural Arkansas in the 1940s. A POW camp is set up near her town, and one of the German POWs escapes. She ends up helping him hide from the authorities.

This was a fairly hefty book in terms of themes for little kids. Child abuse, tolerance, racism, war... It pretty much bummed me out and left me with THOUGHTS. Greene does a good job taking you to the rural south, but dang, is there a price to be paid. The cover was very misleading - this is not a romance. While I didn't like the book (not what I was looking for), it doesn't deserve a lesser rating than a 3.



Book #: 52
Title: The Toll Gate
Author: Georgette Heyer
Genre: Historical fiction - mystery/romance
Classification: 823 / PS
Pub date: 1954
Acquisition: 4 years ago
Rating: 3

Captain Staple is on his way home from northern England and stops at a toll gate manned by a scared little boy who says his father disappeared. The Captain decides to find out why but stays because he falls for the pretty neighbor of the tollgate who needs his help with her family.

I was a bit lost with all the low slang, but Heyer writes good stories.



Book #: 53
Title: Mitch and Amy
Author: Beverly Cleary
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1967
Acquisition: 9 years ago
Rating: 2

Mitch and Amy are twins. They argue with each other but stand up to bullies for each other as well.

Not my favorite Cleary. I think it has a slightly lower reading level than the Ramona books, but I might be way off base.

Book #: 54
Title: The Quiet Gentleman
Author: Georgette Heyer
Genre: Historical fiction - mystery/romance
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 1951
Acquisition: 6 years ago
Rating: 3

Gervase returns from war to reclaim his title and lands, only to find his half-brother and step-mother aren't too keen on the idea of giving up their home. The brothers vie for the hand of the same woman. 'Accidents' keep befalling Gervase - who is trying to kill him?

not bad but not terribly exciting. The ending got spoiled for me though.



Book #: 55
Title: Otis Spofford
Author: Beverly Cleary
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 1953
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Otis is a regular boy - teasing a girl, avoiding a bully, sneaking food to the classroom mouse experiment, playing a bull in his school play, and just looking to cause excitement wherever he goes.

Better than Mitch and Amy



Book #: 56
Title: Stone Fox
Author: John Reynolds Gardiner
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1980
Acquisition: unknown, found it unlogged
Rating: 2

Willy and his grandfather live together in the west. Willy's grandfather mentally clocks out when he realizes that creditors are on him since he has never paid taxes, leaving Willy to try to raise the money to save the farm. Willy decides to enter the local dog sled race - with his one farm dog - competing with pros with huge teams. Yeah, it goes as well as you'd think.

The writing and illustrations are a bit too simple. Spoiler: This is one where the dog dies at the end. I was not prepared for the suddenness of the death. No wonder some people hate books like this.

Book #: 57
Title: Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret
Author: Judy Blume
Genre: Juvenile fiction
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1970
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 4

Margaret battles puberty, choosing a religion, friends, and family relationships during a move from NYC to New Jersey.

I think the recent movie did a great job with the material; it was very similar.

>34 alsvidur: Is that the wrong author for Stone Fox or is that a nom de plume?

>34 alsvidur:: LOL, thanks for catching that! I copy and paste my little report format each time and it looks like I didn't change that one before hitting post. Georgette Heyer, hehe...

Book #: 58
Title: A Civil Contract
Author: Georgette Heyer
Genre: Fiction / historical romance
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 1961
Acquisition: 5 years ago
Rating: 3.5

Adam comes back from the Napoleonic wars to find that his title and estate are deep in debt. The only solution to keep his home and family is to marry an heiress for her money. Jenny's father is super rich and he wants her to have a title, so he bargains with Adam for the marriage. Jenny is pretty plain and quiet compared to Julia - who Adam happens to be in love with.

This is one of Heyer's heftier and more serious novels that I've come across. I'm not sure if I like it a lot or not at all.

Book #: 59
Title: Exploring Dressage Technique: Journeys Into the Art of Classical Riding
Author: Paul Belasik
Genre: Non-fiction, horses
Classification: 798 / SF
Pub date: 1994
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

This is not as philosophical as Belasik's other works on dressage. He writes about common techniques, classical techniques, and general training.



Book #: 60
Title: Not Like the Movies
Author: Kerry Winfrey
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Chloe is juggling school, a job, and managing the care of her elderly father. Nick is managing the cafe where Chloe works. They are both dealing with the fallout from a Big Deal movie romcom coming out soon - which happens to be written by Chloe's best friend - and happens to be based off of them.

Cute. Will read more by the author.



Book #: 61
Title: The Long Game
Author: Elena Armas
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Adalyn has devoted her life to her father's pro soccer team the Miami Flames. When she attacks the mascot one day and the video goes viral, her father banishes her to the boonies to run a little league soccer team. The team already has a coach though, a former pro player in hiding.

Also cute but couldn't really get into the characters.

Book #: 62
Title: To Woo and To Wed
Author: Martha Waters
Genre: Romance, historical
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Sophie once had been in love with the Duke of Weston, but that ended when she began married to another. Several years later, she's a widow and needs to be engaged again so that her little sister will feel OK with getting married herself. Sophie doesn't really want to get married; she convinces West to pretend to be her fiance.

This wasn't terrible, but a lot of the characters and beats seem to be made for readers of the books pervious in the series. (I did not know it was the last book in the series until I started reading.) Events were mentioned that I had no idea about. It seemed like it was tying everything up in a bow, but I had no idea what was being tied up.

Book #: 63
Title: Canadian Boyfriend
Author: Jenny Holiday
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Aurora made up an imaginary boyfriend as a teenager - based on a customer at her coffee hut job - to avoid awkward social situations at her school since she was so busy with ballet. As an adult, she meets a great guy but is horrified to learn that he is who she used as a type of journal as a kid. Mike is recovering from his wife's death a year ago and learning that the emotional labor of raising a kid is no joke.

Aside from always calling the character by his full name "Mike Martin" (which was super weird), this was one of my favorites from Holiday. The characters were well-rounded and had growth, the story was humorous but serious at the same time, and the relationship between Aurora and Mike was believable.



Book #: 64
Title: At First Spite
Author: Olivia Dade
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Athena gets dumped by her fiancé a month before the wedding. She's broke from buying him his neighbor's house (he wanted to knock down a wall). She had quit her job since she was planning on moving to where he lived - a few states over in a town named Harlot Bay. She doesn't have many options left besides move into the house she bought; she'll just have to deal with being neighbors with her ex- and his brother, who happened to be the one to convince her fiancé to leave her.

This was also my favorite from the author. There's some hilarious bits about monster romance, some serious bits about dealing with depression and guilt, and a lovely background town and characters.

Book #: 65
Title: To Save a Mate
Author: Krystal Shannon
Genre: Romance, paranormal
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2014
Acquisition: 8 years ago
Rating: 1.5

OK, so the whole Sadie Brazen thing from "At First Spite" made me super interested in finding humorous romances, so I dug up this old one from when I bought anything that was 99 cents on my nook. It unfortunately did not live up to the hype.

This is more of a novella at only 100 pages. Within 1 day, the main character's parents die, she finds her boyfriend cheating on her with her roommate, and she gets hit by a car and 'dies'. She gets saved by being found by a werewolf that has always had a crush on her; he binds their life forces together. The plot and characters had promise, but it was just too short and undetailed. This could have been spun into a much longer story. At least I went into it looking for the humor and not taking it seriously.



Book #: 66
Title: The Summer Girl
Author: Elle Kennedy
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3.5

Cassie just wants a summer fling on her college break. When she bumps into her new neighbor Tate, she thinks he'd be perfect, but Tate doesn't want a fling with a girl who could get attached.

I'm trying to be more open and free-wheeling so I read the third book in the series before the 1st or 2nd. It was rough for the first few pages, but it didn't matter in the end. The beach town in perfect. The romance and character development were average for Kennedy.

Book #: 67
Title: Good Girl Complex
Author: Elle Kennedy
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Mac is vacationing in Avalon Bay. Not only are her parents wealthy, she designed a tech site that made her a millionaire at 20 years old. Her boyfriend is a jerk; they break up. She meets Cooper, a resident townie bad boy and starts a relationship. Cooper is hiding the fact that he knows her boyfriend though.

Not as great as The Summer Girl. The town isn't such a feature. While the characters support each other, there was a lot of 'new relationship insta-trust' that didn't feel earned aside from them getting into a bunch of arguments. I'm going to continue with the series in hopes that the beachy town vibe continues.

Book #: 68
Title: Bad Girl Reputation
Author: Elle Kennedy
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Gen and Evan have an on-again/off-again relationship. Gen moves away to grow up and get out of the reputation she built herself in her hometown. When she moves back to Avalon Bay for her mother's funeral, Evan pulls her back in to their relationship.

Not terrible, not great. I had a better feel for the main characters than book #1 where they seemed a little generic, and I didn't feel as skeezy reading about such young adults in book #3. The town is still one of the best characters.

Book #: 69
Title: All the Feels
Author: Olivia Dade
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2021
Acquisition: library
Rating: 2

As a sequel to Spoiler Alert, All the Feels features a group of actors in a hit TV show finding love. This one focuses on Alex WHO HAS ADHD and Lauren WHO HAS A WEIRD BODY SHAPE. Why are these in caps? Because so much of the book is devoted to these issues it seems like it's shouting about them. You can't go more than a couple pages without these things being mentioned - maybe not even a whole page, actually. Compared to Dade's other works, this is my least favorite.

Book #: 70
Title: Just Another Love Song
Author: Kerri Winfrey
Genre: Romance, contemporary
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2022
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Sandy and Hank were sweethearts in high school in their small town. At graduation, Hank moved away to become a musician but Sandy was stuck in town doing something other than her dream - art. When Hank moves back to town 15 years later with a son, he decides that he still likes Sandy. Sandy needs to deal with feeling 'stuck' before she can entertain romance.

I LOVED the side character Honey - the portrayal of a veterinarian was much more accurate than in most rom-coms. Thank you to the author for highlighting NOMV in the credits.



Book #: 70
Title: Eventer's Dream
Author: Caroline Akrill
Genre: Fiction, pony book
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 1981
Acquisition: 1 month ago
Rating: 4

Elaine is out of her training program at school, has her certifications, and is looking for a job at an event yard that would help support her dreams of being an eventer. She finds a rundown place with some eccentric owners (aren't they all, though?) and starts trying to whip the stable into shape.

This was really well done. I'm not sure if any non-horse people would understand half of it, but I sure enjoyed it and ordered the next in the series.

Book #: 71
Title: The Christmas Pony
Author: Sylvia Green
Genre: Fiction, pony book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2002
Acquisition: 3 years ago
Rating: 2.5

Laura, her brother Ben, and their two friends try to earn enough money to buy their neighbor's elderly pony Mr Crumbs.

The early-chapter-book story focused on earning the money, not so much the horses. It wasn't bad, but nothing too astonishing.

Book #: 72
Title: A Hoof in the Door (Eventers #2)
Author: Caroline Akrill
Genre: Fiction, pony book
Classification: 823 / PR
Pub date: 1982
Acquisition: 2 days ago
Rating: 4

Elaine finally has a good event horse, but now she has to get the riding grant to be able to finance her training. When Legend becomes unavailable, how will she find a new event horse in time?

I really thought that The Comet would be her long-term event horse. We'll have to see how book #3 works out!

Book #: 73
Title: Horsepower
Author: Patsey Gray
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1966
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 3

Honey is out of school and needs to decide if she wants to continue working in the show horse world as a groom and rider or if she wants to be part of the 1% and a future homemaker.

An interesting view of the times (1960s) in the show world



Book #: 74
Title: The Wild One
Author: Eve Bunting
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1974
Acquisition: 10 years ago
Rating: 2.5

A Cherokee boy who had a white father is ostracized by the other tribal boys and is about to be sent away when he ends up saving the tribe from another warring nation.

Although there was a horse that played an essential part in the story, I would not call this a pony book.



Book #: 75
Title: El Blanco: the Legend of the White Stallion
Author: Rutherford Geroge Montgomery
Genre: Pony book
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 1961
Acquisition: 12 years ago
Rating: 4

There is a legend that a white horse will stop the draught. When a white foal is born, the old man rejoices - but he has to keep the foal from a cowboy who wants to sell the wild horses. The foal escapes and grows old in the plains and the jungle of Mexico. When the now stallion returns to the valley, the cowboy comes again. How will the old man save the valley?

I am confused by the subtitle: did Walt Disney make this into one of their wildlife films in the 1960s? I haven't heard of it (but I also haven't even googled it yet).

Book #: 76
Title: Divas Til Death
Author: Mary Curran
Genre: Mystery
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: 1 year ago
Rating: 3.5

Wealthy socialites start dropping dead around the stables where reporter Callie boards her horse.

My local tack store carried a book! Just a few copies on the counter that once, but still! So I obviously bought one. They were written by a local author - and the setting of the books is local as well. It was interesting trying to figure out which barns/bars/towns she alluded to with similar but made-up names. While I figured out WHO did it early in the story, I didn't know WHY until the end. The horse stuff was surprisingly minor to the story. I'd read more by the author if I came across another.

>49 alsvidur: Congratulations on reaching 75, Emilie!

Congrats!

Book #: 77
Title: Casting Demons Into Swine
Author: RJ Erskine
Genre: Fiction, suspense
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2017
Acquisition: 3 days ago
Rating: 4.5

The author is in the same professional circles as I am, and after bumping to him a few times over the years, I decided to try his book - you know, not expecting a lot but supporting local. I was totally taken aback by how good the book was.

Malcolm is a large animal vet practicing in rural Pennsylvania. Many of his clients are Amish and others are hillbillies deep in the middle of family feuds going back hundreds of years. Patients start dying in an epidemic that also affects humans. He tries to stop the outbreak but is met with resistance to vaccinations from the Amish and his outsider ways from the others. How is the disease spreading? Which humans are affected? Who is murdering local pets? Who is shooting out Malcolm's windows?

What's super crazy is that the author was telling me that all his books are based in real things that happened to him while practicing out there in the 1980s. The details were correct so nothing professional detracted from the story. The suspense and mystery were engrossing without being too scary to sleep (although I did stay up late reading). I usually hate suspense, but this was so good that I may break my book buying ban to get the rest of the series.

Congratulations on reaching 75 books! I enjoy reading your reviews.

Book #: 78
Title: The Scary Gray Shark
Author: Brian Tucker
Genre: Picture book
Classification: 813 / PZ
Pub date: 2020
Acquisition: 4 years ago
Rating: 2

Early Reviewers book that was a pdf that I never opened, logged, or read until I was going through the ER page. Oops.

The illustrations are ok, but the story is lacking. It ended abruptly with no real beginning, middle, and end. A shark is lonely because everyone is scared of her until a dolphin decides to leave her pod and hang out with the shark all summer. Why instill fear in children about sharks? Other species are "safe" but the shark isn't? Is the moral of the story that you should play with scary people? That family will abandon you if you disagree? This has potential but is a bit of a miss as is.

Book #: 79
Title: Girl Abroad
Author: Elle Kennedy
Genre: Fiction, contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 4.5

Abbey earned a year scholarship abroad in London. She's excited to get out of the shadow of her rock-star father, meets her roommates, and do some historical research. When she arrives, her roommates Jackie, Jamie, and Lee are actually guys, not girls. She decides to stick it out.

I think this is my favorite Kennedy book so far! The focus was on character development, her passion for history, and finding yourself with a side bar of some romance. I really liked all the characters, and there was no cringing at the usual 'just talk to each other, you idiots!' parts - because those parts weren't there. Even though it involved a bit of a mystery involving nobility, I felt that Girl Abroad was very realistic - more-so than the usual contemporary romances.

Book #: 80
Title: Faking Christmas
Author: Kerry Winfrey
Genre: Fiction, contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2023
Acquisition: library
Rating: 3

Laurel's boss thinks she runs the goat farm that Laurel's sister actually runs. When Laurel's boss invites himself to the farm for Christmas, Laurel keeps up the ruse by pretending her nieces are her kids, her friend's friend is her husband, etc. Over the course of the weekend, she and the friend's friend *fall in love*. Yes, friends, it only takes a few days.

This was a short visit to the farm. It wasn't terrible, but the big draw for this would be the Christmas timing.



Book #: 81
Title: Boy Meets Girl
Author: Meg Cabot
Genre: Fiction, contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2004
Acquisition: 11 years ago
Rating: 3

Kate works in HR and her boss tells her to fire a cafeteria worker who slighted Kate's boss's boyfriend. The worker sues the company for wrongful termination. The lawyer defending the company happens to be someone Kate is attracted to.

This whole thing is told via IM, email, notes, and letters. It was a really cool concept when I first read it when it came out 20 years ago but was a bit difficult to follow in the beginning. The limitation of this type of epistolary format in the modern age is that the romance didn't read as big as most stories and some of the 'notes' are a bit of a stretch - who writes journal entries on menus while out eating? Who falls in love after only a few days? (Oh yeah, the couple in the book above, that's who.)



Book #: 82
Title: A Skunk in the House
Author: Constance Taber Colby
Genre: Non-fiction
Classification: 599 / QL
Pub date: 1973
Acquisition: 13 years ago
Rating: 2

A family buys a skunk as a pet in the 1960s - because why not keep a skunk in New York City when you know nothing about them?

This was a few stories about the family adjusting to life with an animal that they had no idea about its natural habits and needs. It was a short book because the skunk escaped when it was young and was never found. I know it was much more common back then to have that attitude towards animals and wildlife, but it's still jarring. Born Free, this is not. I was hoping for a more polished book or at least some knowledge about skunk care, but this was neither.

Book #: 83
Title: Fangirl Down
Author: Tessa Bailey
Genre: Fiction, contemporary romance
Classification: 813 / PS
Pub date: 2024
Acquisition: library
Rating: 5

Sunshine and grump sports romance. Wells is a down on his luck pro golfer and Josephine is his biggest fan (and only one left). She encourages him to keep going and they team up to get him back on track.

I really liked this one. Bailey is hit-or-miss with me (some of her heroes are a bit dark), but this one was great. It's on my to-buy list so I can read it again later.