Do you take breaks while reading a book? Or read it straight through? (And, by breaks, I don’t mean sleeping, eating and going to work; I mean putting it aside for a time while you read something else.)
It depends on the book and my frame of mind. I set aside my Dead in Dallas book and have been reading the Black Stallion Series again.
Where do you keep the books on the top of the tbr pile? Not the bunk of the mountain, but just the tip of the peak – the ‘almost up to’ books?
The books that I am going to be reading next or the “tip of the mountain” books are kept on my nightstand in my bedroom so I can reach them easily.
Another Sunday and I am still behind on things. I have been fending off this wicked evil cold. I wish I did not catch these things, but alas, it seems I catch every little bug. On the reading end of things, I am still doing pretty well. However, for me I have not kept up on my reviews. Last week I said I would get all of my Black Stallion reviews done. Fail for me on that. Nevertheless, I have gotten some of them done and I am going to keep trying to do more.
Pen paling is going very good mail was a little slow last week such is. Overall, March is an interesting month I cannot believe that it is going by so fast honestly; it is going very fast almost to fast. Soon enough it is going to be April…and than May…my birthday month.
Have a fantastic Sunday.
If children have the ability to ignore all odds and percentages, then maybe we can all learn from them. When you think about it, what other choice is there but to hope? We have two options, medically and emotionally: give up, or fight like hell. – Lance Armstrong
Cancer is a word, not a sentence. – John Diamond
My cancer scare changed my life. I’m grateful for every new, healthy day I have. It has helped me prioritize my life. – Olivia Newton-John
What cancer does is, it forces you to focus, to prioritize, and you learn what’s important. I mean, I don’t sweat the small stuff. I used to get angry at cab drivers. It’s not worth it…. And when somebody says you have cancer, you realize it’s all small stuff. And if it weren’t for the downside, everyone would want to have it. But there is a downside. – Joel Siegel
During chemo, you’re more tired than you’ve ever been. It’s like a cloud passing over the sun, and suddenly you’re out. But you also find that you’re stronger than you’ve ever been. You’re clear. Your mortality is at optimal distance, not up so close that it obscures everything else, but close enough to give you depth perception. Previously, it has taken you weeks, months, or years to discover the meaning of an experience. Now it’s instantaneous. – Melissa Bank
Feed your faith and your fears will starve to death. – Author Unknown
Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference. – Winston Churchill
The human spirit is stronger than anything that can happen to it. – C.C. Scott
I don’t think of all the misery but of the beauty that still remains. – Anne Frank
Never, never, never give up. – Winston Churchill
You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. – Eleanor Roosevelt
It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years. – Abraham Lincoln
Once you choose hope, anything’s possible. – Christopher Reeve
Oh, my friend, it’s not what they take away from you that counts – it’s what you do with what you have left. – Hubert Humphrey
Some see a hopeless end, while others see an endless hope. – Author Unknown
A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it will annoy enough people to make it worth the effort. – Herm Albright
Wherever you go, no matter what the weather, always bring your own sunshine. – Anthony J. D’Angelo
The only disability in life is a bad attitude. – Scott Hamilton
Enjoy the little things, for one day you may look back and realize they were the big things. – Robert Brault
Anywhere is paradise; it’s up to you. – Author Unknown
We cannot direct the wind but we can adjust the sails. – Author Unknown
A happy person is not a person in a certain set of circumstances, but rather a person with a certain set of attitudes. – Hugh Downs
The Kingdom of Heaven is not a place, but a state of mind. – John Burroughs
It isn’t our position but our disposition which makes us happy. – Author Unknown
Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you. – Maori Proverb
He who fears something gives it power over him. – Moorish Proverb
Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. – Ambrose Redmoon
Courage is being afraid but going on anyhow. – Dan Rather
In time of test, family is best. – Burmese Proverb
When Alec receives the Black Stallion’s first son as a gift, he believes his dreams have come true, but Satan’s savage arrogance makes him dangerous and unpredictable. Still, Alec is resolved to gain the fiery colt’s trust, even if he must risk his life to do it.
This is a story that once again is well done by Walter Farley. I have seen some reviews that say the outcome is not believable at all. However speaking as someone who has worked with a horse as Nasty as Satan is and has seen him turn around in the end and become trusting of people I can say that it is perfectly believable.
Alec is given the gift of the first son of his beloved Black stallion but he soon finds out that this son is more mal-tempered and cruel than the Black ever was. Henry warns Alec to stay away from him, thinking it is much better if they just get rid of the dangerous colt. Nevertheless, Alec will not give up on him. And when something happens…suddenly Satan changes his tune and finds out as many horses do that it is not so bad working with a human partner.
For anyone who loves horses and Arabians this series just keeps giving and giving. Walter Farley writes amazingly good stories with human characters you care about but also the horses. He gives each horse its own personality and its own character that just leaps off the page and keeps you reading.
In this, the second book in the series, the heart-stopping adventures of the Black Stallion continue as Alec discovers that two men are after the Black. One claims to be the Black’s rightful owner and one is trying to kill the beautiful steed. An Arab chieftain proves his ownership of the Black and takes him away, but Alec is determined to find his horse again. Following the pair to Arabia, Alec encounters great evil and intrigue, as only a horse as spectacular as the Black could inspire.
The Black Stallion returns brings back my favorite childhood stallion and is the second book in the very long series by Walter Farley. When I was younger this book gave me my first look into the true history of the Arabian horse and just how the nomads of Arabia treated their horses, like life Blood.
In this novel, we will follow Alex through a labyrinth of many things. An Arab chief finds Alec and claims that The Black is his, and has the proof. So The Black becomes Shetan and is taken away. However, Alec finds that another man wants The Black dead and goes on an adventure to save his beloved horse.
Once again, you are brought into a world of fantasy and horse love. You really cannot find a better set of books that embody so many things. Walter Farley writes fantastic prose and kid friendly books but the plots are interesting enough to keep even the adult mind busy. In reading this book again as an adult, I have found subtle things within it that I missed as a kid it did not take any enjoyment out of the book when I was younger. It merely added a better enjoyment for the story now that I am older.
Which do you prefer? Lurid, fruity prose, awash in imagery and sensuous textures and colors? Or straight-forward, clean, simple prose?
I like both. It depends on the book some books are best suited for straight up prose and some are better for the images of prose. As long as the prose suits the book setting I like both.
TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to: Grab your current read.Let the book fall open to a random page.Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!Please avoid spoilers! “I doubt that I can rate her, Henry. When she takes the bit she’ll work the limit of her speed.” ~ The Black Stallions Filly by Walter Farley
Do you have a favourite picture book, either from your own childhood, or reading to you children?
Yes I have a photo of me with my Great Grandma with her reading the Three Billy Goats Gruff to me.
First published in 1941, Walter Farley’s best-selling novel for young readers is the triumphant tale of a boy and a wild horse. From Alec Ramsay and the Black’s first meeting on an ill-fated ship to their adventures on a desert island and their eventual rescue, this beloved story will hold the rapt attention of readers new and old.
I first read this book when I was very young. It was the first horse book after Black Beauty that I read and there were two reasons I had looked forward to reading this book. First, that it was about a horse any horse is great, second it was about an Arabian. I have long been a fan of Arabian horses and that upped the appeal. All of that being said I was having trouble getting into my next book read so I thought I would pick up something easy to pass the time. The Black Stallion was just as good as I remember it being.
Walter Farley’s classic has all of the things you would expect from an exciting book, action, adventure, friendship and surprises. Alec Ramsay and The Black build such an incredible relationship all starting when the ship they are traveling on has a tragic accident and sinks. The imagery of this book is amazing; you can see The Black pulling Alec through the water to the island they end up on. You can see the mighty stallion running free on the island. You can feel their friendship grow.
There is of course a movie for this famous novel, but you do not have to see it to see the images and feel the feelings. Reading this childhood favorite with adult eyes gave me a new understanding of some passages but overall I was able to relive the excitement of my first reading. Weather your Young or Old this book is for you it is an inspirational story of friendship and bonding and overcoming insurmountable odds.
