Sunday, September 27, 2009

A Book Review.........From Me?????


Recently, I had been contacted through my blog by a person named Jamie Klein, asking if I'd be interested in reviewing a book related to horses. Me, not being an avid reader, in fact absolutely hating reading books as I get bored with them very easily, hemmed and hawed over the idea and Stephen finally convinced to go for it. So I did.
Now I have bought the gamete of "horse" books over the years, training references, horse first aid, getting in touch with your horse, you name it, I have those books, not to mention volumes of horse magazines I'm always rifling through. So I actually have quite the collection of horse care books, some of which I started and couldn't get through, some of which I still refer to.

BUT, This book........This book is surely a one of a kind and I love it! Didn't think I would as it IS a book, but this is awesome! The book is called the "Horse Lover's Daily Companion: 365 Days of Tips for Living a Joyful Life with Your Horse" written by Audrey Pavia & photographed by Tom Sapp. The pictures of it I put up are how I received it with a real carrot & apple packaged in it, which was impressive. Anyhow, onto the book itself. The topics include an Illustrated guide to horse breeds, Equine activities from trail to cutting to gymkhana to dressage to everything, Horses through the ages, Behind the scenes access to real life in the stable, Health, wellness and nutrition and Bonding, relationship building and planning special occasions, even to a recipe for treats and a home remedy for constipation. The book is set up as a "day minder" with each of the year's 52 weeks having six entries, Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays & Weekends. This is precisely why I like this book, it doesn't drone on paragraph after paragraph, chapter after chapter, it's precise, anecdotal, informative and entertaining, breaking these parts up into different days., including beautiful photography, famous horses and personal stories.
The set-up is such:
Mondays- "introduce the wide variety of horse breeds, from the Appaloosa to the Zorse"
Tuesdays- "detail equine activities, such as riding sidesaddle, herding cows, and driving"
Wednesdays- "are devoted to horses through the ages, from prehistory to modern equine heroes"
Thursdays- "offer behind-the-scenes access to real life in the stable"
Fridays- "are devoted to health, wellness, and nutrition"
Weekends- "are reserved for bonding and relationship building, and planning special occasions"


The book is a beautiful hard covered book with a built in satin ribbon for a bookmark. This is a Quarry Book, a member of Quayside Publishing Group, based in Beverly, MA.. It retails for $19.99 in the USA & £12.99 UK & $24.99 CAN. I highly recommend this book for the novice horse person to the most experienced horse person. You can't go wrong, not to mention what a great gift this book would make. I'm glad I have it!



16 comments:

Laughing Orca Ranch said...

You and I sound a lot alike in our reading styles...or lack thereof. lol! I get bored easily, too. I need to be able to move into a book and be immediately grabbed and pulled in deeper. I want to get the meat and potatoes right away, and not have to dig through all the other 'ingredients' first. lol!

This book does sound great, and how cute that they send a carrot and apple, too. And the poster...does it pop up when you open the box? That horse is adorable smiling like that!

~Lisa

Callie said...

Lisa, I gotta tell ya, if you're like me, which it sounds like, this is the horse book for you. I'm tellin' ya, this is the ONE, LOL. I love it!

Jean said...

When did you get your copy? I am sure I was contacted by email as well and responded that I would be willing to review.

Well, if I don't get one by mail, I guess I am going to have to buy one of my own...but I bet I won't get an apple with it.

Sounds great. I am looking forward to it however I get one.

Callie said...

Jean, I just got it on Friday and it took ahwile for it to show up and I'll bet you get the treats with it, give a little time. It's totally worth it. I personally emailed the person and left my blog as reference and it did take a few weeks.

The Mane Point said...

Sounds like a super gift for a horsey pal. Nice review.

Callie said...

Thanks, Linda, This is right up your alley, take the info I gave you and contact this person, it's likey you can get it more publicity!

Grey Horse Matters said...

The book sounds interesting. If you liked it (and I know you hate to read) I'll have to check it out.

Nuzzling Muzzles said...

That's a smartly packaged book -- not just because of the cute idea of the apple and carrot, but because the author, editor, and publisher understand that horse owners are busy and lucky if they get a two-minute bathroom break. I do most of my reading on the john, because that's the only time I can sit still and not have to be punching keys on a computer. By having daily quips, this book would make the perfect bathroom companion. I like the title too.

cdncowgirl said...

Thanks for the review :)
I'm a pretty avid reader, with quite a wide range of interest. However I am not much for "horse books" other than perhaps biographies. (Ruffian, Seabiscuit, etc) They quite often contain the same advice just regurgitated in a new format. This book looks to be a bit different and entertaining, I think I'll put it on my list of books to get.

aurora said...

Very clever!! Thanks for sharing. No time here to read entire books either (unless I"m on vacation, and this year that didn't even happen).

Internet/magazine type reads fit my lifestyle, anything that can be completed in a shorter period of time is a good thing!

photogchic said...

Looks good. Great way to market their book..target some bloggers and start the buzz.

SunnySD said...

That's really cool, Callie! Sounds like a neat book. Hmmm - maybe time I started my Christmas list...

John and Regina Zdravich said...

I actually love to read. This book sounds great -- I will have to check it out. I am one of those people who came late to the "horse party" -- didn't start riding or anything until I was in my 30's, so this book would probably help me......

Midlife Mom said...

That sounds like a book I will have to have! I love to read so will put that on my Christmas list for the Hubs to buy for me. That is really cute how they packaged it for you!

Dee said...

I've actually been looking all over your blog for your contact information so I could ask you about possibly doing another book review! Would you mind letting me know how to get in touch with you? Thank you!

Callie said...

Dee, As much as I hate puttin' it out here, here's my email

callie.pearson@gmail.com