The man who listened to horses - Monty Roberts

Monty Roberts is a real horse whisperer. Nicholas Evans' runaway bestseller, The Horse Whisperer, and the Robert Redford movie by the same name, were based in part on the celebrated equine handler's character and technique. As popular as the film and novel have been, neither can touch this autobiography terms of sheer power of story and triumph.

Monty Roberts could, by his own estimate, ride before he could walk. Born into the world of horses, Monty was a child of the Great Depression from Salinas. One hundred miles south of San Francisco, this California town was home to John Steinbeck - indeed, that celebrated author set many of his novels in the region. Horses figure prominently in the Salinas River Valley, and in the life of the oldest son of Marvin and Margeurite Roberts.

Monty's father managed (and housed his family on) rodeo competition grounds, at the time the largest equestrian facility in North America. Marvin and Margeurite also operated their own riding school on the grounds. Under the critical eye of his father, Monty became a top contender in junior rodeo competitions. He also doubled for many child actors in films: Roddy McDowall, Mickey Rooney, even Elizabeth Taylor in "National Velvet." That Monty never personally received a penny of his movie earnings is indicative of the strained relationship between the father and his eldest son.

Marvin Roberts trained horses to carry riders in the traditional way - breaking horses by breaking their will, almost torturing the animals into submission. Monty Roberts knew at a very young age that there had to be a better way to come into communication with these animals he loved so much. This fundamental disagreement on methods was a major contributor to the ever-widening rift between Marvin and Monty, and provided the impetus that would drive Monty to the success and acclaim that are finally his.
With a distinctive, down-to-earth voice, Monty relates the path his life has followed. His humble beginnings in Salinas were the birth of his groundbreakingly humane techniques of join-up - the peaceful, respectful method Monty employs to establish and cement communications with even the wildest of horses. Full of awe-inspiring scenes of equine "language" in the wild and in the arena, The Man Who Listens To Horses, also treats readers to cameos of the rich and famous, from James Dean to the Queen of England.
Monty Roberts' life has been one of horror and grace, of love and unbridgeable distance. Most touching are the struggles with seemingly irredeemable animals. Roberts' successes with mistreated and phobic horses illustrate beautifully the possibility of communion between humans and horses. This man's life work is a testament to the level of stewardship that humankind should strive to attain with the creatures who share our home. This man's life is a shining example of what any person can accomplish, despite physical and emotional abuse, despite the cruel folly of associates, if he only clings to the correctness of his convictions and belief in himself. Star Rating - ****.

Wuthering Heights

 Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

Wuthering Heights is the wild, passionate story of intense and almost demonic love between Catherine Earnshaw and Heathcliff, a foundling adopted by Catherine's father. After Mr Earnshaw's death, Heathcliff is bullied and humiliated by Catherine's brother Hindley, and wrongly believing that his love for Catherine is not reciprocated leaves Wuthering Heights, only to return years later as a wealthy and a polished man. He proceeds to exact a terrible revenge for his former miseries.

The action of the story is chaotic and unremittingly violent, but the accomplished handling of a complex structure, the evocative descriptions of the lonely moorland setting and the poetic granduer of vision combine to make this unique novel a masterpiece of English literature.

Wuthering Heights is a strange and unusual book, the amount of different relationships of love and hate differents the book from others and makes it unique. The book is intruiging to read as it's descriptions encourage vivid imagery and language connotes many feelings that the reader is able to sympathies and empathies with. However in order to empathsizes or symapthsizes with many of the characters, the reader is forced to place themselves in the characters position allowing them to recieve a deeper understanding of the authors aims for writing the book. Overall, although this book used complex language due to the date it was written (1847) which made it considerably harder to read, it was a very enjoyable and interesting read.

Rating - ***** - 5 stars

The Secret Circle : The Initiation and Captive Part One by L.J .Smith

 Summary:
The circle's power has lured her home.

Forced to move from sunny California to gloomy New England, Cassie longs for her old life. Even so, she feels a strange kinship to a terrifying group of teens who seem to rule her school. Initiated into the coven of witches that's controlled New Salem for hundreds of years, she's drawn into the Secret Circle, a thrill that's both intoxicating and deadly. But when she falls for the mysterious and intriguing Adam, Cassie must choose whether to resist temptation or risk dark forces to get what she wants—even if it means that one wrong move could ultimately destroy her.

Review:
The Secret Circle has a horror/romance genre which is extremely unusual yet works so well. The writers captures your attention right from the very beginning and really connects with the reader by making Cassie easy to emphasize with as she deals with the problems of being an only child of a single mother, moving school and not fitting in. However the story (and Cassies life) takes a dramatic turn when she becomes friends with the most beautiful girl in school and part of the terrifying gang that 3 of which are bullying her. She finds a string of events come her way such as making friends, witnessing death, discovering and being initiated into a frightening new world, betraying her best friend, finding and losing the love of her life, being blackmailed by her enemy and accidently murdering someone. With all thats going on in her life it's hard to believe that she is ever going to be happy, normalor even survive. Rating - 5 stars

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Who is Skulduggery Pleasant?A skeleton.In fact, that is exactly what he is. A skeleton who earns his living as a detective. He may have no internal organs, and he may be pretty appealing to your puppy ...but beware- he has brains (though this statement is technically untrue). Not only this...he is magic! (Obviously.Its not like we see skeletons all over the place!)The protagonist of the book is Stephanie Edgley, a young teenager, whose world turns upside down when her uncle and horror-fiction writer Gordon Edgley dies and leaves her his estate. When a couple of zombie- men attacks her, she finds herself seeking help from her uncle's old friend and confidant Skulduggery Pleasant, who happens to be a living skeleton who loves himself too much. They now have to search for the legendary Sceptre Of The Ancients which is the only thing that can stop the villain, Nefarian Serpine from throwing the world into chaos. Suddenly plunged into a world of secret sorcerers , evil necromancers and creatures like trolls, vampires and evil Gods called the Faceless Ones, she faces mountainous obstacles before they can "save the world" the good way.The book is full of little jokes and has a lovable sarcastic element to it. Stephanie's little rebukes and Skulduggery's wise jibes are very amusing indeed. Also appealing is the wise, plucky and really very funny Stephanie in her role as the egoistic, brave and stubborn Skuduggery's partner and sidekick.Why is this book interesting? Skulduggery Pleasant is a fast-moving, gripping detective novel in which a little girl pairs up with a living skeleton! The author creates an atmosphere of magic and mayhem with terrifying villains, powerful sorcerers and egoistic skeletons. A truly exciting read!

 

Rating - 5 stars