Happy Merry Christmas!

My extended family and I celebrated Christmas a couple of days early. They know how sad I am about the fact I have to leave all my books in the USA. Shipping all of them to Japan would cost too much money so I broke down and got a kindle. I am grateful to my mother, grandparents, and aunts and uncles for the gifts of  money they gave me so I could purchase kindle books. A lot of consideration went into the collection I purchased. I am happy with the ones I chose and can hardly wait to start the 2012 one-hundred book challenge hosted by Book Chick City .

So here is the list of books I bought! 

1. Chalice by Robin McKinley (I have read her novel Pegasus)

2. The Queen's Governess by Karen Harper (I was ecstatic to see a novel from the POV of Kat Ashley)

3. The Girl Who Remembered Horses by Linda Benson

4. A Horse to Remember by Juliana Hutchings (Kept showing up in my suggestions list)

5. The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

6. Anthology of Japanese Literature by various (Very good price!)

7. A Voice in the Distance by Tabitha Suzuma (Check out my review for her novel Forbidden)

8. A Horse of her Own by Annie Wedekind

9. Firehorse by Diane Lee Wilson (Fell in love with the synopsis)

10. The Woman Who Loved Horses by Don Walters

11. The Story of Red Eye: The Miracle Horse of Gettysburg by Robert J. Trout 

12. Birth of a Unicorn and Other Stories by various (Short story with a unicorn? Couldn't pass it up!)

13. Sanctuary (Memoirs of a Unicorn) by Simon Skiles 

14. Lady Macbeth's Daughter by Lisa Klein (I have read her novel Ophelia)

15. Lone Star by Josh Laynon (Nothing wrong with a smut novel for entertainment, right?)

16. Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay (I saw this in the store and knew I had to read it!)

17. Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey (Check out my friend's review for this novel here !)

18. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky (my friend Kim raved about this book to me)

19. Isabeau, a Novel of Queen Isabella and King Mortimer by Gemini N. Sasson

20. Legacy by Susan Kay (I never can pass up a novel on Elizabeth I)

21. Between by Cyndi Tefft (She followed me on twitter and that is how I discovered her novel!)

I can hardly wait to read these books! I am sure they will bring me much comfort when I feel lonely in Japan. Please check my blog again to see the reviews I write about these novels!

Book Review: The Unicornis Manuscripts

The Unicornis Manuscripts: On the History and Truth of the Unicorn
Author: Micheal Green
Published: First printing 1983, Revised and expanded 2008 by Amber Lotus Publishing
Genre: Fantasy, 168 pages
Rating: 5/5

What is the unicorn?

I think many, myself included, who have become fascinated with the legend and allure of the unicorn ask themselves this question. My first encounter with unicorns was a porcelain figure of a mare. To this day I remember staring at the figurine because it looked like a horse. In my child selfishness I pretty much demanded my mother to give it to me. She gave it to me eventually when it seemed my passion was going to endure. This passion has led me to hunt down any novels I can find featuring unicorns.

Michael Green's The Unicornis Manuscripts is truly a treasure that I was glad to discover. In the fifteenth century the scribe, Magnalucius, records his encounters with the unicorn and imparts the wisdom and truth they reveal. Not only is the content of the book captivating but the setup is one that will psychologically fool the reader. Written as if it were an English translation from a medieval text readers indeed may feel they are reading an old text. Green even went as far as to include manuscript illustrations with Latin text. Having studied Latin I found myself trying to read the fake manuscript pages.

One cannot define the range of emotions unicorns invoke in those that feel connected to the legendary creature. Perhaps, that is why unicorns are still loved. There is something in our subconscious that feels connected to what the unicorn stands for. Green's Unicornis Manuscripts will bring that familiar twinge to its readers’ souls.

The Art of Horsemanship

It is believed that horses were domesticated around 6,000 years ago by the great nomadic tribes of Eurasia. The people of Kazakhstan and Mongolia have the claim of being the greatest equestrians in the world as they continue to depend upon equines in their daily life. Mongolians teach their children to ride when they are still babes and horses are still worshiped by the Kazakh people. What brave, understanding, spiritual souls were the first to sit on a horse's back? How did they nurture the horse to trust them? Was it a horse they rescued? Perhaps they raised an orphaned foal. We will never know. What we do know is that from then on horses have played an important role in mankind's history.

Through ancient history only two texts on horsemanship have survived. One is the Kikkuli from the Hittite Empire but there is no translation available for purchase. The second is The Art of Horsemanship written by a the Greek soldier named Xenophon in 350 B.C. This important piece of equine writing lays out the foundations of horse training and care that still hold true in modern times and even before Xenophon's time.

Xenophon preaches that patience, understanding, trust and care are the best methods to training a horse: "The one best guideline, in fact the golden rule, in dealing with a horse is never to approach in anger" (36). This is the absolute rule through mankind's history with horses. If a person goes to train their horse in the wrong mindset the horse will sense this and the results could be disastrous. There have been many stories when a horse goes through a major setback because they had one bad session with the trainer. The art of patience is necessary and all equestrians should learn to work at the horse's rate of acceptance and not on the trainer's schedule. I knew a horse and he was skittish and very green. His owners sent him to a trainer who expected Chief to perform to her standards alone. When Chief came back he was even more nervous and seemed unsafe to ride. This past summer Chief was sold to someone who took the time and patience to work with him. My unsafe, skittish equine friend now goes along as pleasantly as my own Skye.

Horses are noble creatures who, in general, want to please their riders. When a horse is labeled as crazy or unsafe it is not because the horse was born that way. In nearly all cases the horse associates negativity with humans. The horse has been abused or misunderstood. Kindness and positive reinforcement are a human's greatest allies in training a horse. Horses that associate humans with positive aspects of life are more than willing to work with their human leaders: "your best plan will be to show the horse kindness whenever the horse dies as you wish, and to reprimand the horse when the horse is disobedient" (45). By using positive reinforcement to reward a horse for a desirable behavior the horse will want to repeat the action. A horse should be reprimanded only if he is truly misbehaving. Too often horses are reprimanded when they are simply confused and do not understand what they are being asked to do. Thank goodness horses have a forgiving nature as in my early days of equine ownership I made this same error.

I would strongly recommend any equestrian, whether they are a professional trainer or a pleasure rider, read Xenophon's The Art of Horsemanship. I read this ancient text to remind myself that the bond between human and horse has existed in different time periods and other countries. The world has gone through so many changes since man first allied himself with horses. I live in the resulting world. However, one thing has remained. The indestructible bond some humans have with horses has survived.

The Art of Horsemanship is available in print but also can be downloaded for free on Amazon's Kindle.

Sources:

The Majesty of the Horse by Tasmin Pickeral
The Art of Horsemanship by Xenophon
http://globalhorseculture.typepad.com/global_horse_culture/2008/05/conditioning-th.html#comments

Book Challenge 2012

So I have decided to join Book Chick City's challenge of reading one-hundred fiction books in a year. Sure I am moving to Japan and finishing my MFA novel but what's one more challenge?

Equine Reflections: Linda Kohanov's "Way of the Horse"

Earlier this year I went through a chain of events that heightened  former spiritual beliefs I had held as a child. Somehow between the loss of innocence and entering adulthood I lost the connections I had once seen. I could no longer write as a once had. I felt inadequate and any hope I had seemed to have died with the winter. The only time I felt close to actually living was when I was with my horse. When I looked into Skye's eyes I could see that she knew things about the past I did not know. I thought to myself, when I was a child I had wanted to follow horses wherever they lead me. Why should I not go to Japan to write about horses? I am nearly as passionate about the Japanese culture as I am about horses.

I began to read books about how horses have helped heal people. I talked to friends and how they felt they were healed by horses. One night I discovered the works of Linda Kohanov which include The Tao of Equus, Riding Between the Worlds, and The Way of the Horse. Kohanov is the founder of Epona Equestrian services, a stable that uses horses to reveal the emotional and mental afflictions that are holding back individuals.

While reading Riding Between the Worlds tonight I found myself with a clear cut explanation to problems I had with Skye at the beginning of this year. Horses can sense when a person is putting on a facade. They have a heightened awareness and can percieve things about a human before the individual realizes it. We have a "false self" and a "true self" and horses wants their handlers to acknowledge their "true self". Skye could sense my feelings of frustration, inadequacy, and unhappiness under the fragile smiles I gave her.  I was not a confident leader she could trust and this resulted in her refusals to go out alone at times. Not until I acknowledged my unhappiness and my desire to start a new life to her did she become more willing.

Over the summer at the SNHU MFA residency one of  my classmates hosted a Goddess card reading. I drew the card of Isis, the Egyptian goddess who symbolizes rebirth and the ability to create life. I took this, in regards to my question, that by going to Japan I could begin to create the life I want. I purchased Kohanov's Way of the Horse cards. They are not the typical tarot cards. The cards give advice for guidance from the equine perspective.

Last night I did a card reading in regards to person I feel I have a connection with. The results were quite interesting and I hope this person and I will cross paths again someday.

Do I worship horses? Perhaps in sense I do through my spirituality. I am not making prayers to horses but I am looking to them for signs. I have chosen to live my life by going wherever they lead  my spirit and passion for writing. Many will not be able to understand my reasoning or my views but I am fine with that. After all, every human lives their "truth" differently.

Book Review: Native Dancer

Native Dancer: Racing's Great "Gray Ghost"
Author: Eva Jolene Boyd
Published: 2007, Blood-Horse Publications
Genre: (Equine) Biography, 175 pages
Rating: 4/5

This is a thoroughly researched biography about the racehorse Native Dancer. Native Dancer was a great gray stallion and his coloring made him distinguishable on the 1950's television. He had an unbelievable stride measuring 29 feet  which is 5-7 feet longer than the average Thoroughbred. The biography is engaging but at times started to drag in a few places where I found myself skipping to the next paragraph. Background information on the humans connected to Native Dancer is detailed and grounds the reader back in time. If you want to learn about Native Dancer I highly recommend this book to any racing fan!

Book Review: Man o' War

Man o' War
Author: Walter Farley
Published: 1962, Renewed 1990, Yearling (Imprint of Random House)
Genre: Fictional Biography for Ages 10+, 352 pages
Rating: 5/5

As a child I read several novels from The Black Stallion series and was absolutely in love with the movies. Last spring I went on a horse racing book buying escapade when Man o' War showed up in the Amazon results. I did a double take when I saw the author's name. Never before had I even heard of this novel by Farley.

Danny is a teenager whose only desire is to be with the race horses he admires. One night, he witnesses the birth of a great chestnut colt who captures his heart. When the colt is sold he follows Man o' War to his new home and watches the glory of his beloved horse unfold. Man o' War, while considered over-sized by some, was a demon on the track winning 20 of his 21 races. In his two year racing career he won $249,465 in purses and shattered several records. The greatness of this colt captured the attention of racing fans across the United States and he was named Horse of the Year in 1920.

Farley did not only write a great tribute to Man o' War but to horse racing as well. Readers will feel their heart swell with excitement as his prose carries them through the races. They will be able to hear the cheering of crowds, feel the heat of summer, and see the streak of red crossing the finish line as shouts erupt in the stadium. With his excellent use of imagery, Farley recreated the  races so readers could imagine them with the greatness Man o' War brought to the track. When a reader feels anticipation and excitement at the starting gate the author has indeed brought glory to the equine writing world.

Going to Japan: Selected Books

With only three weeks to go before moving to Japan I had to make a decision about the few precious books I would bring. While I love my kindle I still prefer a physical book that I can touch. This decision wasn't as hard as I thought as it would be after I reflected on stories that are precious to me.

The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle and I have had a love affair since I was eight-years-old. This novel was my introduction into the fantasy genre. Admittedly, I saw the movie first and didn't read the book until I was thirteen. I've returned to this novel repeatedly over the years and even wrote a paper for my Literature Theory class on the novel's themes. It is hard to express the emotional ties I have to this book. I just know it has to come with me.

The second novel I chose was the ever enduring horse classic Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. The spirit of the horse fills the pages and has overflown into the hearts of readers for over 100 years. The voice of Black Beauty is so beautiful the reader can hear the unspoken knowledge of horses .

With my love for Elizabethethan England I could not be without something from this time period. So the Barnes and Noble edition of The Complete Works of Shakespeare will be crossing the Pacific Ocean with me. This book weighs 8lbs and I had to do quite a bit of shifting around with the suitcase weight limit.  I am so happy it is coming with me!

The last book I am bringing is  Horses in Japan by Vivienne Kenrick. Why? This book is where I will start preliminary research. Not only that, there are some stories in there I wish to pursue myself. Also, this is the only book in English I have found about horses and their cultural impact in Japan. 

I can hardly wait to read these books in Japan!

Book Review: The Majesty of the Horse

The Majesty of the Horse: An Illustrated History
Author: Tamsin Pickeral
Photographer: Astrid Harrisson
Published: Barron's Educational Series, 2011
Genre: Animal/Nature History
Rating: 5/5

I picked up this amazing book at Barnes and Noble on sale. The photography is beyond stunning and captures the disposition and beauty of each different breed. Pickeral has thoroughly done her research and has gone beyond the scope of many equine dictionaries. This book contains pages that are dedicated to breeds both rare and common that are not found in most horse breed books. I have never before heard of the Kazakh horses of Kazakhstan or the Sorraia of Spain. Through books I have been introduced to the horses of America and Europe but the horses from Asia always seemed to be neglected. I am very pleased with the information this book contains about horses from India, Kazakhstan, Russia. My only disappointment is that it did not include information on the native breeds of Japan.

Book Review: Horses Never Lie About Love

Title: Horse Never Lie About Love
Author: Jana Harris
Published: Free Press, 2011
Genre: Memoir, 276 pages
Rating: 5/5

I used to rarely read memoirs. Until I was in college I was a fiction junkie. I took a summer literature class that focused specifically on the memoir genre. My favorite memoir that I read for the class was the popular Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt. In a sad twist of fate Mr. McCourt died shortly before my class began. Perhaps it was his death or my interest in Ireland that drew me to his memoir. Whatever the case, the summer of 2009 opened my reading world up. I am now a consumer of many animal related memoirs.

Harris' memoir focuses on her life after she purchases a mare and two foals to start a small breeding farm. The mare, True Colors, hasn't been touched in years and the foals have never known human touch. Filled with detailed descriptions and defining passages the reader is brought into Harris' world of horses. She struggles to gain the trust of one of the foals and tries to understand True Colors who never wants for humans. Readers will be able to sense the the atmosphere, emotion, and wonder horses bring to a person's life. Harris has made her love for horses palpable on every page. Any equine enthusiast will enjoy this engrossing read.

Book Review: Horses and Civilizations

Horse: How the Horse Has Shaped Civilization

Author: J. Edward Chamberlin

Published:  BlueBridge, 2006

Genre: Nature/Philosophical Essay, 288 pages

Rating: 5/5

What is the horse? How has the horse affected the world of humans? Why are humans fascinated with horses? Chamberlin attempts to explain the connection between humans and horses from the dawn of time to the modern era. Drawing on evidence from archaeology, art, literature, stories, and cultural history he tells the story of how humans have worshiped and valued horses.

The passages in this book are rich with imagery, metaphors and parallel ties between man and horse. From the steppes of Mongolia to the American farm Chamberlin finds the important essence of the horse in art, battle, religion and life. There is no linear story for the human's history with the horse. Chamberlin has done a wonderful job weaving together the multiple histories of the horse into a concrete and well written essay. 

This book also mentions a certain Greek, Xenophon, whose writings on horses "were influential on the classical world". This book in modern publication is a short 42 pages but is an important document in equine history. It is available on the kindle for free. I intend to indulge in this historical text and share my opinions on it in a later post.