Horses, Horses, Horses!

Molly Gloss has a new book out, and Third Place is pretty excited about it. Michael at Ravenna finished it the other day, and he just loved it. We actually have a few resident, Molly Gloss, super fans. Annie at Lake Forest Park just can't wait to dig in to the new book:

I'm generally excited about anything having to do with horses and ponies. One of my first words was "horse," although I'm sure it sounded much more like "hose" coming out of my toddler mouth. I've been horse crazy my entire life, and I've been a serious horse rider for 17 years. So when my father-in-law gave me The Hearts of Horses, I devoured it instantly. When an advanced copy of Falling from Horses came into the store, I snatched it up immediately. Both Ursula K. LeGuin and Karen Joy Fowler loved it, and I can't wait to start it.

Gloss has written three other novels. She's a fourth generation Oregonian and taught writing and literature of the American West at Portland State University. Her love of the American West most certainly shines through in "The Hearts of Horses." Interestingly, another of her novels, Dazzle of the Day, is straight science fiction, my other love in reading and life.

Falling From Horses  by Molly Gloss

In 1938, nineteen-year-old ranch hand Bud Frazer sets out for Hollywood. His little sister has been gone a couple of years now, his parents are finding ranch work and comfort for their loss where they can, but for Bud, Echol Creek, where he grew up and first learned to ride, is a place he can no longer call home. So he sets his sights on becoming a stunt rider in the movies -- and rubbing shoulders with the great screen cowboys of his youth.

On the long bus ride south, Bud meets a young woman who also harbors dreams of making it in the movies, though not as a starlet but as a writer, a "real" writer. Lily Shaw is bold and outspoken, confident in ways out of proportion with her small frame and bookish looks. But the two strike up an unlikely kinship that will carry them through their tumultuous days in Hollywood -- and, as it happens, for the rest of their lives.

Need more horses? Here are some of Annie's sugestions:

The Hearts of Horses by Molly Gloss
I love this book so much. What horse crazed person wouldn't love reading about a 19-year-old horse breaker looking for work in 1917 rural Oregon? Especially if that horse breaker is a woman. Martha Lessen finds work on a ranch breaking and gentling wild horses, and her adventures on the farm are definitely worth the read! Molly Gloss's writing is eloquent and beautiful, flawlessly telling Martha's story. -Annie


Spirit Horses by Tony Stromberg
This beautiful book should be in every horse lover's library. The photos, by renowned equine photographer Tony Stromberg, perfectly illustrate the beauty, power, grace, and serenity that every horse possesses. Mixed with snippets from writers and teachers about horses, this is a gorgeous addition is perfect for any and every horse-inclined person! -Annie


Believe: A Horseman's Journey by Buck Brannaman

Buck Brannaman is one of my favorite people in the horse world. Acknowledged as the inspiration for The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans and a consultant for the movie based on Evans' novel, Brannaman has touched many people through his equine clinics and rehabilitation of horses. Believe follows 13 different people who have encountered Brannaman and his amazing work. Read it and then watch the documentary, Buck, to truly understand Brannaman's gift! -Annie