Reading Recomendations

I want to share my top picks for books for you to read as well as give you a list of the best and most influential horse books (and movies) that I’ve read over the years!

Adults; It would be—hands down—The Mistborn Trilogy by Brandon Sanderson. It has been several years since I (first) read these books. I enjoyed these so much that I shared the books with everyone in my family. The main character(s) are unforgettable, with unique personalities that draw you into the story. The magic system is completely unique as well as perfectly applied to the world and story.  This trilogy is my favorite by a landslide and I recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the fantasy genre. All that said, while the series is rather clean, I wouldn’t recommend them for younger readers since they can be dark, include brutal fights, and more mature elements. Mistborn: The Final Empire, The Well of Ascension, and The Hero of Ages.

Young Adult; if you want something besides the popular Hunger Games or Divergent series, I would recommend the River of Time trilogy by Lisa Tawn Bergren. This is a Christian series (“Christian” being used loosely) and is a clean, historical fiction with a good dose of action and adventure. I just finished reading these, and despite some glaring loopholes that bothered me to no end, I really did enjoy this trilogy. The storyline is unique and is led by a strong female character who I found relatable and fun. Typical of Young adult fiction, this trilogy has elements of both the fantastical and the all-too-predictable love story. However, I was pleased that this trilogy didn’t have an annoying love triangle and the heroine doesn’t lose her mind when faced with painful choices—so with that in mind, enjoy an easy and exciting read with this series.  Waterfall, Cascade, and Torrent.

For the Kids; The 100 Cupboards Trilogy by N. D. Wilson. I have to admit that I read this trilogy only a couple years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it, so it’s not just for the kids if you want an easy and entertaining read. Otherwise, I would say this is a great place for a young reader to start. My younger brother never really cared for reading until he started this series—he hasn’t stopped reading since. So if you know a kid who you know would enjoy reading but hasn’t seem to be bit by the bug, try these books :) The 100 Cupboards trilogy is unique, fun, and clean. I can see parents enjoying reading this group of books to their kids. However, be warned, there are some moments in the books that could be pretty scary for a really young child. 100 Cupboards, Dandelion Fire, and The Chestnut King.

A few of my other favorites:

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

Firebird trilogy by Kathy Tyers

King Raven trilogy by Stephen R. Lawhead

Genesis of Shannara trilogy by Terry Brooks

Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

Blink by Ted Dekker

And last but not least, my list of horse books for those of you who love equines. Most of these are from my childhood, but I still love them and recommend them to any horse lover.

The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley. Read them all in order. You don’t understand what it is to love horses if you haven’t read them. I still love them and I started them when I was really little. There are 19 books total, my favorite has always been The Black Stallion Revolts, but I didn’t like the last four. Be sure to read The Young Black Stallion (sometimes listed as book 20, but I would read it first) and don’t skip the Island Stallion books because they are part of the series—and some of my favorite. Don’t worry about the other books by Steven Farley (Walter Farley’s son) they aren’t that great. A good list of the series can be found here https://www.goodreads.com/series/49696-the-black-stallion.

Pulling a close second is the Unicorns of Balinor series by Mary Stanton. These books really are what started my love of reading and writing in the fantasy genre. It has been many, many years since I read these but I still haven’t forgotten them. So with that said, these are fantastic for young readers who love horses as well as magic and adventure.

Next, is the Phantom Stallion series by Terri Farley. I don’t know if the author is related to Walter Farley, but these books are great for young horse lovers. Read them!

King of the Wind: The Story of the Gadolphin Arabian by Marguerite Henry—this book is amazing and sadly is often overlooked. I loved it and you will too. Look for other books by this author, they are all great.

Man 'O War by Walter Farley is a great book as well. It sparked my interest in horse racing and is a wonderful fictional telling of one of the greatest race horses of all time.

Black Beauty by Anna Sewell—can be a little unsettling as it deals with horses being abused. But it is a classic of literature and I fully recommend it.

Horsefeathers series by Dandi Daley Mackall—great easy to read Christian series that is fun and touching. I loved this series as a pre-teen.

Thunderhead, Son of Flicka by Mary O’Hara—I think I read all her horse books, but this is one of one of my favorites. I’m not sure if her books are free of language though, so be wary of that.

The Sorrel Stallion by David Grew—found this book on a shelf in my grandparent’s house one summer many years ago and read it because (obviously) it was about horses. I will never forget it and it is not for young kids, it deals with both the abuse of horses and horse slaughter. Not a pleasant book, however I still recommend it.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater—this is a stand-alone Young Adult fiction about some very interesting carnivorous sea-horses. I really enjoyed it, but it’s not for everyone. *disclaimer—this book does contain some bad language.

Also, to complete your equine experience, you have to watch these movies—The Black Stallion, is the best horse movie out there by a landslide. Watch Black Beauty, The King of the Wind, and The Rouge Stallion (my second favorite from childhood). Be sure to watch The Man From Snowy River, which is a great horse movie even though it isn’t necessarily about the horses. War Horse, Dreamer, Seabiscut, and Secretariat are all good movies as well.

Well, by now I have probably bored you with all my horse-talk. I spent the first thirteen years of my life reading and watching nothing but horse-related books and movies, so as you can imagine I hardly scratched the surface with this list. But, if you (or someone in your family) loves horses this list pretty much covers all the best books and movies I discovered and feel need to be shared! Enjoy