The newly published book, Shine On! Shiny Bits of Wisdom, isn't like the other horse books out there. Yes, it's a book with horse photos and quotes, but what makes this book different is its background. The book originated as a Facebook page produced by Cathy Herbert and DandeLyon Vredenburg as an effort to share the lessons and wisdom they'd learned in working with horses, and in particular with the 1996 Quarter Horse palomino stallion, Twice As Shiney.

The idea was simple: post eye-catching equine photos and quotes to connect with other Facebook horse lovers. It became wildly successful (the page today has over 528,000 likes), and the idea to form a book from the essence of the page arose. Cathy had a writing background, having been a senior editor for Practical Horseman and Horse & Rider. DandeLyon owned Twice As Shiney for a number of years and had a breeding operation. The two turned their attention to producing Shine On.

Shine On! features color equine photographs juxtaposed with poetic quotes and inspirational musings on life. The quotes maintain a consistent voice throughout the whole book, which is gentle, loving, and uplifting. In reading the book you have the impression that the writers truly care for the reader and for life in general, and the quotes are all well matched to their corresponding photos. This book could be a good match for a horse or animal lover looking for a little inspiration.

I very much enjoyed the fact that the book's entire interior consists of full color photography. The book's overall color scheme is well chosen, as the photos and the quotes are framed by a light blue background that works well with the colors in the majority of the photos. This background doesn't detract from the book's content, and the text is clear and easy to read.

However, in reading this book I was disappointed to see that it was lacking in a number of standard elements. I would have enjoyed reading an About the Authors section. Given this book's fascinating background I felt that it was important for a reader to understand its history and origin, yet no mention of that was made. I also would have liked to have read even a bit of information on Twice As Shiney, the horse who was so influential.

While the majority of the photos are beautiful, the inclusion of a few particular photos surprised me, since they weren't of the greatest quality. I would have also appreciated captions for the photos, whether included on the pages themselves or referenced in the back of the book. The photos all included a "flipping the corner" graphic that I felt detracted from both the quality of the photos and from the professional layout of the book.

Shine On! is a book that will appeal to many horse and animal lovers. Inspirational and uplifting, many of the photographs are stunning. You can order Shine On! on Amazon and can visit the Facebook page that it originated from.

Ankle High and Knee Deep: Women Reflect on Western Rural Life provides an honest, first-person glimpse of life in the West. Edited by Gail L. Jenner, Ankle High and Knee Deep is a compilation of brief essays by women whose lives have been tied into ranches and farms.

The book provides many unique perspectives, and the essays encompass a wide variety of voices and experiences. Throughout all of the essays there is a nostalgia for days gone by and the "old ways." Within the book's pages women share fond memories, the journey of growing up in the West, lessons learned through hard work, and the sometimes harsh realities brought about by life. Many of the essays are accompanied by a black and white photograph highlighting their main subject.

Divided into eight different sections - Fortitude, Horse Sense, Community, Self-Reliance, Memory, Resilience, and Lessons - the book is easy to pick up for a few minutes to read an essay or two. A reader can also easily jump around to the sections and essays that are most appealing to them. I found it was a good book to keep on hand for whenever I had a bit of reading time, no matter how brief.

The "Horse Sense" section contains nine different essays and poems reflecting on a variety of experiences with horses. The essays are interesting, providing a glimpse into each woman's attachment to horses and the sometimes life-changing experiences they've had with them. There's a story about rescuing a horse from a river overrun by flood waters, of clinging onto a wild ride after encountering a hornet nest, and (my favorite) a story about the role that horses played in a woman's recovery from a life-altering accident and the resulting PTSD.

I enjoyed this book, though found that I didn't readily take interest in many of the essays, despite the fact that I yearn to live a life in the West and believe that I was born on the wrong side of the country. I did enjoy the "Horse Sense" section, and found some of the essays very intriguing. Still, there is a variety of writing talent presented here, so there will likely be some essays and poems that you will skip, and some that will quickly grip you. I would have also liked to have seen photos provided by the essayists themselves - I found myself wanting to know what the specific story subjects looked like, and the photos that accompanied the essays were more generic.

Ankle High and Knee Deep is an interesting read, and anyone who's ever lived life in the West (or who wants to) can certainly find some essays within it that they enjoy.

Ankle High and Knee Deep is available on Amazon. You can also visit editor Gail Jenner's website.

Young readers will find an entertaining, fast-paced story in Keeping Secrets, the first of the Timber Ridge Riders series. The book is directed towards young horse enthusiasts, as horses and riding are central to its plot.

Maggie Dana’s Keeping Secrets tells the story of fourteen-year-old Kate McGreggor who has sworn off riding and horses since a tragedy occurred. When Kate takes a summer job helping Holly Chapman, a young rider now wheelchair-bound, Kate finds herself once again thrust into the horse world, despite her reluctance. As Kate becomes an increasingly important part of Holly’s life, she must struggle to keep her dark past a secret, and to help Holly deal with a barn bully who will stop at nothing to win.

The book tells a realistic, largely believable story, and the dialogue is well crafted, especially the conversations between Kate and Holly. Maggie has captured their voices naturally, and develops their characters well. The pacing is perfect and the action-filled plot moves forward quickly, which will keep young readers engrossed and entertained.

Keeping Secrets includes important lessons about the fear, responsibility, and even guilt that riders can face. It examines our relationships with horses and how they can affect us as people. Gracefully learning to live with loss becomes a central theme to the entire book. Kate’s struggle with her past provides another important lesson about letting go, moving on, and forgiving the person who is often the most difficult to forgive – yourself.

Revolving around horses, Keeping Secrets portrays the world of riding accurately and realistically. The scenes involving horses are detailed and visual, and even readers who aren’t terribly familiar with the horse world or with horse terminology will be able to navigate and enjoy this book.

At 176 pages, Keeping Secrets is a quick and easy read; I read it in one sitting. The antagonist, named Angela, is reminiscent of the bully in the Saddle Club series, and I would have liked to have seen more variety or creativity with her character. However, Keeping Secrets is the first book in the series; it’s possible that Angela’s character will continue to develop and differentiate itself through the series’ progression.

Be sure to check out the Timber Ridge Riders series website. You can also read an excerpt of Keeping Secrets, and purchase the book on Amazon.

It’s been a long time since a book swept me along as easily as Lucy’s Chance, book one of the Red Rock Ranch series did. From the opening scene I found that I was turning the pages quickly, eager to see what would come next.

Lucy’s Chance follows the adventures of Lucy Rose, a sixteen-year-old girl who is working on a ranch away from home for the summer. Lucy quickly meets (and falls for) her young coworker Casey Parker, though another rider at the ranch makes it evident that Casey is her territory. When Lucy’s path crosses with a black gelding in need, she and Casey join forces to train the gelding, but they must soon turn their efforts towards fighting to keep the gelding safe.

This book reads wonderfully easily, and author Brittney Joy’s writing flows naturally. The dialogue is natural, the book itself highly descriptive and visual, and it all comes together to create a story that makes any horse lover long for the days when they were sixteen again.

Within the first two pages, Lucy’s character had already asserted her tone and was well-developed, an admirable feat. The chemistry between Lucy and Casey is palpable in the book’s latter chapters, and the horses are described with careful detail. Brittney clearly writes with the voice of an experienced rider – scenes depicting trail rides, roping, calf cutting, and all manner of equestrian events were accurate, detailed, and realistic.

While Lucy’s Chance will appeal to teens, I’m in my late twenties and still thoroughly enjoyed it. Combining horses, love, and the ranch atmosphere, the book is a light and fun read. I found myself reminiscing about my teenage years and what I was up to at sixteen, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the description of Lucy trying to do barn chores one-handed, as it’s something that I’ve been forced to try myself a few times too many.

In reviews you’re always supposed to present both the good and the bad, and I feel like I’m raving about this book, so I do need to mention that there are a few (and I mean few) little grammatical errors. However, they’re minor and infrequent (and I was an English major in college), so it’s entirely possible that most readers wouldn’t notice them.

All in all, Lucy’s Chance is a wonderful read.

Lucy’s Chance is available on Amazon (hint: the e-book is on sale for $.99 this week!), and be sure to visit Brittney Joy’s Facebook page.

Cowgirl Courage, written by J. H. Lee, is an adventure novel for young readers that centers around horses. Brooke, a twelve-year-old girl who once loved to ride, finds herself facing fear and lost confidence that result from a tragic riding accident. Presented with a new mount and the desire to help with her family’s ranch, Brooke must decide whether she lets her fear overpower her or whether she fights back instead.

This story is certainly action-packed, and its fast pace will keep young readers engaged. The chapters are of just the right length and the well-timed plot events propel the book forward. From runaway horses to cattle drives to an orphaned moose, this book crafts Brooke’s unique life with detailed accuracy.

It’s evident that J. H. Lee writes from her own experiences raising and training horses on a ranch. It’s always a pleasure to read a book where horses and riding are depicted accurately and realistically. Some of the scenes I enjoyed the most describe Brooke’s interaction and developing relationship with her new horse, Jazz; throughout the book Jazz’s character develops as well, and you feel like you can predict her moves by the end.

In reading the book’s synopsis, I was excited to see that J. H. Lee had taken on an issue that is so common amongst riders – fear after a fall. I felt that the issue would be well-received by young readers. And while the first half of the book does focus on Brooke’s fear of getting back into the saddle, I was disappointed to see that the issue largely takes a backseat for the second half of the book, only appearing in hints here and there.

The writing flows smoothly, and many scenes are very visual with good description. While the dialogue is a little stiff at times, the book reads well overall. With the exception of the occasional horse terminology, Cowgirl Courage is largely accessible for young readers.

Cowgirl Courage is a fast-paced tale of what happens when a young rider stands up to her fear. Readers will delight in Brooke’s adventures with Jazz.

Sound interesting? Cowgirl Courage is available on Amazon. Be sure to visit J. H. Lee's Facebook page!

Tired of novelists who throw in a horse or two for good measure, but inevitably botch even the most basic rules of riding? With her newest novel Ambition, Natalie Keller Reinert has truly written a horse book for adults. This time Natalie delves into the world of eventing from the perspective of Jules, a rider for whom nothing has come easy:

Jules Thornton didn’t come to Ocala to make friends. She came to make a name for herself. Young, determined, and tough as nails, she’s been swapping stable-work for saddle-time since she was a little kid - and it hasn’t always been a fun ride. Forever the struggling rider in a sport for the wealthy, all Jules has on her side is talent and ambition. She’s certain all she needs to succeed are good horses, but will the eventing world agree?

This story hit close to home. I was the rider who cleaned stalls and tack for saddle time, who watched friends buy and lease show horses while I had to be content with whatever lesson horse wasn’t being used that day. While I never aspired to the competition career that Jules yearns for, I certainly know what it’s like to wish for respect and security in the sometimes brutal equestrian world.

Natalie’s strength as a writer lies in the fact that she is both a storyteller and a horse person. Natalie weaves the story of Jules, her horses, and their uncertain road to the upper levels of eventing with realism and detail. Her firsthand experience with horses is evident, and she uses that experience to develop both the human and the equine characters.

Perhaps best of all, horses don’t play a supporting role in this novel – rather, the novel centers around them. Horses are on every page, but the plot moves quickly. Richly detailed, a rider can’t help but nod her head in agreement with some of the comments and musings that Jules narrates. The situations are familiar grounds for so many riders.

Which brings us to one of the book’s only downfalls: While it’s highly accessible for riders, I don’t know that the same can be said for readers who have little to no horse knowledge. And that’s fine – shouldn’t equestrians have some novels intended just for them? – but I feel compelled to warn you that even though you may adore Ambition, your non-horsey friends and relatives will probably find themselves lost after the first chapter or so.

I found Ambition to be a little bit on the short side; I would have liked it to follow the adventure a little bit further. However, it definitely hints of another story to come – perhaps a sequel following Jules as she moves up to the big-time?

Ambition provides a lively account of the challenges of the horse world, the dedication and sacrifice that are standard characteristics in so many competitive riders, and the riders’ drive and desire that, if they go unchecked, can border on the destructive. This is all balanced out by moments of humor, making Ambition a fun and compelling read.

You can buy the e-book of Ambition on Amazon, and learn more about Natalie’s work through her website. Be sure to check out The Equine Insider’s own interview with Natalie as well!