Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I was obsessed with horses. My parents still shudder when they tell the story of how, when I was three, I wandered into a field and climbed on the back of a horse napping in the shade. To keep me out of trouble (and to save their sanity), they finally got me a horse. Ben and I had many adventures as we rode through the bush and I let my imagination roam free. Years later, those meanderings of hooves and minds culminated in more than 30 novels about horses and humans bonding, caring for each other, and saving each other. I hope you enjoy reading my favorite horse books! 


I wrote

Whinnies on the Wind: The Collection

By Angela Dorsey,

Book cover of Whinnies on the Wind: The Collection

What is my book about?

Evy can telepathically understand horses, but she's not sure if it's a blessing or a curse. What she is sure…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Scorpio Races

Angela Dorsey Why did I love this book?

The Scorpio Races, inspired by elements of Celtic mythology, has one of the most vivid, mysterious, intense atmospheres of any book I’ve ever read. Add to that that I love the characters, felt true sympathy for their challenges, love the bond shown between human and horse, and felt terrified by the kelpies or “water horses” – and The Scorpio Races is a truly unique reading experience that has stayed with me. In fact, I think it’s time to read this one again! 

By Maggie Stiefvater,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked The Scorpio Races as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 13, 14, 15, and 16.

What is this book about?

A spellbinding novel from #1 New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater.

Some race to win. Others race to survive.It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die. At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them. Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio…


Book cover of Black Beauty

Angela Dorsey Why did I love this book?

This classic book was so important to me when I was a child. It not only was about horses, which I obsessed over at the time, but without me even knowing it, it solidified in me the belief that all creatures need and deserve kindness and compassion. As an adult, I see Black Beauty as one of the most influential books of my life, plus I absolutely adore how this book has been so instrumental in changing countless animals’ and humans’ lives for the better.

By Anna Sewell, Kristen Guest (editor),

Why should I read it?

11 authors picked Black Beauty as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Continuously in print and translated into multiple languages since it was first published, Anna Sewell's Black Beauty is a classic work of children's literature and an important text in the fields of Victorian studies and animal studies. Writing to ""induce kindness, sympathy and an understanding treatment"", Sewell realistically documents the working conditions of Black Beauty, who moves down the social scale from a rural carriage horse to a delivery horse in London. Sewell makes visible and tangible the experience of animals who were often treated as if they were machines. Though she died shortly after it was published, Sewell's book…


Ad

Book cover of Returning to Eden

Returning to Eden By Rebecca Hartt,

Looking for clean romantic suspense with spiritual undertones?

Look no further than the Acts of Valor series by Rebecca Hartt. With thousands of reviews and 4.7-5.0 stars per book, this 6-book series is a must-read for readers searching for memorable, well-told stories by an award-winning author.

A dead man stands…

Book cover of Hold the Rein Free

Angela Dorsey Why did I love this book?

I have to admit that I haven’t reread this one as an adult, but it was pure gold in my childhood. It never grew old, and no matter how many times I read it, it always thrilled me. I felt like I was going through the ups and downs of saving the mare and foal with the two characters. And there’s a donkey! There simply aren’t enough books about donkeys, in my opinion. My copy fell apart years ago, I read it so many times. It’s sad today to see that there are no new releases or ebooks – but thankfully, you can still find used copies. 

By Judy Van Der Veer,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Hold the Rein Free as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

.


Book cover of The Blue Roan Child

Angela Dorsey Why did I love this book?

What’s not to love about a fantasy quest novel with horses as true characters, instead of being mere transportation on that quest!? A girl and a mare head off on an epic journey to reunite the mare with her stolen twin foals, and along the way, they encounter a bunch of strange and unusual characters. The Blue Roan Child was also beautifully written, has powerful imagery of an unusual world, and I love the intertwining themes of trust and friendship. A future classic, maybe?

By Jamieson Findlay,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Blue Roan Child as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, 12, and 13.

What is this book about?

An epic adventure of love, trust, magic, and a very special friendship between a brave young girl and a remarkable horse.

Syeira lives in Haysele, a land of horses and horse-sensitives. Fate pairs her with the wild mare Arwin when Arwin’s two colts are taken from her, and Syeira decides to help Arwin rescue the colts. Their mission proves harder than they imagined, for the fearsome Lord Ran has taken the colts far away to Thruckport, his fortified city by the sea.

But despite his power, Lord Ran’s empire is less secure than he thinks. Rebel forces are gathering against…


Ad

Book cover of Stormwalker Series Connections In Time Bain's Story Book 1

Stormwalker Series Connections In Time Bain's Story Book 1 By S.G. Boudreaux,

Finding Family, Discovery, Destiny. This is what nineteen-year-old Bain Brinley is searching for.

In his homeland, far in the mountains, he stepped into what he could only describe as a time-portal and landed in a strange land known as Egypt. Then he falls through another portal during a storm, only…

Book cover of Phoebe and Her Unicorn

Angela Dorsey Why did I love this book?

Unicorns are almost horses, right? I bought this book and a few more in the Phoebe and Her Unicorn series for a child that loved them. What I didn’t expect was to love them too! The books are graphic novels, and Phoebe and Marigold Heavenly Nostrils (the unicorn) are a fun, fresh, and thoroughly entertaining pair that made me smile again and again! 

By Dana Simpson,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Phoebe and Her Unicorn as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

A boy and his dog . . . a girl and her . . . unicorn?

It all started when Phoebe skipped a rock across a pond and accidentally hit a unicorn in the face. Improbably, this led to Phoebe being granted one wish, and used it to make the unicorn, Marigold Heavenly Nostrils, her obligational best friend. But can a vain mythical beast and a nine-year-old daydreamer really forge a connection? Indeed they can, and that's how Heavenly Nostrils unfolds.

This beautifully drawn strip follows the unlikely friendship between a somewhat awkward girl and the unicorn who gradually shows…


Explore my book 😀

Whinnies on the Wind: The Collection

By Angela Dorsey,

Book cover of Whinnies on the Wind: The Collection

What is my book about?

Evy can telepathically understand horses, but she's not sure if it's a blessing or a curse. What she is sure of: her secret "gift" gets her in lots of trouble! Living in a remote cabin with her far-too-secretive hermit mother, surrounded by mustangs and other wild animals, Evy works at discovering her mother’s truth as she tries hard (but not too hard) to avoid trouble. 

Also available individually as paperbacks, these nine books have been enjoyed by both the young in age and the young at heart! “Blown away by such a wonderful series. I would recommend the series to all, even if they aren't horse lovers.” Ride along with Evy and her two horses, Rusty and Twilight, in this complete collection!

Book cover of The Scorpio Races
Book cover of Black Beauty
Book cover of Hold the Rein Free

Share your top 3 reads of 2024!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,584

readers submitted
so far, will you?

Ad

📚 You might also like…

Book cover of Betting on Bernie: A Memoir of A Marriage

Betting on Bernie By Martha Marks,

Bernard Marks and Martha Alford met by chance. The odds were long that they would hit it off. That wasn’t in the cards they’d been dealt at birth. But, as gamblers in love, they rolled the dice. And then they worked hard, took risks, caught lucky breaks, built satisfying careers,…

Book cover of Totally Turtles!

Totally Turtles! By Ginjer L. Clarke,

Did you know that leatherback turtles can weigh up to 2,000 pounds? Or that the Florida softshell turtle can breathe through its snout and its skin? Turtles have been around for millions of years, and we’re still learning more about them!

With simple language and vivid photographs, Totally Turtles! is…

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in horses, donkeys, and girls?

Horses 125 books
Donkeys 11 books
Girls 92 books