Stine's Curtains is not for the squeamish. Between the various bouts with fake and real blood (a dead swan in an upper bunk doesn't cause the camp to shut down while the perpetrator is found? Ew.), it's more of the same stuff as the other books but without redeeming qualities. Set in a drama camp, it has a psychopath on the loose, a girl with a scary past, multiple times when people look like they are dead but they're only "joking", and way too much blood. Sorry, after the swan I just wasn't interested.
Have found that when I go to the actual library instead of having the wonderful Westerville Public Library deliver books for me, I am not as focused on young adult literature. I read some adult "beach reads", but I pick up mostly nonfiction on popular culture, and memoirs. Read Be Happy or I'll Scream, even though it was sort of warmed over Bombeck (really, is it funny any longer when people can't keep their houses clean? And if the woman's husband is home with the children, why isn't he keeping it clean?). Skimmed through Why We Buy and The Way We Never Were, but they were both sort of dry. Miserly Moms was okay but I'm so miserly it didn't tell me anything new. Enjoyed Anytime Playdate, about television being marketed to preschoolers. It was interesting that all of that began being an issue when my Ms. 10-year-old was about three. None of my children watched much television, and I'm glad. I'm looking forward to picking up Not Buying It today.
For some reason, I tend to dislike adult fiction, and young adult nonfiction. I think most of the nonfiction for young adults is very dull, or well-done but on topics students don't care about. (Like Murphy's great fire book that I can't get anyone to read.) Hmmm. Food for thought. (Probably chock full of high fructose corn syrup like everything else!)
I read "Not Buying It". Political opinions aside (and she throws a few into the book), it was an OK book. More of an introspective look at her own faults where budgeting, purchasing, etc. were concerned. I thought it was ironic that she and her partner (not married) seem like the type that would be very "environmentally correct", yet they own not one, not two, but three vehicles. She points it out with the type of excuse my kids would make, "I know, but we NEED them! We really do use all three of them!" The book didn't much give ME any new info, but some of the statistics listed in it were quite interesting. Curious to hear what you think about it!
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