Right now, I'm about halfway through this lovely book. I started reading last night when I was very sleepy. Not that it's a long book, and I am slightly above the reading level that is listed, but for some reason... Oh, that's right. I'm reading real books now. Oh well. I hate to say it, but 15 years after I read the last one of these books, I still like them.
Baby-sitter's Summer Vacation tells the tale of the time the Baby-Sitter's Club -- a group of 13 & 11 year old girls who for some reason decide to spend their spare time watching other people's children and running fundraisers for various reasons -- and the time they decided to go to camp. Of course they couldn't just go to camp like normal 13 & 11 year old girls in New England. They had to go to camp and be CITs. Pardon the fact that some camp is letting 13 year olds be CITs, and singling out 2 11 year olds to be jr. CITs, the whole situation was just weird. The BSC goes to camp, and suddenly a bunch of the townspeople decide to send their kids? They don't do this all the time ?
But first I want to mention the cover. Look at it. Which one is Dawn, which one is Stacey? We know which girl is Jessi, although it's not quite like I would have pictured. Shouldn't a ballerina be sort of thin and woman looking? All I can say is. Ew.
Stacey's little letter at the beginning amused me. She talked about why she didn't want to go to camp, but she's trying new things. For someone so sophisticated, she suddenly got very shy at the beginning of the book. Why did each BSC person sign their own name? Why do their signatures never change? There are so many fun questions.
But all and all. I still love these stupid, ridiculous, poorly edited books.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Monday, June 18, 2007
The Great Gatsby
I started this blog as a place to keep all of my reviews together. I have many comments on many books. Right now I am reading The Great Gatsby, as I feel I may not have given it a fair chance with all of my complaining about it. I am also reading a few other novels, but the focus of today's piece will be on the Fitzgerald classic.
The Great Gatsby is a book set in New York City and "West Egg," which appears to be somewhere on Long Island. It is set in the 1920's and Fitzgerald does a wonderful job with language. I almost felt like I was really living in the era. The narrator, Nick, moved to Long Island with his housekeeper and his dog, which promptly ran away. Through out this narrative, I could not but wonder, why? Why am I reading this? Is it supposed to illustrate how wealthy people are just bad people? Are we supposed to understand the the elite also have problems? These concepts have been drilled into my head from a very young age. Understand that everyone has problems.
The problem I saw with Gatsby is that it's a plot that's been done before. There was nothing too redeeming in my eyes. I simply read a book that was slightly dull, about an era I know nothing about, that was criticizing the upper class. It's trendy to do that, I suppose. And they are not above criticism. Look at Paris Hilton. Is that someone who seems to have a lot of integrity and morals? No, but that's just our perception. I don't know the situation, and I'm a bit tired of hearing about it. There are much more important things in the world, but yet we stop to watch when she goes to jail. But I digress.
The thing I can not understand about Gatsby is why it is supposed to be this great piece of literature. Sure, it's old and well written. But it's boring. Really, really boring. And it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.
For next time, I will be discussing The Baby-Sitter's Club: Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation. See you all then.
The Great Gatsby is a book set in New York City and "West Egg," which appears to be somewhere on Long Island. It is set in the 1920's and Fitzgerald does a wonderful job with language. I almost felt like I was really living in the era. The narrator, Nick, moved to Long Island with his housekeeper and his dog, which promptly ran away. Through out this narrative, I could not but wonder, why? Why am I reading this? Is it supposed to illustrate how wealthy people are just bad people? Are we supposed to understand the the elite also have problems? These concepts have been drilled into my head from a very young age. Understand that everyone has problems.
The problem I saw with Gatsby is that it's a plot that's been done before. There was nothing too redeeming in my eyes. I simply read a book that was slightly dull, about an era I know nothing about, that was criticizing the upper class. It's trendy to do that, I suppose. And they are not above criticism. Look at Paris Hilton. Is that someone who seems to have a lot of integrity and morals? No, but that's just our perception. I don't know the situation, and I'm a bit tired of hearing about it. There are much more important things in the world, but yet we stop to watch when she goes to jail. But I digress.
The thing I can not understand about Gatsby is why it is supposed to be this great piece of literature. Sure, it's old and well written. But it's boring. Really, really boring. And it didn't tell me anything I didn't already know.
For next time, I will be discussing The Baby-Sitter's Club: Baby-sitters' Summer Vacation. See you all then.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
First Post
This is my new blog where I read books and review them. Right now I don't have a lot here, and I'm trying to figure out how the feature of blogspot work. I was inspired by many famous bloggers of the day. (not really. Actually, I just needed something entertaining to so, and this serves a duel purpose.)
The two-tiered purpose that this beautiful new blog will give me is simple. I will be able to keep all of my media reviews in one place, not mixed into my livejournal, which is quickly becoming juvenile and difficult to use. I will also be able to use this as something else to do with my free time, which I have far to much of, and not enough money to actually do fun things.
The two-tiered purpose that this beautiful new blog will give me is simple. I will be able to keep all of my media reviews in one place, not mixed into my livejournal, which is quickly becoming juvenile and difficult to use. I will also be able to use this as something else to do with my free time, which I have far to much of, and not enough money to actually do fun things.
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