OK, lemme see. I think there was one where the characters end up trapped in a building. I think that's one of the ones I liked. But I'm not sure. Then, did he write one about someone trying to track a serial killer, and the serial killer was somehow gaining ... I dunno, access? ... to the protaganist's mind ... or the other way around. (ETA: admittedly, both of the plot points described have no doubt been reproduced many times, so probably not all that helpful). And there was something about birds in the serial killer one. I think it all fell apart in the end, plot-wise. And I have no idea if it was actually Koontz.

But, then, I wouldn't put Koontz in the sci-fi category. (Random comment)

Thanks to the ABC miniseries, to this day I cannot bear to have the shower curtain closed unless someone is actually showering in it. If it's not in use, the curtain has to be all scrunched up at one end so that there's no possibility of anything lurking in the tub.

I found that you can buy clear plastic shower curtains at Wal-Mart and Kmart, and they usually have metal grommits to keep them from pulling through.

I think there was one where the characters end up trapped in a building. I think that's one of the ones I liked.

Okay, you got me there. I'm pretty sure characters frequently end up trapped in a building at some point. Sole Survivor, maybe?

Then, did he write one about someone trying to track a serial killer, and the serial killer was somehow gaining ... I dunno, access? ... to the protaganist's mind ... or the other way around. And there was something about birds. I think it all fell apart in the end, plot-wise.

Oh, I think that was Hideaway. That was the one where the guy has a near-death experience. Yeah, I think that's the one you're talking about.

One thing about that amused me about Koontz was his fascination with bougainvillaea. I have no idea what kind of flowers those are, but there are bougainvillaea in every single one of his books.

Well, it's interesting, Nova. Some books I read in seventh grade, I still like today. So I wouldn't necessarily consider that a strike against something. Hell, I still like the Narnia Chronicles, and I started those well before seventh grade. Just because I liked something when I was a juvenile doesn't mean I think the work was juvenile.

Which doesn't change the fact that your taste for the books in question changed, obviously. I'm just saying ... I liked it in seventh grade, and I still like it today is not an anomaly in my world. Is all.

(Edited for spelling, again. I'm having issues tonight.)

Oh, it's not a strike. It was a statement of support. Unlike King, I've enjoyed Crichton. Just...a long time ago.

Today, I bought three books at The Strand. All of them were aimed at people of approximately seventh grade. I'm a HUGE fan of things I read in the seventh grade - I had good taste!

My point was that Crichton is a fun read, but if I started him as late as I tried King, I might have been equally turned off. Or maybe not. That is all.

(Goes back to his pulpy novel about a sixteen-year-old hot sexy female werewolf that he got for $2...)

I looked it up P-C. It was Face of Fear (the trapped in the building one), but now I can't remember whether I liked. And, yep, I read the description for Hideaway, and that sounds like it. I do believe I liked that one.

It was Face of Fear (the trapped in the building one), but now I can't remember whether I liked.

I've never even heard of that one. Apparently it was published under a psuedonym, which doesn't bode well for its quality.

And, yep, I read the description for Hideaway, and that sounds like it. I do believe I liked that one.

Yeah, it's a pretty cool one. Another very cool one is Strangers, which is Koontz pulling a King and writing an 800+-page book about a large cast of characters.

Cereal?

Oh, it's not a strike.

Gotcha. I misinterpreted your meaning. No biscuit for me.

I've never even heard of that one. Apparently it was published under a psuedonym, which doesn't bode well for its quality.

Doesn't seem to be under a pseud ... or maybe it started out that way.

The Face of Fear

or maybe it started out that way.

It did.

Oh, wow, he had a ton of pseudonyms, geez. Shattered was written under one, which explains why it sucked hard. House of Thunder wasn't too bad, though.